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Peaceful mountain vacation at The Rusty Elk Retreat

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Outdoor spa tub
Property grounds
Game room
Unclassified image, 4 of 21, button
Fridge, microwave, oven, stovetop

Reviews

9.8 out of 10
Exceptional

Entire home

3 bedrooms4 bathroomsSleeps 10195 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Parking available
  • Hot tub
  • Washer
  • Barbecue grill
  • Air conditioning
  • Kitchen

Explore the area

Map
Maggie Valley, NC
  • Maggie Valley Festival Grounds
    ‪7 min drive‬
  • Wheels Through Time Museum
    ‪8 min drive‬
  • Cataloochee Ski Area
    ‪10 min drive‬

Room options

About the area

Maggie Valley

With a stay at this vacation home in Maggie Valley (Cataloochee Ranch), you'll be within a 10-minute drive of Cataloochee Ski Area and Tube World. .This family-friendly vacation home is 15.4 mi (24.9 km) from Harrahs Cherokee Casino and 17.3 mi (27.9 km) from Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
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What's nearby

  • Tube World - 4 min drive - 2.2 km
  • Maggie Valley Gem Mine - 6 min drive - 3.5 km
  • Maggie Valley Festival Grounds - 7 min drive - 4.5 km
  • Wheels Through Time Museum - 8 min drive - 5.0 km
  • Cataloochee Ski Area - 10 min drive - 4.8 km

Getting around

  • Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) - 50 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Joey's Pancake House - ‬5 min drive
  • ‪Guayabitos - ‬7 min drive
  • ‪Pop's Place Biscuits, Burgers & BBQ - ‬7 min drive
  • ‪Pop's Butts On The Creek - ‬10 min drive
  • ‪Waterrock Knob - ‬17 min drive

About this property

Entire place

You'll have the entire home to yourself and will only share it with other guests in your party.

Peaceful mountain vacation at The Rusty Elk Retreat

Tucked away off the beaten path on Maggie Valley’s Cataloochee Mountain, The Rusty Elk Retreat has every ingredient for a cozy and memorable stay with family and friends. This spacious, newly renovated property has 3 bedrooms, 3 1/2 baths and comfortably sleeps 8-10 offering a peaceful setting to gather and unwind. Guests will find rustic charm with several comforting amenities including a fully stocked kitchen, multiple flat screen TVs, wireless access, two family rooms, Hot Tub and a game room featuring a billiard and air hockey tables. With plenty of room for everyone, this perfect getaway destination offers the ideal balance for guests to rest and play inside and out, and is just minutes from all the activities one could want!

All four seasons offer amazing views whether it's a soft magical snowfall, colorful autumn foliage or springtime blooms! Take in the sounds of birds chirping with the smell of clean mountain air from a large wrap around porch that overlooks an untouched Nature and Wildlife Game Land Area. Wildlife can often be spotted nearby grazing and perching among lush native plants of NC Maple trees, Evergreen, and rhododendron.

Nearby: only a few minutes from the Cataloochee Ski area, Cataloochee Valley and Maggie Valley. The quaint town of Waynesville is just a few miles further down the road. Opportunities are endless for skiing, tubing, snowboarding, horseback riding, hiking, trout fishing, mountain biking, canoeing, kayaking, dining, shopping and seasonal craft fairs.

A little further down the road: Asheville, Biltmore Estate, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Harrah’s Cherokee Casino, Cherokee Indian Village.


Make yourself comfortable in this air-conditioned vacation home, which features a fireplace. There's a private patio. A kitchen is outfitted with a refrigerator, an oven, and a stovetop. Conveniences include a phone, as well as a microwave and a coffee/tea maker.
Enjoy recreation amenities such as a hot tub or take in the view from a garden. Additional amenities at this vacation home include an arcade/game room and barbecue grills.
Guests will find features like internet access and onsite parking.

