Rippling Waters Retreat | Riverfront Rustic Cabin

Entire cabin in Townsend, Tennessee

  1. 12 guests
  2. 3 bedrooms
  3. 6 beds
  4. 2 baths
Hosted by Mike
  1. 9 years hosting

Listing highlights

40-min drive to Great Smoky Mountains National Park

This home is near the national park.

Self check-in

Check yourself in with the keypad.

Peace and quiet

This home is in a quiet area.
Some info has been automatically translated.
This cozy, rustic cabin is nestled on the bank of the scenic Little River in quaint Townsend, TN. Just a short drive from Pigeon Forge, Cades Cove, and other attractions, this cabin combines the feeling of solemn remoteness with the convenience of local walking-distance amenities, including a grocery store, gas station, and restaurants. We are family friendly and welcome you to make a tradition out of bringing your family to Townsend each year, just like our family did when we were children!

Guest access
Within 5 business days of your stay, we'll email you a code to access the property along with instructions for using the code.

Other things to note
This is a rustic cabin situated directly on a river, backed up to woods. Though we maintain pest control and pest prevention services on the property, it is impossible to guarantee our guests with a pest-free experience (e.g. fireflies, flying bugs, crawling bugs, other insects, squirrels, etc.), while also maintaining a rustic look and experience to the property. Though the vast majority of our guests have never reported pests, all guests are required to be aware they are booking a rustic experience, including all the natural elements found in nature.

Similarly, though we seek to maintain stringent cleaning practices and standards, it is impossible to guarantee our guests a stay at our property completely free of dust, cobwebs and other elements indicative of being in a rustic cabin. Given the rustic nature of the cabin and the experience the majority of our guests expect, all guests are required to be aware they are booking a rustic experience, including all the natural elements found in nature.

By booking, you agree not to allow the aforementioned qualities of a rustic cabin to impact your review on our property, acknowledging you are purchasing this experience as described above.

Where you’ll sleep

1 of 2 pages

What this place offers

Kitchen
Wifi
Free parking on premises
TV with standard cable
Air conditioning
Unavailable: Carbon monoxide alarm

Select check-in date

Add your travel dates for exact pricing

Rated 4.78 out of 5 from 208 reviews.

Guest favorite
This home is a guest favorite based on ratings, reviews, and reliability
0 of 0 items showing

Overall rating

  1. 5 stars, 83% of reviews
  2. 4 stars, 13% of reviews
  3. 3 stars, 2% of reviews
  4. 2 stars, 0% of reviews
  5. 1 stars, 0% of reviews

Rated 4.6 out of 5 stars for cleanliness

Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars for accuracy

Rated 4.8 out of 5 stars for check-in

Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars for communication

Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars for location

Rated 4.8 out of 5 stars for value

Where you’ll be

Townsend, Tennessee, United States
This listing's location is verified and the exact location will be provided after booking.

Neighborhood highlights

Rippling Waters Retreat is situated directly on the Little River in Townsend, TN right in the heart of Townsend. The cabin has a secluded feel, though it is less than a mile from restaurants, attractions, a gas station, convenient store, supermarket, and more. The cabin shares many acres of land and river frontage with other cabins.

Meet your host

Host
208 reviews
4.78 out of 5 average rating
9 years of hosting
Speaks English
Lives in Saint Cloud, Florida
My name is Mike Chandler. My family began vacationing to the Smoky Mountains when I was a child. Every year we stayed somewhere new, that is, until we discovered Townsend. One year, while driving from Chattanooga to Pigeon Forge, we drove through Townsend, and fell in love with the quaintness combined with how much there was to do in one little area. Townsend seemed close to everything, and yet far enough to feel like we were really “getting away” on our vacations. That was the year we first saw our cabin. We discovered the cabin and others nearby, then owned by the same owner, which offered just what we wanted: A rustic and remote feel, riverfront property, plenty of space, and nearby restaurants, things to do, and essentials. Townsend had it all, and the cabins were like heaven to us! So we began coming back every single year, and as our family grew, more people came with us. My sister’s family grew to three children, and each year they brought their five. I eventually married Melanie and she began coming with us. We made the cabin a yearly Summer tradition until September 2007 when my mother passed away after a three-year fight with cancer. Before she passed away we had one more vacation in June, and we will forever cherish that last vacation with mom at the cabin. Her passing made returning to the cabin too painful, however, and we didn’t return for nine years… By 2015, Melanie and I had grown our family to three boys—Caleb who was 5, Logan who was 3, and Timmy who was 1. When faced with the decision of where to vacation that Summer, Melanie suggested we return to that cabin. At first I was hesitant, but looking back I’m so glad she encouraged us to go back. That Summer we returned to the cabin and it was amazing to introduce my sons to the place I loved so much. That Summer Caleb caught his first fish, as did Logan with my help. We went to Dollywood, we ate at all our favorite restaurants, explored Cades Cove, and made some amazing memories. When we arrived that year we noticed an ominous ‘For Sale’ sign posted in front of the cabin. It wasn’t until the end of our stay that it sank in what the sale of the cabin might mean. What if the new owner didn’t rent out the cabin? What if this would be the only opportunity I would ever have to share the cabin with my children? What if my grandchildren never got to go to the cabin?! As this reality sank in, I realized just how many other people enjoyed the cabin other than us, and just how much was at stake if the cabin were to sell. We wrote down the phone number on the ‘For Sale’ sign, called the owner, and the rest is history. Today, Rippling Waters Retreat (formerly Smoky Mountain Log Cabins, Cabin #8) is available for rent, like it always has been. We desire to make the cabin available for families and future generations to experience the beauty of the “cabin experience” which we have come to cherish and adore. We invite you and yours to come make a tradition of experiencing the beauty of the Little River’s rippling water in beautiful Townsend, Tennessee.
Show more. Open host profile.
Response rate: 100%
Responds within an hour
To help protect your payment, always use Airbnb to send money and communicate with hosts.

Things to know

Cancellation policy
House rules
Check-in after 4:00 PM
Checkout before 10:00 AM
12 guests maximum
Safety & property
Carbon monoxide alarm not reported
Smoke alarm
Must climb stairs