Beautiful Lake House in Catskills

* Lake-front 3-bedroom ranch house surrounded by 5.5 acres of serene forest on a private road in the woods * Under 2 hours from NYC * Huge covered porch overlooking the quiet, non-motor lake * Warm, casually elegant decor * Ideal getaway, pure peace * Excellent WIFI (New feature!) * Kayaks and rowboat provided On the shore of a quiet private lake, in a pine forest at the edge of the Catskill Mountains, our ranch house offers a true retreat into nature, less than 100 miles from NYC (under 2 hours by car). Originally built as a Swedish Pavilion for the 1939 World Trade Fair, the beautiful cottage retains some lovely touches of its original Swedish design. There are two fireplaces (one fully functional), a well-equipped open-plan kitchen and a dining table that seats 8. All the rooms in the house have large windows with beautiful forest and lake views. The house has two large bedrooms, and two bathrooms (one of them newly remodeled), and an additional room with a sleeping loft. French doors in the living room lead out to a large open-air covered porch with a great view of the lake. There’s a BBQ grill beside the porch and picnic tables. The house has its own private dock equipped with 2 kayaks and a rowboat. The lake is small and quiet, no motorboats allowed. Fish for bass, relax on the water, or watch salamanders, geese and beavers. Though the lake is not ideal for swimming, there is a beautiful swimming lake 7 min away. Hiking trails meander back behind the house. PROVIDED TO ALL GUESTS: Bathrooms: bath & hand towels, 1 roll toilet paper per bathroom, hand soap Bedrooms: 1 set bed sheets, blanket and 2 pillows per bed Kitchen: dishes (plates, bowls, water & wine glasses), cookware (pots, pans, baking sheets), silverware, cooking utensils (spatulas, measuring tools), microwave, toaster, knives, kettle, coffee drip machine (no filters needed), dishwasher, dishsoap, washer, dryer. Our private underground well provides clean and chlorine-free water. Guests have access to the entire property. Fish on the lake. Lots of board games. Book and DVD library, TV and DVD player. Fully equipped kitchen. Propane outdoor grill. (Propane tank refill is the responsibility of guests. Local gas stations sell refills.) There are 5 houses on the private lake. Please respect the neighbors whom you cannot see from the house. No smoking. No parties. No fireworks. No loud music. We're not present during your stay but accessible by phone or email. The house is located 8 miles from Monticello where there are 3 supermarkets, including one that specializes in organic produce. We are 5 minutes from the Forestburgh Playhouse and 20 minutes from Bethel Woods Performance Arts Center. For sports activities, we are 30 minutes from rafting on the Delaware River and 30 minutes from Little Bear Ski Slopes. A car is recommended. Our private road is bumpy and unpaved. Please drive slowly on it to protect your vehicle. A bus service runs from NYC to Monticello and a train service from NYC to the town of Port Jervis which is only 20 minutes away. It is a 12-minute taxi ride from Monticello to the house in Forestburgh. 1. The road in is unpaved. Its rocky and hilly. Cars can make it but SLOWLY so as to prevent tire damage. 2. The lake is not ideal for swimming. Its fairly shallow and weedy at the edge. A great swimming lake is a 7-minute drive down the road from the Forestburgh Playhouse. Follow that road down the hill and you can't miss the Mongaup Nature Reserve with its enormous lake. 3. The only cellphone service available at the house is ATT.