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FAQ
Where
is Fire Mountain located?
How
far is the village of Highlands from Fire Mountain?
Where
is Highlands, NC located?
What are
the Treehouses?
Do
you require a minimum night’s stay?
Do
you serve meals at Fire Mountain?
What
type of cuisine will I find in the highlands of Western North
Carolina?
What
are the rates at Fire Mountain?
How
private and secluded are the accommodations at Fire Mountain?
Please
know that folks come here for peace, quite and serenity in a spectacular
setting.
Why
is conditioned air not provided at Fire Mountain?
What
else is not provided?
Why
do you only take check-in by reservation within a two hour window?
Do
all accommodations have fireplaces and Jacuzzi tubs?
Will
I need a car or special vehicle while I am in the highlands of
Western Carolina?
What
is the best accommodation?
What is there
to do?
When
is the best time of year to come to Fire Mountain and the mountains
of Western NC?
How warm is
the water?
Can
you always count on snow being on the ground in the winter?
What
are the average temperature highs and lows for each month of the
year?
What
is provided in the kitchen of the Cabin that I have reserved?
Do
I need to be concerned about wildlife?
Where is Fire Mountain located?
Fire Mountain is located on hundreds of acres
a few miles outside of the upscale mountain resort village of
Highlands, North Carolina in the Southern Highlands. There are
only 15 accommodations at Fire Mountain, all of which are located
on top of the mountain at an elevation of over 4,000' with long
range views that go out 30 to 50 miles on a clear day.
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How far is the village of Highlands from Fire Mountain?
The entrance to our property borders one of the
three scenic highways that come into the village of Highlands
and the entrance is located approximately six and a half miles
from the village limits.
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Where is Highlands, NC located?
See maps
of the Southern Highlands in the United States of America, with
Highlands, North Carolina denoted.
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What are the Treehouses?
The Treehouses at Fire Mountain are accommodations
of the Inn. They are located in a building at the end of the complex
of buildings that make up the Inn. This building sits on one side
of Fire Mountain and the accommodations open up into the treetops.
The Treehouses are not rustic free standing "little structures"
up in trees that you access by ladder. See the accommodations
section for more information about the Treehouses of the Fire
Mountain Inn.
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Do you require a minimum night’s stay?
Fire Mountain always has a two
night minimum stay so that our guests may fully enjoy and
benefit from their experience at Fire Mountain.
We are frequently asked if we ever take one night
guest stays and the answer is that we do not. There are many places
in the Southern Highlands where you may obtain a one night stay.
Our average guest stay is longer than our two night minimum.
Folks come to truly get away and most find that
a stay of three to seven nights is required to receive the full
benefit of the experience that you gain at Fire Mountain.
Some holiday periods and periods of extremely
high demand, such as the month of October, require a minimum three
night stay or longer.
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Do you serve meals at Fire Mountain?
Absolutely!
If you stay in the Inn or the Treehouses of the
Inn your daily tariff includes a full "Mountaintop Inn Breakfast"
that is served by candlelight each morning in the main dining
area of the Inn. If you are staying in a Cabin and you desire,
our "Mountaintop Cabin Breakfast for Two" may be delivered
to the front porch of your Cabin each morning for an add-on price
of $35.00.
Fire Mountain is located in a spectacular setting
on hundreds of acres with views that go out 30 to 50 miles on
a clear day from the top of the mountain. Our Fire Mountain cuisine
was created with our setting in mind. For mid-day we create Gourmet
Box Lunches and Picnics for our guests using local ingredients.
For evening we offer Gourmet Bento Box Dinners. Please go to our
cuisine section
to see all of the options that are available to you for breakfast,
lunch, dinner and wonderful enhancements. You may enjoy Fire Mountain
cuisine on your deck or terrace, out on our hiking trails, at
one of our different vantage points on Fire Mountain, or during
a day time excursion that you experience in the area.
If you are in one of our Cabins please know
that the kitchens are fully equipped, including paper products,
and that each Cabin has a very nice post mounted charcoal grill.
The village of Highlands has excellent grocery stores and butchers.
