Cabin (Alcoa 2)

The cabin sleeps up to six guests. The beds are 1 King Bed, 1 Double Bed and 1 Queen Sofa Bed, so it suits two couples plus two more guests, or a family or group travelling together. The mattresses are pillowtop and the bedding is premium.

The cabin has a private bathroom with a shower/bathtub combination, designer toiletries, fresh towels and a hair dryer.

Tapoco Lodge Resort sits on 120 acres of woodland along the Cheoah River in Nantahala National Forest, about 1 mile from Cheoah Dam. The cabin is soundproofed and the property is far from town traffic, which makes it a calm base. The lodge is roughly 15 miles from Robbinsville.

Expect air conditioning, a TV with digital channels, a coffee/tea maker and complimentary bottled water. There is also a desk, an iron and ironing board, and free WiFi that needs no password and works well across the property. Housekeeping is daily. Cell service in the surrounding mountains is limited once you leave the lodge.

With three beds and room for six, it works well for families and small groups. Well-behaved children are welcome on the property. Children 12 and under cannot stay in the historic lodge rooms, but that rule applies to the main building, not the cabins. Children under 12 are not permitted in hot tubs at any time.

The lodge has two restaurants. The Cheoah Dining Room serves breakfast daily from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., with limited terrace seating over the river. The casual, riverside Tapoco Tavern serves pub fare such as burgers, brick-oven pizza and local Carolina Mountain trout, with hours of 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Reservations are recommended at (828) 498-2800. The Laurel Lounge off the lobby is a cozy bar that is popular in winter, when the seasonal Tavern is closed.

On the property you can use 22 miles of hiking trails, fish, kayak, bike and play tennis or pickleball. There is also a game room, a library, firepits and the Tapoco Tin Can Theater, which shows movies on most Friday nights. The Tail of the Dragon start at Deals Gap is less than three miles away, and Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest is about 13.5 miles away. The Cheoah River in front of the lodge has scheduled whitewater releases for rafting and kayaking.

Check-in runs from 4 PM to 10 PM. The front desk is staffed from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM and there is no after-hours check-in. Check-out is before 10:00 AM. Bring a photo ID and a credit card. A $50 damage deposit is collected on arrival and reimbursed within 7 days of check-out. The booking guest must be at least 21.

The nearest airport is McGhee Tyson (TYS) near Knoxville, about 76–83 minutes by car. Asheville Regional Airport is roughly 1.5–2 hours away. Parking is free, and the lodge is popular with motorcycle and sports-car travellers.

The lodge is especially lovely during fall foliage and spring wildflower season. Robbinsville is most pleasant in May, June and September. Summers are warm and humid, with July highs averaging 83°F. Winters are very cold, and the area is one of North Carolina's wetter places.