CITY GUIDES | NORTH CAROLINA
The Best of Highlands, NC: Top Hotels, Restaurants, Shops, and Attractions
By Eric Barton
Updated Aug. 20, 2026
AUTHOR BIO: Eric Barton is editor of The Adventurist and a freelance journalist who has reviewed restaurants for more than two decades. Email him here.
The road into Highlands climbs through the Nantahala National Forest, curling past rock walls and waterfalls before ending on Main Street, lined with old brick storefronts and more Range Rovers than a town of roughly 1,000 people should reasonably contain.
At more than 4,000 feet in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Highlands, North Carolina, has long been a summer escape for Southerners fleeing the heat. The air is cooler, the rhododendrons grow thick along the trails, and even a quick trip to Dry Falls comes with the thrill of walking behind 75 feet of rushing water. A little farther outside town, Whiteside Mountain rises in a wall of exposed granite, its two-mile loop ending with views that stretch deep into North Carolina and Georgia.
The town itself manages to pack a surprising amount into a few walkable blocks. The best hotels in Highlands include grand old resorts, stylish mountain inns, and a modern lodge with its own supper club. Restaurants serve dry-aged steaks, house-made pasta, and wood-fired chicken, while Main Street shops stock cashmere, tailored jackets, cookware, and enough mountain-scented candles to make your house smell like a vacation.
This guide covers the best things to do in Highlands, NC, including where to stay, where to eat, where to shop, and what to see once you finally straighten out the steering wheel.
HIGHLANDS
ADVENTURES
The Bascom: A Center for the Visual Arts
FREE | MAP | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM
The approach to The Bascom begins through an 87-foot covered bridge, an entrance grand enough to make the six-acre former horse farm on the other side feel like a discovery. Inside, the free galleries show work by artists from Western North Carolina and well beyond it. The campus also includes a ceramics barn, a sculpture trail, and workshops where you can try wheel throwing, painting, photography, and other pursuits best attempted before the wine shop.
Best for: A rainy afternoon that does not feel like a compromise
Dry Falls
$ | MAP | WEBSITE
Dry Falls is named for the path that passes behind the waterfall, where hikers can theoretically remain dry while the Cullasaja River drops 75 feet in front of them. In practice, the mist has other plans. A short, paved trail and a series of stairs lead from the roadside parking area to the recessed ledge behind the water, making this one of the easiest waterfalls to experience near Highlands. Parking costs $3 per vehicle, and the stop requires about half an hour unless you become hypnotized by the water.
Best for: Standing behind a waterfall without committing to a hike
Highlands Wine Shoppe
$$ | MAP | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM
Highlands Wine Shoppe is both a serious bottle store and a neighborhood gathering spot, with hundreds of wines lining the shelves and tables outside beneath the trees. Order a glass, add cheese and charcuterie, and you may soon find yourself listening to locals exchange restaurant recommendations and pickleball injuries. Dogs are welcome in the outdoor seating area, which means mine usually begins socializing long before I do.
Best for: Turning a bottle run into the afternoon
Whiteside Mountain
$ | MAP | WEBSITE
The two-mile loop over Whiteside Mountain reaches exposed granite cliffs with views stretching across the Blue Ridge Mountains into North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Take the right fork for the steeper ascent, where stone steps and switchbacks make the relatively short mileage feel more consequential. Peregrine falcons sometimes pass near the overlooks, although the drop beyond the railing is dramatic enough without wildlife. The trail is open from dawn to dusk, and parking costs $3 per vehicle.
Best for: The biggest view you can earn before lunch
HIGHLANDS
HOTELS
200 Main
$$$ | MAP | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM
Old Edwards’ younger, less formal sibling sits directly on Main Street, close enough to leave the car parked while you eat and shop your way through town. Rooms at 200 Main have hardwood floors and clean-lined furnishings, while some add fireplaces, balconies, or heated bathroom floors. The hotel also has a seasonal heated saltwater pool, a year-round hot tub, two fire pits, hammocks, and a game room. It covers the mountain-weekend essentials without requiring you to dress for dinner downstairs.
Best for: Staying downtown without paying full resort prices
Highlander Mountain House
$$$$ | MAP | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM
Highlander Mountain House looks like the English country home of someone who reads old travel journals and knows where to find good antiques. Its 18-room Main House pairs patterned wallpaper and collected art with deep sofas, wood-burning fireplaces, and minibars stocked with local snacks. Downstairs, The Ruffed Grouse Tavern serves Appalachian cooking and hosts Sunday bluegrass brunch. The separate Bunkhouse trades some of the ornament for lower rates and pet-friendly rooms, a useful distinction if your dog also expects a stylish weekend.
Best for: Design fans who want the bar an easy staircase away
Old Edwards Inn & Spa
$$$$$ | MAP | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM
Old Edwards Inn & Spa stretches across downtown Highlands in a collection of historic rooms, suites, cottages, and residences connected by stone paths and gardens. The Relais & Châteaux resort operates a European-style spa with whirlpools, saunas, and fireplace lounges, along with two pools, golf access, and several restaurants and bars. Service has the calm efficiency of a place accustomed to handling anniversary weekends, family gatherings, and guests who arrive with several garment bags. You can leave the property, although Old Edwards supplies plenty of reasons not to.
