Boating at Connestee Falls

Four Lakes, No Gas Engines

Connestee Falls' boating experience is defined by four private mountain lakes in a quiet-water, no-gas-motor environment. The four lakes -- Wanteska, Ticoa, Atagahi, and Tsalagi -- each have their own character, and together they provide approximately 95 acres of private flat water accessible exclusively to Connestee property owners and their guests. No public access, no transient boat traffic, no jet ski noise -- the lakes are managed for the community's exclusive use as a quiet recreation resource.

Electric-powered watercraft are permitted on all four lakes -- electric pontoon boats being the primary motorized option. The silent operation of electric pontoons makes them ideal for the Connestee lake environment: gliding across a 50-acre private mountain lake at dusk in an electric pontoon, with the forest and ridgelines reflected in the flat water and wildlife undisturbed by engine sound, is the kind of experience that draws residents to electric-motor lakes specifically. Small sailboats and sailing dinghies are also permitted. All non-motorized craft -- kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, rowboats -- are welcome on all four lakes.

One noted observation from a long-time Connestee resident: "Many days one will see small sailboats or electric-powered pontoon boats out on the lakes -- or residents along the lake shores catching fish in the well-stocked waters -- or families enjoying a swim in the cool lake waters on a warm summer day." At 3,200 feet, the lake water remains cool enough for swimming through much of the summer -- a meaningful advantage compared to the warmer lake surface temperatures at lower-elevation lakes in July and August.

Community-Wide Access: Every Owner Can Lake

Every Connestee Falls property owner has lake access through the community's launch areas and lake access facilities. The lake system is a community-wide amenity included in the $4,075 annual HOA assessment -- it is not exclusively for lakefront lot owners. Owners without direct shoreline adjacency drive to the community launch areas and launch from there. For electric pontoon owners or kayakers who use the lake several times per week, this model becomes routine quickly. For occasional lake users, the community launch approach is perfectly functional. The experience differs from stepping off your lakefront deck into a kayak, but the lake itself is the same water.