WELCOME TO RAINBOW LAKE
The 17-acre Rainbow Lake valley has 14 structures on a private 3-acre lake. It is located in western North Carolina in the town of Brevard, known as the “Land of Waterfalls,” with an average annual rainfall of 70 inches/yr, moderate winters, and temperate summers. Being at the southern tip of the Appalachian Mountains, Brevard, the one county in North Carolina designated as a temperate rainforest, receives plentiful and consistent rainfall as southern weather systems precipitate when they first hit a higher altitude. The 13 residences consist of 4 large houses: one 4BR, two 3BR, one 2BR, and nine 1BR houses plus a 500 sq. ft. maintenance building. All the homes have high-efficiency central heat pumps and mini-splits.
The lake is fed by three streams, one from a large watershed and two from nearby springs that feed the lake, which empties over a 28-foot rock-built waterfall dropping 14 ft then flowing into the East Fork of the French Broad River. Up until July 2014, Rainbow Lake Resort was primarily a destination wedding venue with some long-term rentals. Presently, the 1,000 sq.ft. pavilion can be utilized as a reception, presentation, or education center with parking for up to 80 vehicles. In addition, there is a storage shed and a food prep area. In the middle of the lake is a 60’ island with a 40-foot arched bridge leading to it. On one end of the island is a 15' octagonal gazebo that has been used for wedding ceremonies. In addition to being a wedding venue, this property is suitable for use as an education center, family compound, private community, retreat/seminar center or vacation resort. All the cottages are now occupied with long-term rentals. The total heated square footage of the structures is approximately 11,800 sq. ft.
Convenience meets culture at Rainbow Lake Resort. Located just 15 minutes from downtown Brevard, the resort offers easy access to a world-class music center and a four-year community college. The surrounding Transylvania county, 75% forest with 4 state parks and Pisgah National Forest, is a nature lover's paradise. Brevard, known as the mountain sports capitol of North Carolina, features several breweries and a classic historic downtown. The resort is a 45-minute drive from the Asheville airport, 50 minutes from Hendersonville, NC, and 60 minutes from downtown Asheville. Rainbow Lake is stocked with rainbow trout, and the nearby river, the East Fork of the French Broad River, is also regularly stocked and is designated as trout trophy waters.
In addition to the existing structures, there are several locations for expanding the number of structures, particularly on the 4 west-facing acres of the resort that are right above the lake and offer beautiful sunset views reflected off the lake. In addition, there is a 70-acre wilderness adjoining the property upstream that may be available and a 2-acre lot downstream that may give the resort a direct entrance that drives right by the hand-built 14' high 28' wide rock waterfall.
The 17-acre Rainbow Lake valley has 14 structures on a private 3-acre lake. It is located in western North Carolina in the town of Brevard, known as the “Land of Waterfalls,” with an average annual rainfall of 70 inches/yr, moderate winters, and temperate summers. Being at the southern tip of the Appalachian Mountains, Brevard, the one county in North Carolina designated as a temperate rainforest, receives plentiful and consistent rainfall as southern weather systems precipitate when they first hit a higher altitude. The 13 residences consist of 4 large houses: one 4BR, two 3BR, one 2BR, and nine 1BR houses plus a 500 sq. ft. maintenance building. All the homes have high-efficiency central heat pumps and mini-splits.
The lake is fed by three streams, one from a large watershed and two from nearby springs that feed the lake, which empties over a 28-foot rock-built waterfall dropping 14 ft then flowing into the East Fork of the French Broad River. Up until July 2014, Rainbow Lake Resort was primarily a destination wedding venue with some long-term rentals. Presently, the 1,000 sq.ft. pavilion can be utilized as a reception, presentation, or education center with parking for up to 80 vehicles. In addition, there is a storage shed and a food prep area. In the middle of the lake is a 60’ island with a 40-foot arched bridge leading to it. On one end of the island is a 15' octagonal gazebo that has been used for wedding ceremonies. In addition to being a wedding venue, this property is suitable for use as an education center, family compound, private community, retreat/seminar center or vacation resort. All the cottages are now occupied with long-term rentals. The total heated square footage of the structures is approximately 11,800 sq. ft.
