Asheville Blue Ridge Runner: Biltmore Estate: Farm Trail/Arbor Trace Trail Run

This was our very first visit to Asheville and the Biltmore Estate

We can't talk about living and running in Asheville without talking about the Biltmore Estate. The Biltmore House was built between 1889 and 1895 by George Washington Vanderbilt II. It is a Chateauesque-styled mansion and is the largest privately-owned home in the United States at 135,000 square feet featuring 250 rooms and is still owned by one of Vanderbilt's descendants. Biltmore Estate is a National Historic Landmark with America's largest home, gardens, winery, hiking/biking and equestrian trails. The estate today covers approximately over 8,000 acres. George Vanderbilt created Biltmore as an escape from everyday life for family and friends.

Thanks to George Vanderbilt's daughter, Cornelia, for opening up the estate to visitors, so that we too can feel like we have escaped from our everyday life all within a 10 minute drive from home! One of the things we love about the Estate is the trail system. We would like to tell you about our favorite runs at the estate, so we'll start off with the Farm Trail and Arbor Trace Trail. This is an 8 mile round trip run starting from Antler Hill Village, taking the Farm Trail which is a flat gravel and dirt road along the French Broad River; this trail leads to the Arbor Trace Trail, which travels in and out of the woods providing scenic views of the estate's agriculture and historic Market Gardener's Cottage. If you would like a longer run, you could combine this with the Lagoon Trail/Deer Park Trail, include the Bass Pond and Gardens (info provided on our blog) for an added 6.5 miles. You can pick up a map of the trails at the Outdoor Adventure Center located at Antler Hill Village. It tends to be hot running along the river, so plan your run early and carry water. The only place to get water on this run is at Antler Hill Village. Also, you have to purchase a ticket for entry into the Biltmore Estate to take advantage of running on the trails. You can also purchase an annual pass. If you are planning on running in the Biltmore Estate 15K Classic, you can take your entry ticket for the race and upgrade it to an annual pass also. Well worth the money!