Private Lakefront Cottage on Lake Santeetlah
Cottage in Cheoah, NC
6 guests · 3 bedrooms · 2 baths
Reasons to book
Guests love it hereGuests give this property a top rating
Great for petsBring all your friends and family, even the furry ones
High-end valuePrice for this property is higher than average in the area
About this cottage rental
Feel unplugged and remote at the Santeetlah Bear Den Cottage. It is a uniquely designed cottage situated at the end of a dirt road. The cottage backs up to 100s of acres of US Forrest Service property. You will be surrounded by trees and have a private dock a walk down the hill and then down the steps. There is not a view of lake from house.
During your days enjoy morning coffee or afternoon refreshments on the deck situated in the woods just above the dock. Go hiking right out the front door deep into the woods. Kayak, canoe, fish, swim, and enjoy the Lake all day long. Read and relax on the upstairs balcony or in the very private backyard. Enjoy grilling and eating outside on the backyard picnic table.
Endless adventures are close by: Visit Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest and bring your mountain bike to tackle the Tsali mountain bike trails. Rent or bring your boat and ski and tube on the Lake. Visit the Nantahala Outdoor Center and zip line thru the woods or raft down the river. Shop, eat and listen at Stecoah Valley Center. If you are a motor cycle rider, you will be close the Tail of the Dragon and the Cherohala Skyway. Endless adventures of all sorts are available in Graham County.
During your evenings keep warm by the wood stove in the cozy living room. Listen to crickets, tree frogs, and other nocturnal creatures from the private upstairs balcony. Enjoy dusk watching the starlings flying overhead from dock side. Roast up a s’mores feast around the back yard fire-pit while telling stories and rehashing your day’s adventures. Wind down from the day’s activities watching a movie and then sleep soundly on brand new bedding in beautifully decorated bedrooms.
We hope you choose to stay at the Santeetlah Bear Den and enjoy the cottage and location as much as we do.
During your days enjoy morning coffee or afternoon refreshments on the deck situated in the woods just above the dock. Go hiking right out the front door deep into the woods. Kayak, canoe, fish, swim, and enjoy the Lake all day long. Read and relax on the upstairs balcony or in the very private backyard. Enjoy grilling and eating outside on the backyard picnic table.
Endless adventures are close by: Visit Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest and bring your mountain bike to tackle the Tsali mountain bike trails. Rent or bring your boat and ski and tube on the Lake. Visit the Nantahala Outdoor Center and zip line thru the woods or raft down the river. Shop, eat and listen at Stecoah Valley Center. If you are a motor cycle rider, you will be close the Tail of the Dragon and the Cherohala Skyway. Endless adventures of all sorts are available in Graham County.
During your evenings keep warm by the wood stove in the cozy living room. Listen to crickets, tree frogs, and other nocturnal creatures from the private upstairs balcony. Enjoy dusk watching the starlings flying overhead from dock side. Roast up a s’mores feast around the back yard fire-pit while telling stories and rehashing your day’s adventures. Wind down from the day’s activities watching a movie and then sleep soundly on brand new bedding in beautifully decorated bedrooms.
We hope you choose to stay at the Santeetlah Bear Den and enjoy the cottage and location as much as we do.
Amenities
Air conditioner
Pets allowed
Kitchen or Kitchenette
Internet / Wifi
Fireplace
Parking
Laundry
Balcony or Patio
Dishwasher
TV
Garden
Map of Cheoah, NC
$$$$
Reviews
Summary of reviews
Guests loved the lake, kayaking, fishing, and the secluded, peaceful location. The property was well-equipped and clean. Communication with the host was excellent. Highly recommended for a relaxing getaway.
10.0
Perfect fit for us- allows on site and nearby lake recreation and excellent trails for hiking and naturing!
Comfortable and peaceful home and environs!
10.0
Great property nestled in the forest with beautiful lake access and fishing. Warm cozy interior with plenty of room for us. Everything you could need is there. Plan ahead for groceries and stuff. A bit of a ride to town but well worth the drive.
