FAQs

If you leave an item behind in your cabin after you depart, please notify us and we will do our best to locate it for you.

Any items left behind can be mailed back to you via the USPS. Due to the cost of fuel and paying someone for their time to drive to the post office and back, there is a $40 charge plus actual postage costs to have an item returned to you. This can be costly for a low value item, so be sure to check the cabin thoroughly before you depart to head home!

Every now and then someone will ask us is they can bring their boat, RV, camper, or a trailer with them to the cabin they are staying in. Some of our cabins are located in areas with roads that will not support this. I have detailed below where this is allowed and what the road is like leading to the cabin.

Bella Vista Lodge

Bella Vista has a very large area to park and towing a small trailer, boat, or an RV is possible here as long as you can navigate some sharp turns on the road leading to the cabin. We have had numerous guests bring a trailer or a small RV and park it in our driveway.

Laurel Creek Hideaway

You may also bring your boat, RV, or trailer to this cabin. Our driveway and parking area is large enough. We have had travelers bring full size RVs here and park them in the driveway. As long as you are comfortable driving a curvy mountain road while towing this equipment you are more than welcome to bring it with you.

Star Dancer

The community this cabin is located in does not allow RVs or trailers because of the roads being more narrow in places, and due to the mountainous terrain of the area.

Cloud Dancer

The community this cabin is located in does not allow RVs or trailers because of the roads being more narrow in places, and due to the mountainous terrain of the area.

Smoky Mountain Sunrise

The community this cabin is located in does not allow RVs or trailers because of the roads being more narrow in places, and due to the mountainous terrain of the area.

Roaring Fork Lodge

You are more than welcome to bring your boat, camper, or trailer to this cabin. The driveway is large enough to park in. This cabin is located on a dead end road, so turning a large trailer or RV around may be a challenge. The road leading to this cabin does have some sharp turns, so keep this in mind.

We do not provide any type of child safety equipment such as pack-n-plays, high chairs, baby gates, cribs, etc at our rentals. Due to frequent manufacturer recalls on child items we have chosen not to provide any of these items in our cabins. We do not want to risk missing a recall or having an item become defective without our knowledge and causing injury to an infant or child.

Please bring anything that you may need for your child or infant. Also keep in mind that our cabins are not childproof or baby proof. This is notated in your rental agreement that you signed when you made your reservation. If you need anything such as plug covers for electrical outlets or anything to baby proof a room for a child we suggest you bring this with you and take it with you when you depart.

Rentals of baby equipment are available if you do not wish to bring these items with you, or do not have room in your car . We do not rent these items ourselves, but there are a few local businesses that do. Read our blog post below on these services and feel free to reach out to one of the businesses mentioned on the blog.

Baby Equipment Rentals Blog Post

Our kitchens at all of our cabins are equipped to cook a large meal for your group. You will have most standard items needed for cooking such as an oven, microwave, dishwasher, electric mixer, toaster, pots and pans, cooking utensils, spatulas, measuring cups, silverware, cups, glasses, and basic dinnerware.

We do not provide specialty items such as crock pots, broiling pans, or other items. While we try to maintain a fully stocked kitchen some items do disappear without our knowledge, so if you need something special please bring it along just in case.

We also do not provide seasonings or spices in the kitchen. Please bring whatever you need for cooking along with you.

Grocery Delivery

As you begin your vacation in Gatlinburg, TN the last thing you probably want to think about is going to the grocery store, fighting the crowd, and then taking all of that food back to your cabin.  You can avoid all of the hassle, and have your groceries waiting for you in your cabin on the day of your arrival. We partner with a local company who will pick up your order and deliver it to your cabin before your arrival time. This will save you the hassle of shopping on your vacation. They will place all cold items in the fridge, and display the dry goods on the kitchen counter for you. All cold goods are transported in a cold storage unit so cold items stay cold, until stocked at the cabin.  

If you prefer to shop for yourself instead, there is a Food City Supermarket in Gatlinburg you can go to. It has most items you will need, but it does get very crowded at times. They are the only major grocery store in Gatlinburg. The larger Walmart and Kroger stores are located in Pigeon Forge, (30- 45 minutes away), which makes the grocery delivery service below very helpful if you need something from another store or do not want to worry with shopping on your vacation.

If this service interests you, the cost is $99.99 plus tax. Please email us if you want to add this service. We can send you details!

Fireworks are never allowed at any of our rental cabins, even on the 4th of July. Due to the danger of wildfires please do not shoot fireworks under any circumstance.

Outdoor burning is prohibited at all of our properties except for ones that already have a permanent fire pit on site. Many of our cabins are located in areas that do not allow outdoor burning. If you are caught burning in a restricted area you could be fined and even evicted.

