My family stayed at Nice Ash over this past weekend for a long weekend getaway to enjoy the mountain air, get in a few hikes, and experience white water rafting with our girls (it was their first time!).
The proximity of the house to Bryson City main is fantastic. Within a 5-minute drive down the ridge, you're in Bryson City, yet far enough away to avoid the commotion from the train or music from the bars. The location feels secluded, which is nice. However, the drive up to the ridge is not for the faint of heart. Like many driveways in the area, it’s somewhat challenging. I noticed only after booking that the property listing states a "4x4 vehicle is required," which is understandable as a precaution. The driveway is steep gravel with several switchbacks. We made it without issue in our two-wheel drive Honda CR-V in low gear, but it definitely tested the traction control, and my wife had a tight grip on the steering wheel on our first trip up! I was concerned about how weather might affect this drive; heavy rain could have made it tricky. Also if driving there via GPS - the GPS will say you have arrived well before the house, you have to follow the driveway on the right marked "105" up to the house.
The house itself is newly constructed with modern finishes. It is nicely decorated and furnished, very clean, and had most everything we needed. The back porch and view were the highlights. We used the hot tub one night and the fire pit another. The back porch table was great for family games, which the kids loved, especially playing Sushi Go Party.
One thing to note was the lack of additional sheets and clean blankets. The couch converted into a sleeping area, which is a nice feature that should be highlighted in the property description. My 10-year-old used this space to avoid sharing a bunk with her sister. Unfortunately, we couldn’t find another set of sheets for the couch, and the extra throws and blankets had a musty odor as if they hadn’t been washed for a while. My daughter made do, but this was a slight inconvenience.
We originally had a different property reserved that was more "cabin-y," but we needed to bring our dog along at the last minute. I appreciate that this property is pet-friendly. Our doodle, Tucker, found the house great as well. Adding retractable gates on the porch would be a nice feature to prevent pets or small children from wandering off.
Overall, I would give this house a 4.5 to 4.75 out of 5, deducting only for the challenging driveway and lack of clean sheets and blankets for the couch.