While Sterchi Lodge was not damaged by Hurricane Helene, the lodge is closed for reservations for the remainder of 2024 due to road closings, limited access, and recovery efforts in the surrounding area.

Sterchi Lodge is a retreat in the mountains on the Tennessee / North Carolina border, just a half mile down the road from Max Patch and the Appalachian Trail. At 4,470 feet elevation, the 35 acre lodge is a mission of Church Street United Methodist Church in Knoxville, TN. Sterchi Lodge is for all those who seek serenity and peace from the pressures of their daily lives. The lodge offers housing for up to 42 guests and is ideal for retreats for Sunday School classes and youth and for family reunions. Special-interest clubs, such as photography, hiking, yoga and wellness, music, and recovery groups also enjoy the solace and reflection provided by this remote setting.

How to Reserve

Call the Church Street office (865-524-3048) to reserve. The Sterchi Lodge Reservation Packet has detailed information, policies and rates.

Facilities

The lodge sleeps up to forty-two (42) guests. There are two dorms and a counselor’s suite with two twin beds and a its own private bath. Each dorm has double-bunk beds with twin-size mattresses (20 beds per dorm), a dorm-style bathroom with sinks, toilets, and showers, and separate areas for sitting / study with couches and a large desk.

Enjoy conversation and fellowship while sitting on couches and enjoying a fire in the Lodge Great Room. If you have a musician in your group, they are invited to play the piano for all to enjoy while you gaze westward at the Smoky Mountains through the floor-to-ceiling picture windows. There are plenty of games for your group to enjoy in the game closet, as well as a ping pong table. If there’s a must-not-miss football game on, you can catch it on the lodge’s Roku TV. And there is free wifi, which is plenty fast thanks to our new 1Gb fiber optic internet link.

The large kitchen will let the cooks in your group showcase their skills. The kitchen is fully equipped with several stovetops and ovens, a high capacity refrigerator and freezer, ice maker, dishwasher, and all the pots, pans, dishes, flatware and glasses your group will need. Enjoy the fruits of your kitchen labors, fellowship and conversation in the dining area of the Great Room!

Outside is a playground with swings, climbing wall, and slides. There’s also a basketball court and volleyball court for team activities.

Our guests favorite amenity is the large deck and rocking chairs, which offer breathtaking sunset views west looking towards Mount Cammerer and the northern edge of Great Smoky Mountain National Park.

Location, Weather and Directions

Sterchi Lodge is located at 6303 Max Patch Rd, Hot Springs, NC 28743 (Google Maps, Bing Maps). The front door from the lodge is about 100 feet away from the Tennessee / North Carolina line. Knoxville is approximately a 90 minute drive away, and Asheville is about 75 minutes away.

The Sterchi Lodge Weather Station is reporting these conditions:

The Max Patch Weather Forecast is accurate for the lodge.

Our Sterchi Lodge Webcam just captured this image! Click the image for a video of the last hour’s images.



Gifts

A Sterchi Lodge Fund has been established to help ensure the future maintenance and development of Sterchi Lodge. Memorials, honoraria and gifts to this fund may be made through the CSUMC Giving Page

Other Activities in the Area

The summit of Max Patch is a short half hour hike from the lodge’s front door, with 200 feet of elevation drop and 400 feet of climb. Max Patch is a stunning bald mountain on the Appalachian Trail, renowned for its 360 degree views of the North Carolina Blue Ridge Mountains and Pisgah and Cherokee National Forests.

Hot Springs, NC is a 45-minute drive (or 3/4 of a day hike down the Appalachian Trail) from Sterchi. Restaurants, shopping, and the Hot Spings Spa are popular with visitors.

For outdoor and adventure enthusiasts, you can do a one-way on the Appalachian Trail to either Hot Springs (19 mi) or I-40 TN exit 451 (17 mi). At nearby TN Exit 447,  there are several whitewater rafting companies and a zipline.