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What type of cuisine will I find in the highlands of Western North Carolina?
All types of cuisine are offered in the Southern
Highlands from the latest in innovative cuisine from Asian fusion
to the best family style mountain country cooking in the south
and everything in between. The only type of food that you will
not find in the village of Highlands is franchise fast food. Highlands
is truly an enigma in that there are no neon signs, flashing lights
or franchises of any kind (with the exception of a Hampton Inn,
a Subway sandwich shop, and Exxon, Shell and Texaco gas stations).
Most ingredients used during the High Season months
(May through December) come directly out of the fields, dairies
and rivers here in the mountains. Our immediate area, Flats Township
is renown for its produce that is harvested June through November
of each year.
When you make a reservation you have instant access
through a secure section of our web site to your New
Guest Guide which includes access to our Guide
to Dining in the Southern Highlands.
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What
are the rates at Fire Mountain?
It depends on a number of factors: how many persons
in your party, if you have an approved pet or not, what time of
year you will visit, what time of week you visit, what type of
accommodation that you choose to stay in and how long a period
of time you stay. Stays of over five nights or longer receive
an additional 10% reduction in tariff. See the rates
section of our website. Check availability
24/7 for the total rate and a real time
listing of available accommodations for your indicated
and preferred dates.
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How private and secluded are the accommodations at Fire Mountain?
There are only 15 accommodations on Fire Mountain.
All accommodations sit up on top of Fire Mountain at an elevation
of over 4,000'. All accommodations have long range views that
go out 30 to 50 miles on a clear day. All accommodations sit in
the middle of our hundreds of acres. You will experience peace,
quiet, serenity, seclusion and privacy. We are truly one of the
most beautiful mountaintop hideaways in America. All guests feel
very private and secluded in their accommodations and on the property
at Fire Mountain.
We do not want our guests to think that they cannot
see other guests while here at Fire Mountain and we do not want
our guests to think that they cannot see one accommodation from
another. All 15 accommodations are on top of the mountain so that
they are afforded long range views. At times you can see from
one structure to another but all 15 accommodations are positioned
beautifully for privacy and views. There is a map on our web site
that exhibits all buildings to scale on top of the mountain and
their proximity to each other. Go to accommodations
and you may see how all accommodations at Fire Mountain are positioned
on top of the mountain.
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Please
know that folks come here for peace, quiet and serenity in a spectacular
setting.
We desire for our guests to be able to enjoy to
the fullest degree the spectacular setting and beauty, the peacefulness,
the quiet and serenity of Fire Mountain. To accomplish this goal
our property is for the exclusive use of our guests and our
guests' privacy is our highest priority.
Fire Mountain is by reservation only. We do not
take drive-up traffic. We have no signs marking our location and
we do not allow drop-in visitors. Our guests may have visitors
if they wish. While you and your party are at Fire Mountain our
goal is for you to be left alone but we also desire that staff
be available to provide support for you and your party if you
should need it.
If you desire to be in the middle of the woods
and never, ever hear or see someone else then Fire Mountain will
not accomplish that for you. We are able to gladly connect you
into an environment "like that" in one of the six National
Forests that surround the Highlands for hiking and day excursions.
We are able in Guest Services at Fire Mountain to guide you, map
you and direct you into whatever experience you may desire.
Also if you desire to be fully sequestered on
private land then we can connect you to one of the many experienced
home brokers in the Highlands where second homes go up to millions
of dollars with some located on hundreds of acres that are very
private and secluded as we are. Some are available for a minimum
rental of a week or more.
In conclusion we support making your visit
as private as possible and in a way that makes you feel private,
safe and secure in our spectacular setting so that you may enjoy
as much as possible the peace, quiet and serenity afforded at
Fire Mountain.
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Why is conditioned air not provided at Fire Mountain?
It is a very integral and desirable part of our
concept and philosophy. The absence of conditioned air allows
the grandest of all luxuries to be provided for our guests during
their stay …cool, clean and clear mountaintop air …one
of the last great luxuries left in the world.
The absence of conditioned air also allows our
guests to hear and feel the winds as they come into our mountaintop
ridges each evening. The absence of conditioned air allows our
guests to smell the many different fragrances from the many different
species of wild flowers. The absence of conditioned air allows
one to hear the birds, the night frogs, the katydids. The absence
of noise allows you to partake of the many different and beautiful
sounds of nature that can be experienced day and night on top
of the mountain.
All porches, decks and terraces of each
accommodation at Fire Mountain are furnished as an extension of
your accommodation. You will feel that the inside and outside
of your accommodation work as one and that you may easily access
the spectacular outdoors of the mountains. You will soon feel
one with nature if you allow such.
Many times during summer the air truly feels like
velvet on your skin in the high elevations of the mountains in
the Southern Highlands. The hottest month of the year is July
and the average mean temperature is 68 degrees, which means an
average high of 77.2 degrees during the day and an average low
of 56.6 degrees during the night.
Fire Mountain is not a rustic place. Our luxury
accommodations are excellent. Every structure was well built to
ensure coziness and warmth in winter and to retain the coolness
of our atmosphere in the summer.
If Fire Mountain felt that conditioned air was
necessary we would have it. But that is not to say that we never
have a warm evening. An evening above 60 degrees is warm for us
but all accommodations have ceiling fans to assist in compensating
for any deficiency. Grand amenities at Fire Mountain are the retractable
awnings provided above the lounging areas on all of the upper
accommodation decks of the Inn. They can be extended for guests
to be shaded from the sun or retracted to be exposed to the winds
and stars giving you the ultimate choice.
All accommodations are well heated for those cold
nights and for those summer mornings when the chill may need to
be broken. Every Cabin has thermostatically controlled heat in
each room. Every accommodation has at least two blankets in each
sleeping area. All buildings have excellent insulation.
We do burn fires all year around, although not
every night, in accommodations having fireplaces which is a nice
reason to always book an accommodation with a fireplace in addition
to the fact that they are beautiful and all are made of native
hand laid stone. We set your first fire for you and provide complimentary
split and seasoned firewood for you to burn during your stay.
Starting in the late 1800's Southern aristocracy
living in the port cities of Charleston, Savannah and New Orleans
flocked to the Highlands to escape the heat. Today guests still
come for the same reason. The ultimate luxury provided in the
Southern Highlands, all year round, is spectacular beauty, cool
and clean mountain air and pristine water.
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What else is not provided at Fire Mountain?
Radios, in-room phones, clocks, alarms, newspapers
and air conditioning compressors. Fire Mountain does not support
business services such as fax or internet access.
Fire Mountain is a retreat from the outside world.
To enhance and maintain the tranquil, serene, peaceful and very
special environment at Fire Mountain we also do not have televisions,
nor are they welcome.
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Why do you only take check-in by reservation within a two hour window?
So that we may have a staff member available and
present at Reception to greet you upon arrival and to check you
in. They will then, if you desire, acclimate you to the area and
assist in guiding you, mapping you, and directing you into whatever
you may want to do during your stay in the Southern Highlands.
Then you and your party are lead by golf cart to your accommodation.
The staff member will acclimate you to your accommodation and
make sure everything is ok for you. Then you and your party are
left alone so that you may immediately begin to enjoy your Fire
Mountain experience.
Our arrival policy is necessary. With our small
size we unfortunately cannot always have someone available
and
waiting 24/7 to assist and check you in. By mutually agreeing
on a reserved two hour arrival window we are able to give you
the attention and assistance that you deserve and need at Fire
Mountain to have a most enjoyable reception and overall experience
during your stay.
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Do all accommodations have fireplaces and Jacuzzi tubs?
No.
Each accommodation is truly unique with different amenities
although many accommodations have the same amenities. Many
accommodations have wood burning fireplaces, all made of
hand laid native stone. Most accommodations have one of
the following: large deep and square Jacuzzi tubs scaled
for 2 persons, 4 person hot tubs, large and deep very exquisite
two person soaking tubs made of acrylic. Each accommodation
page on our website has a features section which lists all
of the features that are provided in that accommodation.
