Fire Mountain Inn Cabins and Treehouse is a great stay. I wanted to relax in a place with the…read moremountain outlook, and this place offers a stress-free getaway due to Scaly Mountain and Blue Ridge Mountain. Parking: One-way trail after you hit a certain point on the property. Easy to navigate. Plenty of parking in the accommodation area. Service: Matthew and Hiram follow strict COVID-19 protocol here. Guests must wear masks around the property and maintain the 6-feet social distancing. They do not enter booked rooms 2 days before and after the guest's stay. Guests must go to the front desk to get service (extra toiletries, towels, etc.), as there is no maid service currently. No complaints about the service. WIFI: It's non-existent, even though there is "free" WIFI. Connection was not great. Some cellular service may come through, but it was nice to escape from the tech world. Location: Perfect! It's about a 15-20 minutes drive into downtown Highlands. Great distance away from great hikes and views. They have an easy trail throughout the property here, if you do not want to leave Fire Mountain. Massage 1-hour (3/5): Very nice lad but wasn't the best I've had. Great view when you enter though. Clean, high windows that will let the blazing sun through, so it can get a bit hot. The lady followed COVID-19 protocol. Fire & Water Restaurant Dinner (3/5): 1. Watermelon Gazpacho (2/5): It was refreshing with the watermelon. However, the flavor was lacking for me. Bland overall. 2. Cornmeal Crusted Trout (4/5): I cleaned most of this plate. Trout was crusted perfectly without too much cornmeal. Carrots with the sweet glaze were a nice touch. The other 2 veggies were OK. 3. Peach Cobbler (3/5): I'm not a big fan of cobbler. This was just OK for me. Matthew and Hiram are genuine and knowledgeable. They do try to keep up with this place. Matthew is a great cook, as he changes the breakfast and dinner menu up here and there. Would I come back? Yes. Only thing is the restroom.... the space is kind of cramped in our room, especially the shower. I did not like that.

Fire Mountain is a quiet inn nestled deep in the Nantahala National Forest. From arrival, co-owners…read moreHiram and Mathew's passion for the experience is apparent. I was greeted by Mathew and their adorable dog Lily, given a tour of the grounds, and handed maps of local hikes, waterfalls, and excellent places to eat in the nearby town of Highlands. The inn itself is thoughtfully decorated, a combination of rustic and posh which is typically a difficult balance to strike. And yet, they've achieved it with aplomb. I stayed in the Nantahala room at the Inn, drawn to the extra-large soaking tub that I used numerous times. I never expect these large tubs to fill adequately, and yet there was plentiful hot water to soak my cares away. The first thing you notice about Fire Mountain is the lack of modern distractions. There are no televisions and no radios. I had about two bars of LTE (Verizon) that kicked in right as I drove up the hill, allowing me to text my partner upon my arrival and feel like I could be "connected" if I chose to. The Inn also has guest WiFi which allowed me to do basic internet stuff as I pleased. It probably wouldn't support any streaming service... then again, why anyone would want to watch Netflix up here is beyond me! The other thing you notice is the air, which is a few degrees cooler than the nearby town of Dillard down the mountain (and a proper 10+ degrees cooler than the Devil's Doorstep I came from!). The humidity is low, even in mid-July. For this reason, Fire Mountain does not have air conditioning and doesn't need it. Despite being a lifelong Southerner, I'm quite sensitive to heat, but the temperature was comfortable my entire trip. Following Mathew's recommendation, I closed up my room in the morning and opened it back up mid-afternoon, leaving it open all night so I could rest peacefully serenaded by the crickets and tree frogs. I'm no stranger to this area, so the eight or nine mile drive into town was nothing to me. In fact, the winding mountain roads, two scenic overlooks, and abundant rhododendrons made each trip delightful. Hiram and Mathew's recommendations for food, shopping, and sights helped me reconnect with the Highlands region in blissful ways. Breakfast at Fire Mountain is substantial. Each breakfast started with a plate of fresh fruit. Mathew additionally provided boxed lunches for me, perfect for carrying up a mountain or down one of the area's many waterfall trails. I only wish I could have enjoyed dinner at the Inn, which was unfortunately not available during my stay. Such is life; I'll just have to return another time! I'm running out of space, so I'll just say that Fire Mountain was a 10/10 recommend from me. I can't wait to return!