Daytime Conference Center at the Center Lodge

Our rules are designed to provide for the safety of all our guests, maximize your group’s freedom while not compromising the experience of other visitors, ensure the sustainability of our services, and provide access to unique common areas of our amazing valley. Breaking the house rules is not nice and may cost you money, so please read them over and agree to them before arriving. We encourage your feedback to improve the rules.

1) All lodging guests must pay Tennessee state (9.5%) and Williamson county (4%) short-term rental taxes. The public servants who pave our roads and who serve and protect us, appreciate your support.  Non-profit organizations are not exempt from paying taxes on the lodging component of their expenses.

 2) A government-issued photo ID of all adults must be presented to staff prior to check-in. Check-in must be performed by the person making the reservation. If this person is not available or will arrive later, contact management prior to check-in to discuss alternate arrangements.  

3) Only the number of guests registered may be on premises. Exceptions only with documented permission of management. A guest list is required for events including, any attendants or vendors required to assist with your event. Unregistered guests are *trespassing* and may be prosecuted, so please do not invited them on premises without the management’s knowledge and permission. External surveillance monitor(s) help safeguard our guests and compliance with our house rules.  If uninvited guests are on premises you may be asked to leave without receiving any refund.

4) CSS insists on a safe environment; vehicle passes are required. Children of all ages wander local trails and creeks. Our guests, members, and staff are safest when all adults and vehicles are known and identifiable. All visiting vehicles must have a parking pass display a parking displayed on windshield or rearview mirror when on our premises. The names and identification of all guests and visitors must be presented to management before they are allowed on premises. All cars on premises must have a parking pass or they may be towed.

5) Keep the place clean. Guests are responsible for cleaning grills and ovens if they are made greasy/dirty. Excess trash, messes requiring extra cleaning, or not leaving furniture/carpets in their places may result in a portion of your security deposit being withheld. Don’t place trash outside of bins (making it accessible to hungry critters).

6) Prohibited: Unsafe or disrespectful behavior. Pets (including walking pets outdoors on leashes; we are within a nature sanctuary and respect our ground-nesting birds) Indoor smoking. Firearms (except with owner’s permission), confetti, candles, or use of fireplaces and outside fire pits without permission, collecting firewood, bringing in new furniture/equipment or moving existing equipment/furniture without permission of owner, underage drinking of alcohol.

Parties / Events: All parties and events must be approved in advance by management. An additional fee and cash security deposit is required. Definition of Event: when approved non-Lodging guests or vendors are on premises. Music audible from outside of houses must end by 11:00. When more than 20 persons are present at a lodging or venue, a staff attendant ($30/hr) must be hired for the duration of the Event and during setup and takedown. Vendors must be approved before being allowed on site. Event insurance may be required if alcohol is served. Non-Lodging Guests may not use the residential driveway but must park (with parking passes visible) in designated area or parking lot which will be closed at the end of the Event. Parking passes are required for all vehicles. Day guests who are not disabled or elderly must to walk from the designated parking area to the place of the Event. Elderly or disabled persons may be shuttled to the Event site. Larger events may require a Williamson County Permit which must be obtained in advance.

We are honored to be Stewards of the beautiful Big East Fork Valley and expect our guests to help protect it.  We therefore require that you DON'T DUMP ON US. There is no free trash collection in the valley, so please be responsible for the volume and quality of trash that you leave behind. If you take all of your trash with you, we will return all of your Trash Deposit Fee. Get your refund on the deposit by reducing the volume of trash: 1) save compostable foodstuffs for our gardens and animals, 2) break down cardboard boxes, crush cans, and stack disposable plates and cups 3) collect our sweet spring water in large containers, and 4) leave usable food in your fridge after you leave. If you have more than a few bags, save money by paying an approved local vendor to remove your bagged trash.

Don’t place trash outside of bins making it accessible to hungry critters. Raccoons are the world’s messiest partiers.

If you leave un-bagged trash in the house or trash cans, or use trash bags greater than 15 gallons you will forfeit your trash deposit. Ouch! If you choose not contract with a local trash hauler and leave your bagged trash in the outside trash receptacles, your trash deposit refund will reduced by $5 per 13 - 15 gallon bag. Do not use bags greater than 15 gallons. So if you have more than a few bags of trash, you can save $$$ by calling an approved local trash hauler.

If you are checking out on noon Sunday, you may leave your usable food, drink, and spirit(s) for the Center for Sustainable Stewardship’s Community Brunch, held every Sunday noon at the CSS Farm, 5400 Big East Fork Rd. Meet, greet, and express gratitude to the people who have helped to make your stay memorable. Meet members of CSS who maintain the trails, take care of watercraft, groom the hiking trails, and care for the farm animals.

Heating (in cold months): We attempt to steward our valuable fossils fuels. Our accommodations are heated with a 1000 gallon propane tank. So at $2.50/gallon, $2500 of fuel may be present in your lodging. Try to keep thermostats set at 70 degrees and dress for the season. Keep windows and doors closed when heat is on and lower heat when the house is not occupied. Inform staff of drafts or any malfunctioning equipment.

Cooling (in warm months): When air conditioning units are operating, please keep windows and doors closed. Do not set temperature lower than 70 degrees. Electricity costs in excess of $50 per day are the responsibility of the guest. Help us keep our energy usage (and cost to our guests) sustainable! 

Kitchen: Sinks drain to our beloved septic tanks. Do NOT pour grease or animal fat down our drains, but pour them into glass containers (please pour over sink to prevent mess). Wipe used skillets/griddles with disposable paper towels to remove grease/fat before washing them in sinks. Let us know when the glass containers are full so we can appropriately recycle or compost. 

Recycle: Separate metal and glass. Fold cardboard boxes so they are flat. Please keep your trash volume low. We have to transport non-compostables to the county landfill at your expense. Please be kind to the earth and to our staff. :)  

Compost: Place organic matter suitable for composting in the black buckets provided. We encourage our guests to collect non-toxic organic waste so it can be composted to soil and used in our gardens. Please don’t place trash outside of bins on the property making it accessible to hungry critters.

Re-use: You can help by not bringing excess packaging materials which must be disposed of. Please be Stewards of Big East Fork Valley by taking as much of your trash with you can when you leave. You are encouraged to leave usable food and spirits behind for the residential (and thirsty) valley stewards.

Your stay at the Center Lodge does not include access to other nearby residential areas, the Lake Gratitude Natural Area, or permission to the Fork Inn’s private trail system. Please stay on CSS trials or contact the Fork Inn to obtain permission to access their trails.

Maintenance: Please let us know as soon as possible if something is broken, unsafe, or may be improved in any way. We would like your stay to be as enjoyable as we can make it!

Enjoy your stay at the Center Lodge! 

For a 75% refund of fees, cancellation must be made five full days prior to listing’s local check in time (or 3:00 PM if not specified) on the day of check in.

If the guest cancels less than 5 days in advance, the first two nights are non-refundable but 50% of the accommodation fees for remaining nights will be refunded.

If the guest arrives and decides to leave early, 50% of the accommodation fees for the nights not spent 24 hours after the cancellation occurs are refunded.

And Please Enjoy our Amazing Valley!