Mill Mountain Wildflower Garden — Attraction in Roanoke

Do you need to grab a relaxing break from routine? The fifty-year-old Mill Mountain Wildflower Garden (1971-2021), a quiet wooded spot on top of Roanoke City’s highest peak (1703 ft.), offers just the spot. Here visitors, both old and young, able-bodied and handicapped, can find native and naturalized species of trees, shrubs, and flowering perennials. The garden might look a little bare on some days as plants complete their bloom cycles. On another day, the garden will seem to be bursting with bloom. The edges of the garden are good spots for bird-watching. Frog and tadpole watchers can explore the newly established water cascade and frog pond. The recent three-year renovation by Mill Mountain Garden Club (MMGC) members includes rerouting garden walkways and including trails that are compliant with the American with Disabilities Act (ADA). The main trails lead visitors through the garden to the Mill Mountain Zoo entrance. Soil underlying the ADA compliant trails was compacted and covered with small-sized light-colored wood chip mulch. Visitors with heavy-duty walkers or canes should be able to move around on most of these paths. I welcome comments on how these ADA compliant paths work for visitors using any kind of assistive device, There are handicap parking spaces at the end of the main Mill Mountain Parking lot closest to the Discovery Center. There is also. a paved circular drive which does not offer garden views from the garden entrance around the west side of the garden to the zoo entrance and from there around the east side of the garden. This two and one-half acre garden was established and subsequently cared for by the MMGC in 1971. Important to know is that MMGC members are just about finished with a three-year garden renovation project. They’ve had help from Roanoke City workers and a local landscape architect. The garden is worthy of repeat visits to check on how the finished renovation...

This Garden is a beautiful and peaceful spot to explore. The garden is much larger than we expected, with well-maintained walking paths that make it easy to stroll all the way to the zoo. We visited on a sunny day and appreciated how the trail was mostly shaded, making the walk even more enjoyable. The entire area is well cared for, and it's such a lovely way to experience nature while being surrounded by vibrant flowers and greenery. A perfect stop for families, nature lovers, or anyone looking to take a relaxing...

A hidden gem in Mill Mountain area with different wildflowers. The garden is between the Mill Mountain Discovery Center and Zoo. There is a time capsule (1976 - 2076) so get back here "later" when they are going to open it! I have added some photos and will do more on my future visits to give a sense what the garden would look like in different seasons. I have added the place on Google Maps to help others know about...