Cabin

The Backyard Bear 🐻

Photo gallery for The Backyard Bear 🐻

A peaceful, private cabin in the mountains.
Quiet, calming mornings on the porch.
A large, spacious yard and parking area.
Porch rocking with the family.
Our spacious foyer with ample storage for coats, shoes, and bags.

Reviews

10 out of 10
Exceptional
4 bedrooms2 bathroomsSleeps 8123.1 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Parking available
  • Dryer
  • Air conditioning
  • Washer
  • Fireplace
  • Barbecue grill

Explore the area

Map
Gatlinburg, TN
  • Anakeesta
    ‪8 min drive‬
  • Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies
    ‪8 min drive‬
  • Wild Bear Falls Indoor Water Park
    ‪10 min drive‬
  • Gatlinburg, TN (GKT-Gatlinburg - Pigeon Forge)
    ‪26 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

4 bedrooms (sleeps 8)

Bedroom 1

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 2

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 3

2 Single Beds and 2 Child Beds

Living Room

1 Double Futon

2 bathrooms

Bathroom 1

Toilet · Shower only

Bathroom 2

Toilet · Shower only

Spaces

Deck or patio
Porch or lanai
Kitchen
Separate dining area
Garden

About this property

The Backyard Bear 🐻

"The Backyard Bear" Cabin offers seclusion just a few minutes from every attraction. It feels like you're on your own private mountain! We hear from guests that this is the perfect spot to get some relaxing quality time with the family, and couldn't agree more. Come and stay with us. You'll see. It's a completely different experience from staying in a condo or hotel on the strip. And unlike so many other cabins, you'll have complete privacy!

When you step outside on the porch with your morning coffee, the first thing you'll notice is how quiet it is—except for the sounds of nature. Our cabin has been made to feel like your mountain home away from home, and offers a large space for backyard fun with fire pit, seating, and more. Located right at the start of the Arts & Crafts loop.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Please be aware that there is a STEEP driveway to get up to the cabin (but trust us, the peace & quiet is worth it). You're in a mountain town and it's going to feel like it, so embrace the experience! :) Once at the top, there is a large flat backyard and parking area that can accommodate 3 cars. While it's not necessary to have 4-wheel-drive to get up the driveway, low clearance vehicles are not recommended. There is not space at the bottom to park. Please message us if you have any concerns about the driveway. We're happy to chat about it.

Our cabin is 3br, 2ba, with a large dining room, fully equipped kitchen, and open entertaining area with wood-burning fireplace. Each bathroom was remodeled recently has a shower and storage space. The living room and all bedrooms have TVs with Roku for streaming (Disney+, Netflix, Prime are included—no need to login), and the cabin is equipped with high speed wireless internet, plus a landline phone. All bedrooms have extra blankets and pillows available. There is a selection of board games, DVDs, and books in the living room chest. You'll find no shortage of extra blankets, pillows, and towels.

Gather inside to play some games, or make a fire in the outdoor fire pit and roast some marshmallows. We have outdoor games like cornhole, big jenga, and bocce available. We think the backyard is what really makes this cabin so much fun.

The cabin is ridiculously close to all the attractions. It is situated right on the Arts & Crafts Trail, which is an 8-mile loop of hundreds of local artists. It's our favorite way to spend a day. Beyond that, it's just 8 minutes to downtown Gatlinburg, 12 mins to the entrance of Great Smoky Mountain National Park, 25 minutes to Pigeon Forge and Dollywood, and so much more. You're going to love this location.

Property manager

Jessica Nalbone
Premier Host

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Amenities

Kitchen
Washer
Dryer
Free WiFi
Air conditioning
Outdoor space

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House Rules

Check in after 4:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 23
Check out before 10:00 AM
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Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17
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Events

No events allowed
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Pets

No pets allowed
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Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has indicated that there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a first aid kit and a deadlock

About the area

Gatlinburg

Located in Gatlinburg, this cabin is in a rural area and near theme parks. The area's natural beauty can be seen at Great Smoky Mountains National Park and The Ripken Experience - Pigeon Forge, while Dolly Parton's Stampede Dinner Attraction and Titanic Museum are cultural highlights. Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies and Anakeesta are not to be missed. Make sure you get close to the area's animals with activities such as game walks and birdwatching.
Map
Gatlinburg, TN

What's nearby

  • Anakeesta - 8 min drive - 5.6 km
  • Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies - 8 min drive - 5.7 km
  • SkyPark - 9 min drive - 6.2 km
  • Gatlinburg Convention Center - 9 min drive - 6.3 km
  • Wild Bear Falls Indoor Water Park - 10 min drive - 7.5 km

Getting around

  • Alcoa - Knoxville Airport (TYS) - 73 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪McDonald's - ‬14 min walk
  • ‪Gatlinburg Brewing Company - ‬8 min drive
  • ‪Chesapeake's Seafood and Raw Bar - ‬8 min drive
  • ‪Three Jimmy's - ‬11 min walk
  • ‪Domino's Pizza - ‬4 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is The Backyard Bear 🐻 pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

What time is check-in at The Backyard Bear 🐻?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at The Backyard Bear 🐻?

Checkout is at 10:00 AM.

Where is The Backyard Bear 🐻 located?

Situated in the mountains, this cabin is within 3 miles (5 km) of Rocky Top Sports World, Chapel at Honeymoon Hills and Salt and Pepper Shaker Museum. Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies and Great Smoky Mountains National Park are also within 6 miles (10 km).

