Highlands and Cashiers sit at the far southwestern corner of North Carolina, tucked into Macon and Jackson counties at elevations above 3,500 feet. Highlands is one of the highest towns east of the Mississippi, at 4,118 feet, it is cooler, cloudier, and wetter than anywhere else in the Southeast, which is exactly why it is one of the most coveted summer escapes in the region. Cashiers sits about 10 miles east on US 64 with a slightly different character, quieter, more rustic, but with its own excellent restaurants and some of the best waterfall access in the state.
Together, these two towns offer an unusually concentrated combination of outdoor adventure and upscale amenities. World class waterfalls are 10 minutes from Michelin worthy restaurants. Gorges State Park is 20 minutes from boutique hotels on Main Street. It is a weekend where you can do all of it.
The Waterfalls
The drive from Asheville to Highlands on US 64 passes through the Cullasaja Gorge, one of the most waterfall dense stretches of road in North Carolina. There are pulloffs for waterfalls along the way before you even arrive. Once in the area, the major falls are within a short drive of each other and require minimal hiking.
Dry Falls
The most unique waterfall experience in the area. A paved, accessible walkway leads you completely behind a 75 foot wall of water. You get soaked if you stand too close, bring a rain jacket or just accept it. The experience is unlike any other waterfall in NC. The walkway descends steeply from the parking lot but it is paved and manageable for most visitors.
Location: US 64 W in the Cullasaja Gorge, about 4 miles north of Highlands. Open year round, dawn to dusk. Fee: $3/vehicle or $15 annual Nantahala Forest pass. No hiking required.
Bridal Veil Falls
A roadside waterfall that spills directly over an old section of US 64. You can walk or drive underneath it when road conditions allow. The experience is casual and very accessible, a pulloff, a short walk, and you are standing under a 120 foot cascade. No fee and no hiking. One of the better free quick stops in the area for families.
Location: US 64, about 2 miles west of downtown Highlands. Free. Open year round. Parking for 6 7 cars; can be crowded in summer.
Glen Falls
The hike that most locals recommend for visitors willing to work a little harder. Glen Falls is a triple waterfall series, three distinct drops on the same creek, each with its own character. The trail is 2.8 miles round trip with 800 feet of elevation change. It is not easy but it is not extreme. The payoff is worth it and the trail sees far fewer people than the roadside waterfalls. One of the best hikes in southwestern NC.
Location: 1091 Glen Falls Rd, off NC 106 south of Highlands. Free. Moderate difficulty. Allow 2 hours round trip.
Whitewater Falls
At 411 feet, Whitewater Falls is one of the highest cascades in eastern North America. It is on the NC–South Carolina border near Cashiers. The upper overlook is a short paved walk from the parking lot; the lower overlook requires 154 wooden steps down. Both are worth doing. The scale of this waterfall is genuinely hard to process until you are standing in front of it.
Location: Gorges State Rd off NC 281, about 20 miles south of Cashiers near Sapphire. Open year round, dawn to dusk. Fee: $3/vehicle or $15 annual Nantahala Forest pass.
Gorges State Park
Gorges State Park sits about 20 minutes south of Cashiers near the community of Sapphire. The park is unusual in North Carolina because it sits in a temperate rainforest zone, thanks to elevation changes that funnel moisture from the Gulf, parts of the park receive up to 100 inches of rain a year. That creates a biodiversity that feels more like a Pacific Northwest rainforest than the typical Appalachian landscape.
The two signature hikes are Rainbow Falls (a 150 foot plunge waterfall) and Turtleback Falls (where the water slides over wide, smooth granite shelves into a natural swimming hole). The Turtleback swimming hole is one of the best in western NC. Both are on the same trail system. Plan a full half day.
Address: 976 Grassy Ridge Rd, Sapphire, NC 28774. Open year round, 7 AM to 9 PM general hours; visitor center 9 AM to 5 PM. Camping season 2026: March 21 through September 21. Free admission. Phone: (828) 966 9099.
Whiteside Mountain
A 2 mile loop hike to one of the most dramatic viewpoints in North Carolina. Whiteside Mountain has some of the highest sheer cliff faces in the eastern United States, the rock walls drop hundreds of feet on the north face. The trail itself is relatively moderate, and the views from the top look across the Cashiers Valley to the surrounding ridgelines. Best visited on a clear day. Pay the $3 fee at the kiosk at the trailhead.
