The house at sunrise, from aboveThe great room and kitchenOpen-air bedroom with a soaking tubHot tub with mountain viewsRooftop deckCopper tub by the windows
Stills from the house tour. See the full video on the Videos page.
The space
A glass house on top of an 80-acre mountain, at the end of a mile-long private road that the property owns. The windows are said to be the largest ever installed in a home, flown in by helicopter. The nearest neighbor is a mile away.
The house sleeps 8 across 3 bedrooms, counting the living area, with 3 bathrooms. It was built by the developer of the neighborhood as his private sanctuary. Read the full story on the History page.
Great room
Open kitchen and living area behind walls of glass
Open-air bedroom
Canopy bed and soaking tub looking out over the ridges
Up top
Hot tub and a rooftop deck with mountain views
What's here
80 private acres
Hot tub with mountain views
Rooftop deck
Open-air bedroom
Soaking tubs
Full kitchen
Wi-Fi (no password)
Washer and dryer
UTV and motorcycle (keys in the owner's lockbox)
Rumbling Bald Resort passes, on request
Caves on the property (look, don't enter)
Mile-long private road
House rules
SmokingNot allowed
WaterPlease use sparingly
TrashKeep it inside (bears)
HikingStay on the gravel road
CavesDon't go in
Front door keyReturn to the lockbox
Public parkingTell Harry first
Drive carefully on the mountain. Rattlesnakes and bears live here too.
Where you'll be
On a mountaintop outside Union Mills, North Carolina. Lake Lure is about 25 minutes away and Chimney Rock about 30, with Rutherfordton close by and Asheville a bit further. Don't route straight to the house; follow the two steps on the Directions page.
Getting here
Directions
Directions to the property, from the nearest highway to the front gate.
Important: Don't route straight to 590 Cloud Nine Trail. GPS will send you to locked gates, and it's hard to find your way from there. Use the two steps below.
Route to 498 Pinnacle Parkway, Union Mills, NC 28167
This gets you into the neighborhood. You can also follow the map below.
Last stretch: gravel road, gate code instructions, what the turn looks like
Cell service and GPS notes for the final miles
Crazy place
Check-in
This isn't your normal Airbnb. There are no special check-in instructions, except to be safe driving on the mountain.
Getting here
Don't route straight to 590 Cloud Nine Trail. You'll get stuck behind locked gates, and it's hard to explain how to get to the property from there.
Route to 498 Pinnacle Parkway, Union Mills, NC 28167. That gets you into the neighborhood. Open in Google Maps
Then route to 590 Cloud Nine Trail, Union Mills, NC 28167.Open in Google Maps
You can also follow the map on the Directions page. For now, the private gate at the beginning of our road will be open and unlocked.
If your car can't make it up
The road is usually well maintained. If your car sits too low to get to the house, park at the public parking area by the front entrance. It's shown on the Directions page. Please let me know if you leave a car there so I can notify the HOA.
Hopefully at least one guest can drive up to the house. If no one can, there's a 4-wheel UTV to pick everyone up. That has never happened yet.
Getting in
The house is usually unlocked. Keys are in a lockbox, and we'll give you the code.
No one will bother you up here. You're a mile from the closest house, at the end of a private road that this property owns entirely.
Mountain towns, lake dinners, and a lot of land to look at from the gravel road.
Nearby towns
About 30 min
Chimney Rock
A cute town with lots of shopping, food, and a strip to walk. The large state park lets you walk up to Chimney Rock itself and go hiking. Check the park's hours before you go.
Stay on the gravel road. It's the only safe route and the only one approved by our insurance.
Caves. There are caves on this property big enough to walk into. For insurance reasons, we can't give you permission to enter them. Be careful if you find one, like the cave straight out the front door, on the left near where the path meets the road to the house.
Wildlife. Rattlesnakes and bears are a possibility. Be careful hiking the property.
Rock bluffs. You'll find many rock bluffs. They're pretty, but dangerous.
The story
House history
The developer of this neighborhood, and many others in the area, built this house as his personal residence.
The builder
His name was David Robinson. He was an inventor and an early developer of computer components. He allegedly invented the small plastic and aluminum disposable container that coffee creamer comes in.
