A Flat Rock Summer

For as long as anyone can remember, Flat Rock has been a destination. Before European colonists began settling in the village, Cherokee families traveled from the Lowlands of South Carolina and Georgia to this expansive stretch of granite to trade and meet with the bands of the surrounding mountainous region.

Once the Cherokee were forced to cede their land after siding with the British during the Revolutionary War, farmers traveled through Flat Rock with herds of animals on their way to distant markets. By the mid-1800s, wealthy families from coastal cities like Charleston, Savannah, and New Orleans saw Flat Rock as the place to escape the stifling heat and humidity of their homes near sea level.

What makes this village so alluring? “I often tell people, ‘It’s kind of the nexus of a lot of different really wonderful attributes, not least of which, in my mind, is the natural beauty,’” explains Bruce Holliday, creator of the Flat Rock Together newsletter and website. With its location in the Blue Ridge Mountains near DuPont State Forest and Pisgah National Forest, hiking, fishing, and other opportunities to explore the outdoors are vast.

It’s also part of a vibrant regional arts community; has great shopping and restaurants; and enjoys proximity to Asheville, Greenville, and smaller towns like Brevard and Saluda. “It’s like a hub almost. We have so many cultural opportunities here,” adds Holliday.

If you’d like to make your escape to Flat Rock this summer, you’ll find lots to see and do in the village.

Home for the Arts

For theater lovers, Flat Rock Playhouse, the State Theatre of North Carolina, is a rare find in a community this small. “Not everyone realizes this is a producing theater,” says Holliday, a playhouse board member. “As a producing theater, they bring in artisans to design and build the sets. Every costume is handmade, stitched by the costume department there. All the choreography is done there.” The theater’s managers also recruit Broadway and off-Broadway actors to perform.

This summer’s mainstage season brings the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical Rent and Neil Simon’s The Odd Couple. Rent sets the story of creatives and activists struggling in the Lower East Side of Manhattan to a raucous rock soundtrack in a musical loosely based on La Bohème. In contrast, The Odd Couple centers around the comedy that results when friends become unexpected roommates and personalities collide. Arrive early, snag a beer or glass of wine, and stroll through the property’s well-manicured gardens before taking your seat inside the intimate, 462-seat theater. The barn-style venue gives a nod to the playhouse’s humble origins, when the roving Vagabond Players acting troupe set up a permanent home just after World War II.

Before the Vagabond Players came to Flat Rock, though, Carl Sandburg made his way to town. The prolific author and his family moved in 1945 from Michigan to Connemara, a 245-acre farm in the village. At the farm, Carl found the solitude he needed for writing, and his wife, Lilian, found pastures for her prize-winning dairy goats.

Today, the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site allows visitors to explore the place that the “Poet of the People” called home for the last quarter of his life. During those years, he earned his second Pulitzer Prize and frequently played his guitar and sang with his family after dinner. Visitors can hike five miles of trails on the property and meet the descendants of Lilian’s goats. You can even grab a brush and help groom the herd.

Take to the Trails

The Park at Flat Rock, a former golf course turned nature preserve, offers 66 acres in which to connect with nature. Two playgrounds beckon youngsters to climb, balance, and play, while three miles of trails draw walkers, runners, and cyclists. Overlooks throughout the preserve encourage visitors to pause and take in the scenic landscape, and a nature center invites guests to learn about animals and plants living in the park.

Discover another beautiful and contemplative option at one of the oldest churches in these mountains, St. John in the Wilderness. Opened in 2025, the Trails of St. John wind through the wooded property, including a route following the historical footpath that linked the parsonage and church during the mid-1800s. This path joins other dirt and gravel trails that travel throughout the village and the Flat Rock Playhouse campus, ultimately connecting the church grounds to the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site.

Eat, Drink, & Be Merry

Start your day at Candice and Zach Pritz’s ShareWell Coffee Company, where the owners extend to patrons their love of “slow coffee,” selecting the best beans and then roasting them to perfection and brewing them with care. “As you walk in our doors, you can see the wonderful world of specialty coffee and the beautiful craft of fresh roasted coffee,” he says. In addition, you’ll be tempted by bakery goods like scones, coffee cake, and savory breakfast biscuits, all made in-house. “We also work with a local baker to provide more bakery offerings as well as meat and veggie quiches.”

Treska’s on Highland Lake, which also serves ShareWell Coffee, joined Flat Rock’s food scene in March. The café’s views of a shady cove on the private lake create a peaceful place for breakfast or lunch. A large garden provides fresh-as-it-comes produce, with area farms supplementing the on-site harvest. Whether you’re eating the breakfast burrito or the market salad, these locally sourced ingredients sing. You can also dig into fresh produce at Treska’s Tuesday afternoon farmers and artisans market, a family-friendly gathering of growers, vendors, and live musicians that runs through September first.

Nearby, on Lily Pad Lane, Season’s at Highland Lake inside Highland Inn & Resort elevates America’s melting pot of cuisines with creativity and sustainably sourced local ingredients. The charming restaurant’s must-try Sunday brunch buffet includes French toast, an omelet station, and croissants. For a relaxing night out, pull up a chair on the cozy outdoor deck or inside the lodge-like dining room and tuck into flavorful entrées like the favorite beef tenderloin from longtime executive chef Peter Fassbender.

Another hub for food (and shopping) sits in the heart of Flat Rock. When you spot the pink, yellow, and blue buildings lining the road, you’ll know you’re at “Little Rainbow Row,” a fitting nickname given the village’s connection to Charleston as a frequent summertime escape.

