ONCE UPON A STREAM- Storybook cottage on stream, perfect for family gatherings.

Photo gallery for ONCE UPON A STREAM- Storybook cottage on stream, perfect for family gatherings.

A two-story wooden cabin with a stone retaining wall, surrounded by trees.
A spacious kitchen with a large island, wooden ceiling beams, and hanging pots.
A spacious living area with a high ceiling, a fireplace, a dining table, and a view of the outdoors through large windows.
A multi-story wooden cabin with a stone pathway leading to it, surrounded by trees.
A sign for Sapphire Valley Resort, Sapphire Valley Master Association, indicating it is a vacation ownership resort.

Reviews

9.8 out of 10
Exceptional

Highlights

  • Family fun awaits
    Top-rated for families.
  • Outdoor pool
    The outdoor pool is a refreshing retreat under the open sky - a rare gem in this area.
  • Centrally-located
    You're never far from where you need to be with this convenient location.
  • Discover nearby landmarks
    Close to Nantahala National Forest

Popular amenities

  • Balcony or patio
  • Hot tub on site
  • Ski lift privileges
  • Indoor pool
  • Toys
  • On-site fitness centre

Explore the area

View in a map
Sapphire, NC
  • Place, Lake Jocassee
    ‪29 min drive‬
  • Place, Western Carolina University
    ‪43 min drive‬
  • Place, Fred W. Symmes Chapel
    ‪59 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

4 bedrooms (sleeps 14)

Basement Rec Room

4 Single Beds

Bedroom 2- Upper Level

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 3- Upper Level

2 Queen Beds

Bedroom 4- Lower Level

1 Queen Bed

Master Bedroom- Main Level

1 King Bed

Upstairs Loft

1 Queen Bed

3 bathrooms, 1 half bathroom

Half Bath- Main Level

Toilet

Lower Level

Bathtub or shower · Toilet

Master Bathroom- Main Level

Toilet · Shower only · Jetted bathtub

Upper Level

Bathtub or shower · Toilet

Spaces

Deck or patio
Porch or lanai
Kitchen
Balcony
Outdoor play area
Garden
Dining area

Add dates for prices

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About the area

Sapphire

Located in Sapphire, this holiday home is in the mountains and on a river. Sapphire National Golf Club and Sapphire Valley Ski Resort are worth checking out if an activity is on the agenda, while those wishing to experience the area's natural beauty can explore Gorges State Park and Highlands Biological Station. Travelling with kids? Consider Cashiers Farmers Market, or check out an event or a game at Silversteen Memorial Stadium. Take in the nearby slopes with snowboarding and skiing, or try out other outdoor activities such as ice skating.
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Map
Sapphire, NC

What's nearby

  • Lake Glenville - 18 min drive - 20.4 km
  • Lake Jocassee - 29 min drive - 31.0 km
  • Lake Keowee - 38 min drive - 52.1 km
  • Western Carolina University - 43 min drive - 55.4 km
  • Fred W. Symmes Chapel - 59 min drive - 72.1 km

Getting around

  • Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) - 63 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪The Tavern @ High Hampton - ‬16 min drive
  • ‪Grand Olde Station at Lake Toxaway - ‬14 min drive
  • ‪Buck's Coffee Cafe - ‬13 min drive
  • ‪Mica's Restaurant - ‬10 min drive
  • ‪Los Vaqueros - ‬13 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Does ONCE UPON A STREAM- Storybook cottage on stream, perfect for family gatherings. have a pool?

Yes, this property has an indoor pool and an outdoor pool. Pool types include heated pools.

Is ONCE UPON A STREAM- Storybook cottage on stream, perfect for family gatherings. pet-friendly?

Yes, pets are allowed at this property.

How much is parking at ONCE UPON A STREAM- Storybook cottage on stream, perfect for family gatherings.?

On-site parking is available at the property.

