Smith Lake Fishing & Family Retreat - Private Dock, Calm Cove, Fire Pit, & Kayak

Photo gallery for Smith Lake Fishing & Family Retreat - Private Dock, Calm Cove, Fire Pit, & Kayak

A lakeside deck with a fire pit, outdoor seating, and a view of the lake.
A spacious living room with a fireplace, wooden ceiling beams, a television, and a staircase leading to an upper level.
A kitchen with white cabinets, a wooden ceiling, and a coffee station.
A lakeside cabin with a deck and a dock extending into the water.
A bedroom with a wooden ceiling, a bed with a white and blue bedspread, a chair, and a desk with a computer.

Reviews

10 out of 10
Exceptional

Highlights

  • Games at the ready
    One of the few properties with video games available for guests.
  • Discover nearby landmarks
    Walk to Lewis Smith Lake

Popular amenities

  • Balcony
  • Barbecue
  • Air-conditioning
  • Refrigerator
  • Washing machine
  • Internet

Explore the area

View map
Crane Hill, AL
  • Place, Lewis Smith Lake
    ‪1 min walk‬
  • Place, Smith Lake Park
    ‪26 min drive‬
  • Place, Ave Maria Grotto
    ‪41 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

4 bedrooms (sleeps 11)

Bedroom 1

1 King Bed

Bedroom 2

1 Double Bed and 1 Single Bed

Bedroom 3

1 King Bed

Bedroom 4

2 Double Beds

2 bathrooms

Bathroom 1

Soap · Towels provided · Bathtub or shower · Bathtub · Toilet · Shampoo · Hair dryer

Bathroom 2

Soap · Towels provided · Toilet · Shower only · Shampoo

Spaces

Deck or patio
Kitchen
Balcony
Garden

Add dates for prices

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About the area

Crane Hill

Located in Crane Hill, this cottage is on the waterfront. Lewis Smith Lake and Dowling Memorial Park reflect the area's natural beauty and area attractions include WildWater Cullman and Funzone. Looking to get your feet wet? Kayaking, water tubing and power boating adventures can be found near the property.
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Map
Crane Hill, AL

What's nearby

  • Lewis Smith Lake - 1 min walk - 0.1 km
  • Smith Lake Park - 26 min drive - 24.7 km
  • Ave Maria Grotto - 41 min drive - 47.5 km
  • Stone Bridge Farms - 42 min drive - 44.6 km
  • Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament - 55 min drive - 63.8 km

Getting around

  • Birmingham International Airport (BHM) - 76 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Drifters On The Lake - ‬25 min drive
  • ‪Whitlock's Cafe - ‬24 min drive
  • ‪The Grille At Trident Marina - ‬25 min drive
  • ‪Tubbs' Redneck Yatch Club - ‬39 min drive
  • ‪The Angler - ‬25 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is Smith Lake Fishing & Family Retreat - Private Dock, Calm Cove, Fire Pit, & Kayak pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

How much is parking at Smith Lake Fishing & Family Retreat - Private Dock, Calm Cove, Fire Pit, & Kayak?

On-site parking is available at the property.

What time is check-in at Smith Lake Fishing & Family Retreat - Private Dock, Calm Cove, Fire Pit, & Kayak?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Smith Lake Fishing & Family Retreat - Private Dock, Calm Cove, Fire Pit, & Kayak?

Checkout is at 10:00 AM.

Where is Smith Lake Fishing & Family Retreat - Private Dock, Calm Cove, Fire Pit, & Kayak located?

Situated on the waterfront, this cottage is steps from Lewis Smith Lake and within 9 mi (15 km) of Dowling Memorial Park and Bankhead National Forest. Speegle's Marina is 10.6 mi (17 km) away.

Reviews

10

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 29 out of 31 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 2 out of 31 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 31 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 31 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 31 reviews

9.8/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

9.8/10

Location

9.8/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Great stay . Clean and comfortable. Enjoyed the lake so much ! Host was awesome!! Love all the beds!!
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2026
Response from VrboOwner on 30 Aug 2026
We are so happy you enjoyed your stay! Please visit us again!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
House felt secluded and cozy. We had a great time just resting and relaxing, perfect for what we were wanting out of this trip.
Stayed 6 nights in May 2026
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
My family and I absolutely loved this place! House was clean, host was communicative, and the entire property was so quiet and peaceful. Highly recommend to those who are looking for a weekend getaway from all the craziness of the city!
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2026
Response from VrboOwner on 26 Mar 2026
Thank you for your review! Please come visit again!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
The house and amenities were top notch!!!! House has been redone so many beautiful furnishings and upgrades!!! We had the best family time this weekend - we will definitely be back!!! So peaceful! And an amazing view!!!! Memories were made!!!
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2026
Response from VrboOwner on 15 June 2026
Thank you, Angelia! And for sharing the photos! We cannot wait to have you all back!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
This lake house is in a secluded cove that is perfect for kayaking. It’s also close to two marinas - we rented a pontoon boat and loved tubing. We enjoyed relaxing on the deck and eating outside. The only big table is outside on the deck although there is seating on the kitchen island and tv trays in the living room. We did learn that Apple Maps gave better directions to getting to the lake house. Google Maps had us a bit lost for a second! Our three generation family trip was fun and relaxing! We loved our stay here.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2026
Response from VrboOwner on 23 July 2026
We love that you could spend quality family time! We appreciate your glowing review!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great place to stay

