Forget the Scottish Highlands for a moment — the US has its own, and it fits inside a town of roughly a thousand people. Highlands, North Carolina, sits above 4,000 feet in the Nantahala National Forest, part of the southern Blue Ridge Mountains. Its elevation keeps things cool, and come October the surrounding forest lights up in colour. It's under three hours' drive from Atlanta, which explains why autumn weekends here get busy fast.
The town is small but has a proper events calendar. September brings Highlands Porchfest, and the Highlands Food & Wine Festival follows later in the season. Nearby Cashiers adds the Valley Leaf Festival to the mix, so there's usually something on beyond leaf-peeping.
If you're planning a stay, TravelAwaits has rounded up ten Vrbo options, each with a clear strength. The top overall pick is the Bubbly Cottage, a three-bedroom with a screened porch and swinging benches overlooking a creek, plus a hot tub and fire pit — and it's walkable to downtown despite feeling secluded. For cottage-core fans, the Authentic Highlands Cottage is a refurbished two-bedroom with a forest-side covered pavilion and a small tree house kids will appreciate.
Budget travellers have Carolina Cozy, a tiny home with a full kitchen, full bath, big screened porch and access to a community fire pit. Two one-bedroom options sit in the Mirror Lake neighbourhood — Fly Lake, a remodeled cottage with a bold design and easy walking access to shops and cafés, and the Newly Renovated Cottage, which adds a second bedroom and a screened porch if the first is taken.
Groups are covered too. The Red House sleeps a crowd across four bedrooms (including a double-twin bunk for kids) and has a back porch with panoramic mountain views, all within five minutes' drive of the Highlands Art Gallery and Playhouse. The Mountain Views Cottage offers a three-bedroom compromise: mature forest on all sides, mountain views from the back balcony, and an open plan living space. For something different, the Live-In Art Gallery is a three-bedroom filled with work from local artists — worth grabbing the light-flooded upstairs queen room early.
Finally, two downtown options put everything on foot: a two-bedroom luxury apartment on South 4th Street with ensuite bathrooms and a private parking spot, and a simpler one-bedroom alternative that sleeps up to four with two free parking spaces.
Why it matters: Highlands is the rare small town where your accommodation choice shapes the whole trip. Leaf-chasers should prioritise the Mountain Views Cottage or Bubbly Cottage for the foliage views; couples who want restaurants and galleries on the doorstep should book downtown; and families or friend groups will get the most from the Red House. Book early — autumn is peak season here, and the best listings go months ahead.