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

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.

I found out about an event going on at The Haywood Mill threw the Meetup app. A group of retirees…read morewere going to "meet up" there. My hubby and I decided to give the event a try...boy, am I glad we did! Wonderful entertainment with banjo's playing, singing and the mill was open! Wow! How cool to see them making grits powered from a water mill! Explored the other structures to. Small tents were set up with artisan's selling their merchandise. Loved the museum where a rock is that was discovered to have Cherokee Indian writings on them. Wow! What a treasure! My hubby and I enjoyed it so much! Would have never known this place existed without the Meetup Group! Can't wait to go back for more events!

Great family area, history, hiking Just a good place to…read moreexperience the outdoors Bring the dogs play in the creek/ explore

Big thanks to Richard R. for adding this one that did not come up in the usual searches and yet, it…read morewas the main reason I passed through the DuPont Forest. I love bridges and I love covered bridges even more! And wow, thanks for the amazing writeup of all the drama on this property that was an eye-opener. I parked the van at the High Falls Trailhead (there are restrooms and even a wifi here!) and made my way along the trail to the bridge. It's about 0.75 of a mile on a path through the woods. I am apparently not as delicious as usual as I earned zero mosquito bites despite sweating a lot in the humidity. I'd call this walk "easy plus." The bridge itself is impressive and quite modern. And I would suggest not missing the nearby Falls though I was simply too tired and it was getting too late for me. I'll need to plan better next time! The walk back was much easier as I opted to take the gravel road that is easy and smooth, but only open for emergency vehicles and the forest rangers. I would rate the hike as "easy" for 0.6 miles though not wheelchairable. You can ask the rangers for access by vehicle for handicapped but they're only open regular hours. [Review 20030 overall - 3463 in North Carolina - 1005 of 2023.]

High Falls Covered Bridge (also known as Buck Forest Covered Bridge) is one of my favorite bridges…read morein the Southern United States. It is a modern structure that has an interesting history. It is an example of the power of the people versus the dollar power of a developer. HISTORY In 1999, Sterling Diagnostic Imaging decided to sell their interest in the land that holds Triple Falls and High Falls, two of the most gorgeous waterfalls you will ever visit this side of the Mississippi. For reasons still unknown, the company decided to use an unusual bidding method by choosing to keep the bidding private and secretive. The State offered up a bid in efforts to save the land for public use, but Sterling announced a developer by the name of Jim Anthony won with a bid of 6.35 million. The developer initially announced in the Hendersonville Times News that he had no plans to develop the land, but instead wanted to use it as a private retreat. However, it soon became apparent Anthony was indeed planning a massive upscale gated community. The fact that the deed he purchased from Sterling Diagnostics stating the land could not be used for residential purposes at the Transylvania Courthouse did not seem to matter. It was later discovered the complex legal agreement between the two was unenforceable and the battle began between the state and Anthony. Anthony proceeded to begin building the roads and this gorgeous covered bridge as part of his planned community, but thankfully he was ultimately defeated. On October 23, 2000 Governor Jim Hunt and the Council of State unanimously voted to invoke eminent domain on the tract of land owned by developer Anthony. In many ways Anthony still won big, because the State paid him 24.5 million dollars in an out of court settlement. WOW! The Falls opened to the public on December 17, 2000. Since then, the entire 2200 acres has been integrated into Dupont State Forest. [History Reference: Romantic Asheville - "How Dupont State Forest was saved"] FINAL THOUGHTS Aside from being one of the most beautiful covered bridges you will ever see, it also is part of a trail system that includes arguably the most beautiful waterfalls in the South. If that is not enough of a reason to come here, let me give you movie fans one more reason. Many scenes from the 1st Hunger Games were filmed right here in this forest. The scene were Katniss finds Peeta camouflaged in the ground at the waterfall is located on the second tier of Triple Falls... just a half mile downstream of High Falls Covered Bridge. Movie scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxvyMiwhJWw Year Built: 2000 Obvious materials: Wood, stone, concrete Spans over: Little River at the top of High Falls Location: Dupont State Forest @ Buck Forest Road

Worth the drive to see and walk through the tunnel…read more Read the history, it's really a sad story. They call it the stolen highway

If you didn't know the history of this spot, you might not think it's a big deal but if you do know…read morethe history, it becomes more relevant. Yes, it literally is a road that ends in a very long, dark and wet tunnel. There are also several walking trails nearby. We drove back on the road a little bit and did one of the shorter hikes that leads to a section of the lake. There are other trails that are more strenuous. This is more of an oddity than anything else, but still an interesting place to visit.