Nice and quiet place to stay.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2025
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Host was very responsive! Great place with ample space.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2025
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
The house was very cute and clean. The beds were super comfortable. Everyone in my family slept great! The only issue we had was there was not enough room to turn a truck and trailer around, and my daughter couldn’t get back up the hill in her GMC Terrain. She had to be towed up the hill. I would still give this house a 5 star rating based off cleanliness and coziness of the home, location on the lake, and super attentive owner! I would stay here again, but park any vehicles pulling boats, jet skis, etc at the Smith Lake Park!
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2026
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Very pleasant stay. My wife and I celebrated my 66 birthday here and truly enjoyed every moment. Wonderful property. Great host.
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2025
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Quit spot with all the amenities for a summer family vacation. Great host
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2025
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Great house, beautiful location. Serene, secluded, and relaxing environment. The kayaks were great, and we caught fish from the pier. Overall 5 start experience and we'd absolutely stay here again.
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2025
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Great time with friends!!!!!!
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 10 Nov 2025
Thank you for staying!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Excellent vacation

Morgan went above and beyond in communication and accommodating our group. So thankful for this beautiful spot on Smith Lake and a wonderful stay.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 28 July 2025
Thank you for your review Lauren! Would love to have you back!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
This was the perfect cabin getaway for our family!This was the last time all of our kids would be together before our youngest son goes off to college. There were 8 adults and one toddler. The cabin had everything we needed to cook all of our meals and enjoy a relaxing family weekend. We fished off the pier, kayaked, roasted marshmallows around the fire pit. We loved the blackstone griddle and cooked breakfast and dinner on it every day. The location was perfect. Private and quiet. We will definitely be back!
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2026
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Truly amazing!
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 24 June 2025
We loved hosting you! Thank you for your review!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Nice Home with a beautiful view of water!
Stayed 4 nights in May 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 24 June 2025
Thank you for staying with us! Hope to have you again!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Without a doubt, the Lake view is beautiful. The home was very clean and accommodating. The walk down to the lake was a struggle because we are old, but we made it twice and were able to swim.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2025
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great Lake house

The house was nice and clean, the beds very comfy and the kitchen had all the basic needs for feeding the gang. If the weather would have given us a little more sunshine and a little less rain, the stay there would have been perfect!
Stayed 4 nights in May 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 17 May 2025
Thank you for your review, Karen! We hope you can stay with us again and hopefully better weather.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Great little lakehouse tucked into the woods. It was Thanksgiving, and the kitchen had everything to make dinner. The Christmas decorations were a wonderful surprise. And thank you for the welcoming gift basket and mug! My wife was born and raised in Cullman, so it was a great experience for her to be back at the Lake. Our 5 year old daughter loved the bedroom upstairs. We loved the bedroom with the little balcony. We kayaked, made a fire, played games, and made lots of family memories.
Stayed 7 nights in Nov 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 10 Dec 2025
Thank you for this very detailed and nice review! We loved hosting you and your family. So happy to hear great memories were made. That was our hope when we purchased this place. Hope to have you back in the future!
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, location, listing accuracy

Nice area not so great tv streaming

Good
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 10 Apr 2025
Thank you for leaving a review! We understand the TV streaming. We are tucked back in the woods with no cable service available yet. We are on the short list with the local cable company to add our area! We hope you all will be back soon!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Amazing Hideaway

Our group of 5 visited Cullman, Al for the Strawberry Festival and stayed on Smith Lake. Our group ranged from 12 to 70. The four bedrooms easily gave everyone their own space to enjoy. We did not feel cramped in the living areas - Living Room was nice with abundant space. The lake, the view, and the deck were so relaxing. The owners were easy to communicate with and answered all questions. I asked for recommendations on food and experiences and they provided those. We tried all the restaurants they recommended and the food was amazing. We are trying to come back for Rock the South in June and if we do we plan on staying at this location again. Very clean home. I loved the bed - slept so well in it. The only thing that I was not expecting was the driveway - it is narrow and slopes down to the house and the lake- this is probably my fault as we did not get into town until after 10pm and doing the driveway for the first time in the dark was scary but the location to the lake and the home made it worth it. It gets very dark in the woods at night and I thought for sure our GPS was wrong. Would recommend arriving in the daytime for your first trip. Again, lovely house with lots of space for us to hang out or have privacy.
Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 17 May 2025
Thank you for this glowing review, Catherine! It was such a pleasure to host you all and hope you will be back!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
It was a very beautiful and peaceful place . Very well maintained and several things that we didn’t expect that were provided. Just when you get close to the place on Google pay attention because it actually has you pass the turn in u less you are really paying attention. We love the place .
Stayed 8 nights in Jun 2026
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
The cottage was as described, however, a bit deceiving. Some of the doors on the bedrooms need replacing. (It’s a cheap fix) Unfortunately, we experienced a few days of rain while we were there, We would have loved to have been able to sit out on the porches to enjoy the lake but were unable to do this due to the fact that the porches are not covered. So, if it’s raining, you are stuck inside. There were some extras though. Like spices, xtra paper towels, dish soap, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, oils, salt & pepper, coffee pods, coffee filters ect.
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2026
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2026
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, listing accuracy
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2026
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