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    Smokey Shadows Lodge

    5.0 (20 reviews)
    Closed 8:00 am - 5:00 pm

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    Original owners at Smokey Shadows
    Jo J.

    Smokey Shadows was built in 1953 by Henry T. Stewart "Harry" using local labor along with some help from my dad. I don't know where anyone got that it's over 100 yrs old!!! It was his dream project. He and my grandmother Beth Stewart ran it for many years until his health was such that they no longer could. Plus my dad, who was now married to their daughter & living in SC, had given them 4 grandkids they wanted to spend time with. So they sold The Lodge and moved to Clemson. The last time I visited was in 2012 when Ginger & her husband were running it. Took my mom up for a visit since it had been quite some time since she had been there. But NO it is not over 100 years old!!! It is a beautiful place that my granddad built with love and attention to detail to stand the test of time!!!

    Sign to turn on road
    Jeff K.

    THE place to go off the grid, have a group retreat, church camp group or wedding venue!!! Have the right mind set: this is not just a great place to unwind, and unplug; BUT it is an experience staying in a 150 year old building that did not have electricity (originally) and will help you to slow down, simplify and relax. Probably the best valley view from the back porch in all of maggie valley!! (pic from the porch included) As far as 2020 COVID health stuff goes: they seem to be keeping it very clean and using masks / taking precautions appropriately. We rented out the place for our vow renewal (wedding party). Which is not that bad affordability wise. If you're looking for a rustic wedding backdrop, for 20-60 people and great view inside and out; this is it! They've got the perfect area for a dance floor and indoor ceremony, then a seperate dinning area, plus the back yard and deck where you can hear running water from a stream! Plus if you can be there on a cooking day, the meals are amazing. Apparently this is where "tomato pie" started. Or at least was made famous! I had one meal the and it was delicious southern comfort food that you could taste love in! This is also the perfect place to stay when skiing at Cataloochie; which is about a 5 minute drive further up the mountain. We went skiing one day and it was perfect.... You don't wanna have to go far when you're so soar afterwards! . It was about 10 minutes from the blue ridge parkway. Soco falls (which is worth seeing) in the Cherokee reserve was a about a 20 min drive. Water rock knob (an awesome place on the parkway with a 360 view and great sunsets is a 30 min or less drive. Verizon has excellent coverage up here. AT&T has adequate signal up ...and used my wifi hotspot on my phone easily. Well worth the stay. I only wish we could have stayed longer!

    Breakfast spread.

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    2 years ago

    Two stays and can not wait for our third and more. Staff is most accommodating, friendly, and the food is superb FIVE BIG STARS.

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    Ask the Community - Smokey Shadows Lodge

    Review Highlights - Smokey Shadows Lodge

    Once the Dinner Bell rang, it was inside to join another table of 4 (yep, family style) and the food parade started.

    Mentioned in 7 reviews

    Read more highlights

    The Swag

    The Swag

    (40 reviews)

    $$$$

    I remember telling my wife the last time we were here that if I could build my dream cabin-it would…read morebe the Balsam here at the lovely and cozy Swag. Two bathrooms, two steam showers, sauna, living room with fireplace, outdoor balcony with fireplace and shower, and it's right across the fence from our nations most popular park-Great Smokey Mountains National Park. We walked right out our door to hike. Nearby trials take you to waterfalls, waterwheels, and the spectacular panoramics from atop Gooseberry Knob or Hemphill Bald. We returned from one of our hikes just in time for the Swag's stellar bbq picnic. That leads nicely to the food and service which is as good as it comes-and frankly what you can expect from a Relais and Chateau. Tables with your names for breakfast and dinner, nightly bites during happy hour, and even lunches to go for your adventures. Which, for us even included horseback riding at the nearby stables. Naturally, they were waiting for us when our ride ended in one of their electric fleet of Volvos to whisk us back up the windy road into a vacation of our dreams!

    We have just enjoyed a wonderful fifth annual July visit to The Swag to celebrate our 56th wedding…read moreanniversary. The Swag is a premier lodge nestled on a mountainside in the Smoky Mountains high over Waynesville NC. It offers spectacular views, immediate access to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park by simply walking through a gap in the fence outside the main lodge, fine dining, pickleball courts, a spa, and a small gym and pool. An expert naturalist is often in residence and conducts a variety of activities, including organized hikes, talks about wildlife (bears, coyotes, bioluminescence and other interesting aspects of the natural world).  Other activities include a presentation on coffee making by their barista and wine tasting sessions. But if all you want to do is just have a wonderful place to  relax and enjoy being in the great outdoors, The Swag is one of the best places you can go. The Swag is a Relais and Chateaux resort so accommodations are excellent and range from a comfortable, well furnished bedroom for two to a cabin suitable for an entire family. À la carte breakfasts, packaged lunches (including backpacks and water bottles if needed), and four-course dinners are included in the daily rates. The lunch and dinner menus change daily, but dinner entree choices typically include beef, seafood, poultry and vegetarian options. On Wednesdays and Saturdays there is a mountain top lunch picnic with abundant food. Thursday evening is barbecue night. Food at The Swag is locally sourced and quality standards are exceptionally high.  Service at The Swag is truly exceptional. Every employee is focused on making sure all of your needs are met. The kitchen tries to accommodate any special requests. Much of the resort's clientele return year after year, and guests are automatically offered a return reservation for the same time and accommodation next year at the time of checkout. This is great for established clients and has allowed The Swag to build a large band of loyal followers, including us, but this does make it harder for first-timers to get a reservation for a time and accommodation they would like. My advice is just keep trying!  We got our first reservation after many tries when someone cancelled while we were on the phone with the lodge trying to get one. Tradition means a lot at The Swag, and that is a good thing. My only suggestion to them is to consider adding an à la carte section to the dinner menu as many other fine dining establishments do. It would give the kitchen more opportunity to try out dishes before adding them to the prix fixe choices and allow guests who may not want a full four course dinner every night an alternative. I realize that this would complicate the traditional pricing scheme, but that should be manageable.

    Smokey Shadows Lodge - bedbreakfast - Updated August 2026

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