Directions: Follow I-240 E to US-74 ALT W/Fairview Rd. Take exit 8 from I-240 E and
Follow US-74 ALT W and Swannanoa River Rd to Gashes Creek Road.

WNC Nature Center  features one of the largest collections of Southern Appalachian animal species in the world. It is home to over 60 species of animals including river otters, black bear, red wolves and cougars housed in a natural setting as they would normally be living if the animals were in the wild. There are also hundreds of species of plants, all representative of this unique bio-region, the Southern Appalachians. The WNC Nature Center is 6.2 miles from downtown Asheville.