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Straddling the Blue Ridge and the Eastern Continental Divide at an elevation of 3,500 to 5,100 feet, Cashiers sits in a lush green valley in
southwestern North Carolina. The Cashiers area also includes Sapphire, Glenville, Yellow Mountain, Whiteside Cove, Norton,
Lake Toxaway, Bull Pen, Big Ridge, Mill Creek, Heady Mountain, and Pine Creek. The water from the Chatooga River flows into
the Atlantic Ocean, while the water from the Tuckaseegee makes its way to the Gulf of Mexico.
It has been reported that the mountains surrounding the beautiful Sapphire Valley and Cashiers area are older than the Alps, the Andes, and the Rockies. There are more than 1,170 species of flowering plants here, plus 131 species of trees. Nowhere else in the world are there so many different trees! In all of Europe there are only about 86. The last glacier pushed all of these down from what is now Canada and also brought Canadian birds. It is hard to find a place anywhere else in the East that offers this combination of a pleasant climate, natural beauty, and genuine small town charm as you fill find in Cashiers.
The mountains are equally beautiful at any time of year. The Cashiers area is home to a great variety of animals, plants, and trees native to the Northeast and Canada. There are also several plants here on the national endangered list such as the rare Vaseyl, pinkshell azaleas, and the pink and yellow Lady Slipper. Big, panoramic views of unspoiled mountains, valleys, and crystal-clear mountain streams and lakes are visible from virtually everywhere. Mountain laurel, azalea, and rhododendron cover the mountains in the Spring. Everything is a lush green during the Summer. In Fall, the mountains are bursting in bright colors. Of course, Winter snowfalls creates a winter wonderland.
| Source - The Weather Channel | |
|---|---|
| January - High | 42 |
| January - Low | 23 |
| July - High | 78 |
| July - Low | 57 |
| Annual Snowfall | 15" |
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By the early 1820s, settlers began arriving, many from South Carolina, using the same Indian and buffalo trails used by the Cherokees every year. By the 1870s, families from South Carolina's low country began coming to the Cashiers area to escape the summer heat. Word of the natural wonders of the mountains quickly spread and, in the 1890s, entrepreneurs from both the North and South were eagerly investing in impressive resorts for the "summer people." Summer homes of grand proportions were built and the Cashiers area moved toward its destination as one of America's most exclusive mountain resort communities.
Today, the tradition continues. Year-round residents have joined the Summer migration to the mountains, as families from all over the world are claiming the Appalachians for themselves.
The climate is pleasant year-round. Winters are cool, but so are summers, so air conditioning is rarely needed here. Snowfall averages 15 inches per year. Adequate rainfall makes for lush, green surroundings.
The North Carolina Mountain Lakes in the Cashiers area include Glenville, Toxaway, and Bear Lake. The largest and best-known in Lake Glenville.
This lake is the highest of all lakes in North Carolina at 3,492 feet. Located just north of Cashiers on NC-107, you will probably find this on your map labeled as the Thorpe Reservoir.
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