Lake Glenville, North Carolina

Mountain Lake Living Close to Cashiers

When you envision your ideal mountain lifestyle, do you picture evenings watching the sun set over the Blue Ridge Mountains behind a pristine lake? If so, Lake Glenville may be for you.

A Water Sports Mecca

Surrounding a pristine reservoir with 26 miles of shoreline is the community of Lake Glenville, perfectly situated for mountain lake recreation.

Lake lovers have their pick of water sports to enjoy nearby — boating, paddling, tubing, skiing, swimming and fishing. Signal Ridge Marine on Highway 107 rents pontoon boats as well as other lake sports equipment. You may want to keep them in mind around July 4 when Lake Glenville offers an amazing fireworks display or any time you want to take in a showy sunset.

Bring your rod and reel, as there is no shortage of fish, including walleye, yellow perch, crappie, rainbow and brown trout, large brim and a few catfish. It has a reputation as a bass fisherman’s paradise!

You don’t need to drive for hours to stick your toes in the sand. Lake Glenville features a sandy mountain beach with a swim area, fishing pier and picnic tables at Pines Recreation Area. Lake Glenville also features seven islands.

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A Lake, a River & Waterfalls

At 3,494 feet above sea level, Lake Glenville has the highest elevation of any lake east of the Mississippi River. Located about eight miles from Cashiers, it was formed by the damming of the west fork of the Tuckasegee River in 1941 to power a factory-built to answer wartime demands. Between 1951 and 2002, it was officially known as Thorpe Reservoir and many maps still feature this name today.

The 1,462-acre lake features three accessible waterfalls: Norton, Hurricane and Mill Creek. High Falls is located just below the lake’s dam and is accessible by a hiking trail. Several days each year, volumes of water are released from the dam, making High Falls even more spectacular and a challenging route for kayakers to paddle down the Tuckaseegee River.

Dining & Shopping

After a day on the water, stop by Happ’s Place Barn and Grill on Highway 107, recently reimagined by a local entrepreneur and offering local food at reasonable prices in a relaxed atmosphere. Stop by for a refreshing beverage on their backyard patio!

Or, take the short drive on Highway 107 to Cashiers, where you’ll find plenty of restaurants and shopping in its village. Lake Glenville’s location offers the best of both worlds.

Lake Glenville Listings