A Nature Lover’s Paradise…
Within Easy Reach

Bearwallow Lodge at Whitewater Ridge

Where Dreams and Nature Meet

Welcome to Bearwallow Lodge — a home born of vision, built with care, and lived in with pride for more than 17 years.

Nestled within the pristine, gated community of Whitewater Ridge in Sapphire, North Carolina, this property is more than a second home. It is a living narrative of family, peace, and deep connection with the natural world.

We invite you to discover the past that shaped it, the present that sustains it, and the future it can make possible.

The Past: Building from a Dream

When we began our search for a second home, our goal was clear: to find a peaceful escape from city life in Atlanta that offered serenity, privacy, and natural grandeur. We explored popular areas like Cashiers, Lake Toxaway, and Sapphire, but nothing quite matched our vision. Every property we visited had a compromise — a house in sight, power lines cutting through the view, a lack of privacy. What we wanted simply didn’t exist.

So we created it.

We discovered Whitewater Ridge through a web listing that called it a "nature lover’s paradise." That phrase spoke to us. The gated community was young and mostly undeveloped then, offering spectacular lots surrounded by protected national forest. We chose a 5.44-acre parcel at 3,500 feet elevation with a commanding southfacing view over Lakes Jocassee, Keowee and Hartwell and the Carolina foothills.

No homes in sight. No power lines. Just layers of ridgelines, changing skies, and forested slopes.

Working with highly experienced Lake Toxaway builder Jimmy Fisher of Blue Ridge Builders, we designed a home that reflected our values: permanence, quality, comfort, and efficiency.

Inspired by the Arts and Crafts style, the house features painted interiors, clean white trim, and generous use of wood and stone. Every detail was chosen to blend seamlessly into the mountain landscape while providing a cozy yet elegant retreat.

We named it Bearwallow Lodge.

The lodge-style home was built for gatherings and quiet retreats alike. It needed to be flexible enough for a couple, but large enough to host extended family and friends.

We envisioned four large ensuite bedrooms, a chef’s kitchen that encourages connection, a lodge room centered around a towering stone fireplace, and a screened porch with a second wood-burning hearth. We added two bonus rooms — one ensuite, above the carport, another above the garage — and made sure everything we needed for everyday living was accessible from the main floor.

The solar-assisted radiant floor heating throughout the house was an early design decision. Even before solar was trendy, we understood its long-term value. The warmth underfoot on a cold winter morning, powered largely by the sun, is still one of our favorite features.

And then, of course, there’s the setting.

Every bedroom has a lake view. The lodge room, kitchen, and screened porch open out onto a large Brazilian Ipe deck with long-range vistas. You can sit in silence and watch the weather change, the hawks soar, the fog roll in and listen to the sounds of the Whitewater River just below. This home was always about more than shelter. It was about grounding ourselves in nature.

Bearwallow Lodge at Whitewater Ridge

The Present: Life at Bearwallow Lodge

Seventeen years later, our dream remains intact.

Bearwallow Lodge sits tucked within Whitewater Ridge, a private gated community surrounded by more than 10,000 acres of national forest. It offers a level of privacy and quiet that’s increasingly hard to find.

There are no homes in your view, no traffic sounds, no distractions. And yet, you’re only 25 minutes from Cashiers, 10-15 minutes from Lake Toxaway and Burlingame, and 40 minutes from Brevard. The Asheville airport is an hour away, the Greenville airport a mere 90 minutes.

The property itself includes:

•   • Four ensuite bedrooms with dramatic picture windows and total privacy

•   • An ensuite bonus room above the carport, accessible off the central upstairs hallway

•   • A main-level primary suite with door to the screened porch, a Mr. Steam shower, walk-in closet, and lake and forest views

•   • A spacious chef’s kitchen with custom cabinetry, pantry, island, breakfast bar, and French doors to the deck and screened porch

•   • A lodge room with cathedral ceilings and a massive stone fireplace

•   • A screened porch with its own fireplace allowing year-round use

•   • A finished lower level with a family/media room, gym, and woodburning stove. An Endless Pool can stay or be removed on request.

•   • Oversized garage + carport and workbench/shop space

•   • A second finished bonus room above the garage for office, guests, or hobbies

•   • Solar-assisted radiant floor heat throughout the main home

•   • Additional solar photovoltaic panels on the roof (3 kw output)

•   • Architectural asphalt roof (excellent condition), gutter covers

•   • High-efficiency Trane HVAC system for air conditioning and heating backup

•   • High-speed fiber internet from Comporium (up to 1,000 megabits)

•   • A winding paved driveway flanked by entrance pillars

In recent years, we have found the average electric bill is around $100/month. We use about 250 gallons of propane a year. It’s a home built for comfort, resilience, and ease.

And we’ve used it for everything:

•   • Hosting birthday parties with more than a dozen guests

•   • Morning coffee on the screened porch, deer grazing in the clearing and an occasional bear sighting

•   • Watching snow fall silently while warming by the fire

•   • Hikes to the Whitewater River’s trout fishing and dramatic waterfalls

•   • Stargazing and eclipse watching from the deck

This house holds memories of quiet moments and joyful ones. And while we built it as a second home, it always felt like a true home in nature.

The Community: Whitewater Ridge

Whitewater Ridge is a hidden gem.

With just 14 homes built and two more underway, it is an intimate and welcoming place. The neighbors are full- and part-time residents who value privacy, but also enjoy connection. We’ve shared many cookouts, cocktail hours, and community events over the years. The governing home owners association is always collegial.

What makes Whitewater Ridge special isn’t amenities like golf courses or pools. It’s what isn’t here:

•   • No commercial development

•   • No through traffic

•   • No bright lights at night

•   • No noise

Instead, we have:

•   • A 34-acre community-owned nature preserve with a covered pavilion

•   • Three hiking trails that lead to waterfalls and trout streams

•   • A community pond for fire safety

•   • A soon-to be state-certified water system, unlimited water included in the annual assessment

•   • An HOA with strong reserves, no special assessments and annual dues below the median for similar gated communities

And change is coming — in the best way. A half-mile gravel road to the neighborhood is on the state DOT’s list for paving, and three new bridges have recently been completed. This will ultimately reduce travel time to Cashiers by 10 minutes while preserving the seclusion of Whitewater Ridge.

Nearby amenities include:

•   • Burlingame Country Club (15 minutes, accepts outside members)

•   • McNeely’s Hardware and Dollar General for necessities (also 15 minutes)

•   • Lake Jocassee and Lake Toxaway within a short drive

•   • Restaurants, grocery stores, shops in Cashiers and Brevard

•   • Skiing in winter, whitewater rafting in summer, trout fishing yearround

Bearwallow Lodge at Whitewater Ridge

The Future: Your Story Begins Here

We chose Whitewater Ridge for its peace and quiet. We stayed for the people.

Now, Bearwallow Lodge is ready for its next chapter. Whether you are seeking a primary residence, a part-time retreat, or a multigenerational escape, this home offers:

•   • Flexibility in design and layout

•   • Exceptional efficiency and low costs

•   • Security and resilience in all seasons

•   • Connectivity, both online and in the community

•   • The ability to add a second dwelling on the property (allowed under covenants)

Most importantly, it offers permanence. The view will never be blocked. The forest will never be developed. The silence, the wildlife, the trails, the river — all protected.

We’ve loved this home. We’ve taken care of it. And we’re proud to offer it to someone who will appreciate it for what it is: a rare and remarkable place.

Bearwallow Lodge is more than a house. It’s a promise.

Welcome home.