I was enjoying a walk at the botanical gardens and saw the sign near where I'd parked. It's a…read moresteady, mild incline 1/2 mile up and down a gravel road to the viewpoints. Not by any means the prettiest trek, but lovely views at the top of course. I did encounter sections of monster mosquitos about 3/4 the way up and around the rocky viewing areas. I didn't arrive at sunset or rise, so I can't account for that aspect. But I found some of the other viewpoints in the area equally pretty, so I probably wouldn't go out of my way for these. And, I enjoyed the setting of the botanical preserve trails below much better. Still yet, I'm sure it would've been a different experience during the right time of day.

Loved this place! It's a half mile walk in a gravel road but to be able to watch the sunset was so…read morebeautiful!! Will definitely be back.

Do! One of the best…read morewaterfalls on the East. There's a walking path behind the roaring waterfall. It's impressive! Unlike famous gigantic falls, Dry Falls is very accessible and intimate. The trail is an easy 5-10 minutes walk down the stairs. Accessibility is limited. The continued trail down past Dry Falls was closed / blocked. Parking is few bucks/car in a small (apx 20 vehicles) lot. There was a ranger at the entrance but you pay at the box after you park. There was a steady stream of cars coming and going so the wait wasn't long. Loved it :) Go!

A gorgeous waterfall that doesn't take long to walk to. Parking is close by. Some stairs to walk…read moredown to view the waterfall. A further walk is you wanted to walk behind the waterfall to the other side.

Just past sunset and wanting to get out of the mountains before it got totally dark, but I had no…read morechoice but to stop at this overlook site. There are several along this road but this was one of my favorites and from the photos, you can perhaps see why. I got here in that magical time after the sun was below the horizon but had not gone completely away, the mountains continued for miles and miles. Some lakes shining like white diamonds and the beautiful trees, if I was not concerned about the roads with only headlights, I would have perhaps stayed longer. Definitely check this one out. It's impressive. [Review 20021 overall - 3461 in North Carolina - 996 of 2023.]

There are several overlooks along Dillard Road (Route 246/106) heading towards Highlands, NC and in…read moremy opinion Blue Valley has the most scenic view. It is easy to see why it is called blue valley as the distant mountains take on different shades of blue so surreal that it seems more like a painting, which is further enhanced on misty days. So in short, if you only have time to stop once during your mountain drive (which would be a real shame since there is also Mud Creek Fall and Dry Falls nearby), Blue Valley or nearby Sky Valley overlook should be that stop! 2017/106

Full of information. There was no one there on a Saturday afternoon, but it was open. Lots of maps…read moreand brochures.

Do you ever see a landmark on Google Maps and wonder what it looks like in person? I do! I actually…read morespend hours when I'm bored traveling the world via Google Earth. It's how I find interesting things to do when I plan to be in a specific area either hiking or on vacation. ~~~ What makes this Old Iron Bridge special is its location over the mighty Chattooga River very early in the rivers journey. My guess is it's about 8 miles from where its headwaters begin @ Cashiers Lake. The Chattooga eventually becomes a much larger, wider and wild river as well as the defining squiggly boundary line between northeast Georgia and western South Carolina. This same river eventually bleeds into Lake Hartwell and soon after becomes the Savannah River, dumping all this fresh water into the Atlantic ocean. So, almost its entire journey defines South Carolina from Georgia, and it all begins very near this Old Iron Bridge. Call me a nerd if you want, but it simply fascinates me that I could possibly drop a note in a bottle from this bridge, and it has the potential of reaching Savannah, Georgia on a long journey 300+ miles away. Of course the bottle would have to survive the Class V crushing rapids + overcome multiple dams on the way to Savannah, but a fun thought nonetheless. Or what if you could drop a gallon of dye into the water that doesn't dissolve and track how long it takes to make it to the Atlantic? As a kid, I always has a fascination of how things work... like how far up does a helium filled party balloon travel and how many miles away will it be found? Coordinates: 35°00'57.5"N 83°07'34.8"W ~~~ [ WATERFALLS ] The most interesting highlight of this bridge is the waterfall below it! It's not a huge one (more of a large rapid in high water), but a thunderous spot in the river nonetheless as the southbound river takes a sharp turn east just past the bridge! I didn't know it until after I got home, but there was a spot on the other side of the river where I could have gotten a great pic of the falls, like this pic I found on pinterest: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/31/f6/fa/31f6fa1c47cfb5c0b57bc8417bea56aa.jpg My photos are from the opposite side of the bridge, which by the way, has a trail and a small parking area good for two cars. The trail leads down to the river and in a rainy period, you may also spot a LARGE 100'+ waterfall in the distance coming off the Chattooga Cliff on Bullpen Mountain. I only took the trail a short way to get a better pic of the distant waterfall, but it seems to follow the river north. ~~~ [ HISTORY ] Style: Pony truss bridge Status: Open to traffic Built: 1934 Length of largest span: 79.7 ft. Total length: 81.7 ft. Deck width: 11.8 ft. Also called Chattooga River Bridge Bull Pen Bridge Ammons Branch Bridge ~~~ [ FINAL THOUGHTS ] If you are a fan of bridges, this is a great one to add to your photo collection. Bull Pen Road is a nice wooded drive from Burrell's Ford Campground to Highlands, North Carolina. IF you are a fan of waterfalls, Kings Creek Fall and Spoonauger Falls are near the campground, and Secret Falls, Dry Falls as well as a high concentration of other named waterfalls are all near the Highlands! Enjoy 2020 / 8

