Plateau
4,118 Feet Above Sea Level Where the Air is Cool
70% of the Land is Preserved as National Forest
A natural phenomenon stretching from Lake Toxaway through Highlands, North Carolina, the Highlands Plateau of Western North Carolina is an oasis of incredible beauty. Often referred to as the “Land of Waterfalls,” the area boasts abundant rainfall and unique geology, which creates some of the most spectacular cascades in the South. Rich forests of hemlock and white pine, with a thick undergrowth of azalea, rhododendron and laurel, are almost everywhere.This beautiful area of rugged mountains is part of the Blue Ridge mountain range with 70% of the land preserved as National Forest.
With its quaint, scenic setting, the Highlands/Cashiers area is unique. Small in size, the area has all the major attributes of a large city. There is outstanding shopping, a regional arts center called The Bascom, art galleries, five star restaurants, The Old Edwards Inn and Spa, rated the best hotel spa in the country by Conde Nast, libraries and a new, modern hospital. The area is surrounded by National and State forests with numerous trails, waterfalls, and scenic lakes where native and stocked trout are fished by locals and boasts some of the finest trout fishing in America.
Highlands, North Carolina
The Town of Highlands was founded in the late 1800s by Mr. Kelsey and Mr. Hutchinson who saw the area as a stopping off place for travel between the north and the south. Highlands is the intersection of lines between Chicago and Savannah and between New York and New Orleans. Little did they imagine that Highlands would become one of the most valued areas for luxury homes in the nation.
Twenty Degrees Cooler than Florida and Atlanta in the Summer!
The area attracts visitors because of the warm hospitality of the locals. Some of the best golfing in the area can be found inside communities where some of the most famous golf course architects in the world have displayed their work.
Known as one of the few temperate rainforests in North America, Highlands, NC has continued to grow over the years, with the 2nd highest altitude of an incorporated town east of the Mississippi River. The population swells from roughly 3,200 during the winter to over 30,000 in the summer months (April-October).