If you like history, you should definitely check out Silvermont. It's amazing how they are…read moreutilizing this historic mansion. You can take a tour of the preserved second floor. Please note, the tours are at select times on certain days. lol. We totally lucked out. The bottom has been converted to a senior center. What an amazing place for them to gather. There is a very short 1/2 mile paved path around the property. It was a very nice walk. I'm glad we had the opportunity to check this place out.

Dog bags? Check. Interesting swings, including a wheelchair one? Check. Free and well-used…read moretennis courts? Check, but maybe not for long. Clean restrooms, too. This treat of a place is a great resource for the city and visitors. The interior needs love, and currently looks like a turf war is going on.

I will admit that I did not know the "name" of this bridge despite having walked across it…read morecountless times, although it has only been known by this name for the past couple of years. It's not the expansive Liberty Bridge that is most commonly associated with the Reedy River downtown, but it is a convenient and heavily foot-trafficked crossing just up the river that many people recognize. It's located parallel to Main Street and can be accessed by stairs on either side. The bright green bridge connects with the Swamp Rabbit Trail on one side and the sidewalks that go through the Wyche Pavilion and Peace Center amphitheater on the other. The bridge crosses over the Reedy right where there are concrete structures, looking somewhat like a dam, that are part of an old railroad trestle. The water spills over here providing lots of white noise, especially in combination with the other nearby water features and wall fountains.

This bridge was an educational experience for me. But not until the first time I finally paused to…read moretake in the signage. Eugenia Duke began her path to fame in 1917 by making sandwiches in her home kitchen to sell to the army during WWI. Her sandwiches were good but it was all about the Mayo. Years later at the urging the of those soldiers, she began bottling it in 1923. Knowing this makes me an even bigger fan of Duke's mayonnaise. Oh, wait. The icon bridge is pretty cool, too.

Came to Brasstown Bald Observation Tower for the views and it was a sight to see! It's not everyday…read more(at least where I live) that you can stand in such a high place and be able to see mountains spanning across 4 different states. The entry fee was 8 per adult (kids are free) which also includes a van ride to the overlook. Or you can choose to hike which wasn't a long hike but steep from what I saw. A must do for anyone visiting the area! Ohh... and make sure you watch the little movie at the top, it's very cool to see how one place is its own little world in different seasons and the history behind the place.

The current Brasstown Bald observation tower was built in 1965, replacing an earlier stone tower…read morethat was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1935. The original 1935 stone tower was torn down in 1947 and replaced with a steel tower before the current structure was built - we'll folks looks like it's time to build another tower this one is in a state of disrepair. I came here to observe 4 states from the highest point in Georgia, but apparently the observation tower is in such bad shape that it is now closed to the public and your adventure will end after climbing a few flights of stairs ending at the base of the observation deck yeah there's a view from the lower level but in my opinion not worth the price of admission. Thankfully there's a shuttle van that takes you from the parking lot level to the top it runs about ever 10 minutes, our driver was very friendly and tried his best to entertain us during the short drive to the top but there's not much to say - the museum at the top is okay and takes about 2 minutes to tour it then time you walk the lower deck and wait for the shuttle back down - I purchased a refrigerator magnet for the RV from the gift shop and headed for the truck. I guess I am fortunate that I came and saw this, although it was never on my bucket list, I'm still trying to figure out why there's an old train engine in the museum it's quite the anachronism...

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.

First week of June 2024 I love stopping here EVERY trip to…read morethe Smokeys! Such a beautiful area!! A must see at least once!!!! a very nice gift shop and VERY CLEAN restrooms!!

We we're here for a wedding ceremony. The wedding venue is maybe 30 steps up to a platform…read moreoverlooking the water. It's really pretty, but does not fit a large number of guests. It was perfect for the wedding we attended. The only drawback was that on a Saturday around 5 pm there was multiple motorcycles coming to the area. It was very loud and difficult to hear people talking for the ceremony.