On 64 No longer able to drive under the falls but you can…read morestill walk behind it. Although it has been and was lightly raining, the waterfall was very light. Parking is small unmarked side of the road and could accommodate several cars. Perhaps after a big rainstorm, BVF maybe impressive, but this was rather an unremarkable visit.

Beautiful small waterfall right off the road. Easily accessible parking and most beautiful at…read moresunset.

No "shadows of a bear" for me, I passed through Highlands in order to see this famed covered…read morebridge. There really aren't many of them left in the US and very few remain in North Carolina! The bridge is the entrance to the Bascom Center, a six-acre campus of indoor and outdoor artworks. It was named for artist Will Henry Stevens (1881-1949) who lived and painted and taught here in Highlands. The bridge dates back about 200 years when it was originally build in New Hampshire over the Warner River. Disassembled rather than destroyed, it was put into storage in 1966. And then purchased and moved here to Highlands forty years later. Now it's been recreated as an Ithiel Town lattice using traditional techniques and materials including 1100 tree-nails, towels and trunnels with no metal fasteners! Unfortunately, when I arrived it was closed for reconstruction and repair. Blocked off on both sides and surrounded by piles of rough-hewn beams and planks. I'll need to come back when it's all fixed up. [Review 20018 overall - 3458 in North Carolina - 993 of 2023.]

I came to Highlands, NC in search of a bear, or more accurately the "shadow of a bear". A natural…read morephenomenon that happens from mid-October through early November when the setting sun casts a shadow onto the valley below Whiteside Mountain. The shadow takes on the appearance of a bear and I simply could not not miss this one-of-a kind opportunity. The shadow begins at 5:30 p.m. I arrived in town super early (around 1pm) so I decided to do a little exploring. There was a waterfall here I wanted to visit, but I discovered The Bascom Visual Arts Center and decided to make that my first stop. To know me is to know I have a profoundly deep love for old structures, particularly covered bridges. So to discover a covered bridge I was not aware of (that was also historic) in a gorgeous mountain setting was almost orgasmic... and I mean that literally. When I get super excited about something, it makes me wanna go poop! TMI right?, but it's true. There is no greater laxative for me than showing me a picture of someplace gorgeous that I've never been. It's why I keep travel magazines in a woven basket in our bathroom. The excitement for new adventures twists my stomach into knots. So, actually realizing I'm live on location of a place I would have seen in the pages of a magazine brings on a different excitement! LOL --- THE BRIDGE You simply can't get more picturesque than Will Henry Stevens Covered Bridge. A little research revealed this bridge was once considered the oldest covered bridge in New Hampshire. It was named Bagley Covered Bridge and it crossed the Warner River, until it was considered a hazard from its aging condition. The bridge was scheduled to be destroy until Milton & Arnold Graton, lovers of historic bridges, purchased it in 1966 and placed it in storage for the next 42 years. The bridge was built in approximately 1807 out of old growth pine. It is around 14 feet wide and almost 88 feet long. In February of 2008 it was gifted to the Bascom Art Center as a perfect entrance to their facility and reconstruction completed in 2009. This bridge looks like a totally new structure, but in fact is now over 200 years old. The design is Town lattice and uses over 1,100 wooden fasteners in keeping with the original 1800's bridge building traditions. I'm guessing the flares at the bottom were not original to the bridge, but are characteristic of Carolina-style covered bridges. SIDE NOTE: Famous people said to have once crossed this bridge are General Lafayette, President Theodore Roosevelt & President Franklin Pierce. --- FINAL THOUGHTS I am in awe of the dedication to conservation that led this bridge from New Hampshire to the Mountains of North Carolina. What love and genuine concern for the preservation of such an important artifact from a dying era! It truly brings a mist to my eyes to know that someone loved this bridge so much that they saved it, carefully dismantled it, stored it, nurtured it for 4 decades, and rebuilt it once they found it the perfect home. In Georgia, there were once over 600 covered bridges, but only 15 historic ones remain. Most met their end by arson or neglect. So I am very proud to see one of these beauties survived by being blanketed with a great deal of love. I wish we all honored such important structures & relationships in our lives and were less quick to deem things that were once important as antiquated and useless. I read an article about the father and son who saved the bridge, the Grafton's. It highlighted a quote which stated: "To me, to write-off the remaining usefulness of so faithful an old bridge... is like sentencing [someone] without hearing [their] witness. Should not this old bridge have a chance to be heard even through an interpreter?" AMEN 2016/119