The kind of single-serve creamer cup he's said to have invented. The brand shown is just an example.
A sanctuary
When we bought the place, it had been abandoned for many years after his death. He had no wife or children. A boyfriend told us this was his sanctuary, a place to avoid the public and grow marijuana without judgment.
Weirdly enough, the bathroom at the bottom of the stairs was once a horse stall for a miniature pony that lived in the house with him. You'll see drains in the floors, for both the plants and the pony.
The house itself
A PBS special in the 1990s allegedly detailed how unique the house is.
The windows are the largest known to have been installed in a residential house. They were special-ordered and flown in by helicopter.
Electricity was only possible because of an agreement with the county: he developed the area around the house in exchange for the county burying power lines up to it.
Please go easy on the water. The water system is a huge expense. Try to limit water use, and don't leave water running without need.
Leaving
Check-out
Not much needs doing.
Before you go
Leave the front door key in its lockbox. This is the most important thing. It's a safety key that's hard to replace.
Leave the UTV and motorcycle keys in the owner's lockbox, if you used them.
Leave the Rumbling Bald passes in the safety vault, if you used them.
Don't fall off the mountain on your way out.
Good to know
Laundry. If you want to help the cleaners, you can start a load of towels or bedding.
Trash stays in the house. Bears will destroy it outside. We plan to get a bear-proof trash can soon.
Leave the house unlocked. No one will mess with this house. 😊
Outdoors
Caves and hiking
There are caves on this property big enough to walk into, and rock bluffs all over the mountain.
One of the caves on the property.
Stay on the gravel road. It's the only safe route and the only one approved by our insurance.
Caves
For insurance reasons, we can't give you permission to enter the caves. Be careful if you find one. For example, there's a cave straight out the front door, on the left near where the path meets the road to the house.
Hiking the property
Wildlife. Rattlesnakes and bears are a possibility.
Rock bluffs. You'll find many of them. They're pretty, but dangerous.
Rumbling Bald Resort sits on Lake Lure, and we have resort passes you can use.
Rumbling Bald passesAsk us for the passes.
We have passes to Rumbling Bald Resort that guests may request. Text or call Harry at 704-956-7498 to ask. When you're done, return them to the safety vault before you check out.
What's at the resort
On the lake
Beach and boating
A private sand beach with mountain views, plus pontoon, kayak, and paddleboard options and scenic lake cruises.
Water fun
Waterpark
An outdoor pool, a lazy river, and sand volleyball.
Golf
Two championship courses
Apple Valley and Bald Mountain, both rated four stars by Golf Digest, plus an indoor golf simulator.
Fitness
Wellness Center
Workout equipment, fitness classes, and an indoor pool.
Relax
Spa and salon
Treatments and salon services.
Courts
Tennis and pickleball
Courts for racquet sports.
Outdoors
Trails
Hiking and mountain biking along the rim of Hickory Nut Gorge.
Food
Restaurants
Several on-site restaurants, from quick bites to seasonal dinners.
Lake Lure was drained after Hurricane Helene and began refilling in early 2026, so some lake activities may still be limited. What your pass covers can also vary. Check rumblingbald.com or ask us before you go.
Around the lake
Lake Lure has fancy restaurants and plenty to do. Two favorites: Appalachia, the best restaurant in the area (pricey), and Legends on the Lake, with good food and drinks overlooking the water. See Things to do for more.
Good to know
Helpful information
Wi-Fi
PasswordThere is no password.No one will steal your internet up here!
Who to contact
Both of us text. Feel free to message or call to discuss anything.
Handyman · lives localEddie828-447-6513Calls and texts
Owner · 3 hours awayHarry704-956-7498Calls and texts
About this place
This is a relatively new Airbnb and a pet project of the owner. He knows it's a crazy place, hopes to keep it crazy, and is open to suggestions and comments.
Arriving
Parking
You have three places to park.
At the beginning of the neighborhood
The public parking area by the front entrance. It's the blue P on the map on the Directions page.
Let the host know. If you park in the public parking area, please tell Harry so he can notify the HOA.
By the gate to the property
Where Cloud Nine Private Road leaves Pinnacle Parkway. It's the gold star on the map.
At the house
Drive all the way up Cloud Nine Private Road and park at the house.
