OffBeat Pathfinder Basecamp

I’ll be honest: Highlands, NC, was supposed to be a “quick stop”—turned into a four-day accidental vacation. It’s one of those places where the roads wind like spaghetti and your GPS gives up around the third waterfall.


First impression: fresh air, fancy cars, more “for sale” signs than I’ve seen since 2008, and more places to get coffee than a city twice its size.


Spent half a day at Dry Falls just watching people take selfies and slip on the rocks (A+ entertainment, 10/10, bring popcorn). Ended up meeting a guy who claimed he’d lived there since before WiFi—told me where to get the best fried chicken (spoiler: it’s the gas station south of town, believe it or not).


If you’ve never eaten a biscuit in the rain while watching a dog try to chase a squirrel up a telephone pole, you haven’t really “done” Highlands.

Clouds rolled in, stayed three days. Still drying my boots. Hit that Main Street bakery—banana bread = dangerous.

Whoever made the roads around Highlands must’ve hated straight lines. Got lost on the way to Glen Falls, found a vintage shop, a taco truck, and a free concert in the park—all before noon.


Dry Falls was poppin’, but Secret Falls was better—fewer crowds, more dogs, less chance of a stranger photobombing your family Christmas card.


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Best meal: Fried chicken sandwich at Ugly Dog Pub. Worst: gas station sushi. I regret nothing except the wasabi.

First of all: yes, Highlands, NC is **every bit as magical as the postcards** (unless you count the time I almost slid my Subaru off a switchback near Bridal Veil Falls, but that’s another story, and yes, I’m fine—mostly).

What’s not fine: GPS here lies. Winding mountain roads look cute on Google Maps, but you’ll end up white-knuckling your steering wheel, dodging log trucks, and waving at folks in rental convertibles who look even more lost than you.

**Waterfalls:** Satulah, Dry Falls, Secret Falls, Glen Falls—each one is like a real-life screensaver, except sometimes you’re sharing it with 37 people and at least two barking dogs. Pro tip: the “best” time for the scenic waterfalls is early on a weekday, and if you bribe a ranger with strong coffee, you might get directions to a swimming hole that’s not even on the map.

Did I hike with my dog? You bet. Even found a few secret photo spots, but don’t ask me to share—the locals would hunt me down. Still, the trails here are some of the best in the NC mountains if you want autumn leaves, rainy day adventures, or just a place to ruin a new pair of boots.

**Downtown Highlands:** There’s a cheese shop with smoked cheddar that might ruin you for all other cheese, and a bakery where I spent 22 bucks on pastries and regret NOTHING. If you’re looking for real mountain food or a rainy-day plan, half the town is hiding in a wine bar by 3 p.m.

Met a lady named Muriel, who’s lived here since the 1950s and swears “nobody leaves Highlands for long—it gets in your blood, like pollen and fresh biscuits.” She tried to sell me jam from her car. I bought two jars; my rental still smells like blueberries.

Did I mention the weather? In one hour: sun, fog, pouring rain, blue sky. Bring a raincoat and a sense of humor.

**Anyone else catch Glen Falls on a weekday? Got a favorite drive near Blue Ridge or a spot for autumn leaf photos? If you’ve got a Glen Falls trail review (or a better meal at the Ugly Dog Pub than I did), let’s hear it! Also: what’s up with all the tiny churches and $18 cocktails?**

(PS: If you see my lost rain boot at Glen Falls, mail it to me c/o “That idiot from the cheese shop.”)

Thought I was tough. Whiteside Mountain kicked my butt. Nearly got blown off the ridge, but the view was worth the soggy socks.

Just did Dry Falls last week, got soaked but my dog loved it. Cheese shop=5 stars. Rain = not so much.

Try the fried green tomatos at Mountain Fresh Grocery, TRUST me. Nearly lost a shoe in the creek behind Kelsey-Hutchinson park. Still worth it.


Also, no joke, the best BLT in my life at the Blue Bike Cafe. Anyone know why everyone here drives a Subaru?

Took the “shortcut” from Franklin. HAHAHA. That’s not a shortcut, that’s a roller coaster with deer and fog. Stopped for gas, accidentally joined a church pancake breakfast, left with a pamphlet and two phone numbers.


Kids wanted to see waterfalls, but ended up obsessed with the train at the old depot. Downtown was slammed, so we ate takeout on the curb and watched a guy in a bear costume try to parallel park.


Best day: hiking Whiteside Mountain—views that’ll make your phone’s storage cry. Worst day: rain, lost my wallet, got it back from a hiker with a llama (??). Never going to explain that one.

Blue Ridge Parkway over to Highlands in peak leaf season is PURE CHAOS. Got stuck behind a parade of RVs and a guy pulling a kayak with a Miata.


Stopped at a roadside fruit stand, ended up buying boiled peanuts and a t-shirt with a possum on it.


Best hidden waterfall: Secret Falls (but bring bug spray, the skeeters are legendary). And yeah, dogs everywhere.


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Did I see a chicken in a raincoat on Main Street? No one believes me.