Property manager

Val Michael

Property amenities

Pool/Spa

  • A hot tub

Internet

  • WiFi available

Parking and transport

  • On-site parking

Kitchen

  • Fridge
  • Stovetop
  • Microwave
  • Oven
  • Dishwasher
  • Toaster
  • Electric kettle
  • Ice maker
  • Coffee/tea maker

Bedrooms

  • 3 bedrooms
  • Bed sheets provided

Bathrooms

  • 3.5 bathrooms
  • Bath or shower
  • Hairdryer
  • Towels provided

Living spaces

  • Fireplace
  • Living room

Entertainment

  • TV with cable/satellite service
  • Pool or billiards table
  • Table football
  • Games room
  • DVD player
  • Games

Outdoor areas

  • Patio
  • Barbecue
  • Garden
  • Outdoor furniture
  • Firepit

Laundry

  • Washing machine and dryer

Comfort

  • Air conditioning
  • Heating

Pets

  • No pets allowed

Suitability/Accessibility

  • Smoke-free property

Services and conveniences

  • Iron/ironing board
  • Phone

Safety features

  • Carbon monoxide detector not reported (host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector)
  • Smoke detector not reported (host has not indicated whether there is a smoke detector on the property)

General

  • Unit size: 2100 sq ft (195 sq m)

Policies

Check-in

Check-in time starts at 4:00 PM
Minimum check-in age: 21

Check-out

Check-out before 11:00 AM

Special check-in instructions

You will receive an email from the host with check-in and check-out instructions

Pets

Pets not allowed

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
Onsite parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip
Host has not indicated whether there is a smoke detector on the property
This property is managed through our partner, Vrbo. You will receive an email from Vrbo with a link to a Vrbo account, where you can change or cancel your reservation

Property is also known as

Peaceful Mountain Getaway Rusty Elk Retreat House Maggie Valley
Peaceful Mountain Getaway Rusty Elk Retreat House
Peaceful Mountain Getaway Rusty Elk Retreat Maggie Valley
Peaceful Mountain Getaway Rusty Elk Retreat
Peaceful Mountain Getaway Rus
Peaceful Mountain Getaway at The Rusty Elk Retreat Maggie Valley

Peaceful mountain vacation at The Rusty Elk Retreat Reviews

Reviews

9.8

Exceptional

Rating 10 - Excellent. 140 out of 163 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 20 out of 163 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 3 out of 163 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 163 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 163 reviews

9.6/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Staff & service

10/10

Amenities

10/10

Property conditions & facilities

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Britt M., Peachtree Corners, GA

Liked: Cleanliness
Great house & Location
My husband and I and our two daughters chose this house based on the location and the amenities. It was perfect on both accounts!
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2025

10/10 Excellent

Annie O.

Liked: Cleanliness
Perfect family ski getaway!
The Rusty Elk was absolutely perfect for what we needed. Eight minutes from Cataloochee ski area and 10 minutes from some local restaurants and stores. The hot tub felt great after a cold day on the mountain and our kids also enjoyed the pool table and air hockey. At first I was disappointed it didn’t have arcade games like some of the other houses, but this strategic move allowed us to have more unplugged family time. The check in process was easy, the host responded quickly to questions, the furniture was nice and new and the house was clean. We recommend!
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2025

10/10 Excellent

Carter S.

Liked: Cleanliness
Great stay
Great stay
Stayed 7 nights in Dec 2024

10/10 Excellent

Yolanda S.

Liked: Cleanliness
Very, very nice
We stay three days and everything so good is plenty of room we are a group and we have a lot of space
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2024

6/10 Okay

Molly L.

Nice Enough
The Rusty Elk was nice enough for our long weekend. However, it could really use some TLC. It was clean, but it needed some better upkeep. The location was nice - be aware the roads and driveway leading up to it are pretty steep, but they were manageable.
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2024

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Review
Like the house, but it needs some tender loving care.
Stayed 5 nights in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

Joddie P.

Liked: Cleanliness
Great for a Quick Getaway
Very clean and private.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

Jerome R.

Liked: Cleanliness
Mountain get a way
Unbelievable location and views we had a fabulous time Home has everything thing you need
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

Brittni V., winchester

Liked: Cleanliness
We had the best time!
We really enjoyed our stay. It was very peaceful, clean, and comfortable. We used the firepit every night and the hot tub multiple times. The house was good size. It was just 3 of us, but had room for more if needed. Especially with family of kids. We'll definitely book here again if we come back to the area.
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

Sidney M.

