I’m Walter Cook, a Smoky Mountain author with stories shaped by fog‑soft mornings, trout‑bright streams, and the quiet mysteries tucked into every small‑town street. My wife Susan and I live just outside Franklin, North Carolina, in a small valley bordered by a creek and wrapped in 360‑degree views of the surrounding mountains. Our homeplace includes a 1940s farmhouse, a guest house, and a barn where we live and write. We share the land with a flock of hens, Audrey the rescue poodle, and the wandering turkeys and deer who treat our valley like their own front porch.
This is the world that inspires every story I tell — a place where mystery and comfort live side by side, where community matters, and where the land remembers.And now, we’d love for you to step into that world with us.
Walk the same small‑town streets we wander.
Explore Franklin, Sylva, Bryson City, Waynesville, and Cherokee — towns full of bookstores, diners, riverwalks, and friendly faces who might just show up in a future chapter. Treat your dog to the famous treats at the real Smoky Mountain Dog Bakery and, in the meantime, relax with a cold brew at the Smoky Mountain Dog Bar. Shop at The Novel Escape Bookstore. There really is a Liz and Robin, and of course Gus. They would love to meet you, and if you ask nicely, they'll even let you meet Robin's iron goat.
Hike the same mountain trails where the stories begin.
Let the fog rise around you the way it rises in my books. Feel the quiet that shapes every mystery I write.
Fish the same trout‑filled streams that carry memory through the hollers.
Cold water, bright fish, and the kind of stillness that stays with you long after you leave.
And if you want to experience the Smokies the way we do… stay with us.
Our vacation homes sit right here on our valley acreage — peaceful, private, creek‑lined, and surrounded by mountains in every direction. It’s the perfect homebase for exploring the Smokies, discovering the towns in my books, and making memories that last long after your visit.
Step into the story. Live it.
Stay in the mountains that shape our lives and our fiction.
Whether you’re planning your first trip to the Smokies, returning for the hundredth time, or simply longing for a place that feels like home, you’re welcome here — in our stories, in our valley, and in the mountains that make the best memories.
Coon Creek Too
A Smoky Mountain Refuge in Walter Cook’s World
Tucked into a quiet valley just outside Franklin, Coon Creek Too is the kind of place where stories settle in like old friends. A modern creekside cottage wrapped in mountain views, it offers the same warmth, quiet mystery, and gentle beauty that shape the Smoky Mountain world of my books. Guests describe it as “absolutely perfect” and return year after year for its peaceful setting, comfortable beds, and the feeling of being held by the mountains themselves .
Step inside and you’ll find two beautifully appointed queen suites separated by a breezeway — a design that gives you both closeness and privacy, perfect for couples, friends, or families traveling together . Sunlight pours through tall windows and 14‑foot ceilings, pulling the outdoors into every room and filling the cottage with the soft glow of the valley beyond. Many windows and 14-foot ceilings bring the outdoors in, flooding the tastefully designed modern interior with warm natural finishes.
Just outside your door, the creek runs steady and clear, offering a place to sit, breathe, and let the mountains speak. A fire pit waits beside it, stocked with free firewood, ready for evenings spent recounting the day’s adventures under star‑filled skies . The two‑acre yard gives you space to wander, play, or simply listen to the water flowing on its long trip from the mountains to the sea. A place to run your dogs, play badminton, volleyball, horseshoes, or simply sit by the creek and contemplate the water flowing by.
Coon Creek Too is more than a stay — it’s a homebase for exploring the Smokies the way Susan and I do. Downtown Franklin is just minutes away, with its diners, shops, breweries, and small‑town charm . Sylva, Cherokee, Highlands, and Western Carolina University are close enough for easy day trips, each offering its own rhythm, history, and mountain character. Minutes to Sylva, Harrah's Cherokee Casino, and Western Carolina University.. And the Great Smoky Mountains National Park — the most visited national park in America — is only a short drive from your door, ready with trails, waterfalls, wildlife, and long‑range views that stay with you long after you leave .
Whether your idea of adventure is hiking autumn‑colored woods, landing world‑class trout, rafting the Tuckasegee, mining for rubies, or simply reading a book beside the creek, you’ll find it here .
Coon Creek Too is the kind of place where mountain memories are made — the kind you carry home, the kind that call you back.
Step into the story. Live it. Book your stay and experience the Smokies from the heart of the valley.
Coon Creek Cottage
A Smoky Mountain Story Waiting to Be Lived
Tucked into a quiet valley just outside Franklin, Coon Creek Cottage is the kind of place where the mountains feel close enough to touch. A lovingly restored 1940s farmhouse wrapped in long‑range views and creekside quiet, it offers the warmth, charm, and gentle mystery that define the Smoky Mountain world of my books. The mountains truly are calling — and this cottage is where you answer them.
Dog‑friendly and filled with thoughtful touches, the cottage isn’t just a stay — it’s an experience you’ll carry with you long after you leave. Step inside and you’ll find the soul of the original farmhouse preserved in its 100‑year‑old recycled beams and floors, now paired with modern comforts from a full renovation completed last year. The farmhouse has 100-year-old recycled beams and floors. Newly remodeled 2 bedrooms with queen beds.
Two newly remodeled queen bedrooms offer quiet refuge, while the sitting room and fast WiFi make remote work not only possible, but peaceful. The kitchen is a Smoky Mountain delight — double‑oven range, vintage refrigerator, dishwasher, and all‑new appliances ready for slow breakfasts or big family dinners. Double oven range, vintage refrigerator, dishwasher. Patio dining with outdoor grill and griddle.
Outside, the mountains open their arms. A patio with grill and griddle invites long evenings under the sky. A chiminea with a pizza oven becomes the gathering place for stories, laughter, and the kind of memories that only happen in the mountains. The gathering space features a chiminea with a pizza oven. And just across the road, a two‑acre play and picnic area bordered by a small creek offers space to wander, breathe, and let the land work its quiet magic.
Though the cottage feels secluded, it’s only ten minutes from downtown Franklin’s dining, breweries, gem mining, and small‑town charm. Sylva, Cherokee, Western Carolina University, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park — the most visited national park in America — are all within easy reach. Minutes more to Sylva, Harrah's Cherokee Casino, and Western Carolina University.
Whether you’re here to hike, fish, explore mountain towns, or simply rest, Coon Creek Cottage offers a homebase that feels both peaceful and alive with story.
The mountains are calling — will you answer? Book your stay and step into the Smoky Mountain world that inspires my writing.