Below is everything we think you'll need to know to get to Sweet Root Hollow and enjoy your time to the fullest.

A note about impact on the land before we get to the nuts and bolts. Sweet Root Hollow is a wild place. Please tread lightly and consider that you’re in a complex environment loaded with unique living creatures who depend on the maintenance of its holy order.

In general, we prefer that you not bring dogs here, owing to the dirt and potential mud outside (and the nice new furniture inside). That said, if you’d like to bring a pet, please reach out via the contact page and we can make arrangements.

Please stay on the trails (find a gorgeous trail map here).

Please do not dig up or remove plants.

Please do not hunt, catch, or kill animals.

Please leave the creek as it is: no digging swimming holes, building dams, or disturbing the banks.

Please consider how you can be an observer and witness of this place and leave it undisturbed. 

If you can’t find an answer to a question here please reach out. We're so happy to help.

Obviously, we’d like for you to read all the highly scintillating info about your upcoming stay. But if you must skim, here are the need-to-know items most important to your having a happy and safe say here:

In the past, Sweet Root Hollow was a self-clean property. We’ve transitioned to hosted cleaning (there’s a $125 fee for this service) because it gives you more time to stretch out and relax on your final morning here. That said, please do remember to do all your dishes, empty the refrigerator of any food you brought, and don’t leave egregious messes. We’re so thrilled to host you and trust you’ll treat our beautiful property with the care and respect you give your own home. Please and thank you!

Don’t leave doors open. Pleasant though it is, it’s an invitation to mice. And while they’re cute, they really belong outside.

Go gentle on the septic system. Like all such systems, it’s not as forgiving as an urban sewer system. Human waste and TP are the ONLY things that can go down the toilet, thank you very much.

Please respect the seasonal burn ban on outdoor fires. It’s generally late Spring to Fall; there will be an orange placard posted to a tree across Farmer Creek Road from us.

Respect our neighbors and the land. Sweet Root Hollow is sizable, and while there’s little chance of disturbing our neighbors whilst on the property, we ask that you drive with caution on Farmer Creek Road, respecting the 25mph speed limit. Also, there are plenty of potholes, which your vehicle won’t appreciate at high speed.

Thank you so much!

Sweet Root Hollow is located at 15575 Farmer Creek Rd. Cloverdale, OR 97112.

We are off Highway 101 (the turnoff’s near milepost 83), right between Tillamook and Pacific City. Please drive slowly up Farmer Creek Rd out of respect for our neighbors. We are the last house on the left before the road turns to gravel, roughly 1.25 miles from the 101. If the pavement ends, you've gone too far.

When you make a reservation you’ll receive a 4-digit PIN code that controls access to the front door during your stay. To use your PIN:

Press the "Yale" button on the deadbolt to activate the keypad.

Enter your 4-digit PIN.

Press the check mark at the bottom right of the keypad. 

Your PIN will be active from the beginning of your reservation until the end of your reservation. 

Please take off your shoes when you enter the house.  It's often muddy out there and we like to keep it tidy inside.

Especially when the weather’s nice, you may be tempted to leave the doors open. Please don’t. Why? Mice. We prefer they stay outside, please. Trust us: You will too.

We keep the house cool and a dehumidifier running when the place is empty. When you arrive you'll find the thermostat in the hallway between the bathroom and bedroom, and the dehumidifier next to the fridge in the kitchen. Feel free to set the heat to a comfortable temperature during your stay, and turn the dehumidifier off if the sound bothers you.

This is our preferred method of heating because it is so wonderfully warm and cozy and delightful to look at. Please enjoy!

There is a wood carrying bag by the fireplace that you can use to bring in wood from the part of the shed we use for this purpose. Use the smaller logs stacked to the left of the larger ones’ they’re well-seasoned and ready to go. There is paper and cardboard in the little semicircular bench at the end of the kitchen counter, and matches on the shelves in the living room.

The damper is controlled by the coiled handle on the bottom right of the stove. Pulling that handle out all the way lets more air into the stove and will keep the fire burning stronger and hotter. Conversely, closing it down partway or fully will dampen the fire. 

When lighting, it often helps to leave the stove door cracked a smidge to let in extra air and really get the fire whipping.