If you are staying at a cabin with a permanent fire pit please burn responsibly.

Our regular check in time is 4PM or later at all of our properties. You may arrive as late as you wish because it is a self check in process using electronic door codes. Please do not arrive any earlier than 4PM unless you have received approval first. The door code provided to you will not be active until your scheduled arrival time, so if you arrive early you WILL NOT be able to get in.

We will send you an email or a text message the day before your scheduled arrival date if there is an early check in offer available. There is a fee for early check in, and details on the fee will be included in the messaging we send. This offer is only sent if we do not have a prior guest departing on the morning of your arrival date. Many times we have back to back guests causing a same day cleaning turnaround, which would prevents us from being able to offer an early check-in.

Our cleaners use the time between the previous guest departure and your arrival to clean and sanitize every section of the cabin for you. They do get finished early on some days, but it is impossible to know when they will be completed ahead of time. Each time the cleaners come in to do a job the cabin may require more or less work depending on a wide range of variables. If you arrive early, and have not been given approval to be there early, our cleaners will request you wait outside until they are finished.

It is recommended that you do your best to time your arrival as close to 4 PM as possible or later unless we have sent you a message stating we have an early check in offer available.

When you arrive at your cabin you will find that we have left you a starter supply of these commonly used items. We normally provide 1 to 2 rolls of toilet paper per bathroom, along with a small bar of soap. The kitchen will have a single dishwasher pod for one load of dishes, along with a small bottle of dish soap. We will also leave you a couple extra trash bags. We also provide one or two laundry detergent pods to get you started. This is standard procedure for most of the area cabin rentals.

We do not provide food items such as spices, salt, sugar, cooking oil, and other consumables. We have had situations in the past where a previous guest decided to tamper with these items making them unsafe to consume. We decided it is better not to share these items between guests, for safety reasons.

These small starter supply of items we provide when you arrive are intended to get you through a night or two. If you are planning a longer stay it is recommended you bring more of these items along or purchase them at one of the stores in the area. There are many to choose from.

All bath towels and linens are provided for you during your stay. Beds will always be freshly made and ready when you arrive.

All of our Gatlinburg cabin rentals have a standard 12 cup coffee maker, as well as a Keurig K-cup machine. We do not provide filters or K-cups for the coffee makers. You may bring what you plan to use or purchase them at one of the local grocery stores köpa floxi.

As you prepare for your vacation in the Great Smoky Mountains we want you to come prepared for the different types of weather you may encounter during your stay. The weather here can change quickly, so it is always best to be prepared for all weather types so you are not caught by surprise.

Snowfall

During the months of October through April it can snow, rain, freezing rain, or sleet. Snow and ice are most common during the months of December through February. However, any of the months I mentioned above can have winter precipitation. Gatlinburg in the valley does not average very much snow per season. The average annual snowfall in the Gatlinburg valley is about 6-9 inches per year. This is comprised of multiple smaller snowfalls and add up to this total over an entire season. Larger snowstorms do occur, but not that often.

Many of the mountain roads leading to cabins are not treated very well in winter conditions. Luckily, all of our cabins are located in areas that do receive snow plow treatment and salting when winter weather hits. However, this treatment of roads can be delayed by 1 to 2 days depending on how bad the storm is. Most of the rental cabins in and around Gatlinburg are located below 3000 feet in elevation and heavy snows are not as common. Once you get into the national park at the elevations above 3000 feet you start seeing heavier snow and ice accumulations.

Important Be Prepared!

If you are traveling to the area and the weather forecast is giving the possibility of winter weather we suggest you stock up with enough supplies before your arrival at our cabin just in case you end up getting snowed in for a day or two. This is extremely rare to happen, but it has happened a handful of times to guests in the past, but it is worth mentioning. When there is the possibility of snow we do recommend that you bring a winter survival kit in case you become stranded on a roadway. We also highly recommend you bring snow chains for the mountain roads in case we have winter weather in the forecast. Snow chains can be purchased online if you do not have a store in your local area that provides them. Some roads cannot be driven safely in winter weather unless you have snow chains on your vehicle.

The weatherman in the area have a very difficult time predicting the amounts of ice and snow we will have, and many times they will not be calling for very much snow and we will end up getting much more than they expected. The weather in the mountains is highly unpredictable. A lot of our northern guests will see that the weather forecast might only be calling for a few inches of snow, which is is usually not a big deal in a state like Michigan, Ohio, or Pennsylvania. However, you are coming to the southern state of Tennessee where less than an inch of snow will cause total and absolute chaos!

Snowfall is much less likely to impact your travel to your cabin. Snowfall is usually much lighter in the residential areas. The city and county do their best to salt and plow all roads to lessen the impact on travel. We can never guarantee a snowstorm will not impact your visit, but the odds are in your favor that the heaviest snow will remain in the highest elevations of the national park.

