The following information is provided to help you plan for a relaxing and enjoyable stay with us. If you have any questions or concerns that are not covered here, please give our friendly agents a call at (606) 663-0005 or email us. We’ll be more than happy to help you plan for the perfect Kentucky Rockies mountain getaway.
Location & Terrain
The 10 cabins in Birch Hollow are on 300 secluded, heavily-wooded acres that provide the ultimate in privacy. Each cabin has its own unique view of the surrounding area – whether mountains, amazing rock formations, a creek, waterfalls, the catch and release pond, an abundance of wildlife, or an interesting variety of trees.
We have 4-5 miles of private road for your hiking and exploring adventure. Roads are a mixture of blacktop, gravel and dirt, with steep inclines to several cabins and a few steep driveways. A new hiking area called Dale Hollow Trail offers two great hiking options available only to our guests, without having to leave the Hollow at all! Download our hiking map here.
Adventurous hikers can attempt the steep hike to the top of the Ridge to see several outcroppings of rocks on top. The view overlooking all of Birch Hollow is spectacular and well worth the hike!
Several times throughout the year, our developer Dale Smith will be at the cabins and will be delighted to take interested guests on a guided hiking tour throughout the Hollow, pointing out interesting landmarks like the 150-year-old chimneys where houses once stood, unusual trees native to the area, and lots that are being prepared to sell when a new pond and dam are built. Ask Dale to tell you the story about the bootlegger named Aunt Bee who used to live where Brookside cabin is now located! If you would like to know whether Dale will be available during your upcoming stay at one of our cabins, feel free to call him at the office at 606-663-0005.
We highly recommend four-wheel drive vehicles for easy navigation, especially during the winter months, but all cabins are accessible by two-wheel drive vehicles. Six cabins are located halfway up the mountain, on gravel roads, which makes them inaccessible for motorcycles. Four cabins in the lower portion of the Hollow are on paved roads for easy access, even for motorcycles: Brookside, Sundance, Lakewood, and Snuggle Inn. If you intend to ride a motorcycle, be sure to book one of those four cabins.
Cabins
Our deluxe mountain homes are owned by private individuals who take great pride in the attention to detail and quality workmanship of their properties, as this is how we attract good customers like you.
Each cabin is cleaned and maintained by a dedicated staff to make your stay as enjoyable as possible. As our guest, you are responsible for taking care of the cabin, furnishings, and grounds as if this were your own “home away from home”, and for leaving the cabin as you found it, so the next guests can enjoy it just as much as you did. You are also responsible for the behavior of your guests.
A few specific tasks that are expected of each guest prior to departure are explained in the rental agreement, along with details of our overall rental policies. When our policies are not followed by our guests, we must charge for negligence and/or damages. We hope you understand our commitment to keeping our cabins the premiere accommodations in the area.
You can print the complete rental agreement, which you will be required to sign at check-in or to email prior to your arrival, by clicking here. Please review it carefully before you arrive, and call us if you have any questions. If you do not initial and sign the rental agreement and return it to us at check in or by email, it is assumed that you have read it and agree to its terms.
What is Provided For Our Guests
Our cabins are completely furnished, including satellite TVs, DVD players, charcoal or gas (Lakewood only) grills, washers and dryers. Every cabin has a gas or electric fireplace inside and a porch/deck and fire pit area outside. (Lakewood cabin has its own wood-burning fireplace on the deck instead of a fire pit.)
Kitchens are fully equipped with stove, refrigerator, dishwasher, microwave and coffee maker, as well as basic cookware, dishes, glasses (including wine glasses), mugs, and utensils. We provide all bed linens, dish towels, and a bath towel, hand towel, and washcloth for each registered guest.
Your cabin will have a basic supply of paper towels, toilet paper, trash bags, hand soap, dish washing detergent, and dishwasher tablets more than sufficient for a typical 2-3 day stay for the number of guests in your party. If you will be staying with us longer than 2-3 days, we will leave additional paper goods, plus we will check with you after the 3rd day to see if you need more paper goods or anything else, such as more firewood. You will also be provided laundry and bleach tablets to start a load of towels before you leave, as specified in the rental agreement. For the convenience of guests who may want to launder other items, we leave additional detergent tablets, as well.
