Charlotte does not have an official arboretum, but the RibbonWalk Nature Preserve is about the next closest thing to one. The RibbonWalk Nature Preserve is an urban forest that is fairly close to Uptown Charlotte. It is near the intersection of I-85 and I-77 and about a 15 minute drive or a 30 minute bus ride from uptown. There are about 3 miles of hiking trails and a few picnic tables near the entrance. This preserve is a nice place for a leisurely stroll and has an old colony of American Beech trees towards the back. The trails are not very difficult and are well marked, but some of them can get fairly muddy. Near the entrance the trails run around several ponds where waterfowl can be observed. There are some benches around the ponds, as well as a mossy brick walkway around the "Lower Pond." You will see owl boxes further into the woods. Near the northern part of the preserve is an open meadow area. One of the negatives to this preserve is that there is a lot of airplane noise overhead, depending on which way the CLT airport is configured. Get the trail map from the website. There are no permanent restroom facilities and mountain biking is not allowed. Dogs are allowed as long as they are on a leash.