Highland Excursion Offers Custom Scenic Tours and Hikes

The Highlands-Cashiers Plateau offers such an array of outdoor adventures that it can be overwhelming. Do you want to hike in the Nantahala rainforest, but you’re not sure which trails offer the best views? Do you want to see waterfalls and the best mountaintop views but are short on time? Justin Kingsland and his team at Highland Excursion can help you plan an efficient and amazing outing customized to your interests.

Highland Excursion specializes in custom driving and hiking sightseeing tours throughout the Nantahala National Forest. Kingsland has over 10 years of guiding experience around the Plateau. Originally from Wales, with a slight trace of an accent, Kingsland is a former British Army special forces officer certified in both wilderness medical first responder and wilderness survival. “It’s kind of funny to me that an immigrant from Wales is the local guide,” he says with a laugh.

Kingsland first came to know Highlands when he and his wife would visit from Greenville, South Carolina. But after losing his wife to cancer, he decided to relocate here with his three-year-old daughter, Ashley. “It was my wife’s favorite place,” he says. “I wanted to be somewhere that reminded me of her daily,” he said.

Kingsland’s first job in town was at Old Edwards Inn. As he began to hike and deeply explore the area as a form of trauma therapy and self-healing, he quickly became a go-to authority on the local trails, fielding questions from hotel guests and offering tips on where they should explore. Eventually, he felt that he could make a living at it and decided to open his own guide company.

Kingsland now runs Excursion with his new wife, Kelly, and just one other guide. After a decade in business, Highland Excursion is now the go-to company for sightseeing in Highlands, Cashiers, and all over the Nantahala Forest.

Despite opportunities to expand the business, Highland Excursion remains a boutique operation with only two trucks. And Kingsland is proud of the fact that he has not increased his tour rates in the last decade.  “We’re small for a reason,” he says. I don’t want to manage a fleet of trucks and a team of guides. This is a lifestyle for me. I’m not in it to make a fortune,” he says.

For Kingsland, it’s also about creating new relationships with his guests. “I love meeting new people every day, connecting with different people,” he says. “They’re on vacation, so it’s always a good time. And I like to help build and create memories for them.”

Highland Excursion offers a variety of experiences for guests, including waterfall tours, scenic driving tours, and guided hikes that can be fully customized to suit your interests, group size, or fitness and ability level. For repeat customers, Excursion creates off-menu tours to show guests something new and different.

“I recently took a guy out who has been coming up here for over 15 years,” Kingsland says. “He thought he’d seen it all. But he was blown away by what we showed him, what we could pack into a three-hour tour.”

These days, hikers and explorers have numerous tools at their disposal to explore unfamiliar areas independently, and some might consider a guided tour an unnecessary extravagance. For Justin and his team, it comes down to experience and knowledge. “We’ve gone down every trail, seen every waterfall. We’ve done the homework, so you don’t have to. And we’re equipped to handle any situation that you might encounter in the wilderness,” he explains.

Justin and his guides have about 12 routes that they frequent. “We have a permit to cover the whole forest, and we take you to spots most people wouldn’t ever experience on their own. We offer access that not everyone can get, and whether you’re three or 80 or have disabilities, we can accommodate,” he guarantees.

Kingsland transports guests in either a Pinzgauer or a Mercedes G-Wagon, depending on their numbers. He recommends exploring scenic drives in their open-air Pinzgauer adventure truck. “No matter how many times you’ve seen it, it’s a different experience in an open-air truck,” Kingsland promises. Justin treats riders and hikers to a narration that discusses local history and folklore and shares his extensive knowledge of geology and forest wildlife.

Kingsland suggests booking well in advance. “We stay open all year round but are very busy June through November. Of course, summer is always popular, but leaf season is special. And there’s no better way to see it,” he says.

He cautions that tours go off, regardless of the weather, rain or shine. In the colder months, blankets are available on board. “Honestly, some of our best tours happen in downpours,” he says.

Highland Excursion tours are pet-friendly, and dogs are welcome. But if you don’t have a dog, Kingsland will be happy to provide one for you. “Aussie is our mascot, and he’s requested a lot. He’s done thousands of tours. He’s calm and gets along with everyone. He really makes the tour.”

After 10 years, Kingsland says he is ready for new and different adventures. “I’m grateful for the last decade, but I think we’re ready to hand the reins over to someone else. I want to travel and spend more time with my wife and daughter,” he says.

For more information or to book your next adventure, visit highlandexcursion.com