The North Carolina Arboretum

Asheville Parks & Recreation, founded in 1954, oversees a diverse network of more than 55 public parks, playgrounds, and open spaces throughout the city, as well as full-complex recreation centers, swimming pools, Riverside Cemetery, sports fields and courts, and community centers that provide a variety of wellness, education, and culture-related programs for Ashevillians of all ages.

One of Asheville's premier parks, this 155-acre park has been developed. Trails, picnic spaces, disc golf, lakes, a retreat center, the historic Thomas Wolfe cabin, and many other special amenities are now available at the John B. Lewis Soccer Complex (4 soccer fields).

There are paved walkways, a scenic viewpoint, open play spaces, and a dog park at this riverside park.

Trails, picnic areas, and river vistas complement the sports facilities, which range from roller hockey to lawn bowling.

Several soccer fields, as well as bocce and beach volleyball courts, make up this athletic complex.

Asheville Parks & Recreation was the first nationally-accredited city recreation department in the United States, driven by the promise that Asheville will be a better and safer place when everyone, from infants to retirees, has the opportunity to be supported, healthy, and successful.