Glenn’s Creek Greenway extends from Weaver Park to Broadway Street via wooded and richly landscaped settings. Reed Creek Greenway links into this greenway by a crosswalk across Broadway Street.
Parking Lots
- Weaver Park: 200 Murdock Avenue, Asheville, NC 28804
- Weaver Park Tennis Courts: 430 Merrimon Avenue, Asheville, NC 28804
- Botanical Gardens at Asheville: 151 W.T. Weaver Boulevard, Asheville, NC 28804
- On-street parking available along W.T. Weaver Boulevard
History
The first 0.4 mile section of Glenn’s Creek Greenway opened between Barnard and Merrimon Avenues in 1997 as a partnership between the university, city government, and community members. The immediate popularity of the greenway led NCDOT to join the partnership for the next phase.
At the time, more speeding tickets per mile were written to drivers along W.T. Weaver Boulevard than any other city street. Looking to calm traffic and make the entrance to UNC Asheville more inviting, sections of the boulevard were reduced from four to two lanes, landscaped medians installed, and the city’s first roundabout put in place. Students and community members removed invasive species and replaced them with native woody vegetation to mitigate urban impacts along the creek.
Included in the improvements was another 0.35 mile section of greenway from Barnard Avenue to Broadway that opened in 2002. A crosswalk connected to sidewalks along Broadway in anticipation of the future Reed Creek Greenway that would fully separate pedestrian and bike traffic from vehicle travel.
During a stream restoration project, the Rhoades Trust donated an additional half acre of land to extend Glenn’s Creek Greenway into Weaver Park, connecting the Botanical Gardens at Asheville, the university, and the park to Murdock Avenue. The Rhoades family previously donated land for the university, the park, and W.T. Weaver Boulevard.
In 2023, the section of greenway inside the park got a slight realignment when a new pedestrian bridge replaced one with a steep ramp at the creek crossing.
Do you have photos or stories to share about Glenn’s Creek Greenway? Please send them to cbubenik@ashevillenc.gov so the City of Asheville can be inspired by the past as we plan our future.
Photo and Image Credits
- An additional phase expanded Glenn’s Creek Greenway into Weaver Park, but the original plan was for the greenway to run only between Merrimon Avenue and Broadway. Called W.T. Weaver Greenway and Broadway Greenway during planning stages, the names were changed to Glenn’s Creek Greenway and Reed Creek Greenway to reflect the City of Asheville’s preference for naming greenways for natural elements near their locations.
- With ample parking along W.T. Weaver Boulevard and inside Weaver Park, Glenn’s Creek Greenway is popular as both a way to travel and an out-and-back recreational loop for Ashevillians.