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Hot Accommodations: Luxurious Treehouses Fan The Flames Of Fire Mountain Fever
With the image of their website burned into my thoughts, I developed a hopeless case of Fire Mountain fever that only a visit could calm. My anticipation climbed on the steep drive to this remote hideaway located just outside Highlands, North Carolina. Would experiencing this upscale resort convert this avid camper’s burning desire to live outdoors?
After making the unmarked turn to Fire Mountain, winding alongside quiet pastureland, the resort unfolded atop the 4,000’ summit. Mathew Gillen, one of the resort’s general partners, greeted me warmly; he was a gracious host, and we began our tour at the mountaintop inn.
Every detail of the inn is carefully designed to create a simultaneous ambiance of luxury and casual comfort. Immediately my eye was drawn to the dining area’s six windows and their expansive view of the mountains. This panorama is particularly inspiring during the fall and winter, when the leaves have fallen from the trees. While the view from the dining area is superb, it was the art gallery where Fire Mountain showcases its private collection that intrigued my mind and quickened my pulse (A recent addition, Patti Quinn’s fused glass "Stargazer," is featured in the photos accompanying this story).
The spirit of life and creativity pervades all of Fire Mountain. The resort pays homage to the Cherokee, native of the Nantahala Forest in which the resort is located. Names like "Nantahala" (the Cherokee word for "land of the noonday sun") and "Cullasaja" ("honey locust place") enhance the natural mystery of the mountainous resort’s inn and cabins, surrounded by lush mountain springs, waterfalls, streams, ponds and hiking trails. As if to echo the Cherokee reverence of nature, the resort also borrows the names of local plants and trees for its cabins and treehouses, which are lodgings apart from the inn.
Since I am accustomed to camping privately in the woods, it was the treehouses that appealed most to my sense of "getting away from it all." Each of the three treehouses (Spruce, Sassafras, and Laurel) features a private entrance and a tastefully decorated private deck. On a clear day, all three provide a magnificent view of the western mountains 30 to 40 miles in the distance, beautifully illuminated by brilliant winter sunsets.
While staying at the Spruce Treehouse, you can enjoy glorious sunsets while lying in a European king bedroom, lost in the embrace of thick, comfortable pillows. Laurel, the largest treehouse, has a roomy wraparound deck, where you can watch the sun sink into the mountains from a hammock or folding teak chair, or contemplate the woods’ peaceful sounds from a rocking chair. Each treehouse also has warm wall-to-wall carpeting that blankets each bedroom with quiet comfort. Simple lines and soothing color schemes that fill every bath with a relaxing sense of elegance. And crisp, clean, colorful furniture designs that make each room feel expansive and alive.
A full "Mountaintop Inn Breakfast," served by candlelight at the inn, is the perfect way to wrap up your treehouse stay. What else could a die-hard camper possibly desire? After one visit, the treehouses at Fire Mountain are sure to be a fulfilling experience that will be burned in your memory forever.
Striking views, sumptuous lodging, luxurious baths…who knew treehouses could be this luxurious? For more information, call 828-526-4446 or visit www.firemt.com