What time is check-in at ONCE UPON A STREAM- Storybook cottage on stream, perfect for family gatherings.?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at ONCE UPON A STREAM- Storybook cottage on stream, perfect for family gatherings.?

Checkout is at 10:00 AM.

Where is ONCE UPON A STREAM- Storybook cottage on stream, perfect for family gatherings. located?

This family-friendly Sapphire holiday home is located on a river, within a 15-minute walk of Nantahala National Forest and Hogback Lake. Whisper Lake is 3.1 mi (4.9 km) away.

Reviews

9.8

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 66 out of 74 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 7 out of 74 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 1 out of 74 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 74 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 74 reviews

9.6/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

9.8/10

Location

9.8/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
This house was great for families and kids! We enjoyed exploring the creek and utilizing the Sapphire rec center.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2026
Response from VrboOwner on 19 Oct 2026
Thanks for staying with us at Once Upon a Stream! We welcome your family back any time.
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Check-in, communication, listing accuracy
Private. Nice. Clean. Great stay.
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2026
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
We had a fantastic time! Very family friendly and Travis was super easy to communicate with.
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2026
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
We enjoyed our stay. The house is great. Very well taken care of and very clean and neat.would recommend this house to anyone and would stay here again.
Stayed 4 nights in Nov 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 15 Dec 2025
Thanks for staying with us! We’re glad you and your family enjoyed your stay. We look forward to hosting you again soon!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great accommodations. Love the fire pit

Loved the house.
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2021
Response from VrboOwner on 7 Jun 2021
Thank you for staying with us, Betty! We're glad you enjoyed the fire pit- that was a new addition last year. Please come back and see us! Travis
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great Mountain Escape for the Whole Family

Really enjoyed our time at Once Upon a Stream. Everyone from my 70 year old parents to my 7 and 8 year old found something to enjoy. Will book again!
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2020
Response from VrboOwner on 23 Aug 2020
Thank you for choosing Once Upon a Stream for your mountain getaway in Sapphire, NC. We are so happy to hear that the whole family enjoyed their stay. Please come back and see us soon!
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Lovely mountain home

This property was exactly as advertised .. property owner available and very responsive with questions … we would def recommend
Stayed 21 nights in Jun 2021
Response from VrboOwner on 16 Aug 2021
Hi Kathleen, Thank you for choosing ONCE UPON A STREAM for your mountain getaway in Sapphire, NC. It sounds like we exceeded your expectations and that you enjoyed your stay. My hope is that you will return and stay again- please reach out so that I can extend a discount code for your return so that we can earn that 5th star on your next review! Kind regards, Travis Eckert
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful and relaxing

The property was beautiful and relaxing. The space was perfect for our 3 families. We thoroughly enjoyed the outside and inside, and the location was great. The owner was easy to contact and accommodating.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 26 Jul 2022
Thanks for staying with us Jennifer! We appreciate the review and the kind words. I’m so happy you all enjoyed the home and the property. Please come back and stay again!
Archival

10/10 Excellent

Great House!

Great house...very clean, comfortable and close to all amenities. The property is beautiful and peaceful with the sounds of the stream. The owners are very quick to respond and provided us with a lot of fun ideas/activities to do in the surrounding areas. Definitely would stay again!
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2017
Response from VrboOwner on 30 Mar 2020
Amy, thank you for the kind remarks. Our goal is to provide a first-class experience for each of our guests. We are happy to hear you has a wonderful stay and hope you will come back and see us again soon! Kind regards, Travis
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
House was lovely, nicely, appointed and clean. Community was quiet with winding roads through the mountains to get up to the house. Most of the property is a wooded backyard with a path down towards a quiet creek that our kids and dog love to play in. The pathway can be a little steep with uneven stairs so for anybody with mobility issues make sure to bring some hiking sticks or have another person for some support. Once we got to the creek, we hung a camping hammock from some trees and just enjoyed the sound of the babbling brook and the sun highlighting the moss-covered rocks. The location of the house is great with the grocery store about 12 minutes away and amazing hikes, waterfalls, rafting/tubing, and swimming holes within reasonable driving distance. Sapphire is a nicely appointed vacation village with nearby cashiers being an adorable town in the Village Green Park being a great place for families with young kids to visit. Would recommend this town and this vacation home for families as our multigenerational, multifamily visit was a huge success.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2026
Response from VrboOwner on 12 Jul 2026
So glad you enjoyed your stay. Thanks for the kind remarks. Hope you’ll come back and see us.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wedding weekend

