Cozy 1940's Cabin 12 minutes from Kings Canyon National Park with EV Charging

It sounds like you had the perfect park itinerary, and we're happy we could provide a relaxing landing pad after all that driving. Watching the deer from the deck is one of the best ways to start the day out here. Come back and visit us next time you're exploring the area!

We are not a conglomerate, we are a couple with a little cabin we've restored over the past couple years right outside King's Canyon National Park that we like to share that is managed by two friends who live nearby. Our cabin sits on an acre of forest down a dirt road about 1/3 mile off the highway, 15 minutes from the local coffee shop and gas station, and 12 minutes from the Highway 180 entrance to King's Canyon National Park. It feels like total solitude and yet is close to amenities and to the park. Our listing notes this solitude, notes the challenging dirt road, and specifically recommends that guests have a 4x4 or high clearance vehicle if they rent our cabin. Additionally, we ask every guest to confirm that they have read the ad, especially the part about the road and the need for 4x4 or high clearance. We want people to enjoy and have fun and want to avoid surprising people who are not comfortable outside of a hotel environment. Our cabin appeals to Jeep and 4runner folks, who enjoy the ride in and out as a part of the experience. We have also had many guests arrive safely in compact SUV's like CR-V's, Rav-4's and Foresters, but this is usually after a discussion of the road with a guest who is a is experienced on rough dirt roads. Our experience with George was disappointing, and we would advise other hosts to consider carefully whether he is a fit before renting to him. George ignored our manager's direct question when reserving our cabin, asking him to confirm he'd read about the need for a 4x4 or high clearance vehicle. Without responding to our direct messages about the road, and in spite of the advisements in our listing, George drove his front wheel drive minivan down the dirt road to the cabin, luckily arriving successfully. However, once there, he inexplicably then drove OFF our gravel driveway and out into our steep grassy hillside yard, where he got himself stuck for approximately 30 minutes, causing deep criss-crossing, back and forth ruts across the hillside which are still there and will need to be graded out in spring. Apparently in an attempt to gain traction, he also sprinkled paper towels from our kitchen into the ruts, which he left behind strewn among the ruts. Instead of a pleasant grassy meadow where we watch deer graze, we have what now looks like teenager's mudding adventureland. George also complained that the cabin was secluded. As our cabin is advertised as a rustic cabin on it's own private acre inside the Sequoia National Forest, I am not sure how this seclusion was a surprise to him and am not sure how to respond to that complaint. Yes, the cabin is secluded. Normally this is something guests praise and is one of the reasons we bought the cabin in the first place. Check out the pictures, it is exactly what it looks like in the listing. George then complained that the cabin was cold when he arrived. As this incident occurred in February at 4200 feet elevation in the Sierras, it was likely cold. When our manager informed him that the cabin had a wall-mounted electric heater in every room plus a woodburning stove in the living room, George responded that he didn't see the heaters and didn't want to use the stove. Seeing in his review that he never actually used the cabin - I think this was more likely just an add on complaint that wasn't really serious. George complained about a lack of cell coverage and wi-fi. While it is true that cell coverage in the Sierras can be inconsistent, as can wifi, we do have cell coverage from the cabin, and we do have 5g wifi service as well, along with a smart TV that guests can use to stream their favorite shows. The wifi is secure, so George would have needed to log in with the password that we provide all guests. Out in the field where George got his minivan stuck, there may not be service. Walking closer to the house, there definitely is cell service as we call in our pizza orders from the deck before we head down to pick them up. George demanded a full refund after this incident, which was denied by VRBO after they reviewed our messaging with George and our photos of his van on our lawn and the ruts and damage he caused. George next attempted a credit card chargeback, claiming fraud, which was denied by his credit card company. George threatened us with a bad review unless we gave him a full refund despite VRBO and his credit card company reviewing his request and finding against him. Throughout this experience, George has expressed no hint of accountability for his own actions or any hint of self awareness that he might have been even partly the cause of the issues he experienced during our interaction. Throughout, George was rude and insulting to our manager both in his written and telephone communications, making any attempt to assist him even more difficult. We highly recommend that any host carefully consider whether George is a good fit before hosting him. We do not want to leave negative reviews, have never done so before, and hope never to do so again. But this situation was truly unique and we feel a responsibility to warn other hosts.