If you crumpled a piece of dark green paper in your hands and stretched it back out, it would resemble a satellite view of Western North Carolina. At every peak you’ll find magnificent mountain views, in every valley, babbling creeks and mountain rivers threaten to cascade into splendid waterfalls at every bend.
Wedged between Tennessee, Georgia, and South Carolina, Western North Carolina is held at arm’s length from cities like Knoxville, Atlanta, Asheville, and Greenville by the mountain landscape. But driving the winding mountain roads quickly reveal that this is not the backwoods; there is money here.
The Franklin-Cashiers-Highlands area is still a secret, ranked one of America’s top 10 “undiscovered towns.” While the housing market across the country falters, in Franklin you still hear people lamenting that they didn’t buy more property two years ago. Property values here are holding strong, and when the national housing market recovers, they’re expected to leap. By then, the secret will be out, and it will be too late; building you dream home in Western North Carolina will not be nearly as affordable.
When you make a home in Berry Cove, these are the things you’ll expect to find in your backyard.
Franklin
The closest town is Franklin, NC. As the main street bends over a hillcrest it opens to view of mountains in the distance. Quaint shops line the street, and there is a sense that they have found a balance between mountain ambience and modern convenience. Great restaurants, terrific shopping, and a movie theater are all just 10 minutes from your front door.
Cashiers
At the crossroads of Highway 107 and US 64 lies Cashiers. A popular stop for those who know about its charm, Cashiers boasts a beautiful park, the High Hampton Inn & Country Club, and dozens of enchanting shops that sell the local flavor to passersby.
Highlands
Surrounded by terrific mountain golf courses, Highland transports you to another time and place. Walk along Main Street in Highland and you may mistake it for an Alpine village. Between fine restaurants, jewelry stores, and quaint B&B’s you’ll see real estate offices—a reminder that something very interesting is happening in Western North Carolina.
Waterfalls
They call the stretch of US 64 that snakes through the mountains in this area the Mountain Waters Scenic Byway. Paralleling the Cullasaja River, the Scenic Byway offers remarkable views of the Cullasaja Gorge. Waterfalls abound. At Dry Falls, a paved walkway allows visitors behind the fall which cascades 75 feet from the bald rocks above to mossy forest below.
Nantahala National Forest
Covering nearly the entire western tip of North Carolina, the Nantahala National Forest is 531,286 acres of managed wilderness featuring hiking, camping, horseback riding, white water rafting and more. When you build in Berry Cove, you will drive through a portion of the forest every time you come home. The Appalachian Trail snakes through the park on its way from Georgia to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to the north.
Lake Glenville
Drive north from Cashiers on Highway 107, and you will soon find yourself along the banks of Lake Glenville. A reservoir, Lake Glenville is long and narrow as it saunters through the mountains, reaching its emerald green fingers between forested mountain peaks that thrust skyward. A marina lies on the eastern bank, and a public ramp makes the waters of Lake Glenville available to anyone with a boat.
