Lonesome Valley is an 800-acre private, gated community set on the floor of a granite box canyon, midway between Cashiers and Sapphire off US 64. It is often called the largest box canyon east of the Rockies, and its walls are dramatic: Cow Rock Mountain and Laurel Knob rise about 1,000 feet above the meadows, and Laurel Knob's 1,200-foot face is one of the tallest continuous cliffs in the eastern United States.
The land has been in the same family for more than a century. Edward Henry Jennings first came to the area in the late 1800s and began buying land in the valley, and his descendants lived and farmed here for generations, raising trout at the family's Cashiers Valley Trout Farm. In 2005, the Jennings siblings chose to develop the property themselves rather than sell it, creating a community with Southern Appalachian farm-style architecture and nearly 300 acres set aside as shared green space.
Life in Lonesome Valley is built around the outdoors. Residents enjoy about nine miles of hiking trails through forest, streams, and waterfalls, with connections toward Panthertown Valley, and Long Lake, a four-acre lake with a sandy beach and boathouse for swimming, paddling, and fishing. There are fly-fishing waters and a catch-and-release trout pond more than 50 years old, a heated pool with seasonal dining at the Meadow Grill, a racquet complex with tennis and pickleball courts that opened in 2022, a Fitness Barn, playgrounds, and communal gardens.
The community is also home to two destinations open to the public. Canyon Kitchen, set in the post-and-beam Jennings Barn, serves seasonal, local food with views of the cliffs and was named an OpenTable Diners' Choice Top 100 Scenic View Restaurant in America. Canyon Spa, in the restored Caretaker's Cottage, offers massages and facials beside a fireplace.
Lonesome Valley does not have a golf course. Golfers can reach the clubs of Cashiers, including Wade Hampton Golf Club and High Hampton, as well as the courses of Sapphire Valley, within a short drive. Each club has its own membership process.
Lonesome Valley sits between Cashiers and Sapphire, a short drive from the Cashiers crossroads, with its restaurants, shops, and The Village Green. Cedar Creek Club and Lake Glenville are close by, Sapphire Valley offers winter skiing, and Panthertown Valley's trails and waterfalls are just beyond the canyon.
Explore our Plateau waterfall guide →
Explore our Plateau hiking guide →
Explore our fishing and boating guide →
Lonesome Valley is a seasonal community of more than 135 homeowners, with about 90 homes completed or under construction in a Southern Appalachian farmhouse style, many with porches facing the cliffs or the meadows. Homesites are expansive, and only a limited number remain.
Interested in Lonesome Valley? Call our office at 828-239-8814 →
Back to Living in Cashiers, NC → or Living in Sapphire, NC →
There's plenty to do around Lonesome Valley, including shopping, dining, nightlife, parks, and more. Data provided by Walk Score and Yelp.
Explore popular things to do in the area, including Canyon Kitchen At Lonesome Valley, and Canyon Spa At Lonesome Valley.
| Name | Category | Distance | Reviews |
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| Dining · $$$$ | 0.64 miles | 86 reviews | 3.5/5 stars | |
| Beauty | 0.71 miles | 7 reviews | 5/5 stars | |
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58 people live in Lonesome Valley, where the median age is 59 and the average individual income is $76,369. Data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Total Population
Median Age
Population Density Population Density This is the number of people per square mile in a neighborhood.
Average individual Income
The homes below are just the start. Some of the best properties in our mountain communities change hands quietly, before they ever hit the market. Our local team knows these neighborhoods street by street, from club membership rules and HOA details to which homes have the views, the privacy, or the room to build. Tell us what you are looking for, and we will help you find it.
Interested in this community? Call our office at 828-239-8814 →
Mountain Life Properties is a local team based in Highlands at 134 Maple Street, serving buyers and sellers across the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau. Whether you're buying, selling, or just starting to explore, fill out your information below and one of our team members will get back to you.
