Edith J. Carrier Arboretum — Attraction in Harrisonburg

The first time I walked into JMU's Edith J. Carrier Arboretum, I was a prospective student looking at JMU. After having lived here for a few years, it has undergone big changes, but remains one of my favorite places to spend an hour or two.

The arboretum can be divided into three sections. There is a spiraling garden, a large lake surrounded by trees, flowers, and walking paths, and a trail through the woods with different bridges over a small stream.

The arboretum is a great place to take pets as well, as there are almost always dogs on leash, walking with their owners. I take my dog there a couple times a week, and he loves to sniff around. There are families of ducks, and nature is thriving, with koi fish in the pond. Additionally, there are community events every now and then, and the space can be rented out for private events, such as weddings, or receptions. The only downside to the arboretum, which is minimal, is the lack of parking. This however, is more-so a fault of the parking at...

Beautiful place to visit! They have done a fantastic job at making this a relaxing and scenic place to walk. The tree canopy above keeps the Arboretum feeling private and it helps provide shade. There is plenty of benches to stop and enjoy nature. Love that it is dog friendly and well maintained. There is a variety of walking trails and even without a map, it was easy to find your way back to the starting point. Many of the trails are dirt/mulch, and there is a pond with a concrete walkway for an easier walk. We parked in JMU lot R5, which was free for Arboretum guests. As a warning for those that park there, it was quite steep to get down to the trails, but there are two other lots available that would be an easier entry/exit for those with...

A great place to wander around and relax. we followed google maps to get there and it lead up to a tiny parking lot, which was totally filled. after three other cars came down and we all did a bit of maneuvering, we pulled back out to the main road and saw another sign for parking. of course, if was the exact same thing! tiny lot and maneuvering to get out - don't fall for it. after pulling back out onto the main road again we found a huge lot. lots of parking there! plus there is a paved trail down to the arboretum... it's a bit steep, but fine. we've never been here before and weren't sure where the best place to walk was, but I don't think you can go wrong with any of the trails. there's a lot of space and many trails...