Each cabin has an iron and a small ironing board.
Please be aware that we do not provide hair dryers, so be sure to pack one if you will need it.
Suggested Items to Bring
Since all cabins have a complete kitchen, be sure to bring your favorite food and cooking items, plus bath soap/shower gel, shampoo, personal toiletries, DVDs, games, books, camera, matches for the fire pit, and bug spray. Also, bring your favorite beverage of choice, as Powell County residents recently voted to go "Wet", and it will take awhile for the local businesses to get their licenses and start offering beer, wine, and other alcohol, after being a "Dry" county for many years.
Each cabin has an iron and a small ironing board. Please be aware that we do not provide hair dryers, so be sure to pack one if you will need it.
Depending on the season, the length of your stay, the number of guests in your party, and your choice of activities, you may also want to bring sunscreen, bathing suits, beach towels or other extra towels, binoculars, hiking boots, flashlight, jackets, sweaters, coats, gloves, snow shoes, and hats.
If you have more than 6 people in your party, or you are staying more than 3 days, you may choose to bring along extra basic supplies (paper towels, dishwasher tablets, laundry detergent, etc.), although we do our best to provide plenty of the basic paper and cleaning supplies. The closest grocery store is Kroger in Stanton, KY, about 10 miles west of your cabin. Kroger stores are also located in Winchester to the west or Mt. Sterling to the east.
For your convenience, a sample grocery list is provided here to make sure you don’t forget some important food or personal items, based on input from our many guests over the years. You may want to pack some of these items and bring them with you from home.
Check-In/Check-Out Times and Procedures
Check-in is after 4:00 PM and check-out is before 11:00 AM. It is extremely important for guests to adhere to these times in order to give our cleaning staff enough time to thoroughly prepare each cabin inside and outside for our incoming guests, to determine if departing guests left personal items behind, and to make any emergency unanticipated repairs as the cabins turn over. To request early check-in and/or late check-out for an additional $25, call the office directly at 606.663.0005.
You will receive an email from our new management company StayOverNow 5 days prior to your arrival date. It will provide the lock box code to your cabin, the wifi password (which is also located in your cabin on the refrigerator and on the cabin notebook cover), and any last-minute instructions. 1-2 days prior to your arrival, you will receive a personal phone call from StayOverNow to make sure you received the email, and have all your questions answered. During this phone call, you can pre-order and pay for firewood to be delivered to your cabin in a location to keep it dry. Our new managers will also be happy to help you plan for your relaxing or adventurous stay in Birch Hollow – so have your questions ready and expect that phone call. If you do not receive the email or the phone call, contact StayOverNow directly at 606.268.8787.
Tasks you need to complete prior to departure are posted on the refrigerator in the cabin. Be sure to return your key to the lock box before leaving.
Cancellation Policy
Please contact us as soon as possible if your plans change and you must cancel or re-schedule your stay. We will work with you to re-schedule your dates if you have an unexpected change of plans. There are no refunds 30 days or less prior to the arrival date, and if 31 or more days prior to arrival, the deposit will be forfeited. No refunds are permitted due to sudden inclement winter weather – but come anyway and get snowed in with us! We will accommodate late checkouts if roads are hazardous on your departure day.
Please be aware that no refunds are permitted for cancellations on holiday weekends, which include New Year’s weekend, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
Our Rates and Fees - and What's Unique About Birch Hollow
Effective with bookings on or after October 1, 2019:
- $75 Cleaning and maintenance fee - the same excellent service we have provided for years and will continue to provide
- High-speed internet service is available in every cabin
- Satellite TV is available to every guest in every cabin
We are very proud to continue to offer our guests a truly unique experience they can get only at Birch Hollow, plus new adventures await our guests in the choice of two hiking trails within the Hollow itself and guided tours several times during the year at no cost when our general manager Dale Smith is at the cabins - to add even more value to your getaway with loved ones and friends.
We know our guests appreciate and enjoy all the special features of a getaway in our deluxe mountain homes in Birch Hollow - features you just can't find anywhere else in the area.