Comfortable stay. Very clean. Owner easy to work with.
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 12 Dec 2022
Thanks for staying with us Kim! We’re glad you enjoyed your time in Sapphire. Please come stay with us again soon.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fantastic and fun time

Everything we needed was available and property was great. Best of all, the owner responded and assisted with any questions or issues.
Stayed 13 nights in Aug 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 12 Sept 2022
Hi Brooks, Thanks for the kind review. We enjoyed hosting your group and are happy to hear that you enjoyed your stay. Please come back and stay again! Kind regards, Travis
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Learning to Ski

Fun property. Easy to get to. Close to small ski resort, great for teaching young ladies to ski.
Stayed 11 nights in Jan 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 24 Jan 2023
Hi Donna! Thanks so much for choosing ONCE UPON A STREAM for your mountain getaway in Sapphire. We are very happy to hear that you and your family enjoyed your stay and also enjoyed Ski Sapphire. Please come back and stay again soon! Kind regards, Travis
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Perfect Getaway

The house was beautiful, clean, and well equipped. We traveled with a baby and dogs and the house supplied dog bowls and a crate. It also had a port a crib, booster seat, and a hiking backpack for the baby. The fire pit area was really nice and the dogs loved walking the trail down to the stream. We truly enjoyed our stay and would definitely stay again.
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2025
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Peaceful place on the creek

Our family had a wonderful time this past weekend at Once Upon A Stream. Our young boys loved the lower level setup with the bunk beds and the foosball table, and most importantly they spent both days down exploring and playing in the creek. There was ample space to spread out when necessary so our little one could nap or so grandparents could relax. It really was a perfect setup for our family. Plus, it was close to multiple easy waterfall trails which we enjoyed as well.
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 12 May 2025
Katie- we are so glad that you and your family enjoyed your time at Once Upon a Stream. Thanks for the wonderful review! We hope to host you again in the near future. Travis
Archival

10/10 Excellent

Terrific Stay

We loved this house. It had plenty of room for our 2 families (10 people) and we could have packed 1-2 more families in. The house is very secluded, with a lot of hiking trails around. And the price was right. We'll be back for sure.
Response from VrboOwner on 30 Mar 2020
Hi Ken, Thank you for your review. We are glad you enjoyed your trip to Sapphire, NC and your stay at Once Upon a Stream. Since your visit, we have finished the lower level and added another bedroom, large rec room, and another bathroom. So now we definitely have room for more people; the cottage now sleeps up to 14 guests. Please consider coming back for another stay soon! Kind regards, Travis
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Roomy

The property was as advertised and we had plenty of room to spread out. Travis responded quickly to our calls. Overall, it was centrally located to what we wanted to do as a family of 6 adults and 5 children.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2024
Response from VrboOwner on 2 Jul 2024
Thanks for staying with us Barbara! We’re so glad you enjoyed your stay at Once Upon a Stream. Please come stay again!
Archival

10/10 Excellent

Beautiful house in the woods

We really enjoyed our stay at Once Upon a Stream! It was close to hiking, waterfalls and Cashiers. The owners, Travis and Kristen Eckert, were always helpful and answered questions quickly. The house was clean, roomy and comfortable. The kids enjoyed walking down to the stream and exploring around the land. Thanks for the great stay!
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2016
Response from VrboOwner on 30 Mar 2020
Thanks for your kind words and feedback! We are so happy you enjoyed your stay and hope you will come back soon!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Loved it!

