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James is a Star Host
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Romantic
Recent Hipcampers say this Hipcamp is romantic.
James landed on the property in 2009, built a small barn and milked 3 cows for 3 years. Then, started planting trees,gardening the hillsides. He married in 2015 and has three Daughters with Sofi, originally from Sweden.
Together they manage a botanically interesting hobby hill farm and are happy to host travelers and seekers in their cabins. Hilltop was a joint project that James built in 2012 with a talented woodworker and friend in 6 months of saturday for less than $5k. We have maintained the original vibe of the place, rustic simplicity and elegance a notch or two above glamping, well-described by the zen koan, "chop wood, carry water" Orchard House was built entirely by James from the block up to the roof, averaging 1 hour/day for 3 years or 1,000 hours.
Some of the Hilltop photos are a bit dated, we have a more private outhouse behind the cabin, and have made a few improvements here and there. Reach out anytime for any reason ! We really like hosting and nearly everyone enjoys their stay.
My wife and I had a great Valentine’s weekend away at the Hilltop Cabin. Beautiful views in multiple directions, right from the front porch. Mastering the wood burning stove for cooking breakfast, lunch, and dinner made the experience even more enjoyable. You can always use the hot plate if you prefer…
We had rain both days so we spent the whole weekend in the cabin. Felt like home. Comfortable recliner space to read a book upstairs or just sit and listen to the birds.
James even went in before us and turned on the heater to warm the place for us. Never had a cold moment.
Great spot! Couldn’t recommend more.
What you read doesn't describe the uniquness of the cabin, the scenic view or quietness of this location. This is a great time which I would encourage anyone to visit. They don't get much better than this. James is a wonderful gracious host!
We loved our stay at Raven Ridge!! The cabin was charming and cozy. The Turkish wood stove is such a lovely feature! There is an outhouse steps behind the cabin…it was very clean and well kept. Raven Ridge is adjacent to a wellness retreat which looked very intriguing and we plan to check out on another visit. The location was great….we drove back and forth from mars hill a few times for snow tubing and hiking the Appalachian Trail at Sam’s Gap…it was maybe 20 minutes from the cabin to exit 3, then we made it to Asheville from the cabin in about 30 minutes. The most surprising thing was how warm the cabin was considering it was in the 20s & 30s during our stay!! All from a space heater downstairs!! It shows how well the cabin is built as we have stayed in glamping cabins that are drafty and impossible to keep warm. The hosts were very responsive to messages and checked on us to make sure we settled in and had everything we needed. I highly recommend staying at Raven Ridge!!
My boyfriend, doggies and I enjoyed our Christmas vacation on the hilltop tiny cabin. We were snuggled inside cooking and being warned by the wood burning stove on colder days. But, our sunny ones were spent outside painting, hiking, and staring out into the mountain views.
This place was so wonderful! Super warm and cozy even in January snow! Lovely to spend a day exploring around the property (the cliffs are beautiful!) and come back to cook a delicious meal. This spot has everything to offer, excited to be back soon!
Incredible, relaxing, welcoming! Already planning my next visit. The Orchard House was equipped with everything needed for a comfortable stay. We slept so well on the quiet property. The wood stove kept us warm, and we even slept with the windows cracked on an mild December night. We loved the tub upstairs, the selection of books in the house, even the nice touch of incense in the outhouse. The kitchen was well stocked with utensils and spices needed for a meal. We loved brewing moka pot coffee, sitting on the on the porch and exploring the beautiful cliffs near the cabin. We felt so relaxed, and could definitely feel the love and care put into building the cabin. I can’t wait to come back!
Location
Marshall, Madison, North Carolina, United StatesTraditional, ancestral territory of ᏣᎳᎫᏪᏘᏱ Tsalaguwetiyi (Cherokee, East), S’atsoyaha (Yuchi), and Miccosukee First Nations according to