Retriever Beach on the New River - West Jefferson

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Retriever Beach. The weather cooperated and we were able to enjoy putting our feet in the river. Great property for our 2 little doggies. My 85 year old parents were with us and they were able to safely walk across the flat yard to the river to watch us play. They also enjoyed sitting on the deck overlooking the beautiful view. I would highly recommend this property!

- Jenny , Posted: 04/05/2024

Lovely home with privacy and a well stocked kitchen and home. We will definitely stay here again!

- Mary , Posted: 01/19/2024

Great stay! Love this place. It's private and it's everything you want a mountain home to be. Beautiful surroundings and of course the river out front. The large windows make you feel like you're in the woods everywhere you look in the home. The interior of the home has so many places to relax and there is always a table to put your drink on. The dogs absolutely loved the space outside and in. The gas fireplace inside the home is breathtaking and perfect for those cool nights. We've rented numerous homes in the WJ area and this one was our favorite by far. One thing that cannot be mentioned enough is the location. You are deep in the woods and it's very private but only minutes from a large Ingles, Walmart, Garbage Center, BR Parkway and the town of West Jefferson. The location is absolutely perfect. It's a simple 10 minute drive to everything. The kitchen is great and entertaining in the home is a breeze. The kitchen has everything you need and more. My only suggestion for this place is a handrail or some sort of border on the back deck leading into the home from the parking area. At night that deck is a little sketchy for dogs and human. What an awesome stay and we will definitely be back. Everyone truly enjoyed themselves including the pups.

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Thank you for the rave review! We are thrilled to hear you enjoyed your stay at Retriever Beach. We will let the homeowners know about the railing for the back steps.

Stay Blue Ridge Management 

- Kenny , Posted: 11/30/2023

Beautiful, spacious home with plenty of room. Many activities just around the house, but the best part was the quiet time listening to the river. We would definitely go back and stay again!

- Ken , Posted: 11/18/2023

We absolutely loved our stay at Retriever Beach near West Jefferson. The home is beautiful! The furnishings are lovely and cozy. The kitchen is a chef's delight, all the kitchen equipment is top notch and a dream to work with. The front porch was wonderful to refresh after hours of fishing and playing on the river beach. We can't wait to make plans to return to Retriever Beach! Thank you for a great time!

- Mary , Posted: 10/09/2023

This is our stay at Retriever Beach. Wonderful house and layout.Always love staying at this house.

- Sandy , Posted: 09/05/2023

stove needed repair. Everything else very good.

- Thomas , Posted: 08/01/2023

We love the house and had a great time there. Being g pet friendly is so great and our teens love it too. Thanks for sharing your wonderful home.

- Thomas , Posted: 07/31/2023

From two year olds to grandparents this is a great family house and location. This is our second year staying here and the only place where we have spent more than one summer family vacation. Close proximity to West Jefferson and hiking trails, kayaking from the public river access to the beach right in front of the house, fly fishing, reading by the river, bird/groundhog/deer watching, a large porch, a kid friendly yard and privacy make this an ideal place to get away in the mountains. Ashley had the house as clean as any we have ever rented and the office staff is friendly and helpful.

- Joseph , Posted: 07/22/2023

We enjoyed our stay here. The house was very clean, comfortable and very well equipped. The proximity to the river is amazing and there is not much activity on this section of the river, so there is a lot of privacy as well. I would recommend this place to anyone looking for a great home away from home on the river. The only thing that would have made it better is a more comfortable mattress in the master bedroom. It was decent, but not great.

- Eric , Posted: 07/05/2023

This house is perfect for friends,family and pets. The house had everything thing you need including the peace and quite and the beautiful river. Thank for allowing us to enjoy your home.

- Sandy , Posted: 05/30/2023

This property is beautiful! The kitchen is so well stocked for meal preparation, which we appreciated while feeding our college sons! The only sounds on the porch are the river and the birds… absolutely wonderful to decompress after the semester. We loved it here, and hope to return! Thank you!

- Andrea , Posted: 05/20/2023

Perfect house for families and children!