Elevations Above 3,000 Feet

The higher elevations of the area receive much more snowfall than the valley of Gatlinburg. Mt LeConte, at over 6,500 feet high, averages over 60 inches of snowfall in a season. Snowfall totals increase greatly with a rise in elevation.  It is quite common for highway 441 going across the mountains from Gatlinburg, TN to Cherokee, NC to be closed for snow and ice during the winter months. This is the main road through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It reaches its highest point at the Newfound Gap lookout, which is about a mile high in elevation.

Winds

Winds can be quite strong at times in Gatlinburg. The winds will sometimes increase in velocity as they come down the adjacent mountain range. It is very common to see gusty winds of over 30 mph. It is also not out of the ordinary to have high wind warnings issued for the area from time to time. During high wind warnings winds can reach  up to hurricane force in short duration gusts.  These are most common in areas with high mountains nearby.

Temperatures

The temperatures in the Smoky Mountains will vary greatly by the elevation in which you are located. During the winter months the daytime temperatures in the valley of Gatlinburg average in the 30’s through 50’s. There will be a few days each winter the temperature may not go above freezing. You may also have a few days during the winter that get into the 60’s and 70’s. Summertime temperatures will be hot and humid. 80’s and 90’s are the story for most of the Summer. Spring and Fall are transitional months and the temperatures can do all of the above, but the averages are usually somewhere in between.

Temperatures are much cooler as you increase in elevation. Plan on losing 3 to 4 degrees for every 1,000 feet in elevation rise as you go up into the mountains. The temperature in the city of Gatlinburg may be 90 degrees in July where the valley elevation is approximately 1,300 feet. However, if you drive 10 miles up to Newfound Gap which is a mile high in elevation the temperature may be around 75 degrees. be prepared depending on the time of year you travel as the mountains will be much colder as you go up higher and higher.

Rainfall

The great Smoky Mountains is one of the most diverse rainforests in the world. Rainfall in the valley of Galinburg averages about 55 inches per year. The higher elevations surrounding Gatlinburg will average over 85 inches of rainfall per year. Rainfall and thunderstorms are common in the Spring through Fall, however they can occur year round. Heavy rains and flash flooding do occasionally occur, so be sure to bring your raingear in case it rains!

I hope this has given you and idea of the weather in the area. Weather here changes quickly and can be unpredictable.  When you travel to the area it is best to be prepared than caught off-guard. We hope you enjoy your time in the mountains and will make this a place you return to year after year!

All of our rental cabins have at least one gas burning fireplace for guest use. You are free to use these during your visit. We turn them off during the warm weather months of May through September. During the months of October through April they should be operational and ready for your use.

Cell phone service usually works at all of our properties, however some carriers perform better than others. Some properties have better reception than others. AT&T seems to be the most reliable in the Gatlinburg area. The national park itself has very limited cell phone service. As with any mountainous terrain you will find dead zones. The city of Gatlinburg has great cell coverage downtown, but outlying areas of the city can have more performance issues.

Most vacation rentals in Gatlinburg now have some form of video surveillance on site as a deterrent to crime. Our cabins are no exception. We do respect your privacy though. Security cameras are only located on the exterior of our cabins. No recording device is located anywhere inside one of our cabins. We do not point them toward the hot tubs either. They are there for your protection and ours. We respect your privacy and you can rest assured knowing this.

Approximately 2 weeks before you arrival we will send you a web link to access our guest portal with a username and password. This will contain a lot of necessary  info about the cabin you are staying in. It will also contain driving directions and other helpful information about how things work in the cabin. Be sure you do not miss reading this! Be sure to save the login information. You will be lost without it!

The door code and alarm code will be sent via email early in the morning 3 days before your arrival.  If you have not received our email by then, please check your junk email folder first. If it is not there please call or text us and we will send it again.

All of our cabins use keyless door locks which operate using a 4 digit code unique to your reservation. This code is time controlled and will only work during your scheduled time at our property.  If you arrive early and try to use the code it will not work until on or after your scheduled arrival time. Door codes are only operational during your stay, until shortly after your scheduled departure time. Then the code is auto-deleted before the next guest arrives. This ensures no previous guest has the door code to the cabin after their stay has ended.

The cleaning crews arrive after the previous guests depart around 10AM. The entire cabin is cleaned from top to bottom in between guests. All bed linens are changed out for freshly laundered. The appliances are cleaned as well. The hot tub is completely drained and scrubbed. It is then refilled with new water and chemicals are added to the floater to maintain the water during your stay. You can expect a clean cabin when you arrive at one of our rental cabins in Gatlinburg.

