Events

In 1909, Highlands rallied to protect the summit of Satulah Mountain—one of the region’s earliest acts of grassroots conservation. More than a century later, that legacy still echoes with every step to the top.

Golden leaves and crisp air make fall the perfect season to hit the trails—and the newly opened Edward Baker Preserve near Cashiers offers over three miles of scenic paths through wetlands, hardwood forests, and ridge-top vistas. Just minutes from town, this dog-friendly haven is a tribute to biodiversity and a gift to hikers.

Though today’s woods may appear lush and mature, the forests that ring the communities of the Plateau are still recovering from widespread timbering a century ago. With intentional stewardship and natural disturbance, biodiversity is slowly returning to the Plateau.

Mr. Kelsey’s love of horticulture would lead him to Highlands’ peculiar frost-free apples and the founding of this unusual town.

The soaring Peregrine Falcons of Whiteside Mountain are an enduring symbol of our wild heritage.

The humble opossum, a reliable banisher of bugs, is just trying to get by in a world that seems to move too fast.

If every dog has its day, it turns out that every migratory bird gets its WNC BirdFest 2025. Saturday, May 10, at Monteith Farmstead and Community Park in Dillsboro, Balsam Mountain Trust will be hosting a celebration honoring World Migratory Bird Day.

The Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust and The Village Green’s Village Nature Series, exploring the wild lands and the wild things of the Plateau, launches this month.

For nearly all of its 150 years, Highlands has had a faithful partner in the Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust.