The summit of Satulah Moutnain was the first property protected by the Land Trust more than 100 years ago. In 1909 a group of concerned citizens raised $500 to conserve the summit of Satulah, ensuring it would remain in its natural state as a public park for all to enjoy in perpetuity. This group eventually evolved into the organization we now know as Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust (HCLT). Since then, HCLT has gone on to conserve over 3,400 acres of valuable land resources in Highlands and Cashiers, including 100 acres here at Satulah Mountain Preserve.

Satulah Mountain functions as a proverbial "island in the sky," being one of the tallest peaks at 4543 ft on the edge of the Blue Ridge Escarpment. It is home to a number of rare and unusual plant species known from few other places, including granite dome golden rod, Hartweg's locust, and ground juniper.The Satulah Mountain trails are part of the Highlands Plateau Greenway system.

Sunset and Sunrise Rocks top a granite dome rock outcrop with iconic bird’s-eye views of the Town of Highlands.

Take a short stroll through a lush Montane oak and hickory forest, past a population of sweet-smelling swamp azaleas, and you will arrive at one of Highlands’ most visited, photographed and beloved spots.

Please watch your step! One of the things that makes Ravenel Park special is that this rock outcrop is a rare habitat called a granite dome. Granite domes like Sunset Rock are unique to the Southern Blue Ridge Escarpment. They are known for having a mixture of bare rock, steep cliffs and shallow vegetation mats with scattered, naturally bonsaied trees and shrubs. It can take thousands of years for soils to build up enough for plants to establish vegetation mats, so please be considerate and try to avoid walking on them or pushing them off the rock face. Leave No Trace!

The Bridges’ Tract was originally owned by Miss Rebecca (Reba) Bridges, a long-time summer resident from Thomasville Ga. She willed the property to the Highlands Biological Foundation which transferred it in June 1991 by donation to the HCLT. A portion of the southern section was made into a small park in the early 2000’s, though most of the park area is within the Foreman Road right-of-way. The rest is old growth woodlands.

The 0.85-acre (Rebecca) Bridger tract is bounded by North 4th Street (U. S. Hwy. 64 E), Foreman Road, Martha’s Lane and two residential properties in the Town of Highlands, N.C. The property provides an important green space for North 4th Street.

The southern edge of the property, at the intersection of Foreman Road and North 4th Street is a small park, with mowed grass, boulders for sitting and a small plaque recognizing HCLT.

Samuel Kelsey and the Road to Nowhere

Samuel Kelsey was one of the founders of the Town of Highlands. He knew that one of the unique features of Highlands is its granite cliffs and mountains. In 1983, shortly after building Highlands, Mr. Kelsey and many Highlanders set out to build a carriage road to Whiteside that came to be known as the Kelsey Trail. This trail went through a vast old growth forest of hemlocks, rhododendron, and hardwood trees and ended on Whiteside Mountain, where visitors would picnic and enjoy the views. Sadly, much of the Kelsey Trail was lost in the 1940’s and 50’s, but a few small sections have remained intact, including the original trailhead stretching from the end of 5th Street almost to Bearpen Gap.

Welcome to Ermee’s Woods

Ermee and Sam Dixon fell in love with Highlands on their honeymoon. Inspired by the area’s natural beauty, they eventually bought a second home and additional property where they maintained the woods and created a network of trails in memory of their deceased sn, Billy. After Sam’s death Ermee invited friends, neighbors, and local artists to enjoy her woods.

In 2003, Ermee approached HCLT about preserving her sanctuary in perpetuity after her death. HCLT gladly accepted the responsibility, and opened Dixon Woods to the public.

Dixon Woods is a truly rare place on the Plateau – it has more than a mile of flat trails, giving visitors an easy hike on the otherwise hilly Plateau. As you stroll the quiet woods or sit along the serene pond, enjoy the sounds of the birds, insects, and frogs. Keep a watch for beavers and bears, as well. Many songbirds can be heard singing throughout the year, as can the occasional raven soaring on the nearby cliffs along the Blue Ridge Escarpment, of which Dixon Woods is at the top.

The Pinky Falls Preserve (the property) consists of 5.7 acres, more or less, of old growth hemlock and acidic cove forest and cascading waterfalls along Big Creek in the Township of Highlands, NC. It is accessible from Flat Mountain Road, a paved road maintained by the state of North Carolina. There is limited parking at a pull off near the trail head. The trail is not handicapped accessible. The property was originally part of Ravenel’s Woods, a former old growth stand that ran from the Town of Highlands to Whiteside Mountain before the 1940’s. The Pinky Falls Preserve is one of the few remaining patches of this stand. It was initially donated to The Nature Conservancy by Virginia Wilcox, Jean Weaver, and Martha Snyder. The Nature Conservancy then transferred the title of the Pinky Falls Preserve, along with the Lindsey Olive Preserve, to the Botanical Garden Foundation in 1973-1974. It was later registered with the North Carolina Department of Natural Resources on the State Registry of Natural Heritage Areas as a protected natural area by the Botanical Garden Foundation. It was finally donated in March of 2004 to the Highlands Land Trust, a forerunner of the Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust, to be held in perpetuity for the purpose of preserving it in its natural state. The property is currently surrounded by private holdings, but is relatively close to the William’s Big Creek conservation easement held by the Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust. Some of the adjacent private holdings, particularly those across Big Creek from the property, appear to still contain old growth patches. One of the neighbors has been treating old growth hemlock trees on the Pinky Falls Preserve and their adjacent property against hemlock wooly adelgid. The southern end of the property encompasses the northern end of a small pond referred to locally as Randall Lake.