Location: US 64 between Highlands and Cashiers. Open year round. Fee: $3/vehicle. Note: Rock climbing on the cliffs is seasonally restricted during peregrine falcon nesting season (roughly February–July), but the hiking trail remains open year round.
Where To Eat in Highlands
Highlands has one of the most remarkable restaurant scenes of any small town in NC. The combination of high end second home owners, a long summer resort season, and isolation that rewards good local dining has produced a concentration of excellent restaurants that punches way above the town's 2,000 person permanent population.
Ristorante Paoletti
The most decorated restaurant in Highlands and one of the genuinely great Italian restaurants in the Southeast. Paoletti has been on Main Street since 1984, and the kitchen has lost none of its edge, TripAdvisor ranked it among the top 15 restaurants in the United States in 2025. The handmade pasta and the wine list are the main events. Reservations essential; the restaurant books out weeks in advance during peak summer. The 2026 season opens April 16.
Address: 440 Main St, Highlands, NC 28741. Open seasonally, April through late fall, dinner nightly. Closed off season. Book via Resy.
On the Verandah
A lakeside dining institution that has been running since 1981. The restaurant sits on Lake Sequoyah just west of downtown with views of the water and the ridgeline behind it. Contemporary American with international influences, live jazz on weekends, and a wine program that takes itself seriously. This is the place to mark a special occasion in the Highlands area. Dinner only; seasonal winter hours (Friday and Saturday only, November through spring).
Address: 1536 Franklin Rd (US 64 W), Highlands, NC 28741. Dinner nightly in season. Winter hours: Friday and Saturday only. Reservations recommended.
Madison's at Old Edwards Inn
The restaurant inside the Old Edwards Inn, a Relais and Chateaux property on Main Street. Farm to table contemporary American with a kitchen that sources locally and takes the ingredients seriously. The Old Edwards Inn has been renovated into one of the finest small hotels in the Southeast, and Madison's matches the level of the property. Dinner service 6–9 PM; lunch available to hotel guests. Seasonal, reopens spring 2026.
Address: 445 Main St, Highlands, NC 28741. Seasonal operations. Contact for 2026 spring opening date.
Wild Thyme Gourmet
The most approachable of Highlands' top tier restaurants. Wild Thyme is a relaxed bistro on Main Street with American cooking inflected with Asian flavors, the kind of menu that handles both a weekday lunch and a proper dinner equally well. Locals eat here regularly, which is the best endorsement a restaurant can have in a resort town. Open for lunch and dinner most days, Sunday lunch only.
Address: 343 D Main St, Highlands, NC 28741. Mon–Thu 11 AM–3:30 PM and 5:30–8 PM; Fri–Sat 11 AM–3:30 PM and 5:30–8:30 PM; Sun 11 AM–3:30 PM.
Highlands Supper Club at Trailborn
A newcomer that immediately became one of the most talked about restaurant openings in Macon County. Trailborn Highlands restored the historic Joe Webb log cabin on the edge of town and turned it into a boutique hotel with a contemporary Southern supper club inside. The setting alone, original log beams, stone fireplace, candlelit, is worth visiting for. Contemporary Southern comfort food, open seven nights a week starting at 5 PM.
Address: 96 Log Cabin Ln, Highlands, NC. Open nightly from 5 PM.
Calders Coffee Cafe
The best coffee stop in downtown Highlands. Service disabled veteran owned, with New York style bagels, fresh breakfast sandwiches, and serious espresso on Main Street. Good for a quick start before a waterfall day or a post hike recovery. Mon–Fri 7 AM to 5 PM.
Address: 384 Main St, Highlands, NC 28741. Mon–Fri 7 AM–5 PM.
Where To Eat and Drink in Cashiers
Whiteside Brewing Company
Cashiers' best restaurant and the area's main craft brewery. Whiteside Brewing serves a full food menu alongside beers brewed on site, with views of the valley and Whiteside Mountain cliffs in the distance. Live music most Friday and Saturday nights. The combination of good beer, solid food, and a genuinely beautiful location makes this the anchor of any evening in Cashiers. Connected to The Wells Hotel next door for an upscale overnight option.
