Think of "log cabins" and you likely imagine winter wonderland fairytale villages in the Swiss Alps. Or, perhaps you think of the cozy chalets and horse-drawn carriages of a classic Swiss town.

Elk & Embers is a new mountain retreat in Waynesville, North Carolina, offering luxury safari tents, rustic log cabins, and a tree house; the resort is just 40 miles west of Asheville. The ...