8.0
Robbinsville wasn’t much to write home about but the lake was very nice.
10.0
This was a great family retreat celebrating our 30th Anniversary. The location of the house is beautiful. We used the 2 kayaks and 1 canoe. We fished and caught nothing. We did wonder where the fish were, however getting out on Lake Santeetlah was special. The house was very comfortable and clean. All our needs were meant in terms of washing machine & dryer, kitchen needs, and bath. All the rooms were comfortable. We sat outside and built a fire, which was awesome. It did rain a lot when we were there, but it really didn’t hurt our time, as we still managed to have fun. The grocery store is about 20 minutes, but close enough to get all your food and personal wants there. The location of the house is perfect in terms of hiking, waterfalls, etc. We went Rafting at Nantahala Rafting with Adventurous Fast Rivers, which was so much fun and highly recommend that for families to do. We would stay here again.
10.0
Great location on the lake! We had a great time.
10.0
This was a great place for a quiet getaway with the family. We rented a boat, kids were able to tube. Marty was very responsive when we needed to reach out. Definitely will stay here again.
8.0
We enjoyed staying at the bear den. The listing is accurate and the owner is very responsive to questions, concerns and recommendations for places to go. It is very secluded but close enough to attractions we wanted to do.
10.0
Great place! The lake was great for kayaking and fishing.The dogs were comfortable. Nice to be unavailable for a few days! Don't believe your GPS when driving in, the owner gave great directions. I loved being able to see ALL the stars at night!
10.0
Lovely place exactly as described. Long long driveway to the house on gravel. Then steep hill to the house all gravel. 43 steps down to the dock. We all enjoyed this very secluded place. It smelled a little damp if you have allergies you may want to take a Zyrtec or Allegra. Every thing you need is there except there was no toaster. King bed very comfortable. Good communication with Marty. We brought our own kayak that fits our dogs but there was two big ones on the dock. Nice curvy roads all around we sure had a blast riding our motorcycles everywhere. Takes about 15 minutes to downtown Robbinsville We would highly recommend this place. Thank you for everything!
10.0
I want to live there. Didn’t drive the car after arriving. Enjoyed being in the clean water of west buffalo creek and Santeetlah Lake by canoe, kayak, and paddleboard. Grilled out and had a nice fire (pit) in the back yard. Took some walks and then enjoyed the Santeetlah Lake Trail by mtn bike when we left. Rode at Tsali on the way to Bear Den. Host is very responsive.
10.0
Enjoyed canoeing, kayaking and fishing in the lake. Very secluded and quiet location and close the most wonderful views of the mountains. We would repeat staying here.
10.0
We had a great long weekend. We tried to hit ‘peak leaf season” and we did. Everything was wonderful.
10.0
Lovely wooded and private cabin. Well furnished, clean and cozy. We loved canoeing on the lake and the outdoor fire pit.
10.0
We had a wonderful time at the Bear Den! The house is fully outfitted with everything you need including two kayaks, a canoe, paddles and safety gear. The view from the floating dock is awesome. We sat on the dock looking at Funneltop mountain and saw all types of birds including ducks, hawks, kingfishers, warblers and more! We fished and caught some sunfish. The property borders Nantahala Forest and there is a large path through the forest adjacent to the stairs to the dock. We highly recommend Bear Den.
10.0
Very nice property with great lake access.
10.0
We have stayed in multiple VRBO's. This one beat our expectations. Secluded, but not too much so. The yard and firepit were nice and useful. The lake is a scenic treasure.
VERY NICE!
10.0
We loved staying here, the location was fantastic. The water was very close to us and the kids loved swimming!
10.0
We spent our entire time swimming, kayaking, paddle boarding, and fishing. Great time by all! Very clean when we arrived. Check-in/Check-out very easy. Great communication. Our only complaint would be our neighbors across the lake were very loud during our stay. So we didnt get to experience the peaceful aspect of the trip but nonetheless, we would definitely book again!
