This house is a rare find! Due to the remote location and surrounding national forests, there are very few houses on Fontana Lake. This property is peaceful and perfect for a family getaway. Of our 7 day trip, we only left the house 3 times (GSMR train ride, rafting, and hiking), because there is so much to do without leaving. We spent our days fishing in the pond, picking blueberries and blackberries on the trail behind the house, reading in a hammock by the creek, swimming, skiing, boating, and hanging out under the covered porch.
As a few other reviewers noted, we also experienced above-average maintenance issues while there. The most inconvenient was the lack of hot water in the 3rd shower, which the property manager said was caused by a recent storm and repairs are slow due to COVID and remote location. Internet was out 6 of our 7 days, same reasons as above. Those are understandable, but there was also a long list of small things that would be quick and easy fixes – at least 10 light bulbs were either missing or burned out, the outdoor sink didn’t have a drain pipe so the water soaked your shoes if you used it, dead batteries in remote controls, grass needed to be cut, dead tree in the front yard, several windows would not open/close, etc. Overall sense that the place doesn’t receive regular maintenance. Yet, there are signs everywhere about all the rules you have to follow and how much you will be charged for disobedience, including a fee for losing a puzzle piece or a washcloth. We certainly did not let these things ruin our trip, but I have rented 15+ VRBO properties and it just stood out as not a typical experience.
BUT, don’t let that deter you from renting! It’s an incredible place and you’ll be glad you booked. The property manager was very responsive while we were there so hopefully this list of items will be corrected soon.