We love this area and Once Upon A Stream proved to be a wonderful house! It's just as portrayed in the listing. The owner, Travis Eckert, is a fount of information and very accommodating and concerned about his guests' comfort.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2019
Response from VrboOwner on 30 Mar 2020
Thank you for the wonderful review, Homer. We are thrilled that you had a great time at Once Upon a Stream. Our goal is to provide every guest with an amazing experience and give much more than just a place to stay. Please come back and see us again and be sure to check out our other property, TOP OF THE ROCK, listing #4728352.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Family Vacation Success

Three generations on vacation and it could not have been more comfortable. This house was perfect for having our own space while also providing an environment where we could gather. There really wasn't anything we needed that wasn't provided. Communication was great!!! Fantastic location for getting to restaurants, shopping and outdoor adventure.
Stayed 7 nights in May 2024
Response from VrboOwner on 2 Jun 2024
Thanks for the kind words and wonderful remarks. We enjoyed hosting you and your family and hope you will return in the near future!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great mountain escape

This is a lovely property in a secluded neighborhood. Great escape from city living. The leaves had changed and were beautiful here! We used the outside fire pit to roast marshmallows. It was a nice, clean house as advertised. Everything worked well and made for a great friends and family getaway.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 7 Nov 2022
Thanks for the wonderful review, Joseph. We are so happy to hear you enjoyed your stay. Please come back and stay again!
Archival

10/10 Excellent

A Slice of Heaven

Our stay at Once Upon a Stream could not have been any better. The gorgeous house, the beautiful idyllic setting and the Sapphire location exceeded our high expectations. Our host, Travis. made sure that we were comfortably settled in and was readily available and willing to meet any need we might have. I highly recommend the house for a family vacation. For my family, Once Upon a Stream was a slice of heaven.
Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2017
Response from VrboOwner on 30 Mar 2020
Thank you so much for the wonderful review Julius. It was a pleasure having you and your family stay with us and we are so happy you trusted us in planning your mountain getaway. Please come back again! Travis & Kristen
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wonderful accommodations!

It was the perfect getaway. The house was nestled in the woods. We had enough space for everyone to have their privacy and gather. We enjoyed the balconies, fire pit, and the stream. The owner was always responded to us by phone and text, and problems we had were taken care of immediately. The Sapphire resort amenities were a big plus. Thank you!
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2021
Response from VrboOwner on 15 Jun 2021
Thanks for the wonderful review, Margaret. I’m happy you guys enjoyed your stay and that we were able to resolve the AC issue for you. Please come back and see us again soon!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Family fun

We had a great time! The house was well appointed and plenty of space for my husband and I and our 3 (tween-teens) kids. They loved the kids cave and the foosball table. The upstairs had 2 nice sized bedrooms, but we didn’t even need those. Communication with Travis was great. Enjoyed several hikes in the area and the local restaurants.
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2024
Response from VrboOwner on 16 Apr 2024
Thanks for staying with us. We appreciate the kind words and are thrilled you had a great time. Please come back again!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Amazing stay!!!

From the moment we pulled up it was just perfect! Beautiful house inside and out. Kids loved the creek and we all enjoyed the outside fires and the cozy easy to use fireplace. Everything we needed was there and there was plenty of room! I’d recommend completely to any extended family or just a small family. Travis was always in touch with us,warning us of winter weather (which my Florida born children loved!) and was constantly in touch with us to see if we needed anything. Great owners, Great place, Great Lifetime Memories for our family! Would stay again for sure!!!!
Stayed 7 nights in Jan 2021
Response from VrboOwner on 13 Jan 2021
Ron, Thanks for the very kind words and amazing review. Kristen and I are so happy that you and your family had such a wonderful time and got to see some snow! Please come back and see us this summer- the mountains are AMAZING in the warm weather, too! Kind regards, Travis Eckert
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