The Blue Ridge Mountains
Highlands, North Carolina is a village located on the eastern
continental divide at almost 4000 feet of elevation. Over 85 inches of
annual rainfall insure beautiful forests, breath-taking waterfalls, and exciting
whitewater activities. The area's natural beauty attracts thousands of summer
residents to enjoy the area's fourteen championship golf courses and the dozens of unique shops
in the village. Steve Ham has found it to be the ideal atmosphere to
conduct a technical consulting business. While remotely located, Highlands
is only 2+ hours driving time to Atlanta, Charlotte, Knoxville, and the new
South Carolina automotive alley.
Here are a few of the reasons to live on the Highlands plateau:
Whiteside Mountain is the landmark of the southern Blue Ridge. At 4,950 feet it is certainly not the highest mountain in the area, but its unique profile of massive granite cliffs dominates the view for a ten mile radius and it is distinguishable from Greenville SC, about 50 miles to the south. During the 50's and sixties there was a private tour concession known as "Whiteside Mountain- The Face of Creation". Today it is part of the Nantahala National Forest. Over 50,000 hikers visit Whiteside Mountain's trails annually. During WWII civilian spotters were positioned on the mountain to watch for enemy aircraft. No aircraft were ever spotted. Peregrine falcons, nesting on the "Face of Creation", are easy to spot.
The altitude and rainfall keep Highlands very cool in the summer months. Over half of the surrounding area is part of three major National Forests- Nantahala, Pisgah, and Sumpter. Also in the area is the Great Smokey Mtns. National Park, The Blue Ridge Parkway, and the Cherokee Reservation. Two major river systems are born on the Highlands plateau.
Nearby Joyce Kilmer National Preserve is in the middle of the wildness area where Olympic bomber Eric Rudolf successfully hid from hundreds of federal officers for more than five years. While the FBI reward of $1,000,000.00 is no longer offered, the view from Snowbird Ridge is worth a million dollars in itself. The view includes the last remaining grove of Giant Poplars in north America.
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