MOUNTAIN MAMA VACATION HOMES
PROPERTY DESCRIPTION
Picture yourself inside the screened porch next to a roaring fire, watching the kids play down by the lake shore. Or pack some snacks and hike from your front door to the Appalachian Trail for 100-mile views of the Shenandoah Valley. If you want to explore farther, Shenandoah River access is 7 min away, historic Harpers Ferry is 20 min away, and Virginia wine country is just next door. This lake house has something for everyone!
We are committed to Rent Responsibly standards. This means we follow best-in-class guidelines to ensure you have a peaceful, safe and memorable stay with us. We care a lot about maintaining good relationships with our community, so we appreciate you following these "house rules" during your stay.
LODGING AGREEMENT: The guest booking the property must digitally sign a lodging agreement immediately following the reservation. The most important terms of the agreement are included below, and the guest may cancel a booking penalty free within 24 hours. If the lodging agreement is not completed within 24 hours then the reservation will be cancelled. The agreement will be sent via text message, so please be sure your phone number is correct before booking.
AGE 30 OR OLDER TO BOOK: The guest booking the property must be 30 years of age or older. We reserve the right to request a photo or scan of a government-issued photo ID. The guest who books must stay at the property--you may not book for others if you do not intend to stay at the property.
QUIET HOURS START AT 10 PM: Our property's quiet hours of 10 pm to 6 am are required by county ordinance and enforced by local police. If the police respond to a noise complaint, every individual on the property may face a misdemeanor criminal charge and be subject to a fine by the county of $300. Failure to abide by the county noise ordinance will result in the immediate termination of the stay without refund.
Past noise complaints have always come from groups of 20-somethings. If you are booking for a group of people in their twenties and you think your group may want to play loud music at any time then do not book this property or cancel your reservation if you have already booked. Find another place for your trip so you do not have your trip terminated early and without refund.
NOISE MONITORING AND SECURITY CAMERA: We use devices that measure volume levels throughout the property (like a smoke detector but for noise) and allow us to respond to noise nuisances before the police are called. The devices are triggered primarily by sustained periods of loud music, not things like loud talking or laughter (which is encouraged!). The devices do not record audio and are 100% privacy compliant. We also have a security camera that records the front door and driveway. This allows us to facilitate remote check in and monitor the property between guests.
ACCIDENT FORGIVENESS: Every stay is backed by our accident forgiveness program. Guests will not be held responsible for damage caused during their stay (up to a maximum of $1,500) if 1) the damage is accidental, and 2) the damage is reported as soon as possible, and by no later than the check out time.
POSSIBLE BACKGROUND CHECK: We reserve the right to use a third-party to verify the guest's identity and check criminal databases to finalize the reservation. Complete terms regarding the guest verification are provided in the lodging agreement, and can be provided sooner upon request.
NO MUSIC OUTDOORS: This is a quiet, family-friendly lake community, not a place to party. Residents and guests alike come here to relax amid the peace and quiet of the lake. Because of this, and because sound carries so easily across the lake, we do not allow guests to play any music outdoors. Other reasonable noise, from children playing outside, for example, is no problem.
NO PETS: No exceptions, sorry. Please don't ask whether we can allow your perfectly house-trained, hypoallergenic labradoodle to join because we can't :-)
REMOTE LOCATION: Please be aware that this cabin is a good 20 min drive from the nearest full-service grocery store. If you're looking for seclusion, this is it! But if you prefer being close to store then this may not be the place for you.
SNOW-INS: During the winter, four wheel drive, snow tires/chains, and a car with good clearance are HIGHLY recommended in the event of a snow storm or heavy rain, as there is a good chance that a significant snow storm could restrict access in and out of the house. You need to use good judgement as to whether to cancel a trip before it begins or leave the house early.
BUGS: This is a lake house in the woods--that means there are lots of bugs, especially in the summertime. Even if you are careful some of those bugs will find their way into the house. The best way to minimize the number of bugs inside is to keep doors and windows closed at all times. Please also carefully clean up the kitchen every night and securely package up all food.
WOOD STOVE: You are encouraged to use the wood stove in the porch as long as you do so carefully! Always keep the spark screen drawn unless you are actively putting logs inside the stove. The stove can get very hot, so be sure to keep small children away whenever a fire is burning. We do not guarantee there will be wood or fire starter there, so please plan to bring your own.
NO INDOOR FIREPLACE: There is a gas fireplace in the living room next to the TV, but it does not work. There are no indoor fireplaces.
SLOW WIFI: High speed wifi is not available in this area, unfortunately. Wifi speeds are typically 8-12 Mbps, enough to browse the web, email, and stream one video at a time. Guests may have difficulty videoconferencing.
POOR CELL SERVICE: Cell service at and near the property is not good. AT&T seems to have a slightly better connection than Verizon, but no carrier has good service in this area. Enabling wifi calling makes it possible to take calls from the house, but the wifi is not very strong either (see above).
NO SMOKING: Smoking is never allowed inside the house. You may smoke outside as long as you clean up after yourself. You may not litter cigarette butts on the deck, in the yard, or anywhere else--butts must go in the trash after they have cooled off.
SHEETS: At the end of your stay you will be asked to strip the sheets off the beds that were used and leave the sheets on top of the beds.
NO GARAGE OR BASEMENT: The garage and the basement will not be available to guests and will be locked during your stay.
UPSTAIRS A/C: The upstairs can get hot in the summertime and doesn't cool as well as the rest of the house (though it does have A/C ducts). The upstairs includes the loft game room, bedrooms #4 and #5, and a full bathroom.
LAKE EXPECTATIONS: This is a rather small lake, and some guests might actually call it a pond (please review the aerial photos in the listing to get an idea for the size of the lake). Please also be aware that it has all the usual trappings of a lake such as mud and lake weed. It's not like swimming in a pool!
WAIVER OF LIABILITY FOR USE OF THE LAKE: By using the lake you agree to follow all house rules associated with it and you release the owner of the property from all liability relating to injuries that may occur while using the lake, regardless of whether injuries are caused by negligence.
SEPTIC SYSTEM: This house has a septic system. Grease and oil must never be allowed down any of the sink drains. Feminine hygiene products must be thrown away in a trash can and not flushed down a toilet. Never flush solid trash down the toilet or into a sink drain.
NO FIREWORKS: Fireworks are not allowed.
NO FIREARMS: Guests may not bring firearms or ammunition inside the house.
NO ILLEGAL DRUGS: Guests may not possess or consume any illegal drugs on the property, including cannabis.
ABOUT MOUNTAIN MAMA VACATION HOMES
Mountain Mama is a professional vacation rental company in the Harpers Ferry area. This is not just a side-gig for us--this is our full-time job! Rest assured that you are in the hands of professionals and will receive unmatched service. We are on mission to help family and close friends spend unplugged time together creating memories they will treasure. Harpers Ferry is a still-hidden gem and we can't wait to share it with you!
DRIVING DISTANCES
Harpers Ferry (town and national park) - 25 min
River Riders - 25 min
Harpers Ferry Brewing & Adventure Center - 25 min
Loudoun County vineyards - 20 min
Charles Town - 15 min
Mountain Lake Club - 5 min
Keys Gap (A.T. access point) - 15 min
Washington, DC - 1 hr 20 min
Baltimore - 1 hr 25 min
Dulles Airport - 55 min
BEDROOM LAYOUT
Bedroom #1: King bed on first floor
Bedroom #2: Queen bed on first floor
Bedroom #3: Two twin beds on the first floor
Bedroom #4: Queen bed on second floor
Bedroom #5: Two twin beds on second floor, with pull-out trundle beds under each bed