- Sarah , Posted: 05/07/2023

This was our second stay at Retriever Beach and we enjoyed both visits. The house is very clean and well appointed. We had great weather and were able to fish and put our feet in the water...in April! We used the fire pit and sat out under the stars. The were able to hike on the Blue Ridge Parkway, visit West Jefferson, 2 state parks, and we drove to Banner Elk to ride the Alpine Coaster! It was a great trip and will definitely be back!

- Deedie , Posted: 04/28/2023

Our Second Stay, absolutely beautiful home, well stocked... We will stay again.

- Charles , Posted: 01/17/2023

What an amazing place! We've stayed in a lot of VRBO/air B&B places and this one was STELLAR! Every little detail was addressed - folded cozy blankets on the chairs, all light switches labeled, fully stocked kitchen with labels on drawers, comfortable beds. We struggled with the indoor fireplace but could occasionally get it lit. We had to buy a propane tank for the outdoor firepit on the porch bc it was empty. But other than that, there were no complications!

Thank you for the great review!  we are glad you enjoyed your stay!
We are getting the fireplace working better and a propane tank to be used on the outdoor firepit!
We look forward to you visiting us again!

Stay Blue Ridge Vacations
 

- Wendy , Posted: 10/07/2022

This house was amazing! So much more room than I imagined from the pictures. Kitchen incredibly well stocked. All light switches were labeled as well as many drawers. Soft Blankets and throws were thoughtfully left on chairs for our use. We struggled with the fireplace but got it on most of the times we tried. Beds were very comfortable. House was very solid and well made. Will definitely stay here again!

- Wendy , Posted: 10/02/2022

This is our 3 trip to this house and absolutely love it. Very well equipped house. We were up in May of 2022 when it rained the entire time and the river was up to the bank, but we didn't care and had a fabulous time. Most recently we were up in September and again, had a wonderful time. Good place to "decompress" and just listen to the river flow by. Great put in or out for kayaks. We will be back!

- Sandy , Posted: 09/21/2022

A great house in a quite place! We will be back soon! Stay Blue Ridge accommodated us and extended our 4 day stay 3 more night with no extra charges!!! Great company to rent through!

- Brian , Posted: 08/25/2022

We greatly enjoyed this property. It had everything we needed and was a great river side location.  

- Joseph , Posted: 07/24/2022

This is our go to for vacations. Easy river access for Kayaking, pet friendly and quiet. House has everything you need and more. It is close to town and very easy to get to. This place is even wonderful during a thunderstorm. Going back again! Will make this our annual trip.

- Sandy , Posted: 06/01/2022

A wonderful house for family, and a great yard for kids. We loved being able to walk right out the front door to the river!

- Sarah , Posted: 05/16/2022

The only thing we missed was the back porch fire pit was apparently out of propane as I could not get it to light but other then that we love this house and will be back in August we hope.

--Sorry that was missed Brian, please give us a call next time and we can get a delivery.  We look forward to seeing you again in August. 

- Brian , Posted: 05/03/2022

This was the most amazing house on the most amazing piece of the New River! There is every possible thing you could need at the home. We relaxed and enjoyed the porches while listening to the River rushing by. I can't wait to get back there soon!

- Karen , Posted: 04/17/2022

We absolutely loved the house!!! Had everything we needed and space for the kids to run! Our friends rented near by but our house was the house we had Christmas dinner at. Between both family there’s 6 kids and two dogs. They had so much fun skipping rocks in the river. The house was super clean. Every night we had a family of deer come by. If it wasn’t a 13 hour drive from home we would definitely come again.

- Yanie , Posted: 01/14/2022

This was our second time staying at this property we love it

- Donna , Posted: 12/13/2021

This is our 2nd time renting this property. We plan on staying here each year. Perfect in every way

- Melanie , Posted: 11/17/2021

This was our second time vacationing at this beautiful property. The house is gorgeous, the property is stunning, having the river in the back yard is great, we loved that we could bring the dog, the kitchen is nicely stocked and the house was so clean. The house just feels like a home and we can't wait to go back!

- Sarah , Posted: 11/08/2021

Wonderful stay

- Carl , Posted: 11/02/2021

We really enjoyed our stay at the cabin. Very clean and well-equipped. We enjoyed the outdoor firepit and some time at the gas fire pit on the back porch. Beautiful river. Beds were comfortable and the kitchen had everything we needed.