8.0
If you want somewhere to hide away from the noisy world this is it! If it’s been raining you’ll need 4WD to get up driveway to park beside cabin. Marty is very responsive.
10.0
This property was perfect for our motorcycle trip.
10.0
What a great place to get away from it all! This cabin came with everything needed, including a very nice canoe and two kayaks and paddles and life jackets. It has a great dock on the arm of a larger lake. We stayed at the cabin during the second week in October, and the fall colors could not have been more beautiful. Truly it gave Vermont and New Hampshire a run for their money in terms of how gorgeous the trees were.
The cabin itself had everything that you could want in a cabin and more. I was more than pleased that it had plenty of cooking and eating utensils, and a very serviceable kitchen, including a large refrigerator, microwave, range/oven, and dishwasher. There was a great washer and dryer, an outside fire pit, and an inside fireplace. The main bedroom is quite lovely, and there was plenty of room on the first and second floors.
The communications with the owner gave me all of the information that I needed and he even made suggestions as to what was happening in the area.
The location, being right on the border of a National Forest, gives the cabin a lovely, natural back drop. The extension of the road made for pleasant walking, basically right out the front door. Also, the ride into town for food shopping or restaurants is not too far or too hard, and the local Ingles had a great selection.
I would gladly stay again and hope to do so!
E.
10.0
We loved the location, especially being close to the Tail of the Dragon. My son was able to get his car in and out very carefully, he has a Subaru 2002 low profile. Just make sure to drive slow and behind another car to see the slopes. We loved the area, beautiful sunsets and rises on the lake. Best of all my dogs were welcomed and enjoyed the area immensely. We built fires, used the BBQ, and even baked my son’s birthday cake. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay.
10.0
Great location for things we like to do: Cherohala Skyway, Joyce Kilmer, Santeetlah Creek & Lake, Maple Springs Overlook, Numerous Hikes & Scenic Drives, Tail of the Dragon & Lunch at Tapoco Lodge! Great host and comfy secluded cabin in the woods. It just doesn’t get any better than this.
10.0
Had an amazing few days with friends staying at this lovely private property. Kayaking and canoeing right off the dock, hiking in the mountains on the trails and generally relaxing around the fire pit in the evening.
The property is located at the end of a very private unpaved road, this makes it a little tough to get motorcycles in and out but it is definitely possible, you just have to take it slow. Only a 30 minute ride to the tail of the dragon, and there are plenty of lovely mountain roads on the way there and back.
10.0
If you want to leave the hectics behind, stay here.
Get well prepared, with naps, because there’s no signal, all the way to town.
Unfortunately we didn’t discover the welcome center in Robinsville had way to our vacation. They gave us all the easy maps and info we needed, and that would have saved us some frustration of driving around sometimes literally in circles.
Once a bit familiar, we discovered Awesome places.
The Fontana dam, the Joyce Kilmer memorial forest, the amazing Outlook, and drive to the beautiful cave in Townsend TN.
(So close, but hit the “tail of the dragon”, 320 curves in 8 miles, OUCH)
Can’t be in a hurry there for sure.
One important advise, start swimming in the lake, because it’s really wonderful. Its just kind of tough to go in the first time..
Overall it was a great vacation and the cabin was very well equipped, even “ noodles” for the lake.
What we missed the most?
A screened in porch would have been great, or at least a screened door or a window that would open ,to enjoy the mountain air.
10.0
This cottage is in a perfect position, secluded in the forest yet steps away from the dock and access to the most beautiful of lakes. The cottage was very clean and comfortable and we had everything we needed. The natural beauty of the surroundings is unsurpassed. We enjoy waterskiing and this lake provided some of the best glassy water I have ever witnessed. Hope to be back soon
10.0
We absolutely loved our stay at Bear Den! We spent most of our time on the dock and swam every single day and made great use of the kayaks. The cabin is well stocked with essentials, just bring yourself and food! We will most definitely stay again in the future!!
10.0
Great cabin. Would stay again!!
