We are back from our weekend getaway at the Evins Mill Resort and we had such a fabulous time I want to share the experience with y’all. This is NOT sponsored, we paid the full rate with our own money and I have not had any contact with their management; I just think it was an unique experience and want to share.
Evins Mill is located in the small town of Smithville, TN which is about an hour southeast of Nashville. I first discovered Evins Mill in 2020 while researching tennessee waterfalls as the 90 ft Carmac Falls is on the property. While Evins Mill does allow day trip access to the property for $25/ person (it includes lunch) I really wanted to go as an overnight guest. I was really intrigued by the all inclusive concept as I’ve only experienced this on cruises prior to this trip.
My assumption about Evins Mill is that it’s the best of both worlds between rustic experiences and modern conveniences and now that I have experienced the resort first hand I can say this is the best way to describe the experience. Think of staying at Evins Mill like going to camp but elevated. Although the buildings may look like cabins from the outside, inside the rooms feature A/C, a full bath, comfortable king size bed, coffee station, and mini fridge. At first I thought it was too expensive for my taste, I’m not sure if rates change seasonally but when we went single rooms ranged from $325 to $450/ night; BUT when you take into account all that is included in the rate it’s a pretty good value. All Evins Mill room rates include breakfast, lunch and dinner and access to the entire property during your stay. Although check-in is at 4pm and checkout 12pm, guests are welcome to arrive on the property 12pm the day of check-in and leave 4pm day of check-out giving a full 24 hours plus on site for each night booked. Although Carmac Falls is the main on-site attraction the resort offers three hiking trails, fishing, a game room, lawn games, picnic areas, hammocks, porch swings and rocking chairs galore. It would be entirely possible to stay at Evins Mill and never leave until check out. The staff did warn us that the hike to the base of Carmac Fall was steep at the end and that was not an exaggeration. They do have ropes along the ledge but plan on taking your time going down and feeling it in your muscles on the way back up.
Accommodations at Evins Mill are in two main areas: the Solstice Lodge and Creekside cabins. The Solstice Lodge is on the highest point at Evin’s Mill and is ADA accessible with a parking area right by the lodge. Creekside cabins are closer to the main lodge but are accessible only by foot with some requiring more walking than others. Within each cabin are Laurel and Evergreen Rooms, Laurel rooms are the top floor of each cabin and feature high vaulted ceilings and a sleeping loft, these rooms can accommodate up to four guests. Evergreen rooms are on the lower floor of each cabin and can only accommodate two guests. We stayed in the Webb 4 which is the evergreen room the furthest from the main lodge. We didn’t find the distance to be too troublesome but it is 121 steps from the main parking area to Webb 4 room so that’s something to keep in mind.
Since I can’t review each room type I’m going to give my pro and cons of the evergreen rooms:
Pros:
Best value for two travelers
Listening to the creek while sitting on the porch
Secluded, no one will be walking past your room to get to theirs
Cons:
The most steps involved
Can hear the guests above you walking around
All rooms include balconies with rocking chairs and the same in room amenities so to us a more spacious room or less steps was not a priority over saving on our cost but everyone has their own desires when traveling. We found the room to be spacious enough and as you can see even with our stuff inside the room was not crowded or cluttered.
I’m a planner by nature and I tend to do a lot of research before a trip but the one thing about Evins Mill I didn’t see much discussion on various review sites was the food. Sure, some people said it was good but good can be very subjective and considering that the meals are what makes this stay a good value I was nervous that the food would not be to my liking. Luckily my fears were unfounded and I found the food delicious.
All meals are served in the main lodge with several dining areas to choose from. Breakfast is served 9 to 10am buffet style and is mostly hot items. A few items changed between days but eggs, bacon, sausage, fruit, toast, cereal, yogurt, a pastry and assortment of juices were available both days. One day offered biscuits with honey butter or gravy and cheddar grits, the next day those were replaced with french toast and and breakfast potatoes.
At breakfast each morning we were asked what we wanted for lunch with the options of turkey, ham, roast beef or veggie sandwiches. Lunches were given in a sack starting at 11am so that we could take them on the day’s adventure. I am sure many people take theirs down to the waterfall to enjoy. I really like the flexibility of lunch because we didn’t have to arrange our day around it. Each day we had breakfast, spent some time relaxing on the balcony with coffee / tea and then got ready for the day so 11am was the perfect time to stop by the main lodge and grab our bag before heading out for the day. Each lunch included a sandwich, pasta salad, chips, piece of fruit, dessert and bottle of water.
Dinner began with a social hour at 6pm with a few self appetizers and the dinner service at 7pm. On our first night was their labor day cookout so dinner was served buffet style but on night two were were treated to their standard dinner experience which included four courses (soup, salad, main dessert) and live music. Menus do rotate but we had the option of Cornish hen or beef tenderloin for the main.
Overall I think the food strikes the perfect balance of being good but approachable. People with simple tastes aren’t going to be intimidated by the menu but foodies aren’t going to be disappointed either. Like the entire Evin’s Mill experience meals are comfortably elevated.
We really enjoyed our stay at Evins Mill. While we did leave the property each day to take in local sites and experiences I could see how a stay at Evins Mill could be a perfect opportunity to unwind and disconnect. I am sure the property is beautiful in the fall once the leaves change colors and October and November seem to be their most popular months. I absolutely see us returning and I would recommend this stay for anyone looking to take a break from the hustle and bustle of daily life.