Highlands, NC and the surrounding area seem to offer the perfect refuge for those who seek emotional relief. Highlands is located in the southwestern tip of North Carolina in the Appalachian Mountains. Comfortably surrounded by the Nantahala National Forest the area is as beautiful as any you will find on earth. Tourists seem to differ on which season is best to visit Highlands. Many prefer the summer season where the temperature rarely hits 80 degrees while others are taken with the winter season and the snow blanketed winter wonderland. Highlands, NC seems to have something for everybody. Rather you like to fish, hike, swim, golf, play tennis, shop or simply enjoy breathtaking scenery Highlands has it all.

The trout fishing in Highlands, NC is as good as anywhere east of the Appalachians. The trout are so hospitable they seem to hop on your hook just to see you smile. Both the Cullasaja River and the Chattooga River offer fishing that will lay the foundation for memories and fish stories that will suffice a lifetime. Harris Lake as well as others are well known for superb hook and line destinations as well. In addition the shops in Highlands offer all the gear you need to make your fishing trip comfortable and rewarding.

If you prefer hiking than Highlands, NC offers some of the most beloved nature trails this side of Yellowstone. The area could easily be a backpacker’s paradise. Whether it is the Appalachian Mountains, the Nantahala National Forest or the many scenic waterfalls the area is a backpackers dream. Until you have hiked in the land where the mountains seem to touch the sky or experienced the wonder that is Dry Falls, Bridal Veil Falls or Cullasaja Falls your eyes have not witnessed nature at its finest.

In addition you can find comfort at one of the many Highlands lodging locations and enjoy some of the finest dining your mouth has ever been blessed with. If Golf is your idea of relaxation than the Highlands Country Club, which was created by the legendary golfer Bobby Jones back in the 1930’s, will satisfy this desire. You can also play tennis or swim. If shopping is your cup of tea than you will find numerous antique shops, clothing apparel shops and gift shops as well. If you enjoy sight seeing you can visit the Bascom, which is a visual arts center or stop by the Highlands Historical Society. There are so many things to do in Highlands that it is hard to mention them all. When it comes to recreational activities Highlands, NC has more than enough to offer.

For over a quarter of a century the Ristorante Paoletti has been one of the most popular Highlands, NC restaurants. This may be a tiny upscale restaurant but the atmosphere is definitely reflective of the mountain top spirit of hospitality. For Italian food at its best you don’t want to miss this restaurant. The award winning Wolfgang’s Restaurant & Wine Bistro offers excellent dining in a country atmosphere. The dining experience offered here is totally upscale but the look of mountain country charm will leave you breathless and send you home with a satisfied appetite and a memory you will always cherish.

One of the great Highlands, NC restaurants is the Log Cabin Restaurant that has been a local favorite for years. The log cabin was constructed 85 years ago and wasn’t transformed into a restaurant until 1995. The charm and elegance displayed here is unique and rewarding. The scenic view is priceless and the dining experience is superb as well. The Oak Street Café is a small dining destination that offers a large portion of southern hospitality. They manage to provide an upscale product with a touch of class totally enjoyed in the Blue Ridge Community. When you want to get out and enjoy a good old fashioned pizza there is nothing quite like The Pizza Place in Highlands. The perfect solution for your favorite pizza pie can be found at this charming little restaurant.

Highlands, NC restaurants have something for everyone’s taste. The dining experiences are created to offer a touch of class and elegance in a memorable mountain country atmosphere. The small village of Highlands, North Carolina manages to provide the excellence in dining found only in the large metropolis. This makes a journey to this mountain top getaway definitely food for the soul.

Highlands, North Carolina Hotels do their part in making Highlands one of the best kept getaway secrets in the south. There are many people that have never heard of Highlands, NC and therefore the pleasures that can be found there are hidden from their view. Many others however have found that this little Appalachian Mountain Paradise is the place to go to ignite or rekindle romance or to simply relax in a place where everybody knows your name.

For a truly unique lodging experience in Highlands it is recommended that you give Fire Mountain a visit. No, Fire Mountain is not a volcano but it does overflow with charm and opportunities for romance. Fire Mountain is a lodging destination that offers you a variety of options. Located just a few moments outside of Highlands this hideaway offers quaint little cabins, cozy tree houses and a charming country inn. Streams, waterfalls and a mountain top view that will simply take your breath away surround this retreat. Memories are made of this.

Highlands, North Carolina Hotels have developed a family tradition of offering comfort and class to their visitors. Take the Mitchell’s Lodge & Cottages for example. This family operated inn has been in existence for over 7 decades and is still going strong. They offer a pavilion where you can get cozy around an old fashioned wood burning fireplace and a spa to relax those tired muscles after a long day of hiking, fishing and shopping. Now this is a place to getaway.

