Summary:
Welcome to Blackbear Lodge! Our home is located just below Hunter Mountain in Chichester, NY and is the perfect getaway for friends and families to enjoy. The house itself was recently renovated to have all the modern amenities (including ones you might expect from resort hotel), but also has the thoughtful charm to be your home away from home.
Shandaken STR License # 2023-STR-AO-144
The Space:
Enjoy your morning coffee by the fireplace, gazing out the picture window into the lush foliage, or an afternoon cocktail al fresco on our patio overlooking the large yard surrounded by trees. We have everything you need for the perfect getaway, whether you love hiking, skiing, relaxing, cooking, adventuring or all of the above.
The Living Room is our favorite spot to enjoy in the house. Start up the electric fire place and make the house feel super cozy. Lounge on the leather sofas and gaze out the picture windows to enjoy the view of lush foliage, switch on the Smart TV (where you can easily sign into your Netflix, Hulu, or other streaming account) for movie night or the big game, or enjoy a one of our board games with your group. The living room is adjacent to the kitchen which has an expansive island and stools for gathering around and a dining room with enough seating for your group to dine together.
Sleeping Arrangements
Blackbear Lodge has 4 traditional bedrooms and a sunroom which altogether can sleep up to 8 guests. With 1 King Size Bedroom (which has a bathroom en suite), 1 Queen Size Bedroom, 1 bedroom with bunk beds, 1 with full bed and 1 twin bed at the Sunroom you will find room for your entire group to spread out. All bedrooms feature Casper Mattresses, quality linens and are thoughtfully decorated. Smart TVs are in two of the bedrooms as well where you can easily sign into your Netflix, Hulu, or other streaming account (we don't have cable). All bedrooms have spacious closets with shelving so you can comfortably unpack for your stay. At the sunroom you will also find a small desk, perfect for working on a laptop. Each room has its own climate control so that guests can adjust to their individual preference.
The Kitchen
The Kitchen is equipped with all new appliances and finishes as well as cooking utensils, pots and pans, general spices, and basically all the tools you need to make morning pancakes, spaghetti Bolognese dinner, and everything in between. (Groceries not provided.) For morning coffee, there is a coffee machine, please feel free to bring along your favorite roast. You will find all the dish ware, serve ware, and drink ware you need for such a large group to dine, but don’t worry, we have you covered with a dishwasher too.
Bathrooms
There are 2.5 bathrooms at Blackbear Lodge. Off the main living area you’ll find a powder room and further down the hall a full bathroom with a combination shower/tun. At the en suite master bathroom we have a spacious shower as well as a large clawfoot bathtub, perfect for filling with bubbles or salts to kick back and relax. All of our bathrooms are stocked with toiletries, a hair dryer in each, and super plush towels.
Outdoors
Step outside and you will find a front porch deck that leads you down to an al fresco dining area, surrounded by bistro lights and towering trees. If BBQ-ing is your thing, we have you covered with a propane grill. An extra tank is provided in case the one there runs low and needs to be swapped out. Further out in the yard is a fire pit surrounded with Adirondack chairs for your entire group to gather around (limited firewood supply).
As parents ourselves, we understand the fun and challenges that come with traveling with kids. We’ve stocked our home with creature comforts to make your stay with smaller guests more enjoyable. For dining we have BPA free plastic dinnerware and cups for the kids as well as a high chair for our smallest of guests. Our home has a crib, a pack and play, a babybjorn bouncer,and a wipeable changing table. Our shared bathroom that has a shower tub combo has a handheld shower head to make bath time a little easier for parents. In the kitchen drawers, you'll find outlet covers should you need them for your stay. Outside is a swing set playhouse on our grassy area, with line of sight for parents from both the dining area and fire pit. Lastly, we have a (non wifi) baby monitor you can use thru your stay, perfect for keeping an eye on your sleeping kids while you enjoy the firepit under the stars.
Guest Access:
Guest can enjoy the privacy of the entire house, private deck, fire pit and seating areas around the yard.
The Neighborhood:
Nestled on the South side of Hunter Mountain, the house is a quick 15 min drive to the Hunter ski slopes, 20 min drive to Kaaterskill Falls for amazing hiking, 25 min drive to Belleayre Mountain, and a (beautiful) 30 minute drive to Windham Mountain. The location is perfect for winter skiing, sledding, and snowboarding. In the fall, hike below the beautiful foliage, and in the spring/summer be sure to check out the nearby swimming holes, more hiking