The Giant Popular Tree

If rare botanical treasures pique your interest, travel east on Highlands’ Main Street in Highlands into Horse Cove. You’ll come to Rich Gap Road on the right.

Approximately 200 feet up Rich Gap Road on the right is the path to a giant poplar, the second largest in North Carolina and one of the three largest in the country. There is a direction sign to the tree. Back on Horse Cove Road, continue east to the fork at the end of the pavement. The right fork is Bull Pen Road, a beautiful, one-lane, gravel road that is something of a hiking trail for cars. Bull Pen Road crosses the Chattooga River on an iron bridge (named, astonishingly, Iron Bridge). By the bridge is a good place to stop and view the river. The water has worn basins in the rocks from the size of a thumbprint to larger than washtubs.

From Bull Pen Road there is access to Chattooga River Cliffs Trail, Chattooga Loop Trail, the Chattooga Wild and Scenic River, Bad Creek Trail, Ellicott Rock Trail, and Ammons Branch Campground. The road returns to NC 107 south of Cashiers.

The left fork from Horse Cove Road is Whiteside Cove Road. A fine view from the bottom of Whiteside Mountain can be found in Whiteside Cove. This road returns to NC 107 in Cashiers.