Cliffside Lake Recreation Area is a protected recreation area in the Nantahala National Forest in North Carolina’s Appalachian Mountains. Located on State Road 28 less than ten miles northwest of Highlands, it is valued for straightforward outdoor recreation focused on the lake. Fishing and swimming are among its noted activities. Its place within the national forest gives it a setting in one of western North Carolina’s mountain landscapes, making it a destination for simple lake-centered recreation in a protected natural environment.