At The Greystone Inn, you find yourself surrounded by trees that pop with color like fourth of July fireworks, on a hill overlooking placid waters that reflect not only the blue sky but the mountains all around you. To be here is to feel you’ve done something right. And that’s how Lucy Armstrong felt in 1915 when she built her estate on Lake Toxaway in North Carolina. Over a hundred years later, her home has become an elegant testament to the passion she felt for the area.
Its elegance is immediate to the eye. The natural splendor of the Nantahala National Forest surrounds the inn’s stone facade of mottled grey. The architecture evokes turn-of-the-century glamour that has evolved to embrace modern simplicity. Swiss mountain chalets inspire the large square windows and grey board siding with white trim. The estate was privately owned until 1985 and underwent many renovations. Its most recent improvement occurred after the property exchanged hands in 2015. The Greystone Inn closed its doors in January of that year as it underwent a multi-million-dollar restoration. It reopened in May 2018.
An Enviable Setting
A history of love and care radiates from The Greystone Inn, lowering a person’s blood pressure almost as well as the immaculate scenery. Feel it even as you eat in the quaint and cozy dining room framed with large windows and a traditional fireplace. The classically southern food served here embraces the rustic surroundings. Traditionally hearty meals with modern twists grace your palette with bold, rich sensations. Eating here has the fresh quality of the mountain forests surrounding you and the warmth of the people who call it home.
Lake Toxaway is always in view, and since there are no public access points, it’s all yours. The cool crystal water invites you to enjoy it in the way that only you can. Days spent on the water can be calm as you listen to the gentle rush of water sliding off the oars of your canoe, kayak or paddleboard. They can also be full of excitement and adrenaline, as you hear the crashing whitewater all around you and the happy shouts of your friends and raft guides.
The inn also boasts access to Lake Toxaway Country Club’s golf course created by master course designer Kris Spence. With Augusta-like approaches winding through the mountains, it plays fast with views that take your breath away.
Entertainment Further Afield
Lake Toxaway’s proximity to Asheville makes Greystone Inn the perfect base camp for day trips. Imagine waking up, heading down to the lake to spend a morning in the sun, then spending the afternoon touring the Biltmore or sampling the latest beers made by breweries like Wicked Weed, New Belgium, and Green Man.
In summary, the Greystone Inn provides the ideal combination of reclusive tranquility and unrestrained entertainment. The fireworks display of colorful wilderness will keep your spirits whimsical and elated. Spend your days trekking through untapped forests, enjoying gourmet meals amid gorgeous mountains and luminous waters, and exploring Asheville’s nightlife.
