Asheville is home to many wonderful outdoor adventures and, increasingly, the city is becoming nationally known as one of the greenest and most eco-friendly. At the heart of the environmental movement is Warren Wilson College, a small liberal arts school ten miles east of Asheville in Swannanoa. Warren Wilson is highly rated for its outdoor life and being green; for example, Outside magazine ranks the college fourth on its Top 40, noting the following:

"Warren Wilson is one of the most earth-friendly colleges on the planet. ... Hikers, mountain bikers, and horseback riders don't even have to leave the 1,200-acre campus, as more than 25 miles of trails cut through the grounds. Warren Wilson's environmental studies program is the biggest on campus, and students can choose between sustainable agriculture, conservation biology, environmental policy, environmental education, and sustainable forestry."

Those trails Outside refers to are open to the public and they are definitely dog-friendly (on-leash). The River Trail, for example, runs alongside the Swannanoa Rover, oops, that is, River! Typically, only locals know about these trails -- but now you do, too. Warren Wilson's trails definitely qualify as a Pooch Path adventure. Access the trails from the campus. Visit the POOCH PATHS page for directions.