- Susan , Posted: 10/26/2021

House is beautiful and inviting! Exactly what we were looking for--very private and peaceful. We look forward to visiting again next year!

- Anonymous , Posted: 10/20/2021

Could not have asked for a more perfect house. Reviews did not do this place justice. Everything was set up perfectly. We are still talking about this place and our stay. The weather changed and turned cooler creating a wonderful pre fall vacation. You will want for nothing staying here. Thank you for the experience! We will be back.

- Sandy , Posted: 09/21/2021

House was very clean & beautiful!!! Loved the location!!! Had a peaceful & relaxing week. Plan to rent again next year!!!

- Helen , Posted: 09/16/2021

This place was awesome. Fulfilled all of our expectations. This house house has everything a person could need while on vacation. Will be back again.

- Sandy , Posted: 09/07/2021

Property is great. Lots of room for hanging out with family or friends. Perfect river front access.

- Jamie , Posted: 08/29/2021

We had a wonderful stay with our two Labrador retrievers. There were lots of walking trails around the property. The dogs had plenty of space to run around in the yard, and easy access to the river for swimming…… they would give this vacation high ratings for sure! The area was absolutely beautiful, as well as the home itself. We spent a lot of time on the large deck overlooking the river. There is a gate to keep the dogs on the deck when needed. We really enjoyed our time here!

- Julie , Posted: 08/23/2021

The perfect spot & the perfect house! 2nd time staying here & plan on getting again for next year

- Garry , Posted: 08/10/2021

It was hard to leave after an amazing week at Retriever Beach! The house was spotless, thoughtfully decorated, and the perfect size and layout for our group. The private “beach” is the best for sitting with chairs out in the river watching the world go by. We’ll definitely be back!!!

- Lisa , Posted: 07/26/2021

Property was everything that was described. Clean and very private. Enjoyed our time there.

- Christine , Posted: 07/16/2021

Great cabin in quiet neighborhood/area

- Renee , Posted: 07/01/2021

What an amazing property! Celebrated milestone birthday with friends and family. This house was everything we imagined and more. Spent the days in the amazing yard enjoying the beautiful view of the river and fishing. Thank you for sharing your home!

- Megan , Posted: 05/31/2021

My wife and I took our four kids (6, 5, 3, 1.5) to this property and it worked great for us! The oldest took the bunk room while the youngest were put in a room with a cot and pack and play (that we brought). Our first impression of the home was that the inside was much more spacious and well laid out than the pictures showed. It was very clean and had plenty of room for everyone to move around. The best part was the beach for the kids. There was about 100’ of shoreline that was easily to explore and wade around in, even for the littlest! Because the current is so swift in the middle and far side, we never went too deep, but the oldest loved floating from one end of the property to the other. Our only complaint was how cold the river water was, but what would you expect when we went in May. We had one small issue that was quickly addressed by the property management company. We will definitely rent this property again!

- David , Posted: 05/16/2021

I've seen other reviews on this property that said the photos are great but the reality is even better...and that's so true! The main living area of the house is so spacious with plenty of room for everyone to enjoy time together or some private time. Our group was 5 adults and 1 child. We were there for 3 nights, the first week of April. The weather was perfect. We even put our feet in the water and my son and grandson fished. My grandson caught the only fish! This was our first getaway in almost 2 years due to the pandemic and it was perfect! You will not regret booking this house. We will definitely be back again.

- Deedie , Posted: 05/06/2021

Great mountain home for much needed retreat with family. Very clean comfortable home with well stocked kitchen. Many peaceful places to relax and enjoy nature. Pet friendly back porch with gate was great feature for our dog.

- Pam , Posted: 04/22/2021

Review over at VRBO

- Jeff H from South Lyon, MI, Posted: 04/14/2021

This vacation rental, both the house and property, exceeded our expectations! The house is beautiful and cozy and was equipped with almost everything you'd need while on vacation. Waking up to the New River in the front yard was one of the highlights! We look forward to booking this rental again in the future!

