Trailborn Highlands: Where the Blue Ridge Meets Effortless Luxury

Nestled within the whispering pines of Highlands, North Carolina, Trailborn Highlands captures that elusive balance between mountain retreat and refined hospitality. It’s the kind of place where luxury arrives wrapped in flannel, where a bear sighting feels as natural as a nightcap, and the scent of the pine trees lingers long after you check out.

Courtesy of Trailborn Highlands

The property’s design speaks in textures rather than trends: timber beams, soft lighting, and a lobby that warms with quiet conversation and the crackle of the fireplace. There’s a casual rhythm to it all—families playing board games, Trailborn’s signature Après Hour, or the morning coffee and fresh-baked banana bread. Everyone, from guests to staff, seems to gather here, all in the lobby, soaking up the heart of Highlands, North Carolina.

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Highlands Supper Club at Trailborn Highlands

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Highlands Supper Club, housed in a restored log cabin on the property, feels like being welcomed into a modern Appalachian supper. 

When guests first open the menu, it reads: “You’re joining us tonight in a piece of history. Our log cabin was built in 1930 by local builder Joe Webb as a mountain home for the Stringer Family.” As the plates make their way around the table, I find something remarkable in every corner of the space. I knew then that Highlands Supper Club pays careful attention to its history, its guests, and to Appalachian cuisine itself.

Warm biscuits arrive first, paired with whipped local honey butter, alongside blue crab deviled eggs—a playful, elevated take on a Southern classic. Next, the elk tenderloin commands attention: impossibly tender, nestled on white cheddar Anson Mills grits with crisp asparagus and a juniper red wine demi-glace that makes the kind of dish that quiets a table.

Highlands Supper Club wraps it all in a quietly charming glow, soft lighting, cozy seating, and service that feels effortless.

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The Stubborn Bull

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If the Supper Club is Trailborn’s soul, The Stubborn Bull is its spark. Just down the road in the heart of town, this Mediterranean-inspired dining room hums with warmth and energy. The menu is crafted in the spirit of gathering and sharing, encouraging diners to sample a variety of small plates. The La Vera chorizo arrives sizzling, smoky, paprika-rich, and layered with just enough heat to wake the palate. The carpaccio, thin as silk, balances indulgence with precision, while a watermelon salad of mint, feta, and citrus dressing cuts through it all with summer brightness. The Stubborn Bull proves that small plates can carry big flavor—and even bigger energy.

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Luxury Mountain Retreat at Trailborn Highlands

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Back at Trailborn, mornings slow back down. Guests can craft Ashe-wood cutting boards on the sunlit deck—one now proudly sits in my kitchen—or unwind in the famous Nordic Spa, where the contrast of cedar heat, cool-plunge water, and open-air stillness redefines what mountain wellness can feel like.

Beyond the property, Highlands itself moves at a gentler rhythm. Art galleries, local boutiques, and forest trails stitch together a town that invites both rest and rediscovery. And occasionally, nature reminds you who’s really in charge, like the black bear spotted meandering on the stairs of Highlands Supper Club. Ready to see it for yourself? Book your stay now.