Enjoy Mountain Adventures in Cashiers, Dillsboro and Sylva

Making the decision to get away to the North Carolina mountains is easy. Deciding exactly where you’ll go may not be, with several attractive mountain towns dotting the landscape. Start your search with Jackson County and you’ll discover an outdoor enthusiast’s paradise.

Plan a multiday trip to the neighboring towns of Cashiers, Sylva and Dillsboro, easily flowing from one destination to the next. Led by hiking trails through the mountains, you’ll experience unforgettable sights and breathtaking views. And along the way, you’re always only a few steps from a remarkable meal.

Next up is Whiteside Mountain, with 740-foot vertical cliffs that are the tallest in the East. It’s part of the panoramic view you’ll enjoy on the 2-mile loop trail that includes the 4,930-foot peak. Watch for peregrine falcons during the first half of the year. The cliffs are a nesting site for the raptors, which grab their prey from the sky.

The trailhead for Silver Run Falls is on Highway 107. It’ll take you about 5 minutes to trek the accessible trail to the falls. At the bottom of its almost 40-foot drop is a sandy-bottomed pool. Take a dip there on a hot summer day or enjoy the view; nature photographers love it.

Dinner at Canyon Kitchen isn’t complete without a stroll around the property, which is in the second-home community of Lonesome Valley, surrounded by forests and granite peaks. The spectacle continues inside the restaurant, where the dinner menu changes with the seasonal ingredients gathered from local farms. Food & Wine even included Canyon Kitchen on its list of "The Most Romantic Restaurant in Every State."

Below the dam that creates Lake Glenville, popular with boaters and anglers, is 150-foot High Falls. It’s a three-quarter-mile hike (easy going down, but strenuous coming back up), with stone and wood steps helping you navigate the 650 feet of elevation change from the trailhead. A second trail provides access to the fall’s base.

North Carolina’s most famous roadway – the Blue Ridge Parkway – starts north through Jackson County, and you can find the highest elevation visitor center at Milepost 451.2. From the parking lot, follow the fairly steep 1.2-mile trail to the 6,292-foot summit of Waterrock Knob. Your effort will be rewarded with views that stretch 50 miles across Maggie Valley to the Great Smoky Mountains. It also offers an unencumbered vantage for sunrises and sunsets.

About 20 miles farther north on the Parkway is the Richland Balsam Trail. The uphill 1.5-mile loop climbs about 700 feet as it winds through fragrant Fraser and Balsam fir trees.

You’ll find 1,000-acre Pinnacle Park between the Blue Ridge Parkway and Sylva, the county seat. Follow the old logging road to Pinnacle Bald. The almost 7-mile round trip requires significant effort, so wear sturdy shoes and bring water. You can see the bald just above the tree line from Sylva, where a trail leads to refreshing destinations.

When you’ve worked up an appetite after great mornings or afternoons of exploration, you’ll be pleased with Sylva’s restaurants too. Choose among popular staples, such as crab cakes, from Lulu’s on Main’s deep menu.

But you can’t spend time in North Carolina and not try the barbecue. Many restaurants across NC are revered for their pork that’s lovingly smoked over a hardwood fire for hours. In Dillsboro, a few minutes’ drive from Sylva, Haywood Smokehouse is one of only a few barbecue restaurants statewide that also prepares beef brisket. It’s served with tender collard greens, creamy coleslaw and baked beans studded with burnt ends.

This article was produced in partnership with Discover Jackson County.