A path leading into the grounds at Highlands Biological Station

Visit · Highlands Biological Station

Plan your visit

The Highlands Botanical Gardens, trails and grounds are open every day of the year, dawn to dusk, with no entrance fee.

Highlands, NC4,118 ftFree admission & parkingWalk-in visitors welcome

Getting hereWhat’s on

01 · Hours

When we’re open

Different parts of campus keep different hours. Here’s what to expect at each before you arrive, and what’s open right now.

The Botanical Gardens and trails are open every day, sunrise to sunset. The HBS office is open Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM. The Nature Center is closed for repairs through the end of 2026.

Botanical Gardens & Trails

Every day, dawn to dusk

The 12-acre gardens and grounds are open year-round with no entrance fee. Staff are on site during business hours only.

Highlands Nature Center

Closed through 2026

The historic WPA-built Nature Center (Clark Foreman Museum) is closed for structural repairs. Admission is free when it’s open, supported by the Highlands Biological Foundation, the State of North Carolina and Western Carolina University.828.526.2623

HBS Offices

Mon – Fri, 8 AM – 5 PM

As a unit of Western Carolina University, our offices follow university business hours and the WCU holiday schedule.

828.526.2602 · hbs@wcu.edu

02 · Where to park

Three entrances

Campus has three entrances, each closest to a different part of the Station. Pick the one that matches why you’re here and park there.

Entrance 01

Highlands Nature Center

930 Horse Cove Road
Highlands, NC 28741
Nature CenterMain garden entranceAmphitheater

Park behind the Nature Center or at the Sunset Rock parking area across the street. Follow the path behind the Nature Center along the edge of the Amphitheater to the Woodland Way trail, then down the stone steps to the main Botanical Gardens entrance.

Open in Maps →

Entrance 02

North Campus

111 Lower Lake Road
Highlands, NC 28741
Pollinator gardenLindenwood LakeGroup drop-off

Park off Lower Lake Road at our northern entrance. The Lindenwood Lake dam hosts the Native Pollinator Conservation Garden; follow the gravel path through the garden and across the dam to the boardwalk into the Botanical Gardens. Groups: drop off and pick up here at the Sto Pavilion, not in the Nature Center driveway.

Open in Maps →

Entrance 03

Administration Building

265 North 6th Street
Highlands, NC 28741
Courses & workshopsResearchersMain office

Visiting researchers and students taking courses or workshops should park here. Most Station staff work from this building, the main academic and professional building on campus.

Staying overnight? · Guest guide

Open in Maps →

Here on Foundation business? The Highlands Biological Foundation office is off campus at 2465 Cashiers Rd. Mail for HBS goes to 265 N. 6th Street; mail for the Foundation goes to P.O. Box 580, Highlands, NC 28741. Every address and number is on our Contact page.

03 · Getting here

Getting here

Highlands sits where several scenic mountain routes meet, high in the southern Blue Ridge. Every road in is a beautiful one; plan extra time for the drive.

3Campus entrances
FreeAdmission & parking
5Major airports within 3.5 hours
4,118 ftElevation

From Asheville, NC

From Asheville, NC · About 1.5 hours

  1. Take I-40 West to US-23/74 West toward Waynesville.
  2. Continue on US-23/74 to US-23/441 toward Dillsboro, Sylva and Franklin. Stay on the bypass at Franklin.
  3. Follow signs for US-64 East toward Highlands.
  4. Turn left and follow US-64 East through the Cullasaja Gorge into Highlands.

From Atlanta, GA

From Atlanta, GA · About 2.5–3 hours

  1. Take I-85 North toward Greenville, SC, then I-985 toward Gainesville, GA (becomes GA-365).
  2. Continue on GA-365 as it becomes US-441 North through Tallulah Falls, Clayton and Mountain City.
  3. At the traffic light in Dillard, turn right onto GA-246 (becomes NC-106 at the state line).
  4. Follow NC-106 up into Highlands, the last twenty minutes on a scenic mountain road.

From Greenville, SC

From Greenville, SC · About 2 hours

  1. Take US-276 North to Scenic Highway 11.
  2. About four miles past the Lake Keowee bridge, turn right onto NC-130 toward Cashiers and Whitewater Falls.
  3. Follow NC-130 to NC-107 North; turn right and continue to the intersection of NC-107 and US-64 in Cashiers.
  4. Turn left onto US-64 West and drive about 12 miles into Highlands.

From Knoxville, TN

From Knoxville, TN · About 2.5 hours

  1. Take I-40 East into North Carolina toward Waynesville.
  2. Take US-23/441 toward Dillsboro, Sylva and Franklin. Stay on the bypass through Franklin.
  3. Just past Walmart on the left, take the right-hand exit ramp to US-64 East toward Highlands.
  4. Turn left onto US-64 East and follow it into Highlands.

From WCU, Cullowhee

From WCU, Cullowhee · About 1 hour

  1. Take NC-107 South toward Cashiers.
  2. Turn right onto Slab Town Road.
  3. Turn right onto US-64 West.
  4. Turn left onto Chestnut Street, then right onto N. 6th Street to the Administration Building.

Flying in

Airports & shuttles

Five major airports serve the Highlands area, and shuttle services connect most of them to town.

Airports that serve Highlands, with approximate drive times
AirportDrive to campusRoute
Asheville (AVL)~1.5 hrsDirections ↗
Greenville–Spartanburg (GSP)~2 hrsDirections ↗
Atlanta (ATL)~3 hrsDirections ↗
Knoxville (TYS)~3.25 hrsDirections ↗
Charlotte (CLT)~3.5 hrsDirections ↗

Airport shuttles

Rental cars

  • Enterprise Rent-A-Car
    71 W Palmer St., Franklin, NC 28734

See the whole campus

Find buildings, gardens and trailheads on the interactive campus map, or print the trail & garden map before you go.

Campus map ↗Trail map (PDF)

04 · On campus

Stay awhile

Whether you’re resting after a walk, looking for a picnic spot or gathering a group outdoors, our outdoor spaces are open to walk-in visitors. Some are occasionally reserved for classes, research groups or events.

Stone-lined grassy terraces of the HBS Amphitheater with a woodland backdrop

Amphitheater

Tucked just behind the Nature Center, five grassy, stone-lined terraces for resting after a hike, a group presentation or outdoor teaching. Look for the photo stand-in.

Walk-inReservable
The Cook Pavilion, a covered shelter with picnic tables at the meadow’s edge

Cook Pavilion

Just beyond the amphitheater at the edge of the meadow, a sheltered gathering spot for any weather, made possible with support from Mountain Findings.

Walk-inReservable
The campus meadow beside the Appalachian Ethnobotanical Garden, with the fire pit visible

The Meadow

Beside the Appalachian Ethnobotanical Garden: room for a blanket picnic, a quiet conversation, or watching native birds and pollinators. A newly designed fire pit sits at its edge.

Walk-in
The Sto Teaching Pavilion overlooking Lindenwood Lake

“Sto” Teaching Pavilion

Overlooking Lindenwood Lake, a peaceful spot to watch fish, turtles and waterfowl when it isn’t in use as an outdoor classroom.

Walk-inOften reserved
Illges Overlook picnic area with Lindenwood Lake visible through the trees

Illges Overlook

Once the site of the historic Illges Cottage, now two picnic tables and a lakeside view, off Lower Lake Road across from the north entrance.

Walk-in
Picnic tables outside the Nature Center and Weyman Building

Picnic tables

First come, first served, outside the Weyman Building and the Nature Center.

Walk-in
Reserve a space for a groupSee what’s on

05 · Before you visit

Good to know

Bears

Picnic with care

Black bears are part of the mountain environment and are sometimes seen near the Station. Some have approached picnickers looking for food.

  • Eat only at designated picnic spots
  • Use the bear-proof trash containers
  • Lock your vehicle when you leave it

Wildlife & plants

Look, don’t take

HBS is home to an extraordinary variety of native wildlife and plants.

  • Do not feed any wildlife
  • Watch from a respectful distance
  • Stay on marked trails and leave plants unpicked

Pets

Leashed, always

Dogs must be on a leash everywhere on campus and kept out of the water; please clean up after them. Only service animals may enter the Nature Center.

Food & facilities

Bring what you need

And take only what you brought. Public restrooms are inside the Nature Center.

Trail rules6 main trails · 2 connectors · open 365 days, dawn to dusk

Trails are open every day from dawn to dusk; staff are available during business hours only.

  • Stay on marked trails
  • Do not feed or interact with wildlife
  • Do not pick plants
  • No firearms
  • No fishing, swimming or boating
  • No biking
  • Keep pets leashed, out of the water, and clean up after them
Trail notes & safety
  • The Lindenwood Lake Loop runs alongside Lower Lake Road; use caution near traffic.
  • Connect to the Highlands Plateau Greenway from the Illges Overlook Trail or the southern entrance of Woodland Way.
  • The Coker Old Growth Trail has minimal maintenance and steep sections.
  • Trail signage is being updated and markers are limited, so plan your route before you set out.

Gardens & Trails · Trail map (PDF)

Accessibility

TK: trail surfaces and slopes, boardwalk sections, accessible parking, restroom access, and who to call for help planning an accessible visit

06 · Keep exploring

Make a day of it

Highlands Nature CenterLive animals & exhibits · closed through 2026The Botanical GardensBog, moss, pollinator & ethnobotanical gardensGardens & TrailsTrail rules, map & brochureGuided toursGarden walks with our staff and guestsEvents calendarLectures, programs & workshopsGroups & rentalsClasses, clubs & reserving a space

Field labelNo. 01

Tulip Poplar

Liriodendron tulipifera

Section
Visit
Color
#98a759

Field noteTulip Poplar

Not a true poplar but a relative of the magnolias, and one of the tallest broadleaf trees in eastern North America. Its tulip-shaped flowers, green and orange, open high in the canopy in late spring.

Every page on this site takes its color from the southern Appalachian forest. Visit pages are the sunlit canopy; this one is Tulip Poplar.

More from the sunlit canopy

Questions before you come? Call the HBS office at 828.526.2602 (Mon–Fri, 8–5) or email hbs@wcu.edu. Highlands Biological Station is a multi-campus center of Western Carolina University.