Bear Lake Reserve

Incredible! I was so glad we stumbled across this stunning Lake Club! The views and Lake are beyond gorgeous. My ten year old and I spent 4 days here hiking, fishing, swimming, playing ping pong, family movie night, great meals in the dining room, rented a pontoon boat/tubing and on and on……Michaela, who ran the kids activities, is phenomenal. My son asked “Will she be back next summer”? The Food and Beverage Manager was incredible, friendly, and seemed to do everything. Each and every staff member was wonderful, so personable and made our visit event better. Hidden gem for sure!

My husband and I visited Bear Lake from Sept. 26-29, 2024, to attend a wedding. First, let me say the entire property is so well maintained, picturesque, and provides top notch amenities. Tragically, hurricane Helene barreled through Western NC that weekend causing major damage. The road into the Reserve was completely flooded. Roads were blocked with dozens of trees, power was out, phone/internet communication was non-existent. No one could enter or leave until Sunday, which meant NONE of the vendors for the wedding could deliver; no band, no photographer, no florist, etc. My faith in humanity was restored however when the managing director, limited staff, and the residents made magic happen and they graciously provided their time and talents to make sure the bride, groom, family, and guests could sit down to a beautiful rehearsal dinner, wedding, and wedding reception. Residents tended the bar, the chef worked magic with supplies on hand, an activities director volunteered as the photographer. The staff on hand worked exceptionally hard moving catering supplies from one location to another. I could go on and on about the kindness and care they provided. What could have a nightmare, literally became the most beautiful experience. My faith in humanity was restored! If you are looking for venue for an event in gorgeous mountains of NC, I highly recommend Bear Lake Reserve and Castle Lady Hawk.

Our family (two sons ages 23 & 26 plus girlfriend) took advantage and thoroughly enjoyed the Lake Club dining, swimming pool, gym, lake beach, and gorgeous views. We rented a boat and hiked up to a magnificent waterfall, took out paddle boards, tubed, and did the stunning sunset cruise. We also did one of the longer hikes up the mountain and golfed on the amazing course surrounded by gorgeous mountain views. The air was so crisp and delightful coming from Florida. While the roads were winding and unfortunately the Lake Club restaurant services with disappointingly slow, we loved our vacation and have fallen in love with the area. The restaurant staff are very friendly and we couldn't figure out why our meals took so long to come out. Sadly, two of the three meals were cold when we were finally served. One dinner was our son's birthday dinner : ( . Other than the meals we loved Bear Lake Reserve!

Beautiful place to get away. Quiet, serene, and an incredible 9 hole golf course. The only drawback is the restaurant. The food at the poolside bar is solid and well priced, however the service could have been better. The restaurant couldn’t get our steaks right, as they weren’t prepared the way we asked and were served cold. Other than the restaurant, Bear Lake Reserve is ideal.

Amazing location, luxurious amenities, the cabins/houses are very luxurious and fully stocked, staff was all super friendly and helpful. The only reason I can't give it five stars is because the dinner at the Lake House was the singular, worst dining experience of my entire 40 year life. Other than that, everything else was perfect, it's the ultimate mountain lake vacation experience.