Buffalo Creek Vacation Rentals - Tatonka Lodge

Buffalo Creek Vacations is a family owned & operated business. It was our father, Harold Clackett, who retired as a UPS truck driver on LI, New York who always had a dream of raising bison & building his retirement log home. They built their log home with the help of all of their 5 sons & their 1 daughter over the course of a few years & then it was time to move. Our dad, along w/ our mom, Harriet Clackett, made the move to the beautiful Smoky Mountains in 1994, the night before they left it was said that they were heard singing…”Nothing would be finer then to be in Carolina in the morning..”. Then soon the bison herd was formed & started expanding.

We all just fell in love with the area & all that it has to offer from hiking & water falls in the summer to the beautiful foliage in the fall, skiing in the winter & new baby bison being born in the springtime.

It wasn’t until 10 years later, in 2004 that the 40 acres behind our folks came up for sale & that 3 of us guys, Cheryl along w/ our spouses shared the vision of expanding our father’s bison ranch & start building cabins to rent & invite others to enjoy our little piece of heaven that God has blessed us with.

With all of our knowledge & experiences combined, we have built on the property 4 primary residences (with 1 being a castle!) & 4 vacation log cabins.

Opening Dates

Bison Overlook – July 1, 2007 Tatonka Lodge – February 10, 2008 Buffalo Bungalow – August 4, 2013 Timber Hollow – June 5, 2014 Bison Escape – June 13, 2015 Seaboard Coastline Caboose #0887 – April 1, 2016 BC Party Caboose – July 2017 Seaboard Coastline Caboose #0843 – December 20, 2017 BC Depot – Summer 2018 Hare Pin Inn – April 1, 2019 One of our father’s other “loves” was for trains, & 20 years later, in late December 2014, from when my folks 1st moved down to NC…Buffalo Creek purchased 2 cabooses that were relocated to the property & we renovated them and started renting them out as well by 2017. Since then we have purchased 3 more cabooses as well. One is currently our party caboose & the other 2 are sitting on the tracks waiting for their chance to be brought back to life!

Every cabin has been designed & built by mostly our family as well as a lot of the wood furniture in all our cabins has been handmade by the wood on the property! Even the covered wagon bed, (in Tatonka Lodge) that was custom built our father.

Buffalo Creek is proud to provide family & friends with work as well. All of our cleaning crews are related or good friends of the family.

God has blessed us beyond our wildest dreams. We hope you love the mountains like we have all come to love being transplants from a very flat NY!

Buffalo Creek Family Partnership

Cheryl & Jeff Hillis, Jacob & Holly Clackett Joshua & Maggie Clackett & Tim Clackett

Tatonka Lodge

• 4 bedroom, 3 bath luxury log home that sleeps 14.
• 2 Master Suites with Jacuzzi baths
• 3rd Bedroom is furnished with Queen-size bed
• 4th Bedroom has a twin over full bunk bed & twin covered wagon bed
• Pool Table
• Lifesize chess set
• Air Hockey
• Foosball
• Hot Tub
• Free WiFi
• Satellite TV (Dish Network)
• 2 Wood burning stone fireplaces with free (limited amount) firewood
• Central A/C
• VCR/ DVD
• Fire pit outside for roasting marshmallows
• Baby high chair (other baby items available for rent)
• Full-size Washer/Dryer
• Large Charcoal Grill
• Pets welcomed
• Short hike to our large playground for kids & horseshoe pit

So Much to do at Buffalo Creek

Once you have had your fill of relaxing in one of luxury cabins, you will find there is so much more to do – all you have to do is walk out the front door. Our property is small enough that it is easy to get around on foot, but also big enough for short hikes and great exploration.

Our Gift Shop

The Trains

The Playground

Day-Cation Pass

Mini Donkey Excursion

Mini Horse Rides

Feeding the Goats

See the Llamas

Game Room

Morning Bison Feeding

Paint Ball

Fishing