HIGHLANDS PRIVATE FIELD GUIDE
Two Hours of Back‑Road Highlands: Private Wilderness Tours from Highlands, NC
A concise guide to Highland Excursion’s two‑hour private scenic drives — mostly driving with short, easy walks — that showcases mountain vistas, river potholes and temperate rainforest learning for all ages.
Two Hours of Back‑Road Highlands: Private Wilderness Tours from Highlands, NC.
Highland Excursion’s Private: Wilderness Tours parse the Highlands landscape into a two‑hour back‑road loop built for sightlines rather than long hikes. Mostly driving with a few easy walks, the tours thread past mountain overlooks, the iron‑bridge potholes over the Chattooga River and sections of the Nantahala temperate rainforest, making them an accessible, scenic outing for families and photographers alike.
Highlights
Outing Highlights
Broad mountain overlooks and riverside views
The tour includes panoramic mountain vistas and notable riverside features such as the pot‑holes at the Iron Bridge over the Chattooga River, offering picture‑ready stops without demanding long hikes.
Nantahala temperate rainforest education
Along the route you’ll learn about the Nantahala temperate rainforest — its character and local ecology — woven into the relaxed driving pace of the private excursion.
Short walking stops on scenic back roads
The Ellicott Wilderness option follows back roads to destinations like Slick Rock Trail and easy roadside viewpoints, delivering scenic access with minimal walking required.
What the day feels like
What the two‑hour private tour feels like
This is a compact, intimate outing: you depart from Highlands and spend most of the two‑hour window in a comfortable vehicle, punctuated by short, easy walks to overlooks, river potholes and trail access points. The pace is deliberately relaxed — designed for photography, family conversation and interpretation of the region’s temperate rainforest — and suitable for participants of all ages.
Suitability
Who it's for
Who gets the most from this trip — and who should look elsewhere.
Practical planner
Details to review before reserving
The private tours run two hours.
Base price $392 covers 1–4 guests; each additional person $98. Ages 2 and under are free. The operator accepts up to 38 guests overall; adventure vehicles are capped at 20 passengers and groups larger than 12 typically use two trucks.
Wear hiking shoes, long pants and a long‑sleeve shirt, and carry a light rain jacket.
Review cancellation policies before reserving.
Frequently asked questions
Planning Your Outing
How long is the tour?
Each private Wilderness Tour is two hours long.
What is the price and how many people are included?
The base price is $392 and includes 1–4 guests; each additional person is $98. Ages 2 and under ride free.
How physically demanding is the tour?
The tour is mostly driving with some easy walking, suitable for a wide range of fitness levels and ages.
Are dogs allowed?
Yes — customer dogs are allowed on the tour, and you can request the operator’s dog (Aussie) to join.
What are the group size limits and vehicle arrangements?
The operator’s advertised maximum guests is 38; individual adventure vehicles are capped at 20 passengers. If your group is larger than 12, the operator typically deploys two trucks.
Which scenic options are offered?
Choose between the Ellicott Wilderness or Blue Valley scenic tours; Ellicott Wilderness includes back‑road vistas, the Iron Bridge pot‑holes over the Chattooga River and Slick Rock Trail.