Great Hikes Around Highlands and Cashiers, NC

Our family enjoyed a much-needed break from the Georgia heat this past week.

I am officially ready to move to the mountains - I'll chop wood for a living, if I have to - just give me that mountain air!

Downtown Highlands, NC

Downtown Cashiers, NC

First off - let me note that all of these photos were taken by some other person in blog-world.  My daughter has my camera at camp, so I went to the mountains without a camera.  (Daughter #2's camera is broken.)  I think I "need" a new camera, soon - probably a much nicer one.

Our family enjoys hiking near Highlands and Cashiers, North Carolina.  We have a couple of hiking books we use to find new trails each visit.  One of our favorite books is the guide published by The Highland Hiker. 

The Highland Hiker has an outfitter store smack in the middle of both downtown Highlands and Cashiers where you can get your own copy. 

If you are on your first visit to the Highlands area, you HAVE to hike Whiteside Mountain.  Great views.  And I mean Great views. 

Another favorite spot is Sliding Rock, although I always worry I will have a child or husband with a noggin split wide-open. 

You  A crazy person can actually jump into those two holes in the rocks and not touch bottom.   See why I worry?

Another place we enjoy visiting is Panthertown Valley.  Panthertown Valley is a large area northeast of Cashiers with lots and lots of trails - be sure and climb Little Green Mountain in July and eat all of the blueberries you can stand.  Granny Burrell Falls, Wilderness Falls, and Schoolhouse Falls are also great hiking destinations within Panthertown Valley. You definitely need a good map to get around the valley. The updated Highland Hiker Day Hikes guide has a good map or you can download one here.  And don't worry, we did not see a single panther.

Two other short, but interesting hikes are to Pickleseimer Rock House.  (This trail is in the Blue Valley area, on the road from Highlands to Walhalla.) 

and to Sunset Rocks - near downtown Highlands.  Great view of downtown Highlands and the sunset - obviously.  We watched the 4th of July fireworks from here (with no camera).

Both towns have great little shops and beautiful nurseries (garden centers - not babies.)

I created this little hiking map, if you are interested.  Hope it helps. 

We hiked up Jones Knob (part of the Bartram Trail) and actually saw wild pigs.  I guess they enjoy blueberries, too.

Now, back to the sauna that is the rest of the South.

Cashiers on Dwellable