Half an hour west of Knoxville, past the strip malls and the traffic lights, there is a 250-acre patch of Tennessee woods where somebody has quietly labeled the trees for you. No gate, no ticket booth, no gift shop upsell.
Come October, the maples and ginkgos and sassafras turn the whole place into something families drive back for year after year, and the total cost of admission is exactly nothing. A full Saturday here, lunch in town included, runs less than the price of one dinner out.
A 250-Acre Research Forest Open To Anyone
Set along South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge, the University of Tennessee Arboretum covers 250 acres of ridges, hollows and open plantings. It belongs to UT’s Institute of Agriculture as a research and education center, which explains why so many of the trees wear small identification plaques.
More than 2,500 native and exotic woody plant specimens grow here, representing roughly 800 species, varieties and cultivars. That is a staggering number for a place with no admission fee, no parking charge and no requirement to book ahead…