A Tucked-Away Tiny Home in Pisgah National Forest Makes for a Quiet Retreat

In March, I babysat for my niece and nephews in South Carolina then drove up to Brevard, North Carolina to finish yet another round of edits in the place that inspired my book. First, I was just going to stay a night or two, so I booked a spot on the main stretch where I could walk to restaurants.

Sometimes, however, working looks like typing on a couch all day—just in a different place—so when I decided to linger a little longer (hey!), I wanted quiet, easy, lower overhead.

As a travel writer, I am picky about my aesthetic. If I'm spending money and it's not just a pass-through, I would like a spot that feels like a treat. But I'm nearly always solo traveling, and dial down my freelance journalism workload when working on my debut novel MOUNTAIN SOUNDS, so I don't want to spend a lot. (Relatedly, there is a—now exposed to be illegal—Airbnb I stayed at in Amsterdam that still gives me shivers to think about.) Nowadays, I'm more inclined towards a hotel.

So I scrolled through a bunch of listings. I considered what I needed. Space—not really. Outdoor space? Yes please.

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I'd previously stayed at this cabin in Hendersonville, which I also love. Normally when in WNC, I'll drive to and from Asheville, or to and from Brevard, so that was a great in-between. This time, I wanted to be hunkered down. In Brevard, but not really exploring.

Some of the places in question:

• a wishlist stay—an Art Deco-style boutique hotel in downtown Asheville
• the downtown apartment—I absolutely daydreamed of living here, and would be great with a group
• the Hendersonville cabin—panoramic views and a firepit—a little pricier but worthwhile!
• another tiny house I eyed—another time for sure

Like all Airbnbs, it's hard to give exact price averages because they can fluctuate by season. For Brevard and the surrounding area, that tends to look like summers and leaf-peeping season!

About Tiny Blue

Where it is.

I landed on Tiny Blue, a tiny home near Brevard. The owner used to live in it and then eventually moved it to a friend's property up in the hills. (The road to get up there is very curly.) Did I go down a rabbit hole about the possibility of doing a longer stint in a tiny home? You bet. I'm really fine living in a small place as long as I have an outdoor escape.

Some notes!

From Brevard, you pretty much hop on the highway to Asheville and then take a left. Your winding mountain road to the top is about seven minutes of groceries rattling in the backseat, then you yank a right up a dirt road and land in a gravel patch with two tiny homes. The other is occasionally used—the owners live in it part-time and Airbnb it for the rest.

There's not much of a view other than a thicket of trees, but you can see the soft blue mountains (and the trees are pretty.) It's more about the seclusion and the quiet; you can hear the birds twittering constantly, which is a part of the region that I'd missed. And the sunrises are gorgeous.

What's in the Airbnb?

Tiny Blue pretty much has everything you need—including a washing machine and dryer, which is impressive for the space. Their major quirk is that they pride themselves on this outdoor space. It has a little couch, an outdoor tub (the spot is so private that you're not particularly worried about being peeped, although there is a privacy curtain), and outdoor shower—my personal favorite feature to look for in any sort of cabin, although I do occasionally stalk listings for a hot tub.

The cabin's inside is basically a long living area, with a bed loft up some stairs. When you enter, there's a desk nook to your right (which was great), a bench seat ahead (where I camped out most of the time), and then the kitchen area and bathroom to your left. It was all great.

The decor is very Airbnb-ish, but in a clean and bright way: plants, blues, framed reminders.

Main living area

The listing itself has the details—kitchen goods, toiletries, etc. so I won't repeat them entirely. Some of the choices are great, like Native body wash and local Pisgah coffee. Apparently, there's also a French press although I didn't use it. (I'm not normally the type to care about which brands a hotel or Airbnb stocks, but I am a product reviewer, so I notice when they put in a little extra effort here.) Bathrobes, air conditioning and heating, self check-in. There were some puzzles and games in the drawers, a couple of books, a guest book.

The bed!

Whenever I'm stuck in a particularly work-y stage of life, I love basically feeling outside when I'm inside. If I'm cooped up, I want natural light and to be able to step out to the porch. So I loved the amount of windows, the skylight, and being able to shift outside so easily. It was a perfect space if you're a little resentful about WFH. The television was light enough I just stuck it downstairs while I was there.

The tub!

The bathroom!

The indoor bathroom was also shockingly nice for a tiny home. So much storage, and again, touches like micellar water and face sunscreen. Another tub and shower situation!

After landing in this Airbnb, I cooked for myself both nights. I had a little bit of trouble figuring out the gas stove, but the hosts were super helpful when I messaged them with questions. My one snag here wasn't their fault, but they were super thoughtful about helping; the carbon monoxide alarm went off in the middle of the night, I'm deeply careful about that kind of thing, and so I had to call the fire department to come check the levels. The readings were totally fine and it was just an alarm freakout. Still, because I'd never used a stove like that—better safe than sorry. (Turns out that Transylvania County emergency services are really nice, but I felt for the fire truck having to twine up that driveway.) Totally just a fluke, but anyone who's never used a stove like that before in a camper van or similar might need to look up a how-to. Tiny Blue has a binder with recs, instructions for the stove and tub, etc. but I just needed to see it visually.

I went once into town for dinner once I was here, and it really is just 10-15 minutes and about three turns. One afternoon after writing all day, I drove into Pisgah National Forest for a hike to Fryingpan Tower—one of my favorites, because it's easy and the views are fantastic! I left about a day before Dolly's Dairy Bar opened for the season—a Camp Illahee staple. C'est tragique, and I'll be back to do line edits at some point.

Even in winter, it's a nice view.

Checkout was reasonable and easy. Strip the sheets and the duvet, stuff into the laundry bag, dishes done and set to dry or put up. Heat/AC off. Tasks like that. Tiny Blue even left postcards and stickers to take, which was an adorable touch.

Overall Thoughts

Tiny Blue was a great option if you want a serene home base or privacy. Probably best for one or two people. The tiny home feels relaxed but well-stocked. I paid roughly $185/night for it and stayed for three nights, which felt perfect. It was originally two, but I tacked on another. It was fantastic for a writing (or reading) retreat for others in a similar boat.

At my desk, all day.

the exterior