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NEW! Country Villa: Dock, Pool, Spa, Waterfall, Grotto, Firepit, Fishing hole.
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Reviews
10 out of 10
Exceptional
8 bedrooms6+ bathroomsSleeps 16501.7 sq m
Popular amenities
Rooms & beds
8 bedrooms (sleeps 16)
Basement Bedroom 7
1 Single Bed
Basement Bedroom 8
1 Single Bed
Basement Bunk Room
2 Single Bunk Beds
Main Floor Front Corner Bedroom
1 King Bed
Master Bedroom
1 King Bed
Second Floor Back Bedroom
1 Queen Bed
Second Floor Corner Bedroom
1 Queen Bed
Second Floor Front Center Bedroom
1 Queen Bed
6 bathrooms, 2 half bathrooms
Basement Powder Room Bathroom
Soap · Toilet
First Floor Pool/Garage Bathroom
Soap · Towels provided · Toilet · Shower only · Shampoo
Main Floor Front Corner Bathroom
Soap · Towels provided · Toilet · Shower only · Shampoo · Hair dryer
Master Bathroom
Soap · Towels provided · Bathtub or shower · Toilet · Shampoo · Hair dryer
Second Floor Back Bathroom
Soap · Towels provided · Toilet · Shower only · Shampoo · Hair dryer
Second Floor Corner Bathroom
Soap · Towels provided · Toilet · Shower only · Shampoo · Hair dryer
Second Floor Front Center Bathroom
Soap · Towels provided · Toilet · Shower only · Shampoo · Hair dryer
Second Floor Theater Room Powder Room
Soap · Toilet
Spaces
Deck or patio
Porch or lanai
Kitchen
Garden
About this property
NEW! Country Villa: Dock, Pool, Spa, Waterfall, Grotto, Firepit, Fishing hole.
Add dates for prices
Amenities
Pool
Hot tub
Kitchen
Washing machine
Dryer
Free WiFi
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9.8 out of 10, Exceptional, (71 reviews)
House Rules
Check in after 4:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 36
Check out before 11:00 AM
Children
Children allowed: ages 0–17
Ask about children between ages 8 and 13 yrs old.
Events
No events allowed
Pets
No pets allowed
Smoking
Smoking is not permitted
Important information
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip
Host has not indicated whether there is a smoke detector on the property
About the area
Arley
Arley is home to this holiday home. The Lily Pond an Art Gallery & Tea Room and Crooked Creek Civil War Museum are cultural highlights, and some of the area's activities can be experienced at Speegle's Marina and Cullman Golf Course. Make sure you get close to the area's animals with activities such as game walks and birdwatching.

Arley, AL
What's nearby
- Lewis Smith Lake - 1 min walk - 0.1 km
- Bankhead National Forest - 60 min drive - 48.6 km
Restaurants
- Jack's - 51 min drive
- La Plaza Bonita - 30 min drive
- The Grille At Trident Marina - 64 min drive
- Subway - 51 min drive
- Cujos Pizza - 48 min drive
Frequently asked questions
Reviews
10
Exceptional
Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window10/10
Cleanliness
10/10
Check-in
10/10
Communication
10/10
Location
10/10
Listing accuracy
Reviews
Verified
5 Sept 2025
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2025
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Ginger M.
2 Aug 2025
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Ginger M.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2025
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Lauren H.
19 June 2025
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
WONDERFUL STAY!
Lauren H.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2025
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Bobby C.
29 June 2025
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Best time ever


Bobby C.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2025
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Melissa D.
2 June 2025
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
A Great Place
Melissa D.
Stayed 4 nights in May 2025
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Anita L.
7 Aug 2025
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Anita L.
Stayed 9 nights in Jul 2025
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Kathleen C.
11 Aug 2024
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Great Lake
Kathleen C.
Stayed 6 nights in Jul 2024
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Kane O.
31 May 2024
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Good Stay with good surrondings
Kane O.
Stayed 4 nights in May 2024
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Isaac W.
13 July 2024
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
THE BEST
Isaac W.
Stayed 5 nights in Jun 2024
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Lois Royston P.
1 July 2025
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Father’s Day Fun




Lois Royston P.
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2025
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Lauren R.
8 Aug 2024
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Family Vacation
Lauren R.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2024
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Brooke E.
1 Aug 2024
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Long lovely weekend at the lake!
Brooke E.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2024
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Tracey M.
15 July 2024
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Awesome house with great views!
Tracey M.
Stayed 6 nights in Jul 2024
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Kenneth H.
2 June 2024
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Incredible House
Kenneth H.
Stayed 5 nights in May 2024
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Mark C.
26 May 2025
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Plenty of room for kids and adults
Mark C.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2025
Verified
10/10 Excellent
David C.
17 June 2024
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Lake Vacation
David C.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2024
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Isaac W.
6 Sept 2025
Isaac W.
Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2025
About the host
Hosted by Mike Deihl
Originally I'm from Los Angeles County, city of Glendora. My background is from 18 years in banking systems development (programing). More recently I worked in the hospitality industry as a general consultant. I bought the property in 2007, when it was bare land. I moved to Smith Lake a few years ago to focus on developing a unique and fun place to live. I built The Blue Marlin for that purpose. I will continue working to make it one of the special properties on Smith Lake. I love the lake and the region it's in and now I call it home. The property has the main house, by the lake, and a barn/ apartment that shares the same driveway but is 120 feet closer to the street. When the house is rented I live in the barn apartment. I make myself available for problems and basic maintenance. Also on a daily basis I look after the pool, boat and propane gas systems to insure guest safety and the health of the systems. I will never enter the main house unannounced and only when there is a risk of danger or damage that needs to be addressed.
Why they chose this property
Bear Branch Cove is in an ideal location on the lake. It is at the geographical center of the lake. By boat, it is about 10 minutes from Duskin Point Marina and 15 minutes from Dunkin Bridge Marina. It is 5 minutes from the main channel in a No-Wake zone. It is one of the deeper branches of the lake and known for its unusually good fishing spots. Arley with it's Coffee Shop and Son's of Arley Market is about 15 minutes away by car.
What makes this property unique
The pictures will tell the story. The property has a most unusual shoreline. It is surrounded by year round deep water. Sunset is directly across the channel creating many stunning nightfall panoramas. Even when the water drops 10 feet or more the shore stays where it is because the water simply recedes straight down the shore face exposing more of the underwater cliff. There is a large rock peninsula about 40 feet long. It pokes out of the lake most the year but sometimes becomes submerged when the lake is flooded in the spring and summer. Adjoining the peninsula is a year-round water slew about 30 feet wide that makes up a long entrance to a grotto which is about 280 feet in from the main body of the lake. There are two waterfalls feeding and shaping the grotto, which flow nearly year-round. It is common to see white tail, ducks, geese, blue egret, turtles, sometimes beaver, bluegill, crappie and many types of bass.
Languages:
English
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