I’ve fallen hard for Highlands, N.C. This tiny (and tony) town sits 4,118 feet high in the Appalachian Mountains, a resort in a temperate rainforest. The combo means there are nice hotels surrounded by hiking trails and waterfalls. It’s a place where refined vacationers and dirtbag hikers come together in the grocery store.
Because of the town’s remote location in the mountains of Western North Carolina, cell service is quite limited. Grab a paper map before you head out, or download offline maps and then do as I do: Enjoy a road trip where you are relatively unreachable.
Trailborn Highlands
Stay
Highlands has a number of interesting, affordable hotels that make it possible to get away for a few days. Skyline Lodge is an updated motor lodge with midcentury aesthetics and great mountain views. Its location offers a quiet respite; the tradeoff is that it isn’t walkable to downtown or other attractions. Trailborn Highlands is a block off Main Street yet tucked away, so you still get some of that scenic feel. Trailborn has an on-site Nordic spa that you can book even if you aren’t staying in the hotel, plus a team that curates guest experiences. Try fly fishing, guided hikes or arts-and-crafts workshops. At the Outpost Inn, each room is funky and a little different. Mine had a fireplace, a kitchenette and a typewriter. (No, I did not type this article on it.) Outpost Inn has a buzzy, welcoming lobby/coffee shop/wine bar worth visiting even if you decide to stay elsewhere.
The Ruffed Grouse
Do
The owners of Outpost Inn are also behind Highlander Mountain House, a hotel with great art and wallpaper, and The Ruffed Grouse, a seasonally focused restaurant. The beet and chevre salad is one of those dishes I think about long after I’m gone. Mountain Fresh Grocery is a Main Street market with a large cheese selection, a takeout deli, decent pizza and a small grocery section. It’s my go-to (thanks, Outpost Inn, for that kitchenette) to stock up for a picnic lunch or a snack back in the hotel. Nearby One Wicker Cheese Co. has a nice selection too.
Mountain Fresh Grocery
I’ve never really understood the expression “too pretty to eat.” I like my food to look good! But Edelweiss Pastry Boutique’s hyper-realistic edible works of art are so detailed that I understand why people don’t want to bite in. (I did, of course, and I don’t regret it.) I’m not much of a breakfast diner; I’d rather get out on the trails with a granola bar and dine out later. But Blue Bike Cafe always has a line out the door in the mornings.
I go to Highlands to be outside as much as possible, because it is so easy and temperate. A torn meniscus limits the hikes I can go on these days, but there’s an outdoor adventure that accommodates everyone, from indoorsy-outdoorsy types to hardcore backpackers. Checking out a waterfall is a Highlands essential. Bridal Veil Falls and Dry Falls are accessible for those who want the experience without the hike. Or grab a backpack or cooler (some hotels, like Trailborn, will loan you one) and take a day hike up Satulah or Whiteside mountains. My Nashville city life is almost entirely star-free (thanks, light pollution), so I love the fact that Highlands offers multiple places to stargaze. Blue Valley Overlook and Osage Overlook have easy access and safe night parking so you can watch the stars come out.
Blue Valley Overlook
It’s worth spending a little extra time in the car to drive to the Jackson County Greenway to go forest bathing. Madison Traviss, an Association of Nature and Forest Therapy-certified forest therapist with House of Fig, showed me through a meditative experience — focusing on the sights, smells and sounds of the outdoors — in a public greenway specifically designed for forest bathing. There is a brochure at the entrance if you want to do it without a guide. (Hey, Nashville Greenways, consider this!)
Highlands Botanical Gardens
There are 10 miles of Highlands Plateau Greenway that connect much of town and offer great walks without getting in the car. You can meander to the Highlands Botanical Gardens, where a variety of small gardens are tucked into the robust trail system. Check out an old-growth forest, a woodland loop and moss garden, plus seasonal blooming flowers. The greenway also connects to The Bascom, a vibrant visual arts center, school and gallery. You can watch artists at work, purchase their works, take a class yourself, or just walk through the sculpture trail.
I want to come back in October to catch Shadow of the Sleeping Bear, which is a phenomenon when the shadow of a mountain looks like a bear around sunset. If you’re there that time of year, head to Rhodes Big View Overlook and send me your photos.
The Ruffed Grouse
You must road trip to Highlands because a car is a necessity. There are no ride-hailing services or taxis available at all. Plus, Highlands and neighboring Cashiers (pronounced “Cashers”) are home to terrific thrifting, and you want room in the trunk to bring back your treasures. My favorites have limited hours. I showed up on a Saturday to go to Mountain Findings and Fibber McGee’s Closet; the former is stocked with housewares, and the latter with clothes and accessories. I spent time in The Bookworm, the used bookstore of the public library. If you are willing to drive a little, Bazaar Barn is window-shopping worthy. It stocks beautiful designer draperies and furniture, second-hand but still far out of my budget. Victoria’s Closet features separate buildings for women’s and men’s clothing, plus another for shoes and handbags.
Outpost Inn
Highlands is about 300 miles from Nashville, and you can take several routes to get there. On the way there, I drove south through Chattanooga and then east through the Nantahala National Forest. On the way back, I headed north with a stop in Cherokee, N.C., home of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians. Then I drove through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park from the Oconaluftee Visitors Center to the Sugarland Visitors Center, marveling at the landscape. It added about 45 minutes to my trip, but being in the Smokies lowers my blood pressure, so the tradeoff is worth it. Then I got back on I-40 and back to cell service, ready to get home and show off my $1 jeans from Fibber McGee’s.
From Asheville and Highlands to Little Rock and beyond, here are our recommendations for late-summer getaways
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