Best for: A full resort weekend in the middle of town
Trailborn Highlands
$$$ | MAP | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM
Trailborn Highlands gives the mountain motel a handsome reset with cedar tones, custom furnishings, pour-over coffee, and Tivoli speakers in the renovated guest rooms. Behind the hotel, its outdoor Nordic spa combines a sauna, cold spritz showers during warmer months, and a private fire-pit lounge. A path climbs through the trees to Highlands Supper Club, where dinner is served inside a historic log cabin. Trailborn also arranges guided hikes, fly-fishing trips, forest bathing, and workshops for guests who prefer their itinerary handled before arrival.
Best for: A modern base camp with dinner and a sauna on site
HIGHLANDS
RESTAURANTS
Highlands Supper Club
$$$ | MAP | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM
A stone path climbs from Trailborn Highlands to this century-old log cabin, where multiple fireplaces and dark timber establish the mood before the first bourbon arrives. Chef Aaron Kulzer’s menu moves through the South with blue crab deviled eggs, pork belly over Anson Mills cheddar grits, North Carolina trout, and Webb’s chicken, available roasted or fried with cornbread, limpin’ Susan, and collards. The bar leans into dark spirits, including a bacon-washed old fashioned that matches the cabin better than a vodka soda ever could.
Best for: Southern supper beside the fire
Oak Steakhouse Highlands
$$$$ | MAP | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM
Oak occupies the second floor of Skyline Lodge, where the terrace looks across the mountains and the dining room feels like summer camp after someone supplied a serious wine cellar. Certified Angus Beef steaks anchor the menu, joined by seasonal composed dishes, seafood, and the creamed greens, potatoes, and other shareable sides expected of a proper steakhouse. Arrive early for a drink beside one of the lodge’s hand-carved granite fireplaces downstairs, then head up before the view disappears into the dark.
Best for: Steak with a mountain view
Town Hall Highlands
$$ | MAP | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM
Town Hall remade the former Wolfgang’s property as a restaurant built for the competing demands of a Highlands afternoon. Owners David Perrin and Mat Barnwell preserved the dining room while turning the courtyard into a backyard with cornhole, live music, and a large screen for games. Two bars give the adults their own diversion. The counter-service menu covers pot roast sliders, enormous sheet-pan nachos, tacos, Southern pot roast with gravy, and pan-roasted salmon with tomato-caper butter. Everyone can occupy themselves, which may be Town Hall’s most useful amenity.
Best for: Dinner while the children occupy themselves
Wild Thyme Gourmet
$$$ | MAP | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM
Chef-owner Dindu Lama spent 15 years as Wild Thyme’s executive chef before taking over the restaurant, bringing the spices of his native Nepal to an American menu that moves easily between lunch and dinner. Waterfall beef combines tenderloin with ginger, cilantro, lime, and vegetables, while salmon arrives beneath a sweet soy glaze and crushed wasabi peas. The pan-seared North Carolina trout comes with polenta, red cabbage, and lemon-caper macadamia butter. Save space for the coconut cake or butterscotch pudding.
Best for: Familiar dishes with an Asian accent
HIGHLANDS
BOUTIQUES
The Dry Sink
$$ | MAP | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM
The Dry Sink has occupied Main Street since 1972, giving Highlands shoppers more than 2,000 square feet of kitchen tools, tabletop pieces, small appliances, candles, cards, and objects that make entertaining look far easier than it is. Jan’s Gadget Wall covers the useful end of the spectrum, while Le Creuset cookware, Beatriz Ball serveware, Costa Nova ceramics, and Pampa Bay pieces handle the presentable part. It is entirely possible to enter for a spatula and leave with a new theory of tablescaping.
Best for: A useful souvenir for the kitchen
Dutchmans Casual Living
$$$ | MAP | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM
Dutchmans Casual Living approaches the mountain house as a work in progress, even if that house currently exists only in your browser history. The Highlands showroom mixes solid mahogany furniture and upholstered seating with rugs, lighting, mirrors, art, tableware, and a private line of scented candles. Interior-design services and custom drapery can carry the project considerably farther. Stop in for a hostess gift and you may leave measuring the living room, which is how furniture stores prefer the afternoon to unfold.
Best for: Furnishing the mountain house of your dreams
Rosenthals Boutique
$$$$ | MAP | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM
Rosenthals has dressed Highlands since 1987, filling its Main Street boutique with women’s clothing, shoes, accessories, and fine fragrance from designers such as Akris Punto, Cinq à Sept, Ferragamo, Tory Burch, Veronica Beard, and Zimmermann. The selection moves from daytime separates to dresses ready for a reservation at Paoletti, with personalized service helping connect the two. Anyone who packed only hiking clothes will find a solution here, though the credit card may consider the original mistake less serious.
Best for: Designer fashion at 4,000 feet
TJ Bailey’s
$$$$ | MAP | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM
TJ Bailey’s began as a small men’s shop in 1985 and has grown into a Main Street source for men’s and women’s clothing, outerwear, shoes, accessories, and gifts. The point of view remains classic without treating every mountain weekend as an excuse for technical fleece. Expect collared shirts, sweaters, jackets, dresses, and the guidance to assemble them properly. It is especially useful when the itinerary shifts from a waterfall trail to cocktails and nobody built a wardrobe change into the car.
Best for: A wardrobe that understands the dress code
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