Lakefront & Mountain cabin with firepit on Lake Hiwassee -“Bear Paw” Murphy, NC

You will feel like you are in a treehouse while staying at this lakefront cabin located on Lake Hiwassee nestled in the Smoky Mountains. Lake Hiwassee is one of the deepest TVA lakes that sports over 160 miles of forest shoreline bordered by the Nantahala Forest and so over 90% of the shoreline is undeveloped. The result is that there are few homes on the lake, and very little boat traffic as it is off of the beaten path and mostly surrounded by state and national forests. This is a huge lake located in the Smoky Mountains, and offers the best of both worlds -a pristine lake set in a magnificent mountain range.

This SMOKE-FREE AND PET FREE cabin has four bedrooms, three tiled bathrooms and a loft. "Cabin" doesn't do it justice as guests are surprised by the comfortable furnishings. There is over 2400 square feet of living space and another 800 square feet ocomprised of screened porches and decks. Two of the bedrooms are located on the main level. The master bedroom has a king-size bed, and the private bathroom has a jet tub as well as a shower. The second bedroom on the main level has a queen-size bed, and the second bathroom is located next to it. Both of these bedrooms have a private deck.

There is a fully equipped kitchen with stainless appliances, custom cabinetry and Silestone countertops. There is a bar area off of the kitchen with bar chairs, and the main dining area is located on the screened porch off of the living room on the main level. We have bamboo trays (sitting on top of of chair on the landing leading to the loft) for when it is cold outside, or if you and your guests want to eat on trays and watch tv.

There are hardwood floors throughout the main level with a bar area and stools located off of the entrance area. The entrance hall has stairs leading to the loft which has a full sized sofa and is a perfect nook for children who want to slip away. Also located on the main level is the great room with a vaulted ceiling, a wood burning fireplace, plenty of comfortable furniture and large French sliding doors that lead to the screened porch which is the perfect place to enjoy your first cup of coffee. In addition to the seating area, there is a long wooden table with benches to provide plenty of room for your family and friends.

The downstairs is carpeted and has a large den with two couches (one two-seater and a full-sized sofa), two bedrooms, a bathroom and laundry room. There is also a built-in desk for a private work area if you are planning on taking a “Workcation”. One of the bedrooms has a queen-size bed, and the other has two sturdy wooden oversized bunk beds. The bottom of each bunk has a full-sized mattress and the top is a twin. Off of the downstairs is another huge screened porch that has a hammock and a ping pong table. We like to sit upstairs on the screened porch off of the main floor and listen to the teenagers as they are playing ping pong or talking on the dock. It is amazing what you can learn!

Just off of the downstairs screened porch is the fire pit and grilling area that has a gas and charcoal grill complete with four Adirondack rocking chairs for your comfort. It's just a short walk down the steps to the dock which has an amazing view of the lake and mountains. The dock is the perfect spot to rest, read or just relax and enjoy the view.

Our lake house is located in Bear Paw which is a private gated community, and the only residential community on the lake, which offers many amenities including a full service marina, large swimming pool, tennis, volleyball and pickle ball courts, a covered pavilion, basketball court, fishing pond and a children's playground. Mountain View Marina is located inside of Bear Paw and has a boat ramp if you want to bring your own boat. The marina will rent boats, kayaks or paddle boards by the hour or day and is a short drive from the cabin and even a shorter ride by boat. They are extremely friendly and have pontoons for rent which are simple to operate for the boating novice. Since this is a TVA lake, during the winter months, the lake level is usually dropped an average of 38 feet. Lake Hiawasee is one of the deepest lakes in the TVA system and is 308 feet deep at the dam at full pool and navigable year round. The cove behind our cabin is about 25 feet deep at full pool, and there is a dock behind the cabin where you can park your boat. Since the TVA lowers the water level during the winter months, you will not be able to dock a boat behind our cabin from about November thrul March. However, the marina has short term slip rentals available so you would be able to rent a slip for your boat and enjoy the lake during the winter season as the marina is located on a deeper part of the lake and has water year round.

We do offer free WiFi, and have a landline that you are welcome to use to make outgoing calls. As for cell reception, it depends on your carrier, and it seems that Verizon works best in the area.

This is the perfect vacation as it offers the perfect get-a-away for everyone whether you like the mountains or the water. We are only a 45 minutes drive to Blue Ridge and are located in Cherokee County, NC where the casino is located. There is transportation (see Town Car Services) to the casino. World class whitewater rafting is nearby on the Ocoee River or on the Nantahala if you want a calmer journey or just want to enjoy tubing down the river. There are miles of bike trails as well at the white-water center.