If you want something a little more modern in Highlands, North Carolina Hotels you can always visit the Highlands Hampton Inn. Sure this is more of an upscale inn but it still manages to offer a touch of home and fits in well with the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountain scenery that can be enjoyed throughout the visit. You can also visit the 4½ Street Inn. This structure is over a century old and was a home at one time. The restoration process has made this inn a gem to be enjoyed. The Colonial Pines Inn Bed and Breakfast is another great lodging option in Highlands that offers relaxation and the spirit of romance. For nearly 5 decades this inn has provided hospitality that tends to blow their visitors away. If you are looking for a destination to get a way from it all Highlands, North Carolina Hotels are waiting to take you in.

Highlands, NC is located near the southwestern tip of the state. Cradled in the grasps of the great Appalachian Mountains the beauty of the Nantahala National Forest allows food for the soul. The area did not develop into a major trading center but this little town offers so much more. The Highlands area gave birth do a very desirable tourism destination. The natural beauty of the landscape provides scenic satisfaction that is hard to comprehend until you have witnessed it first hand. The opportunity for fishing, camping and shopping is ever apparent. Highlands may only support a normal population of just shy of a 1000 but during the tourist season that grows to over 15,000. Where there are tourists there is shopping.

Highlands, North Carolina is home to many eye catching shops and retail locations. For example if you are going to set out on an adventurous journey into the area surrounding Highlands you need to be well equipped. Bear Mountain Outfitters is just the shop to satisfy the proper clothing you need. They are open all year long for your shopping convenience. If you are looking for something unique to take home from the Highlands you can visit Dick and Barb at Mountain Rarities. They offer everything from Gems, Silver and Gold to Butterflies and Eclectic items to make you smile.

If you are into crafting and quilts you have to check out the Cut n Patch Quilt Shop in Highlands, North Carolina. Quilts make great gifts and there you can create your own design. For unusual gifts you can visit Twigs. You are sure to find that unique item you have been looking for. If you want to pick up some home furnishings you can stop by The Summer House where they offer the complete package for your home. There are numerous classic antique shops as well like the Elephants Foot or Highlands Antiques. There is shopping for everyone in Highlands, North Carolina.

The town of Highlands, NC was created way back in 1875. It seems that these two fellows named Clinton Carter Hutchinson and Samuel Truman Kelsey were looking at the existing map and searching for a central area that might one day become a commercial crossroads with outstanding economic opportunity. The story has it that they began drawing lines from Baltimore to New Orleans and Savannah to Chicago and drew the conclusion that all these lines crossed the central area that was to become Highlands.

These two men were convinced that they had located an area that would one day become an outstanding trading Mecca. Well they may have been off just a bit and Highlands, North Carolina may have never become the envisioned trading location of their dreams. Instead it became a destination for tourism and travel. Ironically, it became a place where people could get away from the hustle and bustle of the great trading centers. The most important item traded in Highlands; North Carolina today is the exchange of stress for relaxation. One glance at the beauty that engulfs the Highlands area and your heart is forever attached.

Over the last 134 years people from all over the country have flocked to Highlands, North Carolina to get away from it all. There is something in that Appalachian Mountain air that seems to infiltrate the human condition and offer soothing relief from the problems that plague us on life’s great journey. Highlands allows us to become one with nature and ourselves once again. It provides the opportunity to slow down and do a little fishing, hunting or golfing. It reminds us what life is truly all about and that is a crossroads worth crossing.

Downtown Highlands NC

We start driving early morning from Atlanta, and we always head East on the Southern Highroads Trail. I’m not sure why we do this, but this is what we’ve always done and it kind of stuck.

I know largely it has to do with being able to stop by Highlands, North Carolina on a late Saturday afternoon. Every time we seem to go it’s pretty quiet. Maybe everyone is tired from shopping or recreational, or they’re all getting ready for dinner and we’re just early birds.
Many restaurants in Highlands have received noticeable attention from magazines and even TV shows. There are playhouses, creative arts center, antique shopping, and just a wonderful area for a casual stroll through a quaint downtown area.
I feel that the waterfalls are the main attraction. They have: Cullasaja Falls, Dry Falls, Quarry Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls

We get to stay in Franklin, NC at a beautiful timber frame home and the morning drive to get back on the road is awesome. It really is one of the most beautiful scenic drives you’ll ever take. No matter what season… it’s breathtaking. The waterfalls, the cliffs, the turns, and the scenery.
We enjoy Franklin for it’s annual Gemboree Gem and Jewelry show because Franklin is “the gem capital of the world” and there’s a lot of family fun to be had in gem mining. Their downtown area is also nice to walk around in.

Scenic Drive through Franklin NC

You can stay on the Southern Highroads and land right in Highlands and Franklin, there are no extra turns you have to make. When you do drive through there, GO SLOW! There are many photo opportunities and if you’re going too fast, you’ll miss it and there’s nowhere to really turn around.

I highly suggest getting a good digital camera or video camera and mounting it to your dashboard while you drive. After you watch the footage, it does get a litte nauseating, but it’s something you will watch over and over again.

We do.