~ Nearby Highlands and Cashiers are “magic” ~

As many of you have learned, Doug and I always love sharing this stunning Keowee and nearby Highlands and Cashiers area with folks. We have the best of both worlds by having mountains at 6,000' elevations only 30-40 minutes away. It is no secret that we enjoy living life here to the fullest. Life here is big and fun. Doug and I want to help you make the most of it! Below is a beautiful video is about Highlands which is only 15 minutes from Cashiers. This video sums up our addiction to having an area like this a short drive away. There are many “secret places” there we would like to show you as well that are here in the SC mountains. Download a printable version of this page to help you make the most of your trip up to the mountains from Lake Keowee.

We call it vacationland — stunning but not somewhere we want to live — especially since the weather is so great here year-round. Doug and I are hooked on visiting there but the ice and snow we can do without! Also, in the Winter, many of the restaurants and shops are closed. We are owners in Keowee Key. Doug enjoys our Golf Course for year-round play which is only about 40 minutes from Cashiers. We boat on mountain river-fed, clear 18,000 acre mountainous Lake Keowee and Lake Jocassee. Located in both SC & NC, Lake Jocassee is 7,800 acres, has 27 waterfalls and is mostly surrounded by protected forests and mountains. Lake Glenville, the largest lake in the Cashiers-Highlands area, is beautiful, but at 1,400 acres is comparatively very small and may leave you looking for bigger water. Before we decided to specialize here, we worked in that mountainous area for many years as Brokers, but lived, boated and also sold here at Keowee. Some of our clients wanted to own in both places. Both have been our “playgrounds” for hiking to waterfalls and still are. The photo to right was taken in January 2015 on the Blue Ridge Parkway when Carol and I were hiking. This is close to Devil's Courthouse. The elevation is about 5,500 feet. This is one of our favorite places to go. The book to the left is our “bible” for the Parkway. It is a mile marker guide to points of interest. We have a standing reservation for the event of Fall at this mountain vista: the Pisgah Inn (don't miss the pics on this site) on the Parkway near Asheville. It's above the clouds and has amazing sunrises from your balcony. The food is wonderful at their famous restaurant as well. The Blue Ridge Parkway is about 1:15 from Keowee and about 1 hour from Cashiers.

It never fails to excite us to have two Falls and two beautiful Springs (with the high elevations being about 3 weeks different) with ever-fascinating mountain foliage that we find there and on the nearby Blue Ridge Parkway. We even pick wild blueberries at The Graveyard Fields waterfall trail. You may enjoy visiting our Waterfalls/Trails/Vistas page to learn about more nearby outdoor activities. The photo to right is the renowned, 411' high Whitewater Falls in the Jocassee Gorges. Clear mountain water from the Whitewater River fills Lake Jocassee which, in turn, fills Lake Keowee. We only get a few snow flakes here — sometimes one or two snow falls a year at best. It is a very special day if we get enough snow to take a picture of a snowy scene, but to get our snow fix, we go up to the Old Edwards Inn in Highlands for lunch and come back to our beautiful weather.

If you really want to learn about what is just up the mountain from us, jump into the archives of one of my favorite magazines: The Laurel. Subscribe to The Laurel for year-round beautiful photographs and story after story from local folks who hike, famous local artists etc. It is a treasure in itself. Pictorial maps which give locations of the shops and restaurants in Highlands and Cashiers are available at the bottom of this page.

Below is an overview of a few other interesting places we enjoy sharing:

