Private 300-Acre East Texas Retreat — Hot Tub, Stocked Pond, Total Seclusion

Whispering Pines is a secluded cabin on 300 private acres of East Texas pine forest near Jacksonville. A private drive runs about half a mile from the county road through the pines before the pond comes into view. The entire property is yours: no neighbors in sight, no shared spaces and no other guests, and very little reason to leave.

Dallas is about 2 hours away, Fort Worth about 2½, Houston about 2¾ and Austin about 3¾. Tyler is about 45 minutes and Shreveport about 1 hour 45. Jacksonville and Rusk are each about 20 minutes for groceries and dinner out. Booking here has no cleaning fee and no hidden fees.

THE CABIN
- Two bedrooms, each with a queen bed, blackout shades and a privacy lock
- Loft: two twin beds and a TV, up a spiral staircase
- Flex room: a queen tri-fold memory-foam mattress, set up free on request, which brings the cabin to 8
- One full bath with a large walk-in rain shower, a built-in seat and a bidet, plus a half bath
- A full kitchen with a nugget ice maker and a pantry stocked with cooking basics, so bring groceries for your meals and not much else
- A coffee bar with a Nespresso (regular and decaf), a Moccamaster, a Chemex, a French press, an espresso machine with a grinder and frother, whole-bean and ground coffee, and teas. There's free honey at the cabin from our own hives, and jars to take home if you'd like one.
- Central heat and air, fast fiber internet with Wi-Fi throughout the cabin, a desk for work, Apple TV, board games and books, a washer and dryer, and a whole-home backup generator
- For families: a crib, a pack 'n play and a high chair

THE POND
The private 7.6-acre pond is stocked with Florida bass and bluegill. It was surveyed by electrofishing in 2024, and we added more bass in summer 2026. Bluegill come readily off the pier, especially when the feeder runs around 2:30 in the afternoon; bass take a little more patience. Rods and tackle are provided. Catch and release is encouraged, but you're welcome to keep up to five bass per stay and all the bluegill you like.
There's a canoe, a kayak, a flat-bottom boat and a pedal boat that seats five. Life jackets are required on the water and kept in the green metal box by the pier. You're welcome to swim in the pond, at your own risk. Children must be actively supervised around the pond, boats, hot tub and spring-fed pool.

THE RANGER EV (ADD-ON)
The Polaris Ranger EV is electric and nearly silent, and it reaches the whole property: out through the pines and the tree farm, along forested trails, and down to the spring-fed pool and waterfall. Our favorite way to see the property, and the add-on guests request most. It's $195 per stay; send us a message to add it. Ranger use requires a signed liability waiver and compliance with the vehicle rules.

OUTSIDE
- A 6-person hot tub, kept around 100°F all year and sanitized with bromine and serviced before every arrival, with a hot and cold outdoor shower nearby
- A handcrafted pergola by the pond, with dining for 8 under string lights
- An outdoor kitchen with a gas grill and a propane deep fryer (cooking oil not supplied)
- A fire pit with Adirondack chairs; we provide firewood, fire starters and s'mores
- Miles of private trails through the pines, with a trail map, binoculars and bird guides at the cabin
- A hammock, cornhole and horseshoes
- A free Tesla Universal Wall Connector for your car

AFTER DARK
It gets properly dark out here. There's a Celestron StarSense telescope, a pair of astronomy binoculars and beginner field guides, and you don't need to know anything about astronomy to use them.

THE SPRING-FED POOL
About half a mile from the cabin, below a steep bank, a spring feeds a small waterfall, pool and creek. It's a quiet overlook with a bench, more a place to sit and listen than an easy swim. The flow follows the rain: strong after a wet spell, slow or stopped in a long drought or the height of summer. Follow the trail map there on foot, or take the Ranger to the nearby access point.

THE RV SUITE (ADD-ON)
A private RV suite near the cabin, with a queen bed, a bathroom with a shower, a kitchenette, a sitting area and air conditioning. It sleeps two more, bringing the group to 10, and suits grandparents or another couple who'd like a space of their own. It's only ever used by the group in the cabin; if you don't add it, it stays empty. It's $90 a night; request it when you book.

GOLF
Cherokee Ranch is about 15 minutes away, Peach Tree about 35, Wild Spring Dunes about 40 and Pine Dunes about 45. Come back to the grill, the hot tub and the fire instead of a hotel room.

A DAY AT WHISPERING PINES
There really isn't a schedule here, which is part of the point. Make coffee and take it down to the pond. Fish for a while. Walk a trail after lunch, or take the Ranger out and see more of the property. Some guests spend half the day at the water; others barely do anything at all.
In the evening, take dinner down to the pergola and eat as the light changes over the pond. Once it's dark, bring out the telescope. If it's cool, start a fire and make the s'mores we leave for you. Then finish the night in the hot tub under the stars.
Families often tell us their kids spent far less time on screens than they expected. Couples tell us they barely left the property. That's pretty much what we hoped would happen.

IS IT THE RIGHT FIT?
Whispering Pines is made for slowing down: fishing, walking the trails, sitting by the water. It's a good fit for families, couples, friends, golf weekends, anniversaries and birthdays. If you're after nightlife or a resort, it probably isn't the place.