Convenience meets culture at Rainbow Lake Resort. Located just 15 minutes from downtown Brevard, the resort offers easy access to a world-class music center and a four-year community college. The surrounding Transylvania county, 75% forest with 4 state parks and Pisgah National Forest, is a nature lover's paradise. Brevard, known as the mountain sports capitol of North Carolina, features several breweries and a classic historic downtown. The resort is a 45-minute drive from the Asheville airport, 50 minutes from Hendersonville, NC, and 60 minutes from downtown Asheville. Rainbow Lake is stocked with rainbow trout, and the nearby river, the East Fork of the French Broad River, is also regularly stocked and is designated as trout trophy waters.
In addition to the existing structures, there are several locations for expanding the number of structures, particularly on the 4 west-facing acres of the resort that are right above the lake and offer beautiful sunset views reflected off the lake. In addition, there is a 70-acre wilderness adjoining the property upstream that may be available and a 2-acre lot downstream that may give the resort a direct entrance that drives right by the hand-built 14' high 28' wide rock waterfall.
Here are some suggestions on how this resort may be utilized.
1) A Private Family Compound, Vacation Rental, or Wedding/Seminar Venue with a Water Garden Theme: The Lake, dam, and shoreline, all exclusively owned by Rainbow Lake Resort, offer a unique setting for all the living units, which are on lots that adjoin the lake except for Cottage T, a mere 200 yards up the road from the main entrance. The grounds and structures sections describe the facilities and include many photos and commentaries on the conditions of each unit, potential embellishments, and other considerations. Presently all cottages are rented with one year leases.
The most important resource on this property is water, a natural beauty that is the heart of the resort. Three sources of water feed the lake. The North River feeds the lake from a 600-acre watershed; the East steam comes from a nearby springhead, known as the Greenman Spring and the South Stream comes in from a small watershed. The lake drains over a 14ft dam that feeds to the West and into the East Fork of the French Broad River, the major river of this part of the country.
The Water Garden Scenario
This could be the highest and best use of the resort. Seven garden locations could be based on water beauty: 1) The major water garden feature is the 350-foot-long 25 ft. wide wetlands valley that utilizes the 2 ft. wide stream coming from the south, which could be designed to be a Classic or Oriental water garden. 2) Another water feature that uses the smaller spring-fed source from the East could be piped under the access road and to supply a gravity-fed water feature that would run from the top of the recreation field at the pavilion and meander down in the center of the field towards the bottom of the field. This meandering stream water feature could end near the willow at a fountain pond with a circular patio garden incorporating pathways, seating, and flowers, and then the water would empty into the lake. 3} Another water feature would be at the upper waterfall on the North end of the lake, where there is a sitting area and a small wading pool upstream. 4) There is a small sitting area next to the river Where the upper stream enters the lake at the stream bridge. And 5) There is a giant 14' high waterfall at the South end of the lake dam where a second gazebo (supplied) could be installed overlooking the lower waterfall swimming hole and water valley garden. 6) the 4 ft wide stream goes into a cool shaded azalea-covered tunnel. and 7) There is also a path from the dam that travels around the shore of the lake with lake overlooks.
1) A Private Family Compound, Vacation Rental, or Wedding/Seminar Venue with a Water Garden Theme: The Lake, dam, and shoreline, all exclusively owned by Rainbow Lake Resort, offer a unique setting for all the living units, which are on lots that adjoin the lake except for Cottage T, a mere 200 yards up the road from the main entrance. The grounds and structures sections describe the facilities and include many photos and commentaries on the conditions of each unit, potential embellishments, and other considerations. Presently all cottages are rented with one year leases.
The most important resource on this property is water, a natural beauty that is the heart of the resort. Three sources of water feed the lake. The North River feeds the lake from a 600-acre watershed; the East steam comes from a nearby springhead, known as the Greenman Spring and the South Stream comes in from a small watershed. The lake drains over a 14ft dam that feeds to the West and into the East Fork of the French Broad River, the major river of this part of the country.
