*Article written for and featured in CharlotteFive

If your bucket list says Switzerland but your bank account says not this year, the small but stunning Lake Toxaway, N.C., may be just the ticket. Only three hours from Charlotte, tucked into the Blue Ridge Mountains between Brevard and Cashiers, this secluded oasis is the largest private lake in North Carolina. Originally frequented by the likes of Henry Ford, Thomas Edison and the Rockefellers, Lake Toxaway was known in the early 1900s as “America’s Switzerland” because of its resemblance to the dreamy mountainside lakes in the Alps. Today, its 14 miles of shoreline, crisp water, private seclusion and panoramic mountain views attract visitors throughout the year.

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