Hillside Haven

Hillside Haven is a cozy, peaceful, and romantic 2-bedroom, 2-bath mountain cottage in Vilas, North Carolina, 15 minutes from Boone. It's made for couples, solo travelers, and small families of up to four who want quiet: slow mornings with coffee on a covered deck, afternoons exploring the High Country, and evenings by a stone fireplace or a wood fire under the stars. Freshly renovated, one level, no stairs, and set in a quiet farming valley with wooded hills on both sides.

☕ Who it's for: couples on a getaway, a solo traveler who wants to unplug, or a family of four with two king suites so nobody shares. Not a party house; this is a retreat.

🛏️ Sleeps 4 in 2 king bedrooms, each with its own smart TV. The master has a private ensuite with a dual-sink vanity and a subway-tile soaking tub and shower. The second bedroom has a wall-mounted Roku TV, luggage racks, and a hanging rail. The hall bath, directly across from the master, has a walk-in shower and dimmable smart lighting. All linens and towels are provided, plus body wash, shampoo, conditioner, hand soap, and toilet paper.

🔥 Three ways to sit by a fire: a stacked-stone propane fireplace in the living room under a 60-inch Roku TV with sound bar, a Ninja Fireside360 propane fire pit and heater on the covered deck, and a wood-burning fire ring in the backyard with Adirondack chairs, firewood, and a Solo Stove smokeless fire pit included.

🍳 Full kitchen with butcher-block counters, new stainless Samsung appliances, a French-door fridge with filtered water and ice, dishwasher, glass-top range, microwave, and a Keurig that brews single pods or a 12-cup pot. Round dining table for four under a woven pendant. The kitchen is stocked with the basics for cooking: cookware, dishes, utensils, knives, cooking oil, salt and pepper, paper towels, and dish soap. Skylights in the living room, kitchen, and baths.

🌄 Covered back deck with cushioned lounge chairs, outdoor dining for four, and a 3-burner Weber gas grill with propane provided. A wide lawn slopes down to the fire ring at the edge of the woods. Games on the shelf: Jenga, Clue, Uno, Skip-Bo, dominoes, cribbage, mahjong, cards, and a puzzle.

🧺 Full-size stacked washer and dryer, fast Wi-Fi, keypad self check-in, and gravel parking at the door.

🏔️ Where it is: Green Mountain Village in Vilas, Watauga County. Valle Crucis and the original Mast General Store are 6 miles. Boone and Appalachian State are 9 miles. Banner Elk 13, Tweetsie Railroad 14, Appalachian Ski Mountain 15, Sugar Mountain and Blowing Rock 17, Beech Mountain 18, the Blue Ridge Parkway at Moses Cone 16, and Grandfather Mountain 23.

🏡 Good to know before you book: the property shares a steep gravel mountain driveway with a guest house next door, where the owner's son lives. He's a part owner of the property himself, so he's especially attentive to making sure your stay is right. He's a full-time App State student, a business major with a passion for cars, and our on-site helper if you need anything. He always respects quiet hours and you'll have plenty of privacy; you may see or hear him in his garage shop. Two exterior security cameras cover the front door and parking area and the backyard and part of the back deck; none inside. No pets, no smoking, no parties or events.

❄️ Winter: our driveway and the valley roads get a lot of snow and the property sees heavy snowfall in season. From late fall through early spring you need a 4x4 vehicle; a two-wheel-drive car will not make it up after a snow. In dry weather any car is fine.

Book direct with Baran Properties for the lowest rate and a real person to text during your stay.