Enjoy the perfect nature escape in our Catskills retreat, featuring a wood-burning fireplace, outdoor sauna, 3 BRs, 2 full bathrooms, covered terrace with serene views of the mountains, a pool/ping-pong table & TV lounge, fire pit, grill, hammock, private yard & fast wifi! This charming home is the ideal Catskills vacation rental for couples, families, or friends. Unwind indoors, dine out, or enjoy the great outdoors with lots of nearby hiking and skiing options. Book your stay today! This beautiful country home on 1.3 acres of land, perched on a verdant hill in Woodland Valley at the heart of the Catskill Mountains, features a wood-burning fireplace, covered terrace with mountain views, a relaxing hammock, cedar outdoor sauna with a Finnish electric stove, fire pit, charcoal grill, a picnic table and Adirondack furniture in a private backyard, good wifi, and many recent improvements, including a fully renovated lower level with a 2nd bathroom, TV lounge, and billiard/ping-pong table combo, plus a reading nook and laundry room. You can also enjoy garden seating for a sunset happy hour or a sunny Sunday morning breakfast accompanied by bird song. ** In case you browse to older reviews, please note, we no longer have a hot tub but we now have a sauna!** Enjoy some peace & quiet on a tranquil piece of land, with woods in the back, mountain views in the front, and quiet neighbors. Take advantage of open-concept kitchen with new granite countertops and all the essentials you need to make a great meal. On nice days, take your meals outside -- either onto the covered porch or the cozy fenced off garden area in the back of the house, featuring a picnic table and Adirondack furniture for coffee, drinks, and al fresco meals. Need to squeeze in some work time? No worries. We have solid Wifi for all your work needs and Zoom calls. Sip your morning coffee or evening cocktail on the covered porch in the front or in the private fenced off garden in the back, while admiring the sights and sounds of nature. In the colder months, warm up by the wood-burning fireplace after a day spent in the great outdoors, or break a sweat in the cedar sauna steps from the front door. Our home is the perfect getaway for all ages and is conveniently located near hiking trails, ski slopes, local farm stands and supermarkets, and other great local establishments, including Bread Alone Bakery, Woodstock Brewing Co., Peekamoose, Woodnotes Grille, Maeve's Cafe, Brio's, Phoenicia Diner, The Phoenician, and more. YOUR STAY: Break free from the stresses of the work week and the hustle and bustle of city life at our country home, the cozy Woodland House. We decided to pay homage to Woodland Valley, where our home is located. Spend a week, a month, or an entire season on a relaxing and recharging vacation in the beautiful Catskill Mountains. Working from home? We have great Wifi, so why not make this your "home" for a while for those Zoom calls? Pack your hiking shoes in spring, summer, and fall and take advantage of the many hiking trails nearby. Go swimming or fishing in the Esopus Creek in the summer. Don't forget your ski or snowboard gear in the winter months, as our home is just a 20 minute drive to Belleayre Mountain and a 25 min drive to Hunter Mountain. After a day out in nature, warm up by the wood-burning fireplace or unwind in the hammock or on the covered balcony. Perhaps roast some marshmallows at the outdoor fire pit. Better yet, break a sweat inside our brand-new cedar sauna with a specially-designed electric stove from Finland. Choose among many books and board games or cozy up in the TV rooms upstairs or downstairs (note: upstairs TV room also doubles as the 3rd bedroom), both of which feature smart TVs. Use your favorite streaming service login, sample our DVD collection (including kid-friendly titles), or bring your favorite movies. The Woodland House also offers a kitchen well-stocked with the tools you need to prepare a great home-cooked meal or morning coffee/tea, a cozy dining area that comfortably fits 6, outdoor picnic and coffee table, a fire pit, laundry room, and more. Coffee lovers, take note -- we have a burr coffee grinder in case you bring your favorite whole beans, as well as a stainless-steel French Press, and an electric kettle. There are also two great nearby farm stands on Route 28 offering seasonal produce, locally-sourced meat and dairy products, pasture-raised eggs, fresh seafood, and other meal-prep essentials (Migliorelli Farms is our favorite), as well as two supermarkets within a 