When you’re done for the night, please leave the damper all the way out. This prevents the buildup of creosote in the flue.

After a fire, you can get rid of the ashes by opening the little trapdoor in the floor of the stove and sweeping the cold ashes into the bin below. After a couple of fires, carefully pull the bin out and dump it outside (the fire pit to the left of the front door is a good spot). Thanks!

The kitchen is well-stocked with pots, pans, baking sheets, toaster, microwave, French press, tea pot, tools and knives. Help yourself to the oils, herbs, and spices we've made available. Please hand wash, dry, and put away chef’s knives. On a similar note, the cast iron will be happier just rinsed, wiped out, and dried.

Also, we generally skip the dishwasher as it’s not very effective.

On a related note, you’ll find sugar in the pull-out cabinet next to the fridge. If the hummingbird feeder above the back deck is empty, we (and the hummers) would be grateful if you’d mix up a cup or so of nectar at a 1:4 sugar-to-water ratio and refill their feeder.

Our water comes from a well and goes into a septic system. This means our water comes from the land and goes back to the land. Most of the time the water is great to drink right from the tap, but sometimes it gathers a sulphuric aroma.

Sulphur isn’t bad for you but we totally get why you wouldn't want to drink it. That’s why there's a big silver Berkey filter next to the kitchen sink.  Keeping that full will filter your water and greatly diminish any sulphur presence. When you’re leaving, please be sure to refill it by removing the lid and filling with cold tap water from the kitchen sink.

We are on a septic system which takes a little more care than a regular urban sewage system. Please put as little down the drains as possible! The only thing that should go down the drain is poop, pee, and toilet paper.  Everything else—food bits, tampons, paper towels, etc—should be put into the trash.  Thank you for that!

You should be able to hop onto the STARLINK network without a password. If you’re having any issues, reach out to us via the Uplisting page (where you made your reservation) and we’ll help you get sorted.

To the west of the house (out the front door and to your left) there is a fire pit. Please enjoy respectfully: Have yourself a reasonable fire but please don’t make a giant bonfire. Notice your proximity to those beautiful cedars.

Important: In summer, please don’t use the fire pit or make any outdoor fires. The County places orange burn ban notices across the road from us in fire season and we adhere strictly to them.

There's a web of trails on the property and a beautiful watercolor map in the living room that you can view to help yourself find them. Please let the wild spaces stay wild. Do not make new trails or wander through the woods off-trail. Also: The land across Farmer Creek does not belong to us. It is part of a protected reserve; please let it be. Continuing west, Farmer Creek Road turns to gravel just beyond our house and travels for miles through the Siuslaw National Forest and private timberland. This is an amazing area to explore! There are multiple forks and no cell service here, so please keep track of your route and make sure you get home safely!

There are wild cougars and bears in the vicinity, though sightings are rare. In the very unlikely chance you encounter a cougar:

-Cougars often will retreat if given the opportunity. Leave the animal a way to escape.

-Stay calm and stand your ground.

-Maintain direct eye contact.

-Pick up children, but do so without bending down or turning your back on the cougar.

-Back away slowly.

-Do not run. Running triggers a chase response in cougars, which could lead to an attack.

Raise your voice and speak firmly.

-If the cougar seems aggressive, raise your arms to make yourself look larger and clap your hands.

-If in the very unusual event that a cougar attacks you, fight back with rocks, sticks, bear or pepper spray, tools or any items available.

If you encounter a bear:

-Don’t run. Stay calm, avoid eye contact. Do not make sudden movements. Back away slowly as you face the bear.

-Make noise. Raise your voice and speak firmly, yell and clap your hands.

-In the rare event of an attack, be aggressive, shout, throw tools, sticks and rocks.

Wash your dishes before you go (we generally skip the dishwasher as it’s not very effective).  Bonus points for drying and putting away!

Make sure you take all perishable food with you. Please don't leave anything in the fridge that's going to go bad and make things weird for the next person.

Manually lock the back door from inside.

Do a last walkthrough and see if there's anything else you can tidy or tend so that the next people that walk in there are like: "Wow, this place is incredible! I am so stoked to be here!!!!"

On your way out, firmly close the front door and hit the "Yale" button on the front door keypad to lock it. Make sure it makes the reassuring success sound before you head off.