- Anonymous from Huntington Station, NY, Posted: 02/09/2021

House was amazing, well stocked with all the amenities and much more. Very relaxing atmosphere

- Charles B from Fountain inn, SC, Posted: 01/20/2021

We had a very nice White Christmas and New Year Eve !, the house was beautiful. The kitchen had all the utensils needed and in good condition. The hone is nicely furnished. The only detail to have in consideration is the if you plan to go like we diid in winter the street in which the house is located in a dirty road, so there's no maintenance from the NC traffic department so the only way to exit the house is with 4WD cars or trucks.... we had to wait until the ice melted and rent a pick up truck. A place to come back, the river in the yard was beautiful and In summer seems that you can profit of water activities as well. We would like to come back in summer !!!

- Maria M from Weston, FL, Posted: 01/18/2021

We are so happy to hear you enjoyed your stay! Unfortunately, being in the mountains means there are a lot of gravel roads so we always recommend 4WD or AWD during the winter months just in case of snow. We hope to host you again soon!

- Stay Blue Ridge Vacations staff, Posted: 05/18/2021

From the moment we entered the house we knew we were in for a fantastic experience. The house was so clean and had everything we could ask for. The view and the sound of the river gave us a feeling of coming home and we immediately ran down to get our feet into the water.Our dog literally ran around the yard and jumped into the river, he was just as excited as we were to be there. Every evening we sat on the deck with the fire and enjoyed some much needed family time, it was the best. For half of our stay it rained(hurricane force rain)and we still loved being there, now our family is planning when we can return. To anyone wanting a perfect stay we would tell you to book Retriever Beach.

- Anonymous from Palmer, MA, Posted: 10/29/2020

We are thrilled to hear how much you enjoyed your stay! We look forward to hosting you again soon!

- Stay Blue Ridge Vacations staff, Posted: 05/18/2021

Well appointed, very private house directly on the New River was exactly what we were looking for. We toasted marshmallows over the porch firepit, kayaked on the river, went hiking on the parkway and sampled the donuts downtown. The cool mountain air and sounds of the river were so welcome. We would stay here again, and hope to do so.

- Anonymous from Chapel Hill, NC, Posted: 10/19/2020

This place is a charm. Plenty of place inside and outside, a beautiful view and easy access to the river, it was so pleasant.

They have a bunch of board games, tubes to enjoy the water(not sturdy but works), swings and hammocks, and few outdoor activities as well, you can satisfy everyone in your group :D

Because few of my friends are strict vegetarians we hesitated to use the oven and grill, as they were not cleaned properly but this wouldn't be a problem if you are not vegan/vegetarians.

This is not a complaint, just a piece of advice to future travelers:

So, The place where you can hang the hammock wasn't a good place, since it hangs just above the wooden log edge and has high chances of falling. It happened to us and one of my friends got injured. You might wanna be careful when using the hammock.

*** We would surely come back and definitely recommend this place..... :)

- Anusha Reddy G from Charlotte, NC, Posted: 10/19/2020

Everything was excellent

- Anonymous from North Myrtle Beach, SC, Posted: 10/03/2020

WONDERFUL!!

- Jeronia M from East Bend, NC, Posted: 07/27/2020

We had a wonderful, relaxing time at this mountain home. The house was beautifully decorated and so well maintained. We hope to visit again!

- Anonymous from East Bend, NC, Posted: 07/17/2020

House was really nice, was exceptionally clean when we arrived.....fire pit on deck and deck ceiling fans were really nice....access to river was easy and nice views from deck....

- Roger G from Bennettsville, SC, Posted: 07/08/2020

this was the best house we've ever rented. It had everything we needed. We were a group of 9 ranging from 13 to 69 and we all enjoyed our stay.

