Dancing Bear Lodge is a luxurious five-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bath mountain cabin offering some of the most breathtaking layered views in the Smokies. Perfectly situated, it places you just minutes from Bryson City, Cherokee, Maggie Valley, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. You're also only 44 miles from Gatlinburg and just an hour from Asheville—making it the ideal base for both relaxation and adventure.
The first thing you will notice when you pull into our covered parking is what caused us to fall in love with Dancing Bear Lodge… The absolutely stunning views. They are truly the best we have ever seen. You feel at peace when you sit on the porch or in the hot tub and stare out at the mountain views as you hear the river in the valley and the birds in the trees. It's what made us fall for Dancing Bear Lodge when we first visited.
As you venture inside, you will be impressed with the attention to detail. We did our very best to think of everything you may want when staying with us. The kitchen is fully equipped with everything you need to cook a meal for your family and guests. Coffee lovers will absolutely love staying with us (You may experience a little bit of coffee envy about the coffee bar, be warned!). You will find two different whole bean coffees with a coffee grinder to grind them to your specifications. Then you will notice the french press, a regular coffee pot, a Keurig machine, and my personal favorite.. a Nespresso machine for excellent coffees and espresso shots! After you brew your coffee you can prepare it however you like best. We stock four different syrups, three types of creamer, sugar in the raw, equal, splenda, and honey sticks to make your coffee even better than at home!
After passing through the kitchen and dining room you can venture down the hallway to the two top floor Owner's Suites. They each have King size beds and their own bathrooms. You'll enjoy the spa sheets and our favorite quilt sets on each bed as well as the great views from the bedrooms.
Downstairs from the main living room, you'll find a striking two-story game room. The game room has a pool table, a full-sized arcade-style basketball game, a large poker table(with eight barstools), four arcade cabinets and our second living room adorned with a stone fireplace. Around the corner of the breakfast bar you will find an eat-in kitchen as well as the door leading to the lower porch with the hot tub. Down the hall from the eat-in kitchen, you will find the two downstairs bedrooms. Both feature king beds and share a spacious and private full bathroom.
The "Bear's Den" (5'6" ceiling height) is tucked away halfway up the staircase and includes one queen bed and two twin beds. This room is perfect for the kids in the group or for extra beds for any other guests. It is setup with a kids teepee, a chalkboard, plenty of books and games to play with, as well as a TV with a Roku to stream their favorite channels.
Outside, enjoy the view stars and roast marshmallows in the large fire pit. You'll love the feeling of privacy while still feeling close enough to others to feel safe while staying at Dancing Bear Lodge.
If you want to enjoy the Smokies while you're in town - you're in luck, Dancing Bear is located conveniently to just about everywhere!
- Dancing Bear is located just 1/4 of a mile from the Smoky Mountain Country Club, which has a lovely golf course, swimming pool in the summer, and the Persimmon Grill for a great place to eat lunch or dinner.
- In just a ten-minute drive, you can enjoy the Cherokee Indian Reservation where you can learn the rich history of the tribe, enjoy everything that Harrah's Cherokee Casino has to offer, or take a drive through the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.
- Bryson City is located about fifteen minutes away, where you will find the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad, plenty of boutique shops, and many delicious restaurants. Make sure to try Nantahala Brewing Company’s many excellent beers and excellent food. I also highly recommend The Rice Wagon which is located behind Mountain Layers Brewing Company(also an excellent place to try!). The Rice Wagon is a surprise in Bryson City. It is a Hawaiian Style food truck and has many excellent options. I highly recommend making a stop if you have time.
- For a great selection of local fresh food check out Darnell Farms. They have a farm store with a large variety of local foods and offer an online ordering option so that you can order ahead of time. If you plan to stop and shop in their farm store make sure to bring the kids! There is a playground on the Tuckasegee River that kids can play at while you are shopping. They also offer meal kits that are made with fresh local ingredients, very convenient when you just want to pick something fresh up to make at the Cabin without needing to get a variety of ingredients!
- Sylva is a vibrant little town with many things to do and it is only 15 minutes away! We love Guadalupe Cafe, Pie Times Pizza Company, Nantahala Brewing Company’s Sylva Outpost, and many other local restaurants and coffee shops. They also have a variety of excellent local stores to browse if you are in the mood for shopping.
- If you're looking for a little outdoor adventure, there are plenty of places to hike, bike, fish or swim with gorgeous views surrounding you including Deep Creek Falls, Mingo Falls, the popular “Road To Nowhere” and the many hikes and sights that the Great Smoky Mountains National Park offers.
- For a little adrenaline take a thirty-minute drive to the Nantahala Outdoor Center where you'll find world-class white water rafting, kayaking, and ziplining. We recommend stopping by Cardinal Coffee on your way for some award winning local coffee.
- Further west you can drive on and explore the views from Fontana Dam. Fontana Dam is the tallest Dam in the Eastern United States and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It offers amazing views of Fontana Lake. It is bordered by the Smoky Mountains National Park on one side so it doesn’t have any development and offers plenty of natural beauty. The Appalachian Trail also goes over Fontana Dam!
- Head South and you will find the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest which is one of the United States most impressive remnants of old-growth forest. It has more than 100 species of old-growth trees, many more than 400 years old, and some more than 20 feet in circumference and 100 feet tall. It is maintained in its primitive state and the only way to see it is on foot. There is a 2 mile trail that leads to the Joyce Kilmer Memorial and loops through giant trees.
- Adventure even further west and you can see “The Dragon’s Tail”. This is a legendary section of the Blue Ridge Parkway that many car and motorcycle drivers make a pilgrimage to. It is known for both its windy path, and its beautiful views. Make sure to check out the tree where bikers collect parts that have fallen off bikes on the Tail Of The Dragon and hang them from a tree as a remembrance for the road!
Check-in time is 4 pm, and check-out time is 10 am. This gives our cleaning and sanitation team enough time to prepare the cabin for your arrival. We strive to exceed your expectations and provide the cleanest home possible for you so that you can walk in and immediately relax when you arrive. If our team finishes early, we will contact you to accommodate an early arrival.
