About Us
We fell fast in love with the land here at Firecreek. The soft sounds of the forest, the fresh cool spring water that surfaces abundantly, and the energy one can feel simply sitting or walking in the woods. It's a special place.
Our Story
We purchased the property in 2021 to heal ourselves and make a small offering to help heal the planet. Beyond our small family enjoying this magical land, we aim to share it with others by hosting retreats, workshops, and short-term rentals. Retreats include yoga and meditation, leadership, art, photography, nature immersion, fly fishing and hiking, and culinary, foraging, and regenerative agriculture.
The property has 4 dwellings: Maple, Dogwood, Acorn, and Cherry Blossom. Additionally, there’s a 1930’s wormy chestnut barn, greenhouse, and a variety of outbuildings for maintenance, livestock, and gardening. We plan to add a few more low-impact dwellings in the not-so-distant future.
We implore you to sink into the quietude of the forest and to connect deeply with this land, and in turn with yourself.
With Love,
Christy and Gavin McKenzie
What We Believe
This Particular Ground
Everything here grows out of fidelity to this land specifically — not "nature" as a category or backdrop, but this barn, these springs, this elevation, this family's history on it. Nothing at Firecreek could be picked up and relocated to another mountain without becoming something else.
1. Earned, Not Borrowed
Nothing here is imported from a wellness trend deck. If we do it, it's because we actually live it — no borrowed rituals, no sound baths or ceremony formats grown somewhere else and dropped onto this land.
2. The Land Teaches
We take direction from the land rather than impose on it. Regeneration and stewardship are a form of listening, not a technique — it shows up in how we build, what we clear, and what we leave alone.
3. Kinship, Not Hierarchy
Wild and raised animals alike are fellow beings on this land, not props or resources. We don't rank ourselves above what we steward.
4. All People, One Ground
The land doesn't discriminate in who it will hold or heal. Neither do we — in who is welcomed, featured, and made to feel this is theirs too.
5. Built to Last
Design and construction answer to the site and to time, not to what's fast or fashionable. Quality is a form of respect for whoever is still here in a hundred years.
6. Enough
Sufficiency over accumulation. Growing our own food and raising our own animals isn't a self-sufficiency flex — it's a daily practice in wanting less than everything.
Why Firecreek
The name isn't a metaphor we chose, it's a description of the land itself. Fire and water, two elements that shape this valley every day: the warmth of a shared fire pit, the cold clarity of the spring that surfaces here and feeds the property. Firecreek is what happens when those two forces meet, transformation on one side, flow on the other, and a little bit of balance in between.
“Dear Gavin + Christy: Our sincerest gratitude for inviting us into your paradise. A deep & welcome reminder of everything that is good in the world: Family, Friendship, healing food, & the power and inspiration of being enveloped in nature. Looking forward to a deeper dive next time.”
Isis, Titus, + Falcon
Stewardship
Caring for this land doesn't stop at our property line. One percent of Firecreek's profits go directly to land conservation, a small, ongoing commitment to the place that made all of this possible in the first place.
Cozy Cabin Stays
Four cabins tucked into the Smoky Mountains, sleeping two to nineteen guests. Rent one for quiet solitude, or book them all for your next gathering.
Host With Us
Bring your own group to Firecreek. We provide the land, cabins, logistics and booking platform for up to twenty guests, so you can focus on leading your retreat.
Restorative Retreats
Join expert facilitators for yoga, meditation, and creative workshops. Meals, lodging, and community included, so you can simply arrive and settle in.
The Feed
