City Lifestyle

Want to start a publication?

Learn More

Featured Article

All-Inclusive: Mountain Style

Snowbird Mountain Lodge

On a small wood plaque across from a shelf of hiking books near the lobby, you’ll find a list of the types of wood used for the wall paneling and furniture for each of Snowbird Mountain Lodge’s 22 original rooms. Room One has wormy chestnut wall paneling and wild cherry furniture. In Room Three, it’s basswood and birch. Room 19 is a classic, with maple walls and furniture, while down the hall in Room 16, the paneling is silverbell, a flowering tree native to North Carolina whose soft and close-grained wood makes lovely cabinets and paneling. 

Most of the rich wood used for the lodge’s interiors was harvested on the property before its original construction. Designed by the Asheville architect Ronald Greene, the Snowbird Mountain Lodge was originally constructed in 1941 for brothers.

Now, the all-inclusive retreat on 100 acres in Robbinsville includes charming rooms in the Main Lodge, Chestnut Lodge, and Wolfe Cottage. Hot breakfasts and gourmet dinners in the dining room are prepared and served by personable staff and lunches are packed in backpacks or brown bags for guests to grab for a hike, paddle, or porch. 

During our stay, dinners were a four-course affair, starring local produce and proteins thoughtfully prepared, often surprising us with finesse and depth of flavor. Delightful!

Lake Santeetlah is a short drive away and Snowbird offers canoes, kayaks, and paddle boards for guests. There are trails galore on the land that surrounds Snowbird Mountain Lodge. As one of the last areas in the east to be settled, its rich biodiversity is evident in the species that flourish within it—among them over 1,400 flowering plants, 20 snakes, 52 mammals, and more than 200 birds.

Curious about that Wood Thrush you spied from the sprawling porch or the difference between azaleas, mountain laurels, and rhododendrons you admired on your hike? The living room of the historic lodge is lined with bookshelves, a tidy library of reference books, fiction, photography, history, and biographies. Deep leather sofas and comfortable armchairs are thoughtfully lit to encourage reading and conversation. Telescopes and rocking chairs stand at the ready for investigation and relaxation. 

SnowbirdLodge.com

828.479.3433