Fontana Lake Front Vacation Rental in the Smokies

This house was more beautiful than the pictures showed! The property was very clean, well decorated, and completely stocked with everything needed for a family vacation. The kitchen had all necessary dishes, pots and pans, etc..., the beds were comfortable with plenty of extra linens and blankets, and the dock had two kayaks and other miscellaneous floats and things. We used the hot tub several nights, which was very clean and had a beautiful setting on the deck overlooking the lake. The marina for pontoon rentals was very convenient, just a minute across the lake. We brought waverunners with us and Fontana Lakes Estates had a very nice boat launch to put them in and leave the trailer. The town of Bryson City was adorable, with good restaurants and shops. Took us about 20 minutes to get into the town from the house. We also enjoyed the rafting on the Nantahala river nearby, and the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad. There were so many things to do, it seemed like a week wasn't long enough!

I'm happy to be the first to review this lovely home. We took an extended weekend away to see the eclipse and it was one of the best trips we've ever taken. The home lives up to the photos and the lake was simply amazing.

Here were the highlights:

1) We saw a bunch of bald eagles. Some were viewed right from the dock, others we encountered cruising around the lake.

2) The home is spacious and well appointed. The beds were large and comfortable, the kitchen was perfect and there were windows everywhere to take in the views.

3) While a powered boat was not included, we rented a pontoon. The folks at Almond boat park were very friendly and the marina is pretty close to the house. Dan also provided 3 kayaks (2 - one person, 1 - two person) which made for some peaceful morning excursions. The dock is quite large and should accommodate most needs.

4) The hot tub is well-maintained and was ready to go the moment we arrived.

There aren't very many cons. I stand behind the five star review. These are only included for completeness (and to let you know that this is an honest review).

1) Most of the beds had down comforters and pillow tops. Dan mentions this in the listing, we were mostly fine with it, so I'm just listing it here to let you know that you might need to consider this if you have allergies.

2) The bedrooms have blinds to block out the morning light, but the loft sleeping area and the basement pull-out couch area do not. If you will have children or guests in these areas, you might want to take note.

3) I feel I should note the driveway. For the most part, it was fine. We have 2-wheel drive vehicles and we made it up and down, but one of them got stuck a bit when trying to leave. The driveway is steep, and gravel. Dan was kind enough to meet us at the entrance and show us the way so we had no problems on arrival, but you may want to factor this into your decision if you are not comfortable with such things.

All-in-all, it was probably the best vacation we've ever had. Lake Fontana is very peaceful and the home was perfect.