Lake Toxaway, NC

Lake Toxaway’s combination of scenic beauty and the large array of fun-filled outdoor amenities offered there have helped it secure its place on the map of Western North Carolina’s mountain treasures. Today, visitors enjoy the summer fun the lake has to offer and many year-round residents call its shores home, enjoying the laid-back lifestyle that clean mountain living provides. The Lake, however, had an illustrious beginning…

In 1902, the first man made lake of any size was constructed in the Southern Appalachians. This one of a kind private lake was 3 miles long, one mile wide, and offered 15 miles of shoreline. Developers constructed an inn on its shores and thus was born Lake Toxaway and the Lake Toxaway Inn. With a guest registry that included the likes of Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone, Thomas Edison, R. J. Reynolds, George Vanderbilt and others, it wasn’t long before the inn and the area gained a name for world class cuisine and outstanding recreational opportunities.

On August 14, 1916, following the aftermath of a devastating tornado whose effects were felt all the way up the Atlantic seaboard, the Lake Toxaway gave way, sending 640 acres of water down the Toxaway Gorge. The Toxaway Inn shut down, lay dormant, and eventually was torn down in 1948. Nearly 20 years later, the dam was reinforced to today’s standards, land the land and mountains surrounding the lake was developed to welcome residents and visitors alike.

Today, the rebuilt inn and Lake Toxaway’s reputation for excellent living and prime tourist destination still stand, waiting to welcome one and all.