Address: 128 NC 107, Cashiers, NC 28717. Mon–Tue and Thu 11:30 AM–8 PM; Wed closed; Fri–Sat 11:30 AM–9 PM; Sun 11:30 AM–8 PM. Live music Fri–Sat.
Cashiers Farmers Market
A family owned specialty grocery and market that has been part of Cashiers since 1995. Worth knowing about as both a food stop and a quick lunch option, they smoke their own BBQ and serve fresh burgers. Open year round, which is notable in a resort town where most things close in winter. Good for stocking up before a camping trip at Gorges State Park.
Address: 78 Hwy 64 E, Cashiers, NC 28717. Mon–Sat 10 AM–6 PM; Sun 11 AM–4 PM.
Things To Do
Highlands Biological Station and Nature Center
A working field station and nature center operated by Western Carolina University on the edge of Highlands. The botanical garden, nature exhibits, and small museum are open to the public at no charge. A surprising gem for visitors who enjoy natural history. The station runs public programs, summer nature camps for kids, and evening lecture events throughout the season. Worth an hour before or after a waterfall day.
Address: 930 Horse Cove Rd, Highlands, NC 28741. Free admission. Open during the academic/summer season; check highlandsbiological.org for current programming.
Cashiers Village Green
A 12.5 acre green space at the center of Cashiers, at the crossroads of US 64 and NC 107. It functions as the community gathering point and hosts more than 80 events annually. The 2026 season includes a Chamber Music Festival in July and August, a Halloween event, and the Lights on the Green holiday celebration in November. A good orientation point when you arrive in Cashiers, start here and work outward.
Downtown Highlands Shopping
Highlands was named a USA Today "Best Small Town for Shopping" and the designation is earned. The Main Street and surrounding blocks have an unusually high concentration of independent galleries, boutique clothing stores, and home goods shops. Highland Hiker has excellent outdoor gear and local trail maps. Silver Eagle Gallery is worth a stop for Appalachian crafts and fine art. Plan an hour and a half if you want to browse properly.
Getting to Highlands and Cashiers
Highlands is about 1 hour 20 minutes from Asheville via US 64 West. The route takes you through the town of Brevard (about 45 minutes in), which is worth stopping in on the way or the return. From Charlotte, the drive is approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes. Cashiers is 10 miles east of Highlands on US 64. Both towns are small enough to explore on foot once you are parked. A car is needed for all waterfall and park access.
Note that Highlands and Cashiers are genuine resort towns and lodging fills up fast on summer weekends. Book accommodations well in advance, especially if you want to stay in Highlands proper. The Old Edwards Inn and Trailborn Highlands are the two best hotel options in town.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far is Highlands NC from Asheville?
Highlands is about 1 hour 20 minutes from Asheville via US 64 West. Cashiers is about 10 minutes farther east of Highlands on the same road. The drive itself is excellent, passing through the Cullasaja Gorge with multiple pulloffs for waterfalls along the way.
What is Highlands NC known for?
Highlands is one of the highest towns east of the Mississippi at 4,118 feet elevation, which gives it the coolest summer temperatures in the Southeast. It is known for world class dining, art galleries, upscale shopping, and easy access to some of the best waterfall hikes in North Carolina, including Dry Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, Glen Falls, and Whitewater Falls.
What is the best waterfall near Highlands NC?
Dry Falls is the most unique, you can walk behind a 75 foot curtain of water on a paved accessible path. Whitewater Falls near Cashiers is the tallest at 411 feet, making it one of the highest cascades in eastern North America. Glen Falls is a hidden gem with a triple waterfall series on a moderate 2.8 mile hike.
What is Gorges State Park near Cashiers NC?
Gorges State Park is a 7,500 acre park near Sapphire NC, about 20 minutes from Cashiers, known for its extraordinary biodiversity. The park sits in a rain shadow that receives up to 100 inches of precipitation per year. Rainbow Falls and Turtleback Falls are the most popular hikes. Open year round with a visitor center at 976 Grassy Ridge Rd, Sapphire, NC.
Highlands and Cashiers reward the people who do not rush. Spend a full weekend. Do the waterfalls in the morning, take a long lunch, go back out in the afternoon, and have a real dinner. The combination of scenery and food at this elevation is one of the best things western NC has to offer.