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Will I need a car
or special vehicle while I am in the highlands of Western North
Carolina?
You will definitely need a vehicle of some sort
but the kind depends entirely on what you plan to do while here.
Even in winter a 4-wheel drive vehicle is not mandatory. But if
you are going to explore rugged back roads and off road terrains
you will need a 4-wheel drive. All roads are winding two lane
mountain roads with most paved. Most of the secondary roads and
back roads are not paved.
Another true luxury in the mountains that still
remains today is gravel roads and driveways. Every great estate
in the Southern Highlands has an extended and perfectly maintained
gravel road and driveway system. Fire Mountain's entire road system
is gravel.
You may have a vehicle that you desire to bring
for pure fun, like a convertible to tour the beautiful winding
mountain roads with the top down. You may also desire to bring
your mountain bike, canoe or kayak which might determine your
choice of special vehicle.
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What is the best accommodation?
Which accommodation at Fire Mountain would be
"the best" depends totally on your personal preferences.
Every accommodation at Fire Mountain has been requested by returning
guests many times.
Every accommodation has its own special appeal,
ambiance and amenities. Each accommodation has been priced according
to its size, amenities, and position on the mountain.
In theory the most expensive accommodation
would be "the best", because it offers the most in every
category, but that is not necessarily "the best" for
every guest because the most expensive accommodation may not meet
all of your preferences where a less expensive accommodation would.
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What is there to do?
Some people come and do not one thing.
For some it is as simple
as finding the perfect spot to read a great book. For others
it
is being as active as possible. Whatever you may desire is pretty
much here because all of Western North Carolina is one huge resort
area and the Southern Highlands are located in the middle of
just
about everything that you could possibly desire to do while here
in the high elevations of the mountains.
The challenge will be getting clear about how
you desire to use your time. That way you will know what you desire
to do prior to your arrival. Then you will not become frustrated
and overwhelmed by your many choices after you arrive. Please
take a few minutes and review the leisure
section. At the time of making a reservation you have instant
access to our Leisure Pursuits, a
definitive and detailed guide with current contact information
and web site addresses with direct links, in your New
Guest Guide which is located in a secure section of our
web site.
Our staff is available at Guest Services and Reception
to assist and support you with guidance, mapping and connecting
you into whatever you may decide to participate in during your
visit.
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When is the best time of year to come to Fire Mountain and the mountains of Western NC?
Any time of the year when you can arrange your
schedule to get away to a great hideaway for a special time
of
relaxation in a spectacular and wonderful setting is the perfect
time to come to Fire Mountain.
The High Season months start each year during
Memorial Day Weekend and go through New Years Day and are the
busiest months of the year here in the highlands. The months of
January through March are the quietest months of the year.
More and more guests join us for the winter months.
The clarity of the air is perfect (because of the absence of the
mist in the air which is one of the reasons the mountains are
called the Smoky Mountains) and the foliage is no longer on the
trees. As a result the sunsets are brilliant, the views are the
most expansive and there is a quiet and stillness that is not
present during the High Season months.
The High Season months are the busiest because
you find yourself in one of the lushes' environments in North
American. Just escaping the heat makes the High Season months
the most popular.
October is still the busiest month of the year
in the Southern Highlands because of the brilliance of the changing
colors of the leaves.
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How warm is the water?
Not very. Since we are located in a temperate
rain forest with an average 90 inches of rain fall per year the
lands in the high elevations are full of run off and springs in
the grounds that start in the mountaintops that create the streams
that create the rivers. The water is very cool to cold all year
round.
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Can you always count on snow being on the ground in the winter?
No. Our first good snow usually is not before
Christmas (even though it does snow as early as November and the
last good snow is usually in March, sometimes as late as April).
We receive snowfall infrequently and the average snowfall each
time it snows is only about two inches. As a result snow usually
does not stay on the ground for long periods of time.
Fire Mountain is located within minutes of "the
two" most southern ski slopes in American with there being
another three within an hour or less drive. Our slopes are definitely
for beginners. Go out west if you desire strong intermediate or
advanced snow skiing and advanced ski sports in peak conditions.
