Mountain Lake House

  • Location: Town / Village
    Closest restaurant: 5 mins walk
    Mountain Lake for canoeing, paddle boarding etc.: 10 mins walk
    Bethel Woods Center for the Arts: 5 miles (10 mins by car)
    Livingston Manor, Callicoon and Narrowsburg: 15-20 miles (20-30 mins by car)
  • Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR): 105 miles (1hr 40 mins by car)
    La Guardia International Airport (LGA): 100 miles (2hs by car)
    Car recommended
    Free parking

Smallwood is a destination in itself! There is great hiking in Smallwood’s own forest reserve, a beautiful waterfall within walking distance, and seasonally guests can also swim and fish right in the hamlet’s Mountain Lake.

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We provide complimentary use of our canoe, stand-up paddleboards and inner tubes.

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An introduction to Mountain Lake House

How would you describe Mountain Lake House in a nutshell?

Only 2 hours from NYC, Mountain Lake House is a modern and minimalist, yet charming and comfortable Scandi-inspired spacious cottage with lake and canoe access, as well as notable nearby attractions like Bethel Woods Center for the Arts and gourmet dining at The DeBruce.

What is the story behind Mountain Lake House, what was your inspiration to create it?

In March of 2020, when we realized the scale of the Covid outbreak, we packed up our car and drove to the Catskills. We rented a place on Airbnb in Mongaup Valley, right next to Smallwood, and that’s when we fell in love with this friendly lake community with many cute little log cabins and cottages from the 1930s and 40s.

We loved the walkability — the houses are all within walking distance of the beautiful lake, beach, waterfall, and forest reserve with hiking trails. It reminded us of our native Sweden and that’s what inspired us to go for a Scandinavian aesthetic when we designed and furnished the house, which we bought earlier this year. We wanted to create a little piece of Sweden in the Catskills!

How would you describe the atmosphere and the interior design of Mountain Lake House?

The decor is inspired by our native Sweden and our design choices were guided by our desire to make the home as cozy and stylish, as functional. Our guests often describe it as cozy, warm, modern, comfortable, and relaxing.

Mountain Lake House
Living area
Living area
Living area
Dining area
Kitchen
Kitchen
To bedroom
Downstairs bedroom
Downstairs desk area
Bathroom
Staircase
Upstairs bedroom
Upstairs bedroom
Upstairs desk
Entrance
Porch
Back of the house
Garden and fire pit
Front of the house
Mountain Lake
Mountain Lake
Lake location

Mountain Lake House rooms & rates

The front door leads into a spacious mudroom that opens to the living/dining space, which is centered around the convenient gas fireplace — no need to run out for firewood! The adjoining newly renovated and fully stocked kitchen features an island with plenty of space to prepare meals.

The deck, overlooking the beautiful woodland garden, can be accessed from the kitchen, and so can the revamped, modern bathroom. Right off the deck is a firepit with four comfy Adirondack chairs. On the first floor is also a bedroom with a queen-sized bed, a desk, as well as large sliding glass doors that provide direct access to the deck and backyard.

Upstairs is another bedroom with a king-sized bed and work desk. The four exposures give abundant lighting, and the minimalist decor makes it a relaxing, serene space.

Both bedrooms have laptop-friendly workspaces and fast, reliable internet (200 Mbps), providing a comfortable work-from-home setup.

  • Mountain Lake House for 4 people / 75 m²
    195 / night
    • 2 Double bedrooms
    • 1 Bathroom
    • 1 Living room
    • 1 Dining room
    • 1 Kitchen
    • Terrace
    • Fireplace
    • Air conditioning
Included in the rates
Rates include a canoe, stand-up paddleboards, inner tubes, basic spices, tea, coffee, dish soap + detergent, laundry detergent, handwash, Puracy Organic shampoo/conditioner/body wash, and cleaning service upon check-out.
Children & Extra beds
Due to the stairs leading up to the bedroom, which are open and not safe for young children, only infants and children from 5 years and older are welcome.
Minimum stay
2 nights
Check in time
after 16:00
Check out time
before 11:00

Facilities & services

  • Air conditioning
  • Terrace
  • Children welcome
  • WiFi
  • Fireplace
  • Garden
  • Washing machine
  • TV
  • Central heating
  • Music system
  • Business / Remote work facilities
  • BBQ area
  • Iron & Board
  • Not suitable for young children
  • Hair dryer

Lake access and complimentary use of a canoe, SUPs, and inner tubes High-speed (200 Mbps) cable WiFi (and ethernet connection) ACs and portable fan Gas fireplace Gas BBQ Grill Firepit Washer/dryer Dishwasher Microwave SmartTV with Netflix and Hulu Board games and books Bluetooth Speaker Puracy Organic shampoo, conditioner and bodywash

Things to do in Upstate New York & Smallwood

  • Art / Culture
  • Shopping / Markets
  • Wine tastings
  • Wildlife / Animals
  • Massages / Treatments
  • Yoga classes
  • Golf
  • Tennis
  • Skiing
  • Hiking
  • Cycling
  • Horseback riding
  • Sailing / Kayaking
  • Boat trips
  • Fishing

Smallwood is a destination in itself! We offer our guests complimentary use of our canoe, stand-up-paddleboards, and inner tubes. There is great hiking in Smallwood’s own forest reserve, a beautiful waterfall within walking distance, and seasonally our guests can also swim and fish right in the hamlet’s Mountain Lake.

This area of the Catskills offers every other outdoor activity imaginable including boating, rafting, cycling, ziplining, horseback riding, bird watching, apple picking, snowtubing and skiing/snowboarding.

To summarize, the highlights in Smallwood include the pretty waterfall Minnie Falls, the hamlet's own Mountain Lake, as well as the Smallwood Forest Reserve with great hiking trails. Outside Smallwood, our top-3 highlights are Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, the original Woodstock Site, as well as the majestic Delaware River


The location of Mountain Lake House

Smallwood is a destination in itself! It is a quiet, friendly lake community in the Catskills less than 2 hours from New York City, with many cute little log cabins from primarily the 1930s and 40s. There is a lake, waterfall, forest reserve with hiking trails and an outdoor gym, post office, and restaurant within walking distance from the bungalow. Seasonally, there is also access to a beach.

The cottage is only a short drive from Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, the Museum at Bethel Woods/the original Woodstock site, the majestic Delaware River, picturesque upstate hotspots Livingston Manor, Callicoon and Narrowsburg, Lake Superior State Park, great restaurants including fine dining, cute shops and antique stores, vineyards, harvest festivals, holiday markets and activities, farms (kids usually love the alpacas!) and farmers markets, Forestburgh Playhouse, Kadampa Meditation Center New York, Catskill Distilling Company, Monticello Casino and Raceway, as well as Monticello Motor Club Off-Road Adventure.

What we love is the proximity to New York City while also offering breathtaking nature including the beautiful mountains, abundance of lakes, as well as the majestic Delaware River.  

When is the best time to visit Upstate New York?

We love it year-round and think every season has its charm and fun activity! In the spring, we like to hike; in the summer we go swimming and tubing; in the fall, we take the canoe for a paddle while admiring the fall foliage; and in the winter, we go sledding and snowboarding – and cozy up afterwards in front of the fireplace!