Furman's Off-Campus Observatory
 

Phone (864) 836-8857
N 35º 5' 13.1'', W 82º 29' 39.2'', 398 m

The Facility

Furman's off-campus observatory is used as an advanced laboratory facility by students and faculty in the Physics department for independent research.

The site contains two buildings; one has a roll-away roof, the other serves as office space with power, heat/AC, water and toilets.  Both buildings are accessible to handicapped students.

There are two telescopes on site: a Meade 10'' on a portable LX200 GPS mount and a Celestron 14'' Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope.

Directions to the site:

• From US Highway 25, north of Travelers Rest, exit onto SC Highway 11 (turn left and cross the bridge after you exit Highway 25) and drive 2.7 miles west.  The observatory entrance is the third right turnout past Pleasant Ridge County Park.
• If driving from US Highway 276 north of Travelers Rest, exit onto SC Highway 11 in Cleveland, and drive 1.7 miles east.  The observatory entrance is on the left.  A 'School Bus Stop Ahead' sign is across the road from the entrance. 
• The entrance goes into the forest on a one-lane gravel road, past a black steel gate.  The road is quite steep near the entrance, and again near the end of the drive.  The observatory lies within a fenced compound at the end of the road.  There is limited parking within the compound, but more parking is available next to the gravel pile before you reach the compound.
• To the right of the compound, you will see an airstrip, owned by the benefactor who donated the land to Furman.  People with telescopes may pull into the compound and place their telescopes on the side of the airstrip. Do not park on the airstrip! 
• Here is a map showing its location. 

Back to Furman's Observatory Sites