Start from 32 curated places around Highlands, NC, then choose the recommendations that fit your guests.
Restaurants & cafés
Wolf Creek Bar & Grille
A Main Street institution known for its ribs and hand-cut steaks — the dining room is warm-toned wood with a fireplace, and the bar keeps a focused whiskey selection. Portions are sized for people who have been hiking, and the kitchen doesn't overthink the proteins.
The Ugly Dog Pub
Highlands' casual pub anchor on Main — covered deck, pint list leaning toward craft regionals, and a bar menu that covers burgers, wings, and loaded nachos without pretense. The outdoor seating fills faster than the interior on cool evenings, and the crowd mixes locals with summer visitors seamlessly.
Trails & outdoors
Whiteside Mountain Trail
A two-mile loop around one of the largest exposed granite cliffs in the eastern US — the rim section offers unobstructed views across Cashiers Valley and into the Nantahala National Forest. The trail gains about 400 feet total and is manageable for most fitness levels despite feeling more exposed than the numbers suggest.
Glen Falls Trail
A 2.2-mile out-and-back trail descending steeply into the gorge to reach three distinct waterfall tiers on Overflow Creek — the lowest tier is the least visited and the most dramatic, with a deep plunge pool. The Blue Valley views on the descent are as good as the falls themselves.
Things to do
Highlands Cashiers Players
A community theater company producing four to five productions per summer season in Highlands — the level of performance consistently exceeds what the setting implies, drawing from a pool of semi-professional actors and directors who come to the plateau for the season. A genuine cultural anchor for the summer community.
Highlands Nature Center
The public face of the Highlands Biological Station — free natural history exhibits on the southern Appalachian ecosystem, a native plant botanical garden, and a small aquatic display featuring local stream species. One of the better free visitor resources in the North Carolina mountains.
Landmarks & sights
Dry Falls
A 75-foot waterfall on the Cullasaja River where US-64 clings to the gorge wall — you can walk behind the curtain of water on a paved path and stay almost completely dry in most flows. The short descent from the parking pullout takes about five minutes, and the basin below the falls holds its cool even on the hottest plateau afternoons.
Bridal Veil Falls
A broad 120-foot cataract that spills directly over a former section of the old highway — you can drive a car (or walk) under the overhang when water volume allows. The wide rock shelf under the falls stays dry enough to stand, and the volume of the plunge is impressive even after dry stretches.