The Top Amenity Families Love at Our Cabin — The Mountain View Cottage, Harpers Ferry, WV

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One of the things I pride myself on as a host is not just my ability to welcome families and friends to our Airbnb — it brings me joy knowing that we're not just providing a place to stay, but that we're also a part of creating lifelong memories. We are a part of someone's story for the rest of their lives. We once had a guest get engaged at the cottage and they sent us photos afterward. That will stay with me forever as a host. I love that our space is part of someone's life journey.

It's great to provide cozy sheets and a warm ambiance in the living room, but beyond the house itself, the top amenity families love at our cabin — hands down — is the firepit area.

Families love the cozy firepit at Mountain View Cottage — handcrafted by the owner himself, it's become a guest favorite. On nights spent under the stars, there's nothing better than gathering around the glow, roasting s'mores, and relaxing in the swinging egg chairs. It's the perfect spot for laughter, stories, and quality family time.

A Labor of Love

When we first started hosting, we had just five Adirondack chairs and the firepit itself. That was it. It was fine — and when we visited the cottage as a family we still always had an awesome time around it — but it felt a bit plain and ordinary. I always envisioned more for the space.

If you're new here, my name is Sam. I'm an Airbnb Superhost with properties in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia and Frederick, MD. We love our property in Harpers Ferry — The Mountain View Cottage is our first Airbnb and also our home, so it is near and dear to our hearts.

I always wanted to create a space in the backyard that could be a standout amenity — something families would truly love. West Virginia is absolutely beautiful in the summer and even more so in the fall when the leaves are turning. We wanted our guests to enjoy the beauty inside the cabin and the stunning foliage outside too.

Here's what the firepit area used to look like.

And here are some photos from the construction of the stone path that led to the new firepit. It was my husband Ray's vision. He sketched it all out and we ran with it — kids included.

We rented heavy-duty machinery and started by drawing out the size of the new pit and pathway, then removed all the dirt and weeds.

There were so many stones and so much gravel for that path. We laid each one by hand and made several trips back and forth to Home Depot hauling bricks. But it was totally worth it.

We wanted to build a larger seating area, but we were a bit restricted by our sewer system and didn't want to get too close when building the pergola framework, so we measured four feet out from the sewer cover. It was all coming together nicely. But like any DIY project, there were constraints and setbacks. We tackled this project in April of 2024 — and if you're not familiar with the DC/Maryland/Virginia/West Virginia region, we do get our share of spring rain. Here came the rain. Everything was swampy, wet, and muddy, but we pushed through.

Next, we laid the bricks one by one for both the fire ring and the seating area around the firepit. And that marriage proposal I mentioned earlier? You guessed it — it happened right here at the firepit. Ray sketched out and dug the groundwork for both the trees that frame the pergola and the holes for the pergola posts.

After completing the pergola, the hanging egg chairs came next. These are my favorite part of the whole project. During breaks, the kids and I spent our time swinging in those chairs without a care in the world.

The best part was yet to come — adding the decor. The beautiful red copper lanterns, the string lights, the gorgeous pillows, the footrest, and the little wagon filled with flowers. It all came together perfectly.

I chose the red copper lanterns intentionally — I wanted something that would pop against all the green nature surrounding us, the trees, and the woodiness of the pergola itself. I spotted them in a Pinterest post and fell in love immediately. They were exactly the bold, warm accent the space needed. The Adirondack chairs were chosen with that same stand-out-but-comfortable energy in mind — I wanted something that looked great but that guests could genuinely lounge in for hours. And those wood stump end tables? That was Ray's idea. He made them himself from old tree trunks that were already lying around on the property. A little resourcefulness goes a long way.

Today, we love knowing that all that hard work did not go to waste. During the fall and summer, this space has become not just a conversation piece and a photo-worthy backdrop — it's a truly enjoyable part of the cottage and the top amenity our guests rave about. And it's completely free of charge for every guest who stays with us. Read some of our firepit reviews below.

Those reviews say it all. Want to recreate this at your own property? Here's everything we used, linked and ready to shop.

Before I share my tips, if you're finding this helpful and want to see more posts like this — I'd love to have you on the Pioneer & Hearth list.

Tips for Creating Your Own Firepit Area

If this project has inspired you to build something similar at your own property or short-term rental, here's what I'd tell you based on everything we learned along the way.

Budget your time, not just your money. This is a time-consuming project — not something you can knock out in a weekend. From start to finish, ours took about two solid weeks. If you're hosting guests, you'll need to block off your calendar in advance. We actually blocked our Airbnb dates to make sure we had no guests during construction. The last thing we wanted was to disrupt someone's stay with noise and machinery — that just wouldn't be the experience we want for our guests.

Watch the weather. We tackled this in April of 2024, and the spring rain in the DC/MD/VA/WV region is no joke. Factor in weather delays. Things will get muddy. Push through anyway — it's worth it.

Choose your stones wisely. Stone and brick costs add up fast because of the sheer volume you'll need. Shop on the more affordable end of the spectrum — the look you're going for doesn't require the most expensive option, and the savings will be significant when you're buying in bulk.

Think carefully about the size of your firepit circle. The bigger the circle you draw, the more you have to dig — we went about a foot down. A wider circle also means more weeding, more gravel, and more trips to the store. We needed more gravel than we anticipated and had to make extra runs to Home Depot to rake and level everything properly. Size it purposefully.

Use cement for the brick ring. To stack the bricks securely around the firepit circle, you'll need cement between each layer. Don't skip this step.

Keep the pergola proportions practical. A 7-foot-tall pergola is sufficient — any taller and costs start climbing without adding much to the experience. For width, 6 to 7 feet works beautifully. Go bigger and you're looking at more lumber and more cost without a proportional payoff.

Buy your lumber at Home Depot — or skip the build entirely. We purchased all our pergola lumber at Home Depot, but if you'd rather save the time and effort, a pre-built pergola is a great shortcut. We have one linked here for you: pre-built pergola.

Don't underestimate the little details. The wood stump end tables, the lanterns, the string lights — these finishing touches are what turn a functional outdoor space into something guests actually talk about in their reviews. Don't rush the decor phase. In the end it will all come together beautifully.

Have questions about the build? Drop them in the comments below — I'd love to help you create a space your guests will rave about too.

Interested in visiting the cottage? Book your stay at Mountain View Cottage direct and check out the best things to do near Mountain View Cottage this fall to start planning your trip.

You Might Also Like

The 4 Things I Love Most About Mountain View Cottage — a personal look at what keeps guests coming back, from cleanliness to ambiance.
Best Things To Do Near The Mountain View Cottage This Fall 2026 — trails, history, breweries, and more right outside your door.

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