Longcliff is a first-of-its-kind walkable mountain village taking shape near Lake Toxaway on the Highlands Plateau of North Carolina. Seven years of planning in the making, it is unlike anything else in the region and is designed to give every generation a place to gather, explore and put down roots.
Longcliff is bringing something truly rare to the Highlands Plateau. Premium Lake Toxaway real estate, brought to life through a genuine, walkable mountain village built around nature, connection and a life well lived. And the story behind it starts with a sunrise.
“I stood in Gorges State Park and watched it slowly grow,” recalls Ryan Stahl, a Founding Partner at Longcliff. “The colors, the sounds of nature, the birds coming alive. It was probably one of the most impactful hours of my life.” That moment set the course for what Longcliff would become: a place designed to give others that same feeling of arrival, of presence, of coming home to something that matters.
The Highlands Plateau, NC corridor stretches from Brevard through Cashiers into Lake Toxaway, sitting at elevations between 3,500 and 4,500 feet. It draws buyers seeking mountain beauty, cooler summers and a slower pace of life. But as David Parks, a custom home builder with 25 years of experience across Lake Toxaway, Sapphire, and Cashiers, observed, something was always missing.
“You are in Lake Toxaway, and it is a wonderful place to be,” says Parks, “but you lack conveniences, and most importantly, you lack a place for the community to gather.”
Longcliff was designed to fill exactly that gap. Situated near Lake Toxaway at the eastern end of the Highlands Plateau, just 35 minutes from Asheville Regional Airport, it occupies a naturally gentle, walkable property with sweeping mountain views, a 100-foot waterfall on Bearwallow Creek, and 44 permanently preserved acres at its heart.
Jim Pitts, Director of Development at Longcliff and a veteran land planner, calls it “a rare opportunity – to create a village context, a place for all demographics and all walks of life, here on the Highlands Plateau, unlike any other community in western North Carolina.”
The vision rests on five pillars. First, a walkable and bikeable layout so residents rarely need their cars. Second, the Longcliff Preserve, a 44-acre conservation easement with five miles of trails, native wildlife, a 100-foot waterfall, and off-leash dog areas. Third, a village center featuring restaurants, The Longcliff Market and Cafe, a boutique lodge, live music events and a curated lifestyle calendar. Fourth, four-season wellness amenities including a resort-style pool, sauna, cold plunge and open-air yoga pavilion. Fifth, a diverse residential mix of single-family homes, cottages, luxury condominiums, garden units and townhomes.
For those exploring Lake Toxaway real estate or searching for Lake Toxaway NC homes for sale with real lifestyle infrastructure, Longcliff offers something that simply does not exist anywhere else on the Plateau.
What matters most about Longcliff is who is building it. Stahl, Parks, and Pitts are not distant developers moving capital. They live here, build here, and have deep personal stakes in getting this right.
“When we look back in 10 or 20 years, what we want to see are families creating memories that are generational deep,” says Parks. “That is what truly motivates us about Longcliff.”
Stahl puts it plainly: “The harder it was to walk away, the more I realized I should not.”
Longcliff is intentionally inclusive in its residential design. Young families, empty nesters, full-time mountain residents and part-time retreat seekers will all find options suited to their stage of life and budget. The Founder Owner program gives early buyers preferred pricing, first-choice homesites and a genuine role in shaping the community from the ground up.
North Carolina continues to rank among the top states nationally for population growth, and western North Carolina has felt that momentum directly. Lake Toxaway property has historically offered strong value compared to Highlands and Cashiers, and communities like Longcliff are bringing the infrastructure and amenities the corridor has long needed.
The Longcliff Discovery Center opens May 15th, 2026, offering an immersive preview of the vision: flyover renderings, architectural models, and a boutique coffee experience. For anyone considering Lake Toxaway NC real estate for sale or looking at the Highlands Plateau with fresh eyes, it is the best place to start.
As Pitts says: “No matter what chapter of life you are in, Longcliff is a place for everyone to write their own story.”
Longcliff is located near Lake Toxaway at the eastern end of the Highlands Plateau in western North Carolina, approximately 35 minutes from Asheville Regional Airport and situated between Cashiers and Brevard.
Longcliff will offer single-family homes, cottage-style properties, luxury condominiums, garden units and townhomes, designed to accommodate multiple life stages and buyer profiles.
The Longcliff Preserve is a permanent 44-acre conservation easement at the heart of Longcliff, managed in partnership with the North American Land Trust (NALT) . It features five-plus miles of trails, native flora and fauna, a 100-foot waterfall on Bearwallow Creek and off-leash dog areas.
The Lake Toxaway corridor has historically offered strong value relative to Highlands and Cashiers. With North Carolina’s continued population growth, favorable tax climate, and communities like Longcliff bringing new amenities to the region, demand for Lake Toxaway real estate for sale continues to grow.
Ready to experience the Cashiers-Highlands Plateau for yourself? Visit the Longcliff Discovery Center, now open on US-64 in Toxaway, and see this mountain village come to life. Schedule your visit at Longcliff today.
