Clarksville, Virginia
Note: This small cottage is secluded and OFF-GRID. Solar power is dependent on sunlight.
“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practise resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms.”
― Henry David Thoreau, Walden: Or, Life in the Woods
Welcome to Soudan Cottage. This modern, off-grid retreat combines private and secluded lake access featuring a state-of-the-art dock, two coves and a large pine forest teeming with natural visual beauty and wildlife. Ten minutes from the charming, lakeside town of Clarksville, VA, and a 90 minute drive from Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill, NC, the cottage is ideal for a short sabbatical, a romantic weekend, or an outdoorsman's getaway. Best suited for one or two people. If you'd like more time to read, talk, think and relax; if you cherish a brisk walk in the woods or a cool dip in a placid lake; if you seek a night sky full of stars and the sound of crickets, then you've found the right place. Soudan Cottage might be best understood by what it isn't. It isn't a place stocked with television sets, video games, telephones, stereos and computers. You can bring those things if you need them, but otherwise you'll have just the basics here, and maybe a little lower blood pressure.
The eco-friendly cottage, constructed in 2013 by contractor Steve Storm, mixes contemporary design and amenities with antique furnishings and Americana charm. Every inch of the 700 square feet is efficiently utilized with nothing wasted. Soudan Cottage was sited and designed with sustainability and a simpler, more relaxed existence in mind. Solar panels cover the southern roof line and store energy in hand made battery lockers. Ceramic tile floors throughout the downstairs kitchen, bath, and sitting area provide natural cooling in warm weather. Pine flooring in the upstairs bedroom/study offers comfort year round. In winter months, two wall mounted propane heaters -one in the bathroom- warm the entire cabin efficiently. A new air conditioning system was installed in 2018 which can be run during the day but may drain the batteries overnight. A backup generator can provide power if the sun is insufficient. It was situated to take advantage of prevailing summer breezes aided minimally by small fans. Cool night air can be circulated through the cottage's 13 windows via the upstairs ceiling fan.
The kitchen minimizes waste with an energy efficient refrigerator, and a propane powered oven and range.
Kitchen and bathroom water flows through a natural gravity system featuring a 100-gallon tank in the nearby pump house. An easy-to-read energy monitor in the kitchen displays how much solar power is stored, and how much is being transferred, so that usage can be managed smartly according to the time of day and the current weather conditions. The cottage utilizes a modern septic system and deep well.
The property, which includes 300+ acres of pine and mixed forest and more than 1000 feet of secluded shoreline access on Buggs Island Lake (Kerr Lake), is one of the largest lake forest tracts in the mid-atlantic region of the United States. Located five miles from the Lake Country regional airport in Mecklenburg County, VA, you can be casting a line into the renowned tournament fishing waters of Kerr Lake within minutes of landing. Hunters will find deer, turkey, rabbit, and other game abundant in the private forest and the adjoining Corp of Engineers easement land. And nature lovers in need of a respite from the city will enjoy seemingly endless natural trails ideal for hiking, cycling, or bird watching.
Come to the woods, 21st century style.
My husband, two daughters and I had a great time staying at the cottage and especially enjoyed star gazing on the dock. This is a special place!
This cottage is exactly as listed. Small but cozy. It was fun and interesting to figure out the solar power system. Reading other reviews was very helpful because I brought all my own - towels, bedding, 1 pot , a pan, etc. The dock /lake was awesome and we went swimming everyday - my recommendation to the owner is to supply a ladder for the dock to get out .... Walking to the shoreline even in water shoes - I didn't think was a great idea. Overall it was a nice getaway and the owner was easy to work with and very nice.
We had a great stay at this little cottage! The solar power poses a bit of a challenge. There is a split system airconditioner but don't run it because you will be out of battery power in a matter of minutes. Open all the windows for a great breeze. We were very comfortable! The dock is amazing and we spent most of our time fishing. There is no ladder off of the dock and if you want to swim you have to wade in from the shore which caused me great anxiety because I could not see what I was stepping on or running into underwater! Ours dogs loved swimming whenever they wanted! Kitchen ameitiies were very sparse. Bring your meals ready to cook to put in the oven. There was one pot and one frying pan. The coffee maker was sort of ridiculous. You have to steep your morning coffee like you steep tea. Ok for me,only I drink coffee. The martinis on the deck were memorable. Over all this was a great little place to stay. Just a couple steps up from camping. Come prepared.
