With acres upon acres of protected lands, a sustainability-certified golf masterpiece and “green” homes, even two working farms, it’s easy being green at The Cliffs.
Appreciate Nature in Protected Lands
Residents and members of The Cliffs enjoy protected, undisturbed land both inside and outside the gates, acres upon acres where you can be one with nature. Each of our seven communities features miles of hiking trails — some even designed and built by our members themselves.
You can roam 2,500 acres of dense forests, hike to cascading waterfalls and fields of rare Oconee bells or kayak along the pristine shores of Lake Keowee at The Cliffs at Keowee Falls. Mountain Park’s 8.5-mile trail system includes eight nature trails and one multi-use “super trail” with journeys ranging from easy to difficult, where you’ll traverse over mountain streams and past native flora and fauna.
If you’re up for exploring outside the gates, you’re in for a treat. Within 30 miles of The Cliffs communities are more than 75 spectacular waterfalls, plus hundreds of miles of hiking and mountain biking trails in pristine parks such as Table Rock State Park, the Pisgah National Forest, DuPont State Recreational Forest and the Jocassee Gorges Wilderness Area. And The Cliffs’ Outdoor Recreation Manager Anna Claire Richardson is here to guide you every step (or paddle or pedal) of the way.
Sustainability at The Cliffs
The newest golf course at The Cliffs — the links-style, Gary Player-designed masterpiece at Mountain Park — is not only a spectacular sight to behold and an absolute pleasure to play, it has also received the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Certification for environmental conservation. Audubon International’s certifications are awarded to golf courses that contribute to landscape conservation by protecting and sustaining land, water, wildlife and natural resources. Representative of Player’s passion for conservation, native grasses and landscape materials are used throughout the course and only recycled water is used to clean equipment. Mountain Park has also declared 10 acres of pesticide-free land that is off-limits to golfers, protecting the natural habitat and preserving the native environment.
Residents are also passionate about sustainable design and many are incorporating energy efficient and environmentally friendly features into their homes, like this stunning home in The Cliffs Valley. Completed in 2017, this mountaintop estate utilizes the latest in geothermal, solar and energy efficient technology to produce three times as much energy as it consumes.
From Farm to Table
The term “farm to table” is ubiquitous these days, but that phrase doesn’t do justice to how deeply involved our chefs and members are at Stage 22 Farm by Hotel Domestique at Mountain Park and Creekside Farm at Walnut Cove. Each produces a bounty of heirloom vegetables and fragrant herbs that grace the dining tables in our clubhouses and even our members’ kitchens through Broken Oak’s Market and Creekside Farm’s Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program.
