House Manual

Arrival & the smart lock

Check-in is anytime after 4:00 PM. Drive straight to the cabin - there's no key pickup. Your door code was sent in our messaging thread two days before arrival (it's usually the last four digits of the phone number on your reservation). The code only works during your reserved dates.

If the primary code doesn't take, two backup codes are in the same message - try those before calling us.

Wi-Fi & streaming

Your cabin's Wi-Fi network name and password are in our check-in message. Sign in with that - the same network covers the whole cabin.

All TVs are smart TVs. Sign in to your own Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, etc. - and please sign out before you check out so the next guest doesn't get into your account.

Mountain Wi-Fi is generally reliable but can be spotty in storms. Cell service is patchy at most of the cabins; Wi-Fi calling on iPhone/Android works well as a backup.

Thermostat

We use two brands across the cabins. The setup is similar for both:

• Nest at Moria and Rivendell.
• Ecobee at Grandview, Leyndell, Lothlorien, and Rohan.

To change the temperature:

• Nest (Moria, Rivendell): rotate the outer metal ring left or right until the target temperature shows, then press the face once to confirm.
• Ecobee (Grandview, Leyndell, Lothlorien, Rohan): tap the touchscreen, then use the up or down arrows to set the temperature. The display goes to sleep after a minute, so tap to wake it.

Most cabins have two zones (main floor and loft), so check both.

Fireplace policy

All fireplaces in our cabins are electric. Operate them with the included remote - never burn wood indoors. Gas fireplaces have been disabled.

Water & well notes

Several of our cabins are on a private mountain well with a limited recovery rate (about 3 gallons/minute). To avoid temporary loss of pressure:

• Avoid running two high-water appliances at the same time (shower + washer, dishwasher + bathtub).
• If pressure drops, stop the water for 5–10 minutes and let the well recover.
• For drinking, we recommend bringing your own bottled water. The tap is fine for cooking, brushing teeth, and dishes, but mountain water has a distinct mineral character and we want you comfortable from the first sip.

Bathrooms: flush toilet paper only. Cabin septic systems don't tolerate wipes or feminine products. Kitchen sinks: no grease down the drain - pour it into a sealed container and toss in the trash.

Hot tub & pool

For cabins with a hot tub: it's drained and refilled fresh between every stay, which means it can take 4-8 hours to come back up to temperature after a cleaning. If yours is still warming when you arrive, that's why - thank you for your patience, it's worth the wait. The temperature is preset to a safe level, so please don't try to override it on the panel.

Kitchen & supplies

The kitchen is set up with dishes, glassware, utensils, pots and pans, a drip coffee maker, and a K-cup machine. We don't stock oils, condiments, foil, zip-locks, or coffee, so bring your own or pick up at the nearby grocery. Gatlinburg cabins (Grandview, Moria) have a Food City and a Kroger within 10 minutes, plus a Walmart Supercenter nearby. Pigeon Forge (Leyndell) and the Blue Ridge, GA cabins (Rivendell, Lothlorien, Rohan) also have full grocery stores within ~15 minutes.

You'll find a welcome kit at arrival: toilet paper, paper towels, dish soap, a few toiletries - enough for one to two days. Longer stays will need to top up.

Grill

Most cabins (Moria, Rivendell, Lothlorien, Rohan) have a gas grill with one full propane tank. If the tank runs out, refill at Walmart or Home Depot and save the receipt, we'll reimburse one refill per stay.

Grandview and Leyndell have a private charcoal park grill on site instead. Bring your own charcoal and lighter; we don't stock it.

Firewood for the outdoor fire pit isn't stocked at the cabin, but it's an easy grab on the way in. Any local grocery store, gas station, or hardware store carries bundles for a few bucks, and Instacart can drop one off if you'd rather skip the stop. Cozy evening, sorted.

Wildlife, bugs & mountain stuff

You're staying in a working forest. Bears, raccoons, deer, and the occasional snake are part of the environment. A few rules that keep everyone safe:

• Never feed wildlife. A fed bear is a dead bear - once they learn cabins = food, the state has to put them down.
• Bag all trash and use the bear-proof bins. Loose trash on the deck or beside the cabin is the #1 thing that brings bears in.
• Pest control sprays monthly; the occasional spider or wasp inside is normal. Tell us if it's anything serious and we'll send our maintenance team.
• Cell service drops in the hollows. Download offline maps before you drive out for a hike.
• Storm outages happen. If power's out for more than 30 minutes, let us know and we'll call the utility.

Trash & recycling

Most cabins: our cleaners handle the trash after your checkout. Bag everything, take it to the bear-proof bins outside, and you're done. If you fill the bins during a long stay, bag the overflow and leave it in the kitchen - we'll come get it. Trash pickup will not collect loose, unbagged waste.

House rules

• No parties or events. Bringing more guests than your reservation lists can result in being asked to leave without a refund.
• No pets at any cabin, per our cleaning team's policy. An undisclosed pet may trigger immediate eviction with no refund.
• No smoking inside any cabin. Outside is fine if you take cigarette ends with you.
• Quiet hours after 10 PM. The cabins are in residential mountain communities; please be neighborly.
• Refunds follow the booking platform's policy. We strongly recommend travel insurance for any trip you can't afford to lose.

Checkout - step by step

Checkout time is strictly 11:00 AM; our cleaning team often has back-to-back turnovers. The morning of:

1. Gather bedroom linens and leave them in a pile on the floor.
2. Place dirty kitchen linens on the kitchen floor.
3. Place used bath towels and bath linens on the bathroom floor.
4. Load all dishes into the dishwasher and run the 1-Hour Wash cycle.
5. Empty the fridge of any food you brought in; bag and bin the trash.
6. Sign out of any streaming accounts on the TVs.
7. Walk the cabin once for forgotten items - check under beds, in drawers, near outlets.
8. Turn off all interior and exterior lights.
9. Confirm trash is bagged in the bear-proof bins (or at the Grandview compactor).

If something breaks (or you just have a question)

Reply to our message thread on whichever platform you booked - that's the fastest way to reach the whole team. For genuinely urgent issues (no water, no heat, blocked road, anything safety-related), say "URGENT" in your message and we'll prioritize. Mountain service providers can be slow, but we'll keep you updated.

Emergencies (medical, fire): always call 911 first.

Local recommendations

We've put together two locals-eye guides for each region - best hikes, where to eat, what to skip, season-by-season picks, annual events:

• Smoky Mountains guide - for stays at Grandview, Leyndell, or Moria.
• Blue Ridge, GA guide - for stays at Rivendell, Lothlorien, or Rohan.