Cabin Rentals on the Blue Ridge Parkway

My log cabin property is located in the southern end of the Blue Ridge Mountains in north Georgia. The range includes the highest elevations in eastern North America. The maximum peak is 6,684 feet at Mt Mitchell in North Carolina. The Blue Ridge Mountains name results from the isoprene released from the mountain trees which scatters light and makes it look blue. The Blue Ridge Parkway is a 469 mile highway that runs through the range northeast from the Great Smoky Mountain National Park in North Carolina to the Shenandoah National Park and the Skyline Drive in Virginia.

Where can you vacation in a log cabin in the mountains nearby the Blue Ridge Parkway? I have discovered a plethora of cabins for rent. The cabins ranged from one bedroom and one bath efficiencies all the way up to million dollar 10 bedroom layouts. The advertisers ranged from the owner of 3 cabins to rental companies that managed more than 100 properties. Minimum stays can be daily, weekly or monthly but daily rates are typically available. Daily rates range between $75 and $750 with discounts for weekly stays. Included with many of the cabin rentals are popular amenities such as hot tubs, fireplaces, gas grills and game rooms.

Why would you rent a cabin off the Blue Ridge Parkway? For the same reason I bought land in the mountains. Just enjoying the breathtaking views of the mountains is enough justification for me. The natural beauty along the entire parkway is incredible. But there is so much more. There are numerous state parks and scenic falls just off the highway. With the mountains come trails for hiking, jogging and biking. For the less energetic, you can go horse back riding. There are also golf courses for the linksters. Let’s not forget the water. There are plenty of lakes and rivers for boating, tubing and whitewater rafting. There’s also an abundance of fish to be caught as well.

Winter does come south. There are mountains and so there are slopes for skiing, tubing and snowboarding and rinks for skating. One ski mountain advertises a season from mid November to April. I have to say that I’m looking forward to my first snowfall in the Blue Ridge Mountains. I’ll be sitting in front of a roaring fire in my log cabin and looking out my great room windows at a winter wonderland.

Blue Ridge Georgia Cabin Rentals

I recently read a newspaper article about a couple that bought a log cabin in scenic (and I believe historic) Blue Ridge, Georgia. They had sold two investment properties and their original intention was to reinvest in another rental house. However, they fell in love with the house and property and used it as their weekend and vacation retreat. I thought to myself, this must be an incredible place. I did some internet research and discovered that Blue Ridge is indeed a cabin rental paradise. There are numerous cabins available for rent through a number of different intermediaries.

The article finally motivated me to drive to Blue Ridge this week for the first time. Although I had travelled numerous times to my mountain property in Ranger, Georgia, only another half hour southwest of Blue Ridge, I had never added it to my itinerary. In any case, the drive north was pleasant and smooth. I headed up Route 75 to Route 575 which eventually turns into 511 which has been named the Zell Miller Mountain Parkway. The traffic going south toward Atlanta on 75 was quite a bit more congested. Just a bit of advice - you definitely want to be heading north from Atlanta in the morning and south for the afternoon rush.

So I made it up to Blue Ridge without any delays and found the downtown just off the highway. It was quarter of ten in the morning and both the vehicle and pedestrian traffic were quite subdued. I found a free parking space (parking everywhere seemed to be free) near the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway station. There was a train standing there which had both enclosed and open (no windows) cars. I strongly suspect that I will return for the train ride in the future. I love looking at the mountains and being just a spectator sure beats being behind the wheel of a car.

Walking back to the street from the tracks, I discovered two primary types of businesses, country retail stores and real estate offices. Based on the number of cabin rental offices I saw, I concluded there must have been a lot of rentals in the area. I subsequently confirmed the plethora of cabin rentals by finding numerous related web sites on line. I looked up one site and found, among others that were similar, a 3 bedroom, 3 bath cabin with a mountain view and a $725 weekly rental. It had triple decker porches on the back of the house. I was impressed.

So, I would heartily recommend that if you’re interested in enjoying the mountain beauty of Georgia, you definitely want to check out Blue Ridge.

Gatlinburg cabin rentals

My wife and I moved down to Georgia five years ago. I love the mountains and someone recommended Gatlinburg, Tennessee as a good place to vacation. On a trip back to Georgia from the northeast, we routed ourselves through Tennessee and Gatlinburg. We got a flavor of the Great Smoky Mountains as we travelled south. We drove right through the center of Gatlinburg on the main road. Traffic was heavy and slow and it was clear that it was a very popular location.

The following year, we decided to rent a log cabin in the area. I typed in Gatlinburg cabin rentals in Google and was rewarded with an abundance of alternatives. I preferred to be outside the town and there were plenty of secluded cabin options. The rental cost was even cheaper than a hotel room for a one bedroom cabin. That Fall, we arrived for our week vacation. Although we were very short drive from down town, we were in the woods and a short walk from mountain trails.

My wife and I came to a compromise concerning our activities. I enjoy the outside and hiking while she’s more into shopping and being entertained. Gatlinburg satisfied both our preferences. I tolerated several days of down town including a couple of lunches and one dinner out. The dinner was at the Dolly Parton Stampede Show down the road apiece from Gatlinburg in Pigeon Forge. If we had children with us, I’m sure I would have been more attuned to the entertainment side of the area. There were certainly plenty of activities for kids.

On my days, we drove through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, stopping occasionally for hikes of varying lengths. The foliage was incredible. We also saw some still standing log cabins built many years ago. You’d be amazed how our ancestors survived in the woods. In summary, the park and mountains were beautiful.

Getting back to our log cabin, it was rustic but had all the amenities we needed. We cooked most of our dinners there. We packed a lunch for our mountain excursions. The cabin had a porch in front with a great view. I spent numerous early morning hours sitting on the porch, sipping on my coffee and gazing at the gorgeous panorama.

My conclusion was we had made the right decision on renting a cabin in Gatlinburg. I would recommend it highly to anyone interested in vacationing in the Smoky Mountain area. It has something for everyone.