Whatever season you would like to vacation, The Burren offers lovely scenery with a wide range of nearby attractions. Our cottage has all the comforts of home, including a dishwasher, microwave, washer, and dryer. Relax next to the stone fireplace on cold days, or enjoy the breeze on our screened porch in the summer. A hot tub is outside, to soak and enjoy the scenery, as well as a fire pit to roast marshmallows or hot dogs. An electric grill is also on the deck, ready for the steak lover. Kids will enjoy sliding on the zip line in the woods behind the house, or hiking around to discover the campfire site on top of the cliff. There are several hiking trails, as well. Cloudmont Ski resort is close by for those days it's cold enough to make snow.
Excellent Location and Fun in Every Direction - new rate!
- Cottage1800 sq. ft.
- Bedrooms3
- Sleeps9
- Bathrooms2
- Half Baths1
- Minimum Stay2 nights
A 4 Bedroom, 2 1/2 Bath Set On 2 Acres Of Mountaintop Terrain
Owner
Madeleine Sparks
- Response rate:
- 90%
- Response time:
- within a few hours
- Speaks:
- English
- Calendar last updated:
- Jul 15, 2018
About Madeleine Sparks
We are Madeleine Sparks, and Jennifer Kontak, a mother and daughter, who live in Madison County, Alabama. Madeleine, a former computer systems analyst, grew up in Decatur, AL, and has lived in North Alabama ever since. Jennifer, a therapist and artist, was born in Huntsville, AL, and lives with her husband and two children in Harvest, AL.
Madeleine Sparks purchased this Cottage in 2008
Why Madeleine Sparks chose Mentone
Madeleine and Jennifer both have fond childhood memories of Mentone, AL. It has always been a wish to own a piece of heaven, and luckily, we discovered the Burren in 2008. The rocks are unique, and fun to explore for kids and adults, alike, but the sunset shining through the trees onto the cliff is what really made us fall in love. Mentone itself is a haven for artists, and we were both drawn to it for the light, the wildlife, and the kind people.
What makes this Cottage unique
Our Sweet Cottage was a home to another family before we found it, but we feel that we have truly made it ours, and have added many special touches to it. One of the first things we liked about it, however, was the fireplace, which boasts a rock the shape of Alabama above the mantel. The balconies that lead out from the two upstairs bedrooms are also very special, and we like to put Christmas lights on them during that season. We have added a back deck and a screened porch to the house, which make enjoying the outdoors even easier. Deer and wild turkeys are known to travel through our yard. The main reason we chose the Burren over any other that we saw (and this was the first, but not the only property we looked at) was the way the place looked like just one of so many large boulders settled in the yard. It is just a very special place for us, and we hope you find it so, as well.
Amenities
- Internet
- Air Conditioning
- Hot Tub
- Fireplace
- TV
- Washer & Dryer
- Kids Welcome
- Parking
- No Smoking
- Heater
Bedrooms
- 4 Bedrooms, Sleeps 9
- Treetop Room1 queen
- Birds Nest Room2 twin/ single
- Acorn Room1 bunk bed, This bedroom is small, but fun for kids only
- The Refuge1 queen
- The Treetop Room - master suite with full bath, french doors going out to a small balcony. Large closets and chest of drawers, as well as extra sink outside of the bathroom. Queen bed with two night stands and lamps. Air mattress provided for extra sleeping. Two chairs are also in the room. The Birds Nest Room - Twin beds with a 1/2 bath en suite. French doors open onto balcony just like Treetop room. Large closets, basket of toy trains, books, TV with wii game system. The Refuge - This bedroom has a double bed, closet, chest of drawers, and stained glass window. A full bath is right across the hall. Acorn Room - bi fold doors open onto a small table with lamp and bunk bed. The Bunk bed is not built for adults. This room is between the Treetop and Birds nest rooms at the top of the stairs.
Bathrooms
- 2 Bathrooms, 1 Half Bath
- Treetop Bathroomtoilet, combination tub/shower, Dressing area with additional sink outside of bathroom
- Birds Nest Bathroomtoilet, Attached to this bedroom
- Downstairs Bathtoilet, combination tub/shower
- Toilet paper, towels, and soap are provided.
Location Type
- RuralSurrounded by trees, our cottage has a garden of large climbable boulders, crowned by a 30 foot tall cliff in the back yard. Deer and other wild animals are frequent visitors.
- Mountain View
Theme
- Romantic
- Family
- Away From It All
- Budget
- Adventure
Meals
- Guests provide their own meals
General
- FireplaceOne fireplace in the Living room
- Air ConditioningSeparate HVAC systems for each floor
- Linens Provided
- Washing MachineDetergent is provided.
- Clothes DryerFabric softener provided
- HeatingAdditional to the dual HVACs, we also have a portable radiator.
- ParkingOur driveway is in a u-shape, and also extends to the back door. 6-8 cars will fit easily in the u. Boat and RV parking is not advised, due to gravel and steep nature of drive.
