Local Towns, Cities & Attractions

Choose Your Adventure

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  Cashiers

  The year-round population of our cozy neighboring town is only about 2,000 folks, but boy is Cashiers big on history, charm, and hospitality. A tiny hub of boutiques, antique shops, and art galleries, Cashiers is also home to a fantastic local farmer’s market and the Whiteside Brewing Company, a local legend when it comes to Bavarian-style beers. Be sure to take a stroll through the Village Green, a 12-acre park with walking trails that wind past sculptures by renowned artists. For a taste of history, visit the smallest post office in the USA and the Zachary-Tolbert House, a stunning example of Greek Revivalist Architecture that has survived sans power or plumbing for 150 years!

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  Highlands

  Less than an hour away, and just a bit higher up in the Blue Ridge Mountains (4118 feet), Highlands marries small-town charm with southern sophistication. A hotbed of wining and dining spots (there are 7 Wine Spectator restaurants in this one small town), and a haven for artists, musicians and crafters, there’s a creativity in Highlands that seeps into just about every aspect of life. Festivals, concerts, and culinary events are often on the docket, but regardless, a day spent strolling these friendly streets is a day well spent!

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  Brevard

  Coined one of “the coolest small towns in America”, Brevard brims with natural beauty, artful pursuits, great eats, and shopping galore. Museums to milkshakes, beer tastings to boutiques, live music to Appalachian arts and crafts (there are 9 art galleries downtown!), Brevard is one of those places you have to experience to understand its many facets, faces, and all the fun stuff there is to do – and it’s just 23 minutes away.

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  Hendersonville

  Hendersonville is a vibrant small town, less than 1 hour from Mountain Falls, where southern hospitality is found along exciting streets scene brimming with art, crafts, shops, and restaurants. Perhaps its most famous attraction is the “Cheers! Trail”. This is the only trail in North Carolina that features five different type of craft beverages and includes 11 breweries, 7 wineries, 3 hard cideries, 2 spirit distilleries and 1 meadery. In other words, there are a lot of reasons to raise a glass to Hendersonville.

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  Asheville and The Biltmore Estate

  Asheville has blossomed into one of the most exciting cities in the southern United States with more breweries than you can count, world-class restaurants and foodie hot spots, and a vibe that’s equal parts hippie and southern hospitality.

  Asheville is also a city rich in history, crowned by the famed Biltmore Estate built for George Vanderbilt between 1889 and 1895. With a jaw-dropping 178,926 square-feet of floor space, the Renaissance-style chateau features 35 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms and 65 fireplaces. Yep, it’s one of those things you must see to believe. Lucky for you, Asheville is only about 1 hour away.

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  Carl Sandburg Home and National Historic Site

  About 54 minutes away near Hendersonville in the village of Flat Rock, sits the former North Carolina home of the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and his wife who would raise prized dairy goats on the surrounding 30 acres. Sandberg moved to the home in 1945 and spent his last 20 years on the property, publishing more than a third of his works while living here. The National Historic Site itself encompasses some 264 acres and includes woodlands, five miles of hiking trails, two small lakes, and plenty of mountain scenery.

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  The Greystone Inn

  Mountain Falls isn’t the only amazing place you’ll discover in Lake Toxaway. The Greystone Inn sits right on the water and features world-class dining and an inspired spa (what better way to bounce back after a mountain hike than a great spa treatment?). At the Greystone, you’re welcome to explore the lake by canoe, paddleboard or on an evening cruise aboard the Miss Lucy. There’s also a fabulous 6,418-yard golf course loaded with interesting elevations, undulations, and challenges.

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  PARI – Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute

  This site was established by NASA in 1962 and served as an integral communications link for America’s first manned space programs – Project Gemini and Project Apollo. Later the NSA would use the facility as an intelligence gathering facility. In 1995, it was closed and turned over to the United States Forest Service, and now it exists to inspire the next generation of astronomers, scientists, and explorers! You’ll find it 20 minutes away in Rosman, NC.

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  Harrah’s Cherokee Casino

  There are those times you want to ramp up the action and Harrah’s is the perfect choice. About 1 hour and 20 minutes away, this world-class casino offers all your favorite slots, table games, poker, and sports betting. Plus, they bring in top musical acts regularly. Who knows? Your favorites just might be scheduled to hit the stage.

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  Killer Bees Honey

  You’ve heard of wine tastings. Well, how does a honey tasting sound? Killer Bees Honey is located a short drive away in Lake Toxaway. Stop on in and Sean Collinsworth, certified beekeeper and “Honey Sommelier”, will guide you on a tour and tasting that will teach you all about the delightfully unique honeys of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Oh yeah, the views are incredibly sweet, too!