You cannot be guaranteed that the ski slopes will
have man made snow here in the Southern Highlands. You can never
be guaranteed that there will be snow between December and March
of each year at the ski slopes in the Southern Highlands. It is
best not to plan a trip to the highlands just to snow ski.
But it does make for a great and most wonderful
option if you have a fresh snow during your visit. Snow tubing
has become extremely popular in the past few years and the best
slope in the area for snow tubing is 3 minutes away from the entrance
to Fire Mountain. Snow tubing is great fun on man made or fresh
snow for all ages.
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What are the average temperature highs and lows for each month of the year?
|
High |
Low |
Rainfall |
Snow |
| Jan |
41.7 |
22.8 |
7.06 |
Likely |
| Feb |
45.0 |
24.3 |
6.87 |
Likely |
| Mar |
53.4 |
31.7 |
8.84 |
Possible |
| Apr |
62.3 |
38.2 |
6.62 |
Rare |
| May |
69.3 |
46.5 |
7.86 |
Rare |
| Jun |
74.6 |
53.0 |
6.88 |
n/a |
| Jul |
77.2 |
56.6 |
6.46 |
n/a |
| Aug |
75.9 |
55.9 |
7.42 |
n/a |
| Sep |
70.8 |
50.7 |
7.07 |
n/a |
| Oct |
62.3 |
39.5 |
6.45 |
Rare |
| Nov |
52.3 |
32.4 |
8.05 |
Possible |
| Dec |
44.1 |
26.2 |
8.15 |
Likely |
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What is provided in the kitchen of the Cabin that I have reserved?
The kitchen in your Cabin has full appliances
such as a refrigerator, range and oven.
All Cabins have microwave ovens with the exception
of Blue Moss and Red Cedar Cabins.
Blue Moss and Red Cedar
have small kitchens which we call glorified kitchenettes.
If you will be doing limited cooking these kitchens will
suffice beautifully for your needs. If you will be doing
alot of cooking you should go to any other Cabin as they
have larger kitchens with larger appliances. Blue Moss and
Red Cedar kitchens have very limited counter and cabinet
space and small appliances.
Every kitchen is stocked with glasses, dishes,
bowls, utensils, mixing bowls, pots and pans and a coffee maker.
Of course you have a sink and a wooden dish strainer and dish
washing detergent.
Every Cabin has wine glasses and a wine opener.
All paper and plastic products are provided such
as paper towels, napkins, coffee filters, trash bags, Kleenex,
q-tips, cotton balls and toilet paper. Two cotton dish towels
are provided.
Salt and pepper are the only staples provided.
Hemlock Cabin is the largest Cabin and it also
has the largest full scale cooking kitchen with an ice maker in
the refrigerator.
All Cabins have post mounted charcoal grills off
of their decks, porches or terraces for grilling out. You provide
the charcoal. Matches are provided for your post mounted grill
and for Cabins having fireplaces.
If you should need additional ice above what is
provided in your refrigerator you have access to the Fire Mountain
Ice House where large and small pre-bagged bags of ice are provided
along with scooped ice.
All Cabins have a fire extinguisher in the kitchen
area.
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Do I need to be concerned about wildlife?
Yes. Fire Mountain is a sanctioned wildlife
sanctuary by the Highlands Plateau Audubon Society. Wildlife should
always be respected. This is their natural habitat and we are
proud to be a part of it.
As to your own personal safety, you should not
be concerned if you will be conscious of the following things.
Do not leave garbage outside of your accommodation in the evening
hours or during the night. Garbage will attract wildlife. Do not
harass wildlife in any way. Be mindful and aware that you are
in someone else's world anytime you are out in the woods. You
will be fine if you are always aware and mindful of these things
when hiking.
We have very few poisonous snakes in the highlands
and rarely will you encounter a black bear. But if you encounter
either slowly move away and you should be fine.
If you are mindful and respectful of wildlife
during your visit you will be provided with a most miraculous
and wondrous experience while visiting Fire Mountain and the Southern
Highlands!
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