No Smoking Policy
Smoking is prohibited in ALL cabins! Smokers may smoke outside or on the outside decks, where ashtrays are provided, but please be courteous and respectful of our properties and properly dispose of cigarette butts in the trash container. Do not flick cigarette butts off the decks or drop them on the grounds, as fires are a constant danger in this area.
As stated in the rental agreement, evidence of smoking inside the cabin will result in additional charges for cleaning and odor removal, as many of our guests are allergic to or sensitive to the smell of smoke.
Pet Policy
Six of our 10 owners have strict no-pet policies, as many guests have pet allergies or sensitivity to pet odors or pet fur. Four of our cabins (Sundance, Mane Stay, Mountain Spirit and Woodsman) allow pets for an upfront non-refundable $100 pet fee per stay, with a limit of two pets.
Pets must be crated if left in the cabin unattended. If evidence of pets is found in any of these four pet-friendly cabins after guests have departed, and no upfront pet fees were paid at the time of booking, additional charges will be assessed to cover these fees.
Guests who bring pets into any of the other six cabins, which have a strict no-pet policy, are subject to immediate eviction with no refund, plus additional charges to cover cleaning and complete deodorizing of the cabin, per the rental agreement.
Cell Phone, TV and Internet Service
All cabins have cell phone boosters, but please be aware that cell phone service may be weak or intermittent, due to the mountainous area and heavy forest. Cell phone reception is usually best on decks or in the cabins with the highest points. You will have good cell phone reception when driving into Slade or Stanton. However, since the Internet is now available at all cabins, you can get great cell service via Wi-Fi calling, if your smartphone has this feature.
In response to numerous requests from our guests, AT&T Internet is provided in all cabins to provide access to high-speed Internet for all of our guests. Internet access enables you to check e-mail, surf the Internet, download music/games, have great cell service, or do just about anything except download movies.
Occasionally, satellite service will be poor, due to weather conditions or other circumstances beyond our control. We suggest you bring DVDs and games to enjoy, in case your TV service is interrupted.
Housekeeping/Maintenance
Your cabin is carefully cleaned and checked especially for you prior to your arrival after 4:00 PM for check-in. If you have any housekeeping or maintenance issues, please report them to our staff by 6:00 PM for same-day service. Issues reported after 6:00 PM will be handled promptly the following day.
Occasionally, malfunctions of the satellite TV, appliances, hot tubs or gas fireplaces will occur. While we make every effort to resolve problems, no repair is guaranteed, and mechanical failures will not guarantee a refund. It is our mission to make your stay as comfortable and trouble-free as possible.
Please be aware that on rare occasions during our busiest season, when cabins turnover very quickly, your hot tub may not be warm until later in the evening, especially if it had to be drained.
Critters and Insects
All cabins are routinely treated for pest control, but please be aware that you are in the forest, and we have invaded the habitat of insects and animals native to the area. Chances are, you will see spiders, wasps, ladybugs, wood roaches, and carpenter bees, and many more. You may also encounter deer, wild turkey, bobcats, raccoons, squirrels, and a variety of birds and owls.
Do not feed or approach wildlife or leave food out at night – otherwise, you may have uninvited guests at your cabin! Please be aware that this is snake country, so take extra care to wear heavy boots and thick jeans on your hiking adventures.
For Your Protection
The maximum number of guests per cabin varies from cabin to cabin and is posted on the individual cabin page on this website. This restriction is imposed by the State Fire Marshall for your safety. Fires are allowed only in designated fire pit areas (or in the outside wood-burning fireplace at Lakewood cabin).
Kentucky state law prohibits transporting firewood across state and county lines, to prevent the transfer of wood-destroying insects and disease. You may purchase firewood and have it delivered to your cabin for $30, payable prior to arrival. Each cabin has a designated place for delivery to keep the wood dry. Just call or text StayOverNow at 606-663-0005 to make arrangements for firewood no later than the day prior to your arrival, as delivery must be scheduled with our crew in advance.
No ATV, dirt bikes or 4-wheeling is permitted on the properties. Firearms and fireworks are strictly prohibited.
Download the Rental Agreement here.
