Scaly Mountain (separate of near-easterly big / little Scaly Mountains, per se - see External link below) is a small unincorporated community along

North Carolina Highway 106 Georgia State Route 246 (SR 246) and North Carolina Highway 106 (NC 106) are actually a pair of highway designations that run concurrently on a single road that runs from Dillard, Georgia to Highlands, North Carolina. The r ...

, southwest of Highlands and northeast of Dillard, Georgia (about halfway between the two), and nearest to

Sky Valley, Georgia Sky Valley is a city in Rabun County, Georgia, United States and is nestled in a mountain valley on the northwest slopes of Rabun Bald, Georgia's second-highest peak. Incorporated in March 1978, it recorded a total population of 250 as of the 2000 ...

, just to the south-southwest. It is in the south-central area of Macon County, North Carolina, United States in Flats Township, close to the Georgia and North Carolina state line. The ZIP Code for Scaly Mountain is 28775.

Recreation

Scaly Mountain community terrain is more like a large hill than a mountain, and was used for skiing until early 2004 (formerly "Ski Scaly"), until it reopened in December as a weekend

snow tubing Tubing, also known as inner tubing, bumper tubing, towed tubing, or kite tubing, is a recreational activity where an individual rides on top of an inner tube, either on water, snow, or through the air. The tubes themselves are also known as "donu ...

venue only. Nearby Sky Valley Resort also ceased being the only ski area in Georgia around the same time, due in large part to repeatedly warm winters since the mid-1990s, unlike the 1970s and 1980s in and after which they were founded. Both areas were opened due to their proximity to and

accessibility Accessibility is the design of products, devices, services, vehicles, or environments so as to be usable by people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design and practice of accessible development ensures both "direct access" (i. ...

from

metro Atlanta Metro Atlanta, designated by the United States Office of Management and Budget as the Atlanta–Sandy Springs–Alpharetta, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area, is the most populous metropolitan statistical area in the U.S. state of Georgia and the ...

, whose upscale north and northeastern

suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separate ...

s lie roughly just or 150 kilometers to the southwest, and have since crept ever-closer. The vertical rise is just , from an elevation of at the base to at the top. The top of Highlands Outpost is now home to a beautiful RV Park (Scaly Mountain Slopes) with cabins offering a full 360 degree view for miles. Average annual snowfall is , but the entire usable area is covered by snowmaking. Snow tubing is open from the last weekend in October to late March, thanks to new year round all weather snowmaking. Snow was made on July 4 weekend in 2021. Highlands Outpost also has gem mining, trout fishing, ice skating (during the Winter time), turf tubing (during the Summer time), and a brand new alpine coaster called the “Scaly Screamer” which opened Thanksgiving Day 2021. There is also a cafe upstairs which is open for lunch everyday, and a gift shop, the Bartram Market. Opened in late 2012, zipline park Highlands Aerial Park offers zipline canopy tours, a family challenge course, and a botanical nature trail at the elevation of on High Holly Mountain, the westernmost mountain of the Highlands Plateau. This ecological tour includes the signature "Squealing Mare", a zip over long with long-range views of the mile-high mountains of the Nantahala National Forest. The "Wilderness Nature Trail" features a swing bridge over a spring-fed waterfall, where over 100 wildflowers, native shrubs, and

old-growth forest An old-growth forestalso termed primary forest, virgin forest, late seral forest, primeval forest, or first-growth forestis a forest that has attained great age without significant disturbance, and thereby exhibits unique ecological featur ...

trees are identified, and each season offers a new study in mountain plant life. Highlands Aerial Park is located on Dillard Road (NC 106), between

Highlands, NC Highlands is an incorporated town in Macon County in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located on a plateau in the southern Appalachian Mountains, within the Nantahala National Forest, it lies mostly in southeastern Macon County and slightly in ...

and

Dillard, GA Dillard is a town in Rabun County, Georgia, United States. census, the city population was 337. History John Dillard settled in the area around what is now Dillard with his son, James Dillard, ''circa'' 1823. James took title to of land by pur ...

References

External links

Big / Little Scaly - the Mountain(s)
Unincorporated communities in Macon County, North Carolina Unincorporated communities in North Carolina Ski areas and resorts in North Carolina Buildings and structures in Macon County, North Carolina Tourist attractions in Macon County, North Carolina {{MaconCountyNC-geo-stub