Your Luxury Mountain Weekend Getaway: High Hampton
High Hampton, nestled in North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains, undergoes a rebirth and continues a 100-year legacy.
The welcoming main Inn at High Hampton
Hampton Lake offers a variety of activities for all ages including kayaking, canoeing, fishing and more.
The bar at High Hampton is the perfect place to grab an evening cocktail with friends
When the historic High Hampton inn and property was placed in the hands of Sandy Beall and the Blackberry Farm team, Daniel Communities and ARlington Family Offices, its fate of success, charm and popularity was more than solidified. As the story goes, this nationally registered property in Cashiers, N.C., was the destination of folk from all over the region in the late 1800s—and still is today. From New York to Charleston and beyond, many came seeking the clarity of fresh mountain air, hiking, fishing and a slower pace. Gen. Wade Hampton carved out a piece of land meant to be his summer retreat in 1860. As time passed, William Stewart Halsted, a famed surgeon and a founding professor at Johns Hopkins Hospital, fell in love with the property after a honeymoon stay with Caroline Hampton, later purchasing it and giving it the name High Hampton. After Halsted's passing in 1922, High Hampton became a popular mountain inn and has functioned as such for nearly a century.
The Inn, shown here, is the heart of the High Hampton property
Today, High Hampton has been born again, thanks to the good people behind the famed Blackberry Farm, Arlington Family Offices and Daniel Communities. Though High Hampton displays the same luxuries and detailing as its previous property, it is in no way Blackberry Farm 2.0—this western mountain gem is something different. "High Hampton is located on over 1,400 acres near the Nantahala National Forest in Cashiers, N.C., with an elevation of 3,600 feet," says Scott Greene, the property's general manager. "Our goal was to create an authentic sense of place, ensuring that the beloved elements and experiences remain (breathtaking mountain views, 15 miles of hiking, lake activities, world-class golf, the four-sided fireplace for gathering with friends and family, to name a few), while providing a warm environment that's rich with connection, support and inclusivity, welcoming to all." Balancing the fine line between updating the space and respecting its history was a welcome challenge. The design team, led by Jason Bell, aimed for a mix of timeless influence, modern style, expressive art and cleverly paired textures, patterns and finishes. Says Bell, "[We] added colorful textiles, contemporary lighting and historical artwork (such as framed, handwritten pages from the original High Hampton guest book) to complement some of the Inn's original design elements, like the four-sided fireplace, American chestnut walls and ceilings, and more." Throughout the design and renovation process, the team worked closely with the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office to update and enlarge the 12 guest rooms in the main inn and the additional 47 rooms in the surrounding cottages.
Sitting at the foot of a breathtaking rock face, the views at High Hampton are unmatched
Guests are welcome to experience all the locale has to offer, including a vast amount of outdoor activities like kayaking, paddleboarding and fishing on nearby Hampton lake, or trying their hand at hiking, golfing or tennis. In terms of grub and libations, expect nothing but the best from the chef team of Scott Franqueza and his wife, April, alongside Zachary Chancey. Expect dishes like the trout, a guest favorite, "with a benne seed crumble, on top of housemade creme fraiche with local potatoes, pickled onions, baby leeks and capers. When creating this dish, we took the flavors of an everything bagel and added them to a local mountain trout from Cashiers—unexpected and delicious." From $895 per night for inn rooms, 1525 Hwy 107 South Cashiers, NC, highhampton.com
Connect with family, friends and nature over a good old-fashioned board game.
Tags: luxury vacations road trip
Photography by: courtesy of High Hampton