We had a wonderful time at the Soudan cottage. It was very cozy for two people but room for 1 or 2 others.. The fire pit was very nice. There was wood to use and tools to cut it. The kitchen was well stocked and user friendly. .it was cloudy a few days but we still had had plenty of power. We explored the area..there were a lot of people fishing..we didn't see any wildlife we were expecting. .. It is definitely for the ones who like being disconnected. Cells phones don't work well in this area either..You have to have your own entertainment in the eve. It was an enjoyable experience.
I took my best friend here to have a quiet weekend away to celebrate her 50th birthday. We absolutely loved it. Very peaceful yet close to Clarksville for food and shopping. My only tip is to bring a nightlight to plug in so you can find your way to the bathroom at night without sucking up a lot of your solar energy.
Absolutely loved the little cottage in the woods. It was a cold and rainy weekend so made good use of the toasty wall mounted heaters and beautiful large fire pit outdoors. We figured out the power monitoring board, then had fun keeping an eye on how we were doing. We ended up using our ice chest for the food, but had plenty of power for water in the bathroom and for quick showers both days. The cottage was clean, the bed is comfortable, and the small living room is a nice place to relax. If you plan to do much cooking, bring pots with you. We found one small saucepan with no lid and a small skillet with much of the coating scraped off. Other than that the place was very well stocked with plenty of dishes, cups, and paper products. It is a short walk down to the edge of the lake and a short drive into the town of Clarksville. Next time we will definitely take the kayaks. Staying there reminded me of camping, only much, much nicer and more comfortable. It was wonderful.
This cabin is very special to me! I stayed here with the man I love for a few days, and it was absolutely perfect. It rained the whole time we were there but the cabin was still a wonderful place to be! We didn't have any internet or cell service and I have never felt so connected to anyone before in my life. We were completely alone together. We never ran out of power or hot water. The kitchen was a lot of fun to cook in, and the room upstairs was so cozy! Everything is so clean. It's only a short walk through the woods to the lake, and a short drive into town where there are some cute little restaurants. The owners were so kind to us. My man was leaving for deployment and we wanted to find somewhere to get away, last minute. The owners generously opened up the cabin to us even though it's closed through the winter. They walked us through turning on the power (even though it was pretty simple and clearly described in the arrival packet lol). We felt very safe and at home here. I would go back a thousand times! The memories we made at this place will stay with me forever. This is perfect for a romantic getaway! I think a girl's weekend at the cabin would be really fun too. This is where you go when you want to let go of the rest of the World for a while!
This is a nice little cottage in a lovely setting. We learned a lot about solar power during our 2-day visit in the midst of November's constant cloud cover. The owner's instructions and tips helped us manage quite well. Pluses for this property are comfortable furnishings, nice décor, dock, water access, helpful owner, and a wonderful fire pit outdoors. The only drawback for us kayakers was that the water is quite a ways from the driveway, so we dragged the boats down the long path through the woods to put in. Taking out and pulling the boats back up the hill (in a rain shower) was a bit of a challenge---we would love to have a shorter path to the water, or a pulley system to pull them back up the hill! :) We had two good paddles around the coves; very enjoyable water, calm, with a little bird-watching to boot. We'd definitely like to return---in sunny weather next time!!
We had a great time on our weekend trip staying at this house. The house was very nice, although small (not meant for more than 2 people), and we did not have any issues with not having enough power/water. The lake access was great for our dogs and they enjoyed having the land to run around on. It was very secluded and private, which was nice. We enjoyed hiking at a local state park and eating at a few of the restaurants in town. They also added a fire pit, which I believe someone had commented on them not having one before. It's very well done! We did not have any supplies for it, since we didn't know there was one. Also wanted to add that the owner was very nice. We were originally scheduled to stay during the weekend that a hurricane blew through, and he was gracious enough to let us reschedule to another weekend. You wouldn't get that kind of service from a hotel!
My wife and I spent two nights and really enjoyed our stay. A comfortable and quiet experience with a great view of a beautiful lake, we highly recommend watching the sunrise from the dock. No problems with power or water and the first day we arrived it was raining. For things to do stop by the Chamber of Commerce located in nearby Clarksville where the staff was really nice and even pointed us to the Bed Bath & Curtain Outlet located 7 miles away for some quality sheets at a great price instead of going to Walmart. We would also recommend the Lamplighter restaurant located in Clarksville and be sure to get the catfish bites. If you need cell service Stand on the porch and you can get 4G, inside the cottage 3G is the norm and allows texts just fine, but one of the nicest things about the whole trip was the lack of modern distractions and just spending some good quality time together talking, laughing and relaxing. We would definitely recommend it to anyone!
Your dates are Available!
Total
Includes taxes and fees