Not my cup of tea...snooty and pretentious. Perfect if you want to walk around in your high priced…read moreouterwear feeling superior to everyone. Upscale shopping and restaurants. We strolled the well groomed streets of downtown after a long day of hiking. We ate a few miles down the road in Cashiers. Wanted a quick walk before heading back to our cabin. I would come back to this area for the surrounding hiking opportunities...hence 2 stars. I feel no need to venture back into downtown Highlands for any reason.

Dear Town of Highlands, North Carolina…read more I would like to thank you for so many things, but first and foremost for a wonderful October 2016 visit. No doubt you are familiar with the phenomenon that happens this time of year you've named "Shadow of the Bear." It was the very reason I ventured 2.5 hours from my Georgia home to your tiny mountain hamlet. Well, in my sincere desire not to miss the event, I arrived several hours early, and used that extra time to wander about your local shops, museums and overlooks. Do you want to know what I discovered? Genuine and true warmth still exists. In a world where people have their own goals, agendas and schedules, we don't SEE others the way generations before us once did. But all throughout your town I felt very much like I was on display. EVERYONE was so warm to me, from the secretary @ the Episcopal Church of the Incarnation whom gave me an impromptu tour of the facilities to the owner of Paoletti's Ristorante, whom I met by chance while eating the best patty melt of my life @ Mountain Fresh Grocery store. He included me in his conversation as if we were old friends and directed me to Sunset Rock. I may never forget the ladies overseeing the children outside of the First Presbyterian Church whom invited me to service or the wonderful pottery students and teachers @ The Bascom, Visual Arts Center. I have not felt that welcome by total strangers in my life, a feeling I will treasure for the rest of my days. On top of seeing a bear shadow, I hiked Whiteside Mountain for some of thee most amazing fall views I've witnessed in my 47 years on this earth. I also witnessed a beautifully restored covered bridge that made my heart sing upon first gazing at its beauty. Yes City of Highlands , I indeed thank you for a wonderful day. I could not imagine a more perfect place on the map to spend a weekend with my wife, whom was not with me on this inaugural trip... but surely will be with me hereafter. Sincerely, Richard R of Georgia UPDATE January 14th, 2017 - Not only did I bring my wife and children back with me, but 17 others as well. We briefly stopped to eat lunch @ Mountain View Grocery as we were on a strict hiking schedule, but all were pleased with our visit. I have another hike planned here in July and again in October. I can't wait to return and bask in your warmth! 2017/21

This marker is located in downtown Highlands in front of the City Hall and points out this great…read moreman who moved here after being struck by North Carolina's beauty. The marker reads, "Thomas Harbison, 1862-1936. Botanist and educator. Pioneer in the study of flora, southeastern U.S. Highlands his base after 1886; taught here." Online there is more information, "Thomas Grant Harbison (1862-1936) studied the flora of his native Pennsylvania before heading south in 1886 on a walking trip to North Carolina. He was smitten with the natural beauty of the mountains and their abundant plant life. At Highlands he accepted a position as principal at Highlands Academy in August 1886. His education was unconventional. Through correspondence courses offered by the University of the City of New York, he earned a B.S. and an A.M. and a Ph.D. from the National University (Chicago) in 1888. He boasted an extensive personal library and was largely self-taught. In 1896 he married Jessamine Cobb." "Harbison was a consultant to the federal government on national forests, a promoter of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and a landscape architect. His farm in Highlands hosted field experiments with apples and other crops conducted by agronomists from Clemson, South Carolina." There isn't a great spot to stop and park right here but there is street parking nearby so that you can explore Highlands. [Review 20017 overall - 3457 in North Carolina - 992 of 2023.]