Black Bear Lodge at gorgeous Lake Jocassee

The check is process is cut and dry. They provide a gate code and a key box code for home access. Overall me and my wife had a great stay and enjoyed spending time on lake jocassee. The lake is truly a gem. 4 stars because we had an amazing and the location is incredible. But……. We feel the property is a little misrepresented. The cleaner must have forgotten to clean under the upstairs bed. As there was old clothes, bugs, and balls of dust in the master. The property is NOT in the condition that the photos show. The back porch, deck, stairs, and dock need some attention. Multiple boards were rotting and soft. Some of the staircase handrails were loose and the balusters on the back porch were completely rotten in sections and falling apart. The roof and gutters were completely covered with debris and overflowed into a mess when it rained on Friday. The outdoor cooking grill in the listing was not present.The listing photos clearly show a green roof pergola and table for hanging out in the shade by the waterside which was not present. We had planned lunch by the lake but decided not due to no cover. The dock is missing multiple tie cleats and the vertical rub rails are in poor condition. If you plan on docking a boat you have to get creative with your dock lines. I am not writing this as a “bad” review. But we feel there should be an immediate correction to the listing AND updated photos need to be provided. Being mislead is untrustworthy.

Worked out great!

I wanted to write a review and say that This lake is one of the best in the United States. The waterfalls, jumping rocks, islands and cove beaches are hard to beat. And Jocassee only has 60 homes on it, most of which aren’t rentals. The rest of it is state parks. So you have to go into your stay at this lodge understanding that the HIKE to the bottom is tough for someone older (possibly impossible) or not in shape/disabled. I would NOT recommend this with small kids- I would have cried if I had kids I had to carry. And there’s no way to get down to the lake any other way. We rented a boat for 4 days and the dock is minimal, VERY old but gets the job done (we prayed the post didn’t snap and our boat float off). I feel like the property advertises what it is well and that is all you can ask for. And the communication with the property manager was wonderful. If you go into this wanting a wiFi free week, no restaurants or groceries nearby, and are ok with a hike (that has motivational signs-which we loved) then you’ll love it. But this is rustic, very very rustic. Also the lake views are minimal behind trees. None of which is anything more than just the way that Jocassee is. The house itself is a cabin/lodge, which is how it’s advertised. So no complaints there from us.

Lake Jocasee is beautiful. The house was very nice but the description of the hike to get to the dock wasn't exactly what I expected. I think we counted over 150 steps and like 5-6 landings. Two of us only went down to the dock once. One couldn't make it. There was conflicting directions from the agreement you must sign, and the signage inside the house. The rules are so prolific that I don't think I would rent from Clemson vacation rentals again. The drive to get there after the gate was super steep. Our vehicles had a hard time getting out of the driveway and brakes were smoking.