AFM Ferguson Cabins: Private Retreat Facilities
Gifted to Atlanta Friends Meeting in 1983 by Dwight Ferguson, the Ferguson Cabins include seven wooded acres and several cabin structures on a mountainside site with a dock on Lake Burton. From the dock, a beautiful view of the lake and surrounding mountains bring a sense of peace and simplicity.
The cabins are about a 2 hour drive from the Meetinghouse in the North Georgia mountains and are open to Friends for family, individual, group and committee retreats. Dwight’s intent was to encourage fellowship by providing a place for Friends to step into the natural world, where there is a sense of peace, gathering, contemplation and play.
There are two cabins with full kitchens, Irene cabin and Dwight cabin. Both cabins have a stove, refrigerator/freezer, dishes, pots and pans, board games and puzzles.
Irene is the more modern cabin with heat and air conditioning and a half bath on the main level. It has a double bed, a single bed and 2-3 floor mattresses available in a loft and a single bed size convertible couch on the main level. A bathroom on the lower level of Irene includes a walk-in shower
and is open to all.
The Dwight cabin is more rustic. It has a screen porch for open air sleeping, a woodstove and cold running water at the kitchen sink. Water can be heated on the kitchen stove for dishes and cleaning. A sofa opens to a double bed and there are 4-5 floor mattresses for sleeping on the screen porch
The Dwight cabin is the most accessible, with no steps through the screened porch door The bathroom on the lower level of Irene is accessed from an inclined gravel walkway. For larger groups, there are two bunkhouses, Treetops and Squirrel House, with mattresses for overflow sleeping.
The dock, located on Lake Burton is a short walk down the driveway and across the road from the cabins. The lakefront includes a small area with a gentle slope into the lake, a picnic table, a campfire ring, canoes and a little boathouse containing a kayak, paddles and life vests.
There is minimal or sporadic cell phone and internet reception. The town of Clayton is about 1⁄2 hour away with grocery and hardware stores, restaurants, and coffee shops.
Arrangements for Use of the Ferguson Cabins
View calendar for available reservations:
Reservations (call, text, email)
Joan Thompson: 404-273-3489
Jennifer Thompson: thefergusoncabin@gmail.com
Rates
$45/night for Irene cabin.
$20/night for Dwight cabin.
$10/night for bunkhouses.
$65/night for exclusive use of all facilities
The reservation of any cabin includes use of toilet and shower on the lower level of Irene cabin.
Payments and donations
A non refundable deposit of one night’s rate is required to make a reservation. Full payment is due 14 days prior to use.
Cash, check, or PayPal to “Atlanta Friends Meeting – Ferguson Cabins”
Contact the scheduler when you make the deposit and when you make the full payment
Cleaning and departure protocol
Arrival and departure times are 3pm.
Bring your own cleaning supplies to wipe down kitchen and bathrooms, dry and put dishes away, sweep floors, close windows, turn off lights, take all food items and trash with you when you leave, and make sure that dehumidifiers are on in Dwight cabin and Irene’s lower bathroom. Leave heat/AC as you found it in the Irene cabin, return keys to the lockbox and report any issues to the schedule manager.
Suggested packing list includes:
Bedding, kitchen and bath towels, soap, washcloths, dish soap and cleaning supplies, garbage bags, toilet paper, bathing suit, flashlight, food and beverages.
Suggested Driving Directions to the Ferguson Cabins
Driving time from Atlanta is approximately 2 hours.
- Take I-85 north to I-985 which becomes 23/441.
- Travel past Tallulah Falls Gorge and continue 8 miles further
- After passing the Rabun County Middle, and High schools on the right, look for the Goats on the Roof sign and facility on the left.
- Turn left there at the Tiger Connector / Bridge Creek Rd.
- Go 9 miles and turn right on Murray Cove Rd, (shortly past Charlie Mt Rd).
- Take the first left off paved road onto Mindy Mtn. Rd, a gravel road .
- The entrance for the Ferguson cabins will be the first driveway on the left. The mailbox says D.H. Ferguson.
- If using Google Maps, put in Arkansas Lane. The Ferguson Cabin driveway is directly across Mindy Mountain Rd from the entrance to Arkansas Lane. Save an offline map as phone reception in the area is spotty.
For Questions & Concerns Contact Joan Thompson at 404-273-3489