Just 30 minutes from the cabins, King Creek Falls is a stunning waterfall at the end of an easy-to-moderate trail. The hike takes about an hour round trip—longer if you linger at the falls—making it a great 2-3 hour outdoor excursion. Getting There Facilities: The parking lot is spacious and includes a vault toilet. Note:…
Panthertown is a lovely piece of National Forest land straddling the border of Jackson and Transylvania counties. Called by some “The Yosemite of the East”, it features broad vistas, shining granite cliffs, several waterfalls, and a miles of mountain biking trails. Late winter/early spring in the mountains is a wildly varying time of year with…
High Falls, aka Cullowhee Falls, is one of my absolute favorite waterfalls—and it’s just a five-minute drive from the cabins to the lakeside trail! The West Fork of the Tuckasegee River flows from the dam at Lake Glenville, and the trail leads you to a gorgeous box canyon just downstream. There, soaring granite cliffs surround…
The rugged mountains of western North Carolina slowed the settlement of the region, but by the late 1800s it was starting to bustle. The town of Glenville was actually the largest in Jackson County in 1891. Cashiers and Highlands were also growing as desirable escapes from the lowland heat. In fact at one point there…
While the NC mountains are colder than most of the south, the weather is still pretty mild in comparison with the rest of the country. So when temps drop to the single digits, we hunker down, let our faucets drip, and dream of summer. But there is one perk to the extreme cold: frozen waterfalls….
The end of fall in the mountains spells an end to the tourist season. But what the average visitor doesn’t realize are the many spectacular secrets that the cooler weather reveals. Crystal clear vistas and hidden views, fall and winter around Lake Glenville are a reward for the off season traveler. Once such stunning cold…
Although the Glenville and Cashiers, NC areas are a tourist destination, some local residents still farm and raise cattle. Today I photographed some of the barns (mostly abandoned) on Cullowhee Mountain Road. This road goes from Lake Glenville down to Speedwell and Cullowhee, home of Western Carolina University. NC barn architecture is quite varied. Some…
Several friends had been telling me to take a hike up to the top of Yellow Mountain, so when the weather warmed up for a day we did. Wow, was it worth it! The 360 degree views from the peak are spectacular. Yellow mountain is 5127 feet tall, making it one of the tallest mountains…
After a spate of freezing weather, it finally warmed up for a nice long hike. Mike and I hiked in Panthertown, next to Glenville and Cashiers, NC, for the afternoon. Panthertown is a gorgeous and huge valley full of trails and views very popular with hikers and mountain bikers alike. I have hiked here a…
This week, Mike and I hiked Whiteside Mountain. It is a gorgeous hike along the ridge of a exposed rock face that overlooks parts of North and South Carolina. It is one of my favorite hikes for bringing my visitors, and it is only about 15 minutes from home. I have only done this hike…