Reviews

10

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 10 out of 11 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 1 out of 11 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 11 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 11 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 11 reviews

10/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

9.4/10

Communication

9.6/10

Location

9.8/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Jimmy H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Backyard Bear

Family of five, location was excellent and very clean. Comfortable and easy on us. Difinitly request this again.
Stayed 5 nights in Nov 2024

10/10 Excellent

Courtney S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

HUGHLY RECOMMEND!!!

We absolutely loved this little cabin. It held my family of 5 and my mom and dad. Our favorite was the fire pit and yard! The inside is very clean and welcoming. The driveway is a bit intimidating the first drive up but it's actually really fun to do so don't let that stop you from making your reservation. It's very close to everything but secluded and quiet. Will definitely rent again the next time we come to the Smokies!
Stayed 6 nights in Oct 2024

10/10 Excellent

Debbie B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Relaxing warm by the fire stay

Our family of 5 enjoyed relaxing, cooking, playing games, staying warm by the fireplace and watching movies during our week long stay at this cabin that was so clean and felt like home. This cabin is located just a couple of miles from Fannie Farkle’s so it is in the woods but still close to all the activities of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. We will definitely stay at this cabin again.
Stayed 7 nights in Nov 2023

10/10 Excellent

Megan C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great memories!

We stayed for a week and had the best time! The cabin was clean, cozy, roomy, and the best location! Close enough to town to quickly get places but still felt like we were in the mountains! We saw several bears around the cabin-they seem to use the pole at the top of the driveway as a scratching post/back scratcher! The cabin was clean and well stocked! We loved the spacious porch and the fire area! Hostess was wonderful and quick to respond to messages! Would highly recommend!
Stayed 6 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Nancy U.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Gatlinburg getaway

Very clean, close to town. Saw bears! Hosts were responsive to all requests. Had a power outage while at cabin and hosts were on it immediately. Went white water rafting, took a drive to Cherokee, and went to Dollywood. Very busy 4 days. Would stay longer next time.
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2024

8/10 Good

Kim S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Leaves

We enjoyed the house. The driveway was daunting.
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

Sharon B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, location
Disliked: Communication

Very clean nice cabin and everything worked

My sisters and I (all of us over 65) loved this cabin. But the driveway is a BOOGER!!!! Never made it up in one try, one night it took us six tries to get up it. That was a nightmare! Because we had already seen a BIG BEAR at the bottom of the driveway. We were driving a Chevy Traverse so we were not expecting problems with the driveway.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2024

10/10 Excellent

Cynthia C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Happy Renter

The property was beautiful, clean and even better than photos. We only had one issue and it was the refrigerator not getting cold, I reached out to the owner and they contacted maintenance but we were there on a long holiday weekend so nothing could be fixed due to parts not be able to be obtained. The owners did all they could in the situation and even compensated us some for loss of food, which was appreciated. I would definitely recommend and/or stay at this property in the future. The driveway is interesting but once you go up and down a couple times it is not big deal and should not stop you from enjoying this beautiful home! Thank you for hosting us and for all of your assistance leading up to and during our stay!
Stayed 4 nights in Nov 2024

10/10 Excellent

Toni H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

AMAZING!

This was just the perfect spot for the 5 of us.
Stayed 7 nights in Oct 2021

10/10 Excellent

Greg S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wonderful property

The hosts were very responsive and the property was exactly as described! Everything was excellent! Would highly recommend!
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2021

10/10 Excellent

Gloria D.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Lovely cabin close to Gatlinburg TN

We were very pleased with the cabin and how close it was to downtown, a few short minutes away from the trolley and many restaurants and grocery stores...a beautiful quaint quiet setting with lovely decor.
Stayed 6 nights in Aug 2021

About the host

Hosted by Jessica Nalbone

Host profile image
Hey, I'm Jessica. My husband and I live in Nashville, TN, and we have a six-year-old son. We bought "The Backyard Bear" cabin in 2021 because we love the mountains (especially the Smokies!) and wanted a place to escape as a family. We're excited to share our home away from home with you, too!

Why they chose this property

It is rare to find a place so close to everything and also so incredibly secluded. You'll hear us say our cabin is quiet, but you almost kind of have to experience it to understand. You can't hear any noise from traffic, no cookie cutter cabins disrupting your view, and nothing but the sounds of nature in a private setting. We do share the mountain with some beautiful wildlife (yes, bears!), and enjoy rocking on the front porch while taking it all in. There's a huge, flat yard for outdoor hangs, and an open, inviting space for nights when you feel like staying in. It just feels like "home".

What makes this property unique

The cabin is located in the Arts & Crafts District and is within 7-8 minutes of downtown Gatlinburg, so you're close to excitement while still having a quiet place to escape. But we think the Arts & Crafts District is one of the best-kept secrets of Gatlinburg. It's a place where you can really get to know the locals, and support local businesses. We highly recommend you spend a low-key day driving the loop and popping into each little gallery along the way. There are so many artists in the area and you may end up finding something special to bring home with you. We'll also let you in on a secret: the best restaurants are in the Arts & Crafts District. We highly recommend The Rampant Lion or the Fox & Parrot Tavern as family-friendly options. The British/Irish menus are terrific and both are owned by a friendly husband/wife duo who will treat you like family. A little further down the road, our favorite place to go for a nice family dinner is The Peddler Steakhouse. It's always so good and they have really reasonable prices for kids meals.

Premier Host

They consistently provide great experiences for their guests