Approximately 2 weeks before you arrival we will send you a web link to access our guest portal with a username and password. This will contain a lot of necessary  info about the cabin you are staying in. It will also contain driving directions and other helpful information about how things work in the cabin. Be sure you do not miss reading this! Be sure to save the login information. You will be lost without it!

The door code and alarm code will be sent via email or other messaging early in the morning 3 days before your arrival.  If you have not received our message by then, please check your junk email folder first. If it is not there please call or text us and we will send it again.

There are no keys to worry with. You may check in anytime after 4PM on the first day of your reservation.

Please be aware of bears in the area. We have them around all of our properties big and small. You may see bear tracks on the driveways if you look. They have walked up to within just a few feet of us while we were outside playing with the children. They are great to watch from a safe distance, but can be dangerous, and are not afraid to meet you! Bears in this area also will come out in the winter months. They do not hibernate completely. They come out for food all winter long. Do not leave trash or food outside. Do not leave food in your car. A bear may try to break in to get it. Lock car doors. Bears can open car doors!

DO NOT FEED THE BEARS OR LEAVE FOOD OUT FOR THEM!! This will cause them to associate people with food, can cause attacks on humans, and cause the bear have to be euthanized by authorities, plus it is ILLEGAL. Please watch your children, and teach them what to do if they see a bear. Bear attacks are very rare and you rarely hear of one, but a reckless move around a mother and her cubs or an aggressive male could end with severe consequences.

Since all of our cabins are located next to the national park there is abundant wildlife in the area including squirrels, flying squirrels, chipmunks, bats, bears, turkey, bobcats and more. Bears are very common in the area.

If the property you are staying at has a wood burning fire pit you will need to bring your own wood or it may be purchased at the local grocery store. It is sold for between $5 and $8 a bundle. Many other stores in the area sell firewood.

Each cabin has high speed Wi-Fi available for guest use free of charge.

All of our cabins now have charcoal grills only. These are the park style charcoal grills.

Due to constant damage to the gas grills from black bears in the area we had to remove all of our gas grills because they kept getting damaged by the bears.  The charcoal grills are set in the ground with concrete to prevent tipping and damage by the bears.

We do not provide charcoal, but there are many stores close by that sell bags if you did not bring any with you.

A few of our properties have an outdoor basketball goal, so feel free to bring your own basketballs to shoot some hoops if you are staying at one of those cabins. We do not provide the balls any longer due to the fact that they always seem to disappear after some guests depart.

As with most rental cabins, daily housekeeping service is not provided as part of the reservation. Linens and Towels are provided for your stay, and the quantity of towels provided is determined by the occupancy of the cabin. We provide one towel per occupant, plus a few extras as spares. Extra towels will be located in the bathroom cabinets. A washer and dryer is provided in the home to service towels and linens. A starter supply of dish soap, hand soap, paper towels, toilet paper and trash bags are provided as well. We recommend you bring additional quantities of such items since the starter supply is only enough for 1 day. A Food City supermarket is located a few short minutes away and they have most items you will need, including a full service pharmacy.

Smoking tobacco products, e-cigarettes, pipes, cigars, etc is never allowed inside our properties at any time please. If you smoke, please do so outside.

We will allow dogs at our many of our properties. Be sure to check the specific property page to see if dogs are allowed there.  A non-refundable pet fee is charged to all guests bringing a pet dog. If the property you select does allow dogs, we do request you follow these rules below.

Dogs must be crate or kennel trained if left alone for any amount of time in the house. Confining dog(s) to a single room with a closed door is not acceptable. Many times dogs will behave unusually when in new environments, which can lead to damage when they try to escape to find their owner. Kenneling your dog when left unsupervised by a human is REQUIRED. We keep a 36″ x 24″ x 24″ fold-away dog kennel in each pet friendly cabin for guests to use. You may also bring your own if you desire.

Dogs must be bathed, groomed, with any sharp nails clipped before arrival. This will prevent excess shedding and pet dander in the home.

If you have more than 2 dogs you want to bring please contact us prior to booking for permission.

No pets types other than dogs are allowed.

Black bears are VERY common in the Gatlinburg area and all around Sevier County and the Smoky Mountains. Every one of our properties have had bears cross them at one time or another. The most common time of the year to see a bear is April – October. Feeding bears is illegal and dangerous. Always keep food and trash inside the cabin. Never leave food inside your car. Bears do know how to open car doors.

Yes, all bed linens are provided for our guests. All beds will be fully made with fresh linens and ready for you when you arrive. Bath towels, wash cloths, and hand towels are also provided.

All of our properties have fully stocked kitchens. You will be provided with a wide assortment of cooking items. We have basic pots and pans, eating utensils, cooking items, etc. If you require a unusual item we suggest you bring it along.