8.0
This was a great little cabin for our trip, nicely tucked away at the end of the road. It was close enough for us to do the activities we wanted but private enough to get away. The dirt road did not present any problems for my husband to ride his motorcycle to the cabin. The cabin itself had everything we needed for the week. The cabin host Marty was wonderful and made sure to communicate with us before arriving to the cabin.
4.0
The cabin and property are fine and the lake access is really nice. Unfortunately, there were several active yellow jacket nests - one of which was along the stairs to the dock which swarmed us. The property manager did try to deal with this within the same day but was not able to remove the nest so my husband and I left our honeymoon get away early (other than the lake access, there's really not much to do there and the cabin is dark and stale with strong chemical air freshener scents and almost no windows that open). We got a partial refund but still ended up paying over $800 for only two nights because most fees etc were not refunded. Super disappointing honeymoon.
10.0
We stayed here for a week in June. The property was very clean, very comfortable and very quiet and private. We enjoyed a week here simply relaxing and being together as a family. We cooked most of our meals in,. used the dock for swimming and relaxing and spent time doing puzzles, reading, watching movies and talking. I recommend this rental if you are looking for a quiet vacation away from it all! It was nice to have our dog with us too. We appreciate the rental being pet friendly!!
10.0
Quiet, secluded and private mountain camp. Disconnect and have fun on the lake, trails or venture into town. Be sure to bring insect repellent, fishing gear and a sense of adventure. Fun times at the Bear Den!
10.0
We wanted peace and quiet and a beautiful place to be for a week. This home did not disappoint.
Thank you for a wonderful vacation!
4.0
Kitchen area very small and kitchen table can only seat 4 comfortably . Living room only has chairs for 5 so was a little difficult with 6 of us. Really enjoyed the solitude and quietness and boating equipment. Bedrooms adequate and beds comfortable. Plenty of towels. Since some nights in the 40's heating system worked well.
5.0
I enjoyed the secluded location of this property. I live in the city and very much needed to get away from the bustle of work and life in the city. This property provided that much needed break. It also was a fantastic starting point for visiting many surrounding small towns and attractions/landmarks. I did make a trip to Knoxville, TN during my stay which was an easy day trip. Thank you to the property owner for sharing their wonderful peace of heaven on earth.
5.0
This cabin was the perfect place to disconnect for a while. The cabin was well equipped. And tons of towels and even access to extra sheets. The beds were comfortable. Life preservers for all age groups. It was great to have access to the kayaks and canoe. The only thing I would recommend is a knife sharpener. Lol. And Marty was great with directions and checking in was a breeze.
5.0
We had a wonderful weekend at lake santeetlah! Everything was clean and as described. We hope to be back again soon!
5.0
Very good
Although the owner was conservative in his estimation of wi
Fi and house space we found it fine!
Loved the lake, woods, and nearby hikes!
5.0
We had a great time swimming, paddling and just hanging out. It was the perfect place to spend time with the family.
5.0
This place was fully stocked with everything we needed to enjoy a week lakeside. It had a wonderful dock, canoe, two tandem kayaks, and plenty of life rafts. It is a bit off the beaten path and near a narrow part of the lake, but that made it perfect for floating and small crafts. We saw many fish but didn't catch any.
FAQs
How much does this cottage cost compared to others in Cheoah?
The average price for a rental in Cheoah is $313 per night. This rental is $48 above the average.
Is parking included with this cottage?
Yes, parking is listed as an amenity at Private Lakefront Cottage on Lake Santeetlah. For more information, we encourage you to contact the property about where to park.
Is there a pool at this cottage?
We didn’t find pool listed as an amenity for this cottage. It may be worth double checking if a pool is important for your stay.
Is Private Lakefront Cottage on Lake Santeetlah pet friendly?
Yes! This cottage is pet-friendly. For more information, we recommend contacting the booking provider about animal policies.
What amenities are available at Private Lakefront Cottage on Lake Santeetlah?
We found 11 amenities for this rental. This includes air conditioner, pets allowed, kitchen or kitchenette, internet / wifi, and fireplace.
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