• One of the places where you can stop first as you head up to the mountains is the Lake Jocassee overlook at Duke Energy's Bad Creek Hydroelectric Station. Call me for directions. This is on the NC side of the lake. Wow, you can even see 411' Whitewater Falls and where this river from the Cashiers area enters the lake. From there, you can see a good part of this 7,800 acre lake. These pristine mountain waters fill Keowee!
• Whitewater Falls will be our 2nd stop. It is only about 10 minutes away with an easy paved path to its amazing overlook. From there, you will see the falls in its fullness and hear the roar of the cascading waters. Here is a link to what National Geographic says about it.
• Third, you can back track about 2 miles to a crossover road (Wiggington Road) that goes from Hwy 130 to Hwy 107 that goes to Cashiers. Most importantly, on this crossover road is a breathtaking view of Lake Jocassee and Lake Keowee. A treasure!
• Fourth, up 107 toward Cashiers: Silver Run Falls is wonderful! It is on the right and only a short, easy walk on a gravel path. See our Waterfall page for details.
• Fifth, Cashiers: Buck's Coffee Shop. La-Te-Da! While we are partial to the one in Highlands, they both have a rustic mountain atmosphere. They have a unique gift shop, coffee and interesting sandwiches. Corner of 107 and 64 in Cashiers. In Highlands it is near the intersection of Hwy 64 and Main Street. Tino's Gallery is directly across Main Street.
• Victoria's Closet. La Te Da: a great place! Don't miss this one girls in Cashiers. Fine Consignment Ladies & Mens Store features Boutique Clothing, shoes, Jewelry & Furs.
• Basket Works: One of my favorites! A 2-story cabin with a great mountain ambiance for shopping: antiques, accessories, furniture, silk flowers & gifts. Many things here that you won't find anywhere else. Just off the map below but on the left as you enter Cashiers coming from Keowee. Just past the great restaurant: Cornucopia. When you are there ask where the shop Rusticks is. Their lovely goodies are, as they say, “rustic yet sophisticated.” It is nearby on the small Cashiers lake.
• Lonesome Valley Canyon Kitchen. Stunning views and great food. A nice place to stroll the creek side valley and enjoy the amazing rock face mountain.
• Tino's Gallery in Highlands. We love his art and have some in our home. Doug and I never miss strolling his gallery: heavenly ambiance!
• There are Orvis shops with not only the best fly fishing equipment but great clothes in both Highlands and Cashiers. Fishing is great there and here on Jocassee and Keowee. Fly-fishing is very popular. Also, you will see the Highland Hiker which is also in both places.
• Highlands which is 15 minutes away from Cashiers. Wonderful shopping and restaurants. There is also an international spa destination: The Old Edwards Inn. Lovely for a garden view lunch, even if you are not staying there for a few days. If you feel adventurous, ask to see their Wine Cellar. It is reserved for special events and is like stepping into an old European wine cellar. Oh, their boutique is charming and tempting.
• Gorgeous mountain views the whole drive. Just before you get into Highlands driving on Hwy 64 you will see the famous Whiteside Mountain on the left. You can see it clearly from Lake Keowee. Doug and I even hike to the top to catch the gorgeous views of Keowee, Jocassee and the mountain ranges. OK, there is a parking area half way up so we really only hike half up the oldest mountain in the world to get to the top. And that's the whole truth ;)
• Be sure to see Dry Falls. Going out of Highlands on Hwy 64 it is on the left. You will pass Bridal Veil Falls on your way. You can drive your car under that one!
• The Highlands and Cashiers Chamber web sites. Enchanting opportunities are listed here for enjoying the arts, shopping, restaurants and mountain lodging.
• Don't miss our Lake Gallery page on our site with photos of Lake Jocassee and Lake Keowee. You will see photos of the hanging bridge over the Toxaway River and also Cashiers' Horsepasture River where they enter Lake Jocassee on the NC side of the lake.

Golf Courses and Country Clubs in the Cashiers-Highlands Area

Cashiers, Highlands, Sapphire Valley and Lake Toxaway have many beautiful golf courses and country clubs. Three are open to the public and are listed below. Enjoy fine golf, spectacular mountain and lake views and wonderful weather (in season, of course).

• Red Bird Golf Links. Located in Sapphire. This 9 hole executive course (6 par 3 holes, 3 par 4 holes) opened in 2001. Designed by Reid Horne.
• Sapphire National Golf Club. The 18-hole course at Sapphire National Golf Club. From the championship tees it measures 6,147 yards with par of 70. Designed by Ron Garl. Opened in 1982

Doug and I hope to see you soon on the trail or on the lake. As Buyer's Agents, we would also enjoy helping you find your little piece of Heaven here on Lake Keowee if you do not already reside here. On the other hand, if you or a friend are interested in selling your property, we challenge you to check out our Marketing Your Home page. If you have an interest in property in the NC mountains anywhere along scenic Highway 64 from Highlands to Asheville, we can recommend a RE/MAX^® agent who is experienced in selling mountain property.

Click images for a larger view. Download PDF maps of Highlands and Cashiers from The Laurel Magazine.
These are printable in either 11 by 17 or 8½ by 11. Not all businesses in Cashiers and Highlands are on these maps.