- Anonymous from WIRTZ, VA, Posted: 06/22/2020

I can't say enough about this beautiful home! It has enough room for our family of 5 to eat and lounge comfortably either inside or on the porch, where we stayed most of the time. We enjoyed their porch gas fire pit as well as the wood fire pit down in the yard. But the biggest advantage of this home is the gentle slope down to the river. We tied our tubes around rocks in the river and lounged with our feet dangling in the water. We "body surfed" down the river and we're able to easily walk out. The only disappointment was that the Elk Shoals Park down river was closed due to beach repairs so we couldn't tube down from the house. Since there is no public access up river we couldn't take advantage of this great location. I believe it's closed through June 22nd. The water temperature was great even in early June. Our dogs loved cooling off and then napping on the bank in the sun. It's a very private lot and only saw a handful of neighbors over the course of the week. The home is decorated beautifully with extra care given to the bathrooms. I will be booking again for sure!!

- Sheri R from Rock Hill, SC, Posted: 06/17/2020

My family and I enjoyed the river front property. It has a nice yard for kids and pets. The living area is open and spacious for big families. The property is clean and has most equipment you need for cooking. The fire pit is great for night time. I would highly recommend this property!

- Victoria C from Summerfield, NC, Posted: 06/02/2020

The house is simply amazing and very clean. If you're an outdoors person this house is for you and if you're not it's still for you. It has a fully stocked kitchen and comfy beds. We didn't want to leave and have already booked another stay.
Thanks

- Quannice T from Rock Hill, SC, Posted: 01/14/2020

Thanksgiving with family

- Anonymous from Harrisburg, NC, Posted: 12/17/2019

Overall the experience in the NC Highlands was fantastic. Fishing was non-existent owing the to dry spell leading up to our visit. But there are great hiking opportunities and we took the time to explore the area on foot.

The house itself was very well maintained. The house was spotless and the staff even did nice folds on the towels. A really nice touch. All was described accurately in the rental description. To our surprise the kitchen was very well stocked! Having experience in such rentals we brought a fair amount of kitchen utensils for cooking. Did not need them at all. It was a great set up.

Getting in to the property was fairly easy but a couple of downed trees forced a detour that led to some confusion at night. Map apps on the phone can be misleading with the most direct way in not preferred. But once you got in the location was right on the river. It rained of course and the river rose quite a bit, but not out of its banks. It does look like flooding may be a problem on the lot at times though.

Overall a really good time and will visit again.

- Matthew K from HIllsborough, NC, Posted: 10/30/2019

The perfect house for us ladies! We loved the house, the yard and the river!! It was so comfortable and relaxing!

- Anonymous from China Grove, NC, Posted: 10/16/2019

pictures and description extremely accurate.
extremely clean and very well maintained
THANK YOU FOR A GREAT VACATION!!!!

- Anonymous from North Myrtle Beach, SC, Posted: 09/04/2019

Thank you very much for taking the time to tell us about your visit to Retriever Beach. We are very pleased to hear that you enjoyed your vacation. We hope you will return very soon! Thank you for choosing Retriever Beach and Stay Blue Ridge!

- Stay Blue Ridge Vacations staff, Posted: 05/18/2021

This place is perfect for relaxing with family and friends. The house is spacious and set up for people to eat together, play games, socialize, or even spend time doing quiet activities alone.

- Zachary B from Browns Summit, NC, Posted: 08/23/2019

We have vacationed with friends in this area three times now, and this house was by far the best one we've stayed in. It is very well appointed, but the best part is the proximity to the river, the lovely, flat backyard, and the ease of getting back and forth to West Jefferson. This place is a gem, and we intend to come back!

- Anonymous from Charlottesville, VA, Posted: 08/20/2019

We had a total of eight people & my dog for a week on vacation in the mountains. The house was better than the pictures showed. Everything was beautiful, updated & clean! The kitchen was very well equipped. The yard was very big with a easy walk to the river. It was cool at night & in the mornings so we made good use of the fireplace & the fire pit on the porch. We put up humming bird feeders & had many birds come to them, this was very relaxing sitting on the porch watching the birds & the river. The management staff was very responsive to our needs. We will are already planning to go back to Retriever Beach!

- Ellen N from Saint Pauls, NC, Posted: 08/04/2019

Wonderful

- Lianne W from Makanda, IL, Posted: 07/12/2019

This was our favorite location to date on the New River. The water was so relaxing to listen to, and we had tons of privacy! Kayaking here was especially peaceful, and we saw wildlife every time we went on the water. The shoreline is the best we've found for putting in with a kayak as well.
Pictures do not do this property full justice. It is much roomier than you think and everything inside is in terrific condition. Be sure to follow the driving directions from the rental company. One of our folks followed their GPS and had a rougher entry to the property than we did. We definitely plan to book this property again. It's fantastic!!

