Walking the Soul Back Home

When I was in eighth grade, my class took a trip to an outdoor adventure camp where we spent a couple of nights around campfires and under stars. By day, we engaged in team-building exercises, a ropes course, and guided hikes. We learned about the woods around us and the birds of prey that are notable in the area. What I remember most, though, is a stirring in my heart one early morning as I watched mist rise from the lake.       The subtle shades of the blue-gray air mollified my typical eighth-grade concerns. I sensed that something important was being offered to me.

That trip was a formative experience that extended beyond the fun challenge of a ropes course or a team-building trial. I learned that when I am in nature, pausing under the green canopy of a tulip poplar or listening to the echo of a woodpecker’s work, I feel free and I feel connected. I become linked to a world that is both expansive and minuscule, both abundant and simple. I learned that I need nature to feel whole. Since then, I have come to believe that most people are like my eighth-grade self: desperately in need of nature, whether or not they are ever fortunate enough to receive such a meaningful introduction.

Situated on 76 private acres in Lake Toxaway, North Carolina, Earthshine Lodge is a distinctive mountain retreat that offers just such introductions to its visitors. It is founded on the principle that our lives are deeply enriched by engaging with nature, with others, and with ourselves. The Earthshine mission is to host extraordinary experiences through overnight stays, retreats, outdoor education, and exploration programs. This special place provides both reprieve and adventure, comfort and rusticity. Nestled in Transylvania County’s “Land of Waterfalls,” Earthshine Lodge is within striking distance of Pisgah National Forest, Gorges State Park, the Nantahala National Forest, and DuPont State Forest. It provides a restful destination for those seeking access to the breathtaking beauty of Western North Carolina.

Earthshine hails from a 30-year history of providing life-changing outdoor education to visitors. In 2019, new owners purchased Earthshine and reopened it as Earthshine Lodge with a vision of reinventing the property’s rich legacy. Owner and founder Anna Bracco, who visited Earthshine as a 16-year-old, dreamed of someday opening a place that offered guests the chance to cultivate their connection with nature.

​Anna has spent her professional life in executive leadership development, working among a diverse range of notable organizations and corporate entities. Her previous work centers around developing leadership programs using experiential learning techniques, and Earthshine Lodge allows her to bring that experiential model outdoors.

Listening to Anna’s story, it was clear that she is guided by generosity; specifically, the desire to share with others that which has meant so much to her: the opportunity to encounter nature’s awesome wonders. It is simple, if not easy: create the conditions whereby people can find and make their own memories. In this way, Anna and her team may offer something greater than any one event or activity could ever convey.

Earthshine Lodge presents a mountain oasis where guests can disconnect from their modern pressures and develop new connections with themselves, one another, and with nature. In their words, it is "a place to try new things, explore boldly, and return refreshed.” In their vision, the goal is to decelerate the demands and interruptions that seize our daily lives so that breathing space opens for meaningful moments.

The lodge is a place for vibrant gatherings as well as contemplative reprieve, where visitors gather warmth around a stone fireplace after an adventurous day at Toxaway Falls or Gorges State Park. Among ample acres of woods and meadows, guests enjoy picturesque views, savory meals, and on-site hiking trails. They need not drive an hour to step onto a foot-weathered trail. Earthshine’s Main Lodge and three-unit Sunset Cottage place guests in immediate contact with their surroundings, allowing for direct engagement with the beautiful property.

Contemplating their offerings, I was struck by the adaptability of programming and wide array of options. Guests can tailor a stay to suit their unique wishes, and the staff is skilled in designing a sojourn that best serves those goals.

Despite this versatility, Earthshine Lodge is not confused about who they are. Four key pillars dictate their catalogue of offerings: They serve as an outdoor education center, a retreat destination, a nature lodge, and a wedding and events venue.

Earthshine Lodge distinguishes itself from merely a place to stay by providing patrons with immersive nature experiences alongside comfortable accommodations. It is not camping or “roughing it,” nor is it a manufactured and feigned version of being in nature. It is cozy and appealing yet avoids the trappings of a sterilized spa experience. The talented staff at Earthshine Lodge curate activities that serve this attitude, rather than canning a false version of nature for mass consumption.

Earthshine’s main lodge was built in 1990 from original wood on the property. The eight guest rooms are designed individually for a unique experience—some with queen beds, others with a loft and twin beds. Each has its own bathroom and a private balcony with mountain or forest views.

The lodge displays pieces from local artists for sale, as guests often want to take home a special piece of their experience. Locally crafted textiles reinforce the cozy quality of the large stone fireplaces and antler chandeliers, all evoking the sense of an authentic mountain getaway. Homemade meals are served family-style in the common dining room or can be enjoyed al fresco on one of the large porches. A central common room serves as a welcoming place to gather around the fire and recount the day’s adventures. Although Earthshine accommodates individual bookings when schedule permits, the lodge’s open style is perfect for hosting larger groups.

The three-unit Sunrise Cottage was designed for additional lodging and a slightly different experience than a lodge stay, with each unit sleeping four to six guests. As the name implies, it is a favorite for early morning views. The cottage is also available as a single booking and thus serves as a great option for family reunions, wedding guests, and retreats.

In keeping with Earthshine’s legacy, outdoor education remains a key component of their mission. They seek to enhance traditional school curricula by providing outdoor adventures that engage students on a different level than an indoor school day permits. The staff customizes these programs to meet different age levels and curriculum needs, with offerings including the following:

Discovery, an adventure-based learning experience with wilderness challenges and team-building quests.

Earth Explorers, which moves students through stations, each focusing on different scientific principles.

Explore Appalachia, which helps students enjoy and respect the crafts and traditions that define the region.

In addition, the educators at Earthshine Lodge can fashion a specialized learning experience to meet the varying needs of different groups and students.

​As a nice corollary to their outdoor education initiatives, the lodge provides team-building retreats for groups and organizations. Steeped in leadership training and experiential learning, Anna and staff take their cache of group collaboration skills outdoors. Events can be as simple as hosting a project-based retreat in a beautiful setting, or they can be fully developed with group activities designed to enhance teamwork and improve interpersonal communication.

​For those looking for an adventurous weekend away, Earthshine hosts weekend getaways that are aptly described as “summer camp for all ages.” They offer activities such as regular llama hikes, live music, nature hikes, archery, river excursions, yoga, photography, and coordinated fishing excursions. These programs are open to the community and listed on their website.

​Neighbors from the area gather at the lodge on nights when Earthshine hosts live music. Area residents can also sample the experience by purchasing a day pass, allowing them to participate in planned activities, eat lunch at the lodge, and gain full access to the 76-acre campus. For group retreats, family and friend reunions, and wedding weekends, Earthshine offers a menu of activities to help make the experience most memorable. They can provide an all-inclusive package, replete with activities and excursions, or a hands-off approach, during which guests rent out the entire facility for their use, with little to no programming provided by staff. With the latter, Earthshine Lodge acts as a beautiful setting for the experiences and relaxation guests have planned for themselves.

​In some parts of Western North Carolina, late May and early June mark peak firefly season. Earthshine happens to be situated in an enviable location where visitors can catch glimpses of the region’s synchronous fireflies and the elusive Blue Ghost fireflies. An all-inclusive stay over Memorial Day weekend, the Firefly Weekend Getaway offered night hikes and special events celebrating nature’s magical display. The weekend also included llama hikes and seasonal activities that reinforced the summer camp appeal. For those interested in a more immersive firefly experience, the lodge also hosts a photography retreat centered around capturing the glowing phenomenon.

​Family camp weekends run from June through August and are appropriate for adventurers of all ages. A Labor Day retreat allows guests to say farewell to the summer months. In October, Earthshine hosts “Leaf Lookers” weekends to celebrate the fiery display of the mountains in autumn. Here, guests can learn about the photosynthetic phenomena. Panoramic views from the lodge and the property’s higher elevations transform a simple cup of coffee into a spectacular event. Nature hikes are scheduled around the best views for each season.

In addition, staff has scheduled a fly-fishing weekend November 6 to 8, in conjunction with fly guides from Headwater’s Outfitters. December will welcome guests for an Appalachian Christmas—a festive way to unplug from holiday frenzy and enjoy the abundance of life’s simple moments.

​Event planners seek out Earthshine Lodge due to spectacular views that enhance weddings and special occasions with nature’s grandeur and serenity. Earthshine’s high point rests on a knoll, elevated 3,000 feet above sea level with 360-degree views of Pisgah National Forest and beyond. Guests venture to this knoll for a romantic spot to stage a surprise engagement or to seek a breathtaking location for pictures and celebration. In the same style they curate all their offerings, the staff at Earthshine seeks to accommodate each private event with care, making the occasion intimate, meaningful, and memorable.

In keeping with the general ethos of the place, the Earthshine approach to events is one of values: they create a setting for guests to have authentic and beautiful encounters with nature and each other. The goal is not the biggest or the flashiest; rather, it is for the sweetest—a place to savor the present moment and to commemorate it for years to come.

Mary Oliver wrote, “A walk in nature walks the soul back home.” It is no surprise that guests of Earthshine Lodge book year after year, returning often for the sense of relaxation and exploration the place so expertly affords. They let nature do the rest.

​For more information about the rich offerings at Earthshine Lodge, visit earthshinenc.com or follow them on Instagram and Facebook https://www.instagram.com/earthshinelodge/ where you will learn all about the goings-on at the Plateau’s “basecamp for adventure.” You can also call 828-862-4207 or email the lodge at info@EarthshineNC.com