Liked: Cleanliness
Very peacful
This place is in a great area, relatively close to everything. Very quiet area and the house had plenty of room for my friends and I
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2023

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Spacious for a big family
The property was nice but could use some cleaning up and mowing around the hot tub. The house is a good size for a big family.
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness
Home Base
We had a great time visiting Maggie Valley and Cherokee! Our grandkids were with us and loved the Rusty Elk, as we did! We were out and about all day, but it was nice to have such a comfy place to return to for the evening; all our needs were definitely met at this house.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Rachel W.

Liked: Cleanliness
Mountain hideaway
The house is tucked in the mountains and feels very remote while also being so close to town you can't beat the location. Very spacious accommodations, perfect for families traveling with kids.
Stayed 5 nights in Jun 2023

8/10 Good

Kasie D.

Liked: Cleanliness
Rusty Elk
Everything was good.
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2023

8/10 Good

Keith Y.

Liked: Cleanliness
Family vacation
The cabin was very clean and well decorated, the outside was very disappointing it was very overgrown with weeds and lots of poison ivy/oak growing up unto the bottom deck and around the hot tub and firepit,the outdoor furniture hadnt been wipe down in quite sometime, the ladders of the bunk beds had loose steps that were very dangerous we couldn't let the kids sleep up there because of that, these are the only reasons i didnt give 5stars
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2023

8/10 Good

Jeffery H.

Liked: Cleanliness
Great place to stay
Needs a new grill but other than that it was just what we needed. Would definitely stay there again.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2023

10/10 Excellent

Carrie U.

Liked: Cleanliness
Great Place To Stay
Our family of six enjoyed a comfortable stay at this wonderful accommodation. With four kids in tow, we were thrilled to find ample space to spread out inside, and the two levels on the porch were an added bonus. The little ones had a blast playing on the skee ball machine, while I indulged in the luxurious hot tub and the fire pit with the pre-chopped wood provided. Plus, the convenience of a quick drive into Asheville, NC, as well as the Smoky Mountains and Gatlinburg made our stay even more enjoyable.
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2023

10/10 Excellent

Kim D.

Liked: Cleanliness
Kim D.
Second time at this property was just as magical as the first. A great time was had by all… 6 kids and 4 adults. House was clean and very comfortable, a home away from home. The location cannot be beat if you are looking to ski. Hosts are gracious and easy to contact if any issues should come up. Definitely recommend.
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2023

10/10 Excellent

Troy K., Moncks Corner, SC

Liked: Cleanliness
Great Cataloochie Ski Trip
First time personally renting a vrbo, but the check in/out seemed much easier than another trip with family. The owner was very nice and warned us about foul weather in the forecast. Very steep hills getting to the cabin and caraloochie skiing. Great location, we were able to get the kids introduced to skiing and the cabin provided plenty of diversion for four kids ages 7 to 11. Thanks!
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2023

8/10 Good

William H.

Liked: Cleanliness
Great views, Convenient and spacious
The house was comfortable and convenient to town but with great views of the mountain floral. The manager was attentive to an issue and provided a quick resolution.
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2022

10/10 Excellent

Jerome R.

Liked: Cleanliness
Best view in mountains
Rented two years in a row view off front porch is breathtaking
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2022

6/10 Okay

Nick D.

Liked: Cleanliness
Rusty Elk
Property was overall okay. Would stay again.
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2022

10/10 Excellent

John G., Mount Holly, NC

Liked: Cleanliness
Right on the mark
Guys trip. Good location, short drive to restaurants. Nice deck, patio, fire pit areas. Good TVs but not a lot of channel selection. Kitchen was functional. Good communication with property manager.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2022

10/10 Excellent

Lisa N.

Liked: Cleanliness
Absolutely wonderful
The actual rental process was above and beyond excellent. Location, ambiance, availability. So awesome. Hope to stay with you again and often.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2022

8/10 Good

Julie T.

Cozy cabin, nice area
Cabin had everything we needed. Kids enjoyed the play room. We went out everyday and enjoyed the area. Host was very responsive. Downside is the downstairs porch needs to cleaned up. Area by hot tub and fire pit needs attention. Master bed was very uncomfortable. Overall we had a good time
Stayed 6 nights in Jul 2022