- Cheri S from Shallotte, NC, Posted: 07/06/2019

This is a really nice house in a great location. I don't think the pictures do justice to how nice of a house and location it is. We loved the yard and made fires in the fire pit everyday. We tubed and canoed down the new river and ended up right at our front yard. There is a little beach on the river which was perfect for kids to play in. The dog with us loved exploring the area. The house itself is really nice and high quality inside. Kitchen is new and well stocked, rooms are very nice and plenty of space. The house seemed to be very new and clean.
The property management company did a pretty good job and fixed a couple of issues we found when we arrived. There was a problem with the outdoor shower which was not fixed by the time we left but they had apparently tried to get a plumber out to fix it.
A few other notes:
- The canoes / kayaks are not included in the rental due to liability concerns from the rental company, so you'll have to bring your own or rent them.
- There were 4 tubes at the house which we used on the river. We had to inflate some of them before using them.
- The house does have cornhole and several board games.
- There are several collapsible outdoor chairs which to use in the yard included with the house.

- David M from Charlottesville, VA, Posted: 06/01/2019

Exceeded our expectations inside and out. Everything was included. The deck, view, and river were so relaxing. Mid-May had perfect weather, but maybe a little too early for trout.

- Fred D from Advance, NC, Posted: 05/21/2019

We all had a wonderful time, met all our expectations. A very beautiful house and location!

- Anonymous from Winston Salem, NC, Posted: 05/11/2019

Great clean home!

- Richard B from raeford, NC, Posted: 01/09/2019

Excellent location on the river and wonderful property. We will definitely plan to stay here again.

- Deidra P from Durham, NC, Posted: 11/28/2018

So glad we choose this property, it is a beautiful, clean and relaxing place. The house is well stocked, they had everything we could have needed. You can sit by several indoor/outdoor fire pits. Sitting by the river sounds was so relaxing. If you have children they will love this place as well. Looking forward to coming back in the summer. The rental agent I worked with was wonderful lady! Thank you for sharing your property for those looking to escape the city.

- Katy S from Charlotte, NC, Posted: 11/13/2018

My family and I could not have enjoyed our stay more. Everything in the home was extremely clean and the location on the river was great! We plan to return soon.

- Justin H from Waxhaw, NC, Posted: 10/30/2018

Went with my adult sons and 4 grandchildren. Plenty of room. Great location. Kids enjoyed easy access to river, yard to play in, amenities. Kitchen fully stocked so did not need to go anywhere else to eat. Utilized gas fire pit and fireplace, charcoal grill and outdoor fire pit. House nicely furnished with everything you need including river towels.

- Anonymous from Winston-Salem, NC, Posted: 09/06/2018

Retriever Beach is a fantastic rental, easy walk to the New River, well appointed house. Very clean, had almost everything we needed, even perfect weather. 4 Adults and 2 teens and we had plenty of room to spread out and relax. The deck is awesome, my favorite was sitting there reading while listening to the New River go by. A great place to get away from it all!

- Anonymous from Raleigh, NC, Posted: 07/24/2018

Thank you for the wonderful review. Retriever Beach is quickly becoming a top vacation rental destination!

- Stay Blue Ridge Vacations staff, Posted: 05/18/2021

Our week at Retriever Beach was spectacular! From the time we walked in the front door, we felt like we were staying in someone's personal home. Very comfortable, inviting and had everything we could ask for. Lots of room for us to spread out and great common areas for us to come together. The covered deck was our favorite place to hang out and play family games. And spending the days in the river were the best! We will be back.

- Anonymous from Greensboro, NC, Posted: 07/12/2018

Thank you for the great review! We look forward to hosting you and your family again soon.

- Stay Blue Ridge Vacations staff, Posted: 05/18/2021

We will be back
Great layout and well equipped home! We enjoyed the porch and listening to the river. The home was very spacious and comfortable for all our needs.

- Anonymous U , Posted: