Wildhaven began with a simple dream.
Not to create a destination, but to find a place of our own.
We were looking for land with room to breathe—a place close to the forests, trails, rivers, and mountain towns we loved. Somewhere we could spend weekends, reconnect with nature, and share with the people closest to us.
When we found this property, it looked nothing like it does today.
It was an abandoned commercial nursery where broken greenhouses leaned into the weeds, rusting equipment had been left where it stopped, burn piles dotted the landscape, and years of neglect had hidden much of the land's beauty.
Still, beneath all of it, we saw something worth caring for.
So we got to work.
Little by little, fields were reclaimed. Trails emerged. Gardens were planted. Spaces were thoughtfully designed. What had once been forgotten slowly became a place where people could gather, create, rest, and reconnect with the natural world.
Somewhere along the way, our dream changed.
Or perhaps, the land simply revealed what it had wanted to become all along.
The land wanted to be shared.
In the summer of 2022, we welcomed our first guests.
Everything that has followed—from overnight stays and WildFire dinners to workshops, wellness experiences, and quiet mornings in the forest—has grown from that simple realization.
Wildhaven is still evolving, just as the land continues to evolve. But its heart remains the same: caring for this place and creating meaningful opportunities to share it with others.
About Wildhaven
A place that was wild long before it was welcoming—and is still a little bit of both.
Wildhaven didn't begin as a business plan or a destination. It began with a forgotten piece of land, a simple dream, and the belief that some places become more meaningful when they're shared.
In May of 2021, my husband Brian and I closed on what was once a defunct
commercial nursery—30 wild, junk-ridden acres overgrown with weeds, leftover equipment, and a whole lot of potential. We signed the papers (fittingly) on our ninth wedding anniversary, after nearly a decade of dreaming about putting down roots in the North Carolina mountains.
Wildhaven began as our personal sanctuary. A place to reconnect with nature, to restore the land, and to create a life more aligned with who we are. For me, it’s a space to return to my creative roots—after years as a professional photographer and entrepreneur—where I can host women’s retreats, art workshops, and reconnect to slow, meaningful making. For Brian, it’s the joy of trail building, forest stewardship, and putting his hands (and heart) into every path and project on the property.
We both share a deep love for animals—rescues and wild ones alike—but the flower obsession? That’s all me. There’s something sacred about growing beauty from the soil, especially in a place that once felt so forgotten.
At first, this place was just for us. But the more we poured into the land, the more we felt called to share it—with fellow wanderers, seekers, artists, and nature lovers. So we opened the gates.
Wildhaven is still a work in progress (and probably always will be), but that’s what makes it magic. It’s evolving, imperfect, and full of heart—just like us.
If you’d like to peek behind the scenes, you’ll soon be able to follow along here: (link to journal – coming soon)
Thanks for being part of our story.
With love from the forest,
Cass & Brian
Wildhaven is the story of two very different people who somehow ended up dreaming in the same direction.
After more than a decade as a professional photographer and entrepreneur, I'm a noticer. I notice light, beauty, and the thoughtful details that make people feel something. After a career in commercial real estate, Brian sees possibility where most people just see a lot of work.
I'm usually the one dreaming up the next ambitious idea. Brian's first response is often, "You want to do what now?" ...followed by lots of grumbling and somehow making it happen anyway.
Like us, Wildhaven is still a work in progress. Every season brings new ideas, thoughtful improvements, and another reminder that the best things are rarely finished.
Thanks for being part of our story.
With love from the forest,
Cass & Brian
Welcome. We're Cass & Brian.
WE BELIEVE:
The best places don't ask you to be impressed. They invite you to notice.
The first whip-poor-will calling across the valley. Morning fog weaving through the trees. Ten thousand fireflies quietly talking to one another.
Some conversations deserve another log on the fire instead of someone checking the time.
Beauty is one of the ways we care for people.
To be thoughtfully considered is one of the deepest ways we feel cared for.
Luxury is having nowhere else you need to be.
The best souvenirs aren't things you pack. They're the way a place quietly stays with you.
stay at wildhaven
Whether your perfect day begins on the trail or with a slow cup of coffee overlooking the meadow, Wildhaven is a place to experience the mountains at your own pace.
Stay in our Airstream Cottage or one of our Icelandic-inspired sleeping cottages, thoughtfully nestled across thirty acres of forest and meadow.
Across the road from the Blue Ridge Parkway and minutes from waterfalls, mountain towns, wineries, and some of Western North Carolina's most treasured places, you can spend the day exploring - or never leave the property at all.
Wander the gardens, linger by the fire, then unwind in our Nordic-inspired wellness courtyard, where a beautiful bathhouse, sauna, hot tub, and cold plunge become part of the day's rhythm.
The mountains may draw you here, but it's the way you feel while you're here that stays with you.
Sleeping Cottages in the Blue Ridge Mountains—where comfort meets the wild.
