Trail Names
John Clayton Trail, Plecker Pond Loop Trail, Upland Trails, Wildflower Trail, Sycamore Flat Trail, Herb Garden Trail, Wheeldon Trail, Story Walk and Connector Trails
Location
780 University Blvd., James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA
Permitted Uses
Hiking, Nature Study, Geocaching
Prohibited Uses
Please leave the flowers for pollinators and do not pick them. Do not remove any man made or natural materials. Do not stray from the trails. Do not feed the ducks. No fishing allowed. No bicycles on chipped paths. No group sports on the lawn. No smoking. No flames or grilling fires. Stay out of all waterways. Please discard all waste in trash bins.
Hours
Open Dawn to Dusk, 365 days a year
Fees and Parking
There is no fee to park or to use the trails. There are three parking areas around the Arboretum all accessible from University Blvd.
Pets
Dogs are allowed on a leash and owners are required to remove and properly dispose of dog waste.
Accessibility
One of the trails is wheelchair accessible. The parking and access to the Frances Plecker Education and Welcome Center are wheelchair accessible as is the Plecker Pond Loop Trail. Another shorter section allows for parking and access to the Family Pavillion.
Hiker Amenities
The Arboretum has excellent information Kiosks that can be found at each parking area. Detailed maps are posted and there are maps available in English and Spanish to take with you during your visit. Family Restrooms, water, trash bins, picnic tables and information can be found at the Frances Plecker Education & Welcome Center. At the Welcome Center visitors are able to borrow laminated copies of self guided walking tours or you can scan a QR code for the tour booklets. The Center is open Monday - Friday from 8:00am to 4:00pm. They also have activity backpacks on loan to add to the fun and education during your visit. There are additional Family restrooms, trash bins, covered picnic tables and water available at the Family Pavillion.
Length and Trail Information
The Edith J. Carrier Arboretum was established in 1989 and is approximately 125 acres in size and is part of the Old Growth Forest Network. Besides hiking the trails found here, visitors may take advantage of plant sales that support the Arboretum, workshops and lectures as well as class use and research.
The Arboretum offers group tours and programming for children and adults as well as having spaces available for weddings or other private events. Volunteering and or Membership are encouraged. Membership to the Arboretum helps support the programs here and offers discounts. A QR code can be found on the map, or visitors may inquire at the Welcome center.
We did this hike as a loop of sorts, with many spurs taken to explore the interesting gardens and also to search for the geocaches that are placed here. We doubled back on some of our hikes in order to visit different sections of the Arboretum and ended up hiking about 2.1 miles during our visit. The hiking substrate is easy to navigate as most of the trails are wide and flat and well maintained with almost no trip hazards to be careful of. These trails provide an almost endless opportunity to combine and hike trails as you explore this beautiful sanctuary found in this urban setting.
In addition to the trails found here, visitors will be delighted to find a Family Garden with activities for Children and a Story Walk Trail that ends at a plaza where benches and outdoor libraries are installed called the Reading Roost.
We thoroughly enjoyed our visit and would encourage anyone in this area to take the time to visit this very special place.