10-15 min drive. Alternatively, if you want to stay out of the kitchen on your vacation, enjoy great dining out options within a 5-to-10-minute drive. For example, visit the popular microbrewery, Woodstock Brewing, on Route 28, just 7 minutes away by car, for a terrific lineup of craft beer, wine, great bar food, occasional musical performances, board games, and a large outdoor seating area with a fire pit. Phoenicia Diner is another local favorite for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Brio's on Main Street is a local "old school" classic for brick-oven pizza and more, while Woodnotes Grille and Peekamoose offer great options for a special dinner and drinks. The quaint town of Phoenicia, which is just a 5-minute drive away, is a trip back in time, with antique, art, and second-hand shops, a popular bar and pizzeria , and a small-town feel. An awesome park for kids called Phoenicia Park, is just off Main Street. It has a great playground and also serves as the trail head to an terrific 2-hr (roundtrip) hike up one of the area mountains called Tanbark Trail. If you have more time, you can also take a 25-min drive to Woodstock for even more shops, cafes, restaurants, and other activities. SUMMARY: In short, the Woodland House is the perfect escape for couples, families, and intimate groups of friends. Our home offers the ideal combination of a relaxing natural setting, convenient house amenities, including a wood-burning fireplace, outdoor sauna, and hammock, good Wifi, updated kitchen and bathrooms, fun outdoor activities like hiking and skiing, and access to great local dining and drinking establishments minutes away by car. We hope you'll love our house as much as we do. So make the Woodland House yours, book your getaway today! List of Home Amenities: Kitchen/Dining: - New electric stove/oven - Coffee maker, coffee grinder, as well as tea options and ground coffee - New granite countertops - Microwave - Full-sized refrigerator - Brita water pitcher - Cook-friendly set of pots, pans, cooking tools, and spices - Full set of plates, bowls, cups, utencils, and glasses for adults and kids Bed & Bath: - Our full-sized bathroom features a brand-new sink and faucet, a bath tub, and shower - Our master bedroom includes a queen-sized bed, a closet, a small desk, and a chest with a vanity mirror. You'll also enjoy picturesque views and natural light from northeast-facing windows - Another bedroom includes two single beds, a chest, and a bookcase - A third bedroom serves as a media room by day (TV/DVD and futon) but can be quickly turned into a bedroom by collapsing the futon into a full-sized sofa bed. It also has another closet. - There is another full bathroom with a standup shower downstairs, which is newly renovated. Entertainment: - Free Wifi - Smart TVs (one upstairs and one downstairs) - DVD/Blu-ray player - Assorted DVDs, including kid-friendly movies - Board games - Book collection, including children's books - Billiard/Ping-pong table combo downstairs Convenience: - Throw blankets - Slippers - Cotton bathrobes (convenient for bath/shower use) - Bath, hand, and kitchen towels - Ground coffee and tea - Emergency bathroom stash (toothbrush, razor, etc) - Hair dryer - Iron and ironing board - Full-length mirror and vanity mirror Outdoor: - Covered porch with two folding chairs, two rocking chairs, and a small fold-out wooden table - Cedar sauna with electric stove - Stone fire pit and wooden picnic table for campfires & s'mores - Charcoal grill - Hammock - Garden furniture, including a coffee table and cedar chairs and love seat Shandaken STR License # 2023-STR-AO-088 The house will be accessible via a lock-key code we will provide you with upon booking. We will be reachable via phone or text should you have any issues, but we will not be on or near the premises. There will be a welcome booklet when you come in with clear and detailed instructions on house usage and amenities, as well as area maps, dining recommendations, and other essentials. Our home is located in a quiet, rural neighborhood, surrounded by mostly grass and trees, and a few country homes with quiet neighbors, but the small town of Phoenicia, with shops, restaurants and bars is just minutes away by car, while Woodstock is a 25-minute drive. We recommend using a vehicle with 4-wheel drive in the winter months. Parking: For insurance/liability reasons, guests will not be able to park inside the garage. However, the driveway can easily fit 3 vehicles. Please, NO CATS. We have cat allergies in our family.