The Wrinkled Egg, the first business to open here in 1990, sells an eclectic assortment of gifts, home goods, clothing, jewelry, art, furniture, cards, and more. It’s varied and fun, with flea market finds and unusual toys all within a traditional general store. Next door at Dogwood home and garden shop, you’ll also find thoughtful gifts like local honey, handcrafted suncatchers, and decorative tea towels.

As you’re shopping, the aroma of baking bread will likely lead you toward the back of The Wrinkled Egg and the adjoining Flat Rock Village Bakery. From-scratch temptations in the bakery case include indulgent brownies, flaky croissants, giant cinnamon rolls, and brick-oven breads. Classic deli sandwiches and wood-fired pizzas can be ordered and eaten on the deck under mature magnolias.

On the sidewalk along Little Rainbow Row, smoky goodness emanates from Hubba Hubba Smokehouse. Order at the smokehouse window, then take a seat in the courtyard and dig into a brisket sandwich. And, although it’s not as close to the rest of the colorful strip, Campfire Grill serves burgers, sandwiches, and entrées like grilled trout and beef short ribs in a cozy, camp-inspired space.

Fruit Snacks

The Village of Flat Rock sits snug in Henderson County, the leading producer of apples in the state. So while you’re here, why not sample some of the bounty?

A fun place to start your apple smorgasbord is Sky Top Orchard, where the first apples of the season ripen by early July. The small, low-limbed trees allow your younger family members to pluck fruit themselves. In addition to picking apples, the orchard offers some sweet activities for children and adults. Try blasting targets with apples shot from apple cannons, tour the orchard on a hayride, pan for treasures at the gem mine, and feed chickens and sheep at the animal barn. And be sure not to miss the apple cider donuts and other baked apple treats.

The area’s apple orchards also give rise to another flavorful product, hard cider. Flat Rock Cider Company produces ciders like Semi-Dry Apple, Tropical Pineapple, and Semi-Tart Blackberry entirely from Henderson County apples. Keep an eye out for the cidery’s offerings at local restaurants like Hubba Hubba Smokehouse and Campfire Grill, as well as area grocery stores.

In addition to apples, wine grapes grow well in the area, and in 2019, the Crest of the Blue Ridge American Viticultural Area (AVA) was established near Flat Rock. Part of this AVA, Marked Tree Vineyard sits on the Eastern Continental Divide, where rows of wine grapes soak in the sunlight and thrive at an elevation of 2,300 feet. From the tasting room’s wraparound patio, sip a glass of their award-winning Chardonel and savor the views of a distant Mount Pisgah on one side and Tryon Peak on the other.

Stay the Night

If you’d like to enjoy Flat Rock’s wonders for several days, you’ll find unique accommodations in and near the village. On the rambling grounds of Highland Lake Inn & Resort, choose from premium suites, historic poolside cottages, cabin rooms, and more. In addition to the on-site Season’s restaurant, guests have use of canoes and kayaks; trail bikes; tennis, volleyball, and basketball courts; and the stocked Highland Lake for catch-and-release fishing.

You can also channel a camp vibe with Tuxedo Falls Luxury Camp’s tree houses and tree tents, which are perched at the confluence of Cabin and Joe creeks. Walk the paths at this former summer camp to creekside hiking trails leading to picturesque waterfalls, gaze at the 360-degree mountain views from its community lodge, and gather with family around the campfire. Here, you’ll get the best of camping without having to truly rough it.

Flat Rock Must List

Explore Outdoors

Park at Flat Rock
55 Highland Golf Dr.
www.flatrockparkfoundation.org

Sky Top Orchard
1193 Pinnacle Mountain Rd.
(828) 692-7930, www.skytoporchard.com

Trails of St. John
1905 Greenville Hwy.
stjohnflatrock.org/trails

Shop & Play

Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site
1800 Little River Rd.
(828) 693-4178, www.nps.gov/carl

Dogwood
2720 Greenville Hwy.
(828) 708-2108, www.dogwoodflatrock.com

Flat Rock Playhouse
2661 Greenville Hwy.
(828) 693-0731, www.flatrockplayhouse.org

The Wrinkled Egg
2710 Greenville Hwy.
(828) 696-3998, www.thewrinkledegg.com

Eat & Drink

Campfire Grill
2770 Greenville Hwy.
(828) 595-9849, www.campfiregrillnc.com 

Flat Rock Village Bakery
2710 Greenville Hwy.
(828) 693-1313, www.villagebakerync.com

Hubba Hubba Smokehouse
2724 Greenville Hwy.
(828) 694-3551, www.hubbahubbasmokehouse.com

Marked Tree Vineyard
623 Deep Gap Rd.
(828) 513-3773, www.markedtreevineyard.com

Season’s at Highland Lake
86 Lily Pad Ln.
(800) 758-8130, www.hliresort.com/seasons

ShareWell Coffee Company
2698-C Greenville Hwy.
(828) 595-2085, www.sharewellcoffee.com

Treska’s on Highland Lake
215 Rhett Dr.
(828) 989-5499, www.treskas.com

Stay

Highland Lake Inn & Resort
86 Lily Pad Ln.
(800) 635-5101, www.hliresort.com

Tuxedo Falls Luxury Camp
100 Twin Creeks Rd., Zirconia
(828) 595-4894, www.tuxedofalls.com