The Water Garden Scenario
This could be the highest and best use of the resort. Seven garden locations could be based on water beauty: 1) The major water garden feature is the 350-foot-long 25 ft. wide wetlands valley that utilizes the 2 ft. wide stream coming from the south, which could be designed to be a Classic or Oriental water garden. 2) Another water feature that uses the smaller spring-fed source from the East could be piped under the access road and to supply a gravity-fed water feature that would run from the top of the recreation field at the pavilion and meander down in the center of the field towards the bottom of the field. This meandering stream water feature could end near the willow at a fountain pond with a circular patio garden incorporating pathways, seating, and flowers, and then the water would empty into the lake. 3} Another water feature would be at the upper waterfall on the North end of the lake, where there is a sitting area and a small wading pool upstream. 4) There is a small sitting area next to the river Where the upper stream enters the lake at the stream bridge. And 5) There is a giant 14' high waterfall at the South end of the lake dam where a second gazebo (supplied) could be installed overlooking the lower waterfall swimming hole and water valley garden. 6) the 4 ft wide stream goes into a cool shaded azalea-covered tunnel. and 7) There is also a path from the dam that travels around the shore of the lake with lake overlooks.
2) A Wedding Venue: From 2008 to 2014 Rainbow Lake Resort functioned as a destination wedding venue hosting over 90 weddings some with up to 175 guests. For photos of wedding ceremonies, receptions and visitor comments see our facebook page at Rainbow Lake.
3) A Vacation Rental venue: From 1995 to 2008 Rainbow Lake Resort functioned as a vacation rental venue, at its peak we rented 13 units year round. The "Cottages" page shows the cottages when they were fully furnished and outfitted for vacation renters.
The path leads along the lake edge and comes up to the dam.
Just past the dam there is an overlook facing the waterfall and overlooking the river gorge where an inspiration/meditation gazebo could be placed.
If one wanders down below to the stream, ithe stream can be followed on wetfoot through a rhododendron tunnel then through a 6 ft. under-road steel tunnel that leads to the East Fork of the French Broad River, one of the most pristine rivers in Western North Carolina that has been classified as Trophy Waters by the NC Wildlife Commission.
4) A small or tiny house community: There are nine small lived-in 1BR cottages on the lake that could easily be modified to tiny house standards and there are enough additional lots on the existing roads to accommodate six more small to medium structures and there is an additional 4 acres behind the existing cottages that can be developed as well. In addition there are four more larger houses, 2,3 and 4 BR, that can accommodate families. Visit our "structures" page to visit each cottage individually. Water is supplied from two central pump houses. All the buildings except Cottage A and B are stand-alone, A and B share the same porch. Here are some of the cottages:
5) A Mountain Sports Resort Center: Rainbow Lake is centrally located for access to Pisgash National Forest and several nearby State Forests including: Dupont State forest, Green River Gamelands, Keowee-Toxaway State Park, soon-to-be Headwaters State Forest and Paris Mountain State Park all of which feature mountain biking and hiking trails, in addition there is Ceasers Head, Table Rock and Gorges Stage Park for hiking only. We are on East Fork Road, a very popular cycling road, which parallels the East Fork River, one of the top-ranked trout fishing rivers in the Southeast. Locally there are also several ziplines and rock climbing sites. Rainbow Lake itself would qualify as a zipline site as well. For information on local sports visit: http://www.visitwaterfalls.com/the-great-outdoors. In addition there is a forested 70 acre plot adjoining our property that could be developed for private trails and habitats and 4 acres of undeveloped land above the cottages. About 1.4 miles down the road from us is one of the entrances to the new NC Headwater State Forest, an 8,000 acre park that is now being developed for public use. Video of entrance is below. The following photos were not taken at Rainbow Lake though several are from the Brevard area.
6) A Retreat and Seminar Venue: Brevard is considered to be part of the Asheville community known for its many artistic, recreational, healing and spiritual attributes The tent pavilion can be updated into an indoor climate controlled meeting area that could be used for seminars throughout the year. Several seminars and workshops have been held at Rainbow Lake in the past.