- Towels Provided
- Wireless Internet
- Iron & Board
- Living Room
Kitchen
- Dishwasher
- Refrigeratorice-maker inside freezer.
- StoveElectric stove with overhead vent hood
- OvenElectric oven
- Microwave
- Coffee Maker
- ToasterLittle Brave Toaster provided
- Pantry ItemsCoffee, tea, sugar provided. Salt and pepper provided.
- Dishes & UtensilsDishes and utensils for 8-12
- KitchenSmall galley-style kitchen
Dining
- Dining Area
- DiningOur dining room is adjacent to the kitchen. Extra folding chairs are provided in a closet if more room is needed at the table. We also have seating on the screened porch, and folding tables.
- comfy seating for 6 people
Entertainment
- Television
- DVD Player
- Books
- Games
- Toys
- Video Library
- Video Gameslocated in the bird's nest room
Outside
- Balconytwo, outside of upper bedrooms.
- Outdoor GrillThis is an electric grill.
- Deck / Patio
Pool / Spa
- Hot TubOutdoors, and can hold 6 people.
Attractions
- churches
- library
- playground
- restaurants
- zoo
Leisure Activities
- walking
- horseback riding
- antiquing
- bird watching
- sight seeing
- scenic drives
- miniature golf
- shopping
- wildlife viewing
Local Services & Businesses
- ATM/bank
- groceries
Sports & Adventure Activities
- swimming
- tennis
- fishing
- skiing
- golf
- mountain biking
- hiking
- mountain climbing
- rafting
- rock climbing
35 Reviews
Fun house in the woods!
Our family loved staying in this house. It had everything we needed plus more! My 3-year-old loved playing with the toys, and we all loved the games and exploring the woods around the house!
I would stay again and would recommend this beautiful cabin to anyone!!
She supplied us with everything we would need to make our stay stress free. We have 4 kids, 2 being 17& 19 and the younger being 2& 3 and they had a lot of fun. They loved the toy train set. It went from one room to the other upstairs. We had great time, family time, playing games with the older kids. And spent every morning on the front screened in porch drinking our first cup of coffee planning our day with our family that lives up in Mentone. Only about 10 minutes away. So we would highly recommend this to everyone!!!
Great stay.
Very great stay. The house was clean and very well stocked. The hot tub was awesome. The cabin was located perfect for the activities we wanted to perform in the area. Scenery was great. Kids really enjoyed the boulders to explore around the cabin. I highly recommend if you are staying in the area.
Christmas cabin in the mountians
Great place to stay, about 45 minutes from Rock City, Look Out Mountian, Ruby Falls. 30 minutes from Fort Payne. Desoto State Park and waterfalls just around the corner and Little River Canyon National Preserve / Water Falls and walking trails about 20 minutes away. All are must see. The house is roomy with a nice large screened in porch. It was nice to have a half bath in the second bed room up stairs. Just outside the side door are, large rocks, cliff and trails for everybody to enjoy. The house had a Christmas tree decorated and a few decorations through out. Christmas eve, we cooked a full scale dinner with no problems. The small town of Mentone, about 10 minutes away has some neat little shops and a couple of good restaurants. Thank you to Jennifer and Madeleine letting us stay mountain cabin. It was enjoyable.
The whole family loved it!
Three generations gathered for a family Thanksgiving celebration. Each room suited each of us. The kitchen was well stocked for anything we needed. The kids loved the rocks and climbing the mountains. They got to climb the mountain several times--they had so much fun! We didn't have time to enjoy the hot tub or making s'mores at the fire pit-even though we were prepared! Thanks so much for a fun holiday!
Very remote and great place to "unplug".
We enjoyed the remoteness and unplugging from everything. It was a perfect place to hike to the top of the bluff, hang up Enos and just relax. We will definitely be back.
Map
There is plenty to do at The Burren, a Celtic name for a rocky place. Our house is in the middle of a tumble of giant boulders left over from glaciers millenia ago. Spend a little time climbing on them, or venturing up the cliffside at the back of our property, and you might find small bits of petrified wood or quartz. Birders will especially enjoy the wildlife. For relaxing, we have rockers, a hammock, a hot tub, and a fire pit to roast marshmallows. Mentone is a small community located high atop Lookout Mountain. Our cottage is located equal distance between Desoto State Park and Desoto Falls, both of which are not to be missed. A little further past Desoto State Park is Little River Canyon. Mentone itself has many great restaurants, antique shops, and art galleries. We have a small zoo, a dude ranch for riding, and two golf courses, as well as the only ski slopes in Alabama. There is so much to do nearby, but Mentone is also about 20 miles from Fort Payne, AL, which has a hospital and the bigger chain businesses. About an hour's drive north is Chattanooga, TN, with its famous aquarium.
Availability
Additional information about rental rates
Rates are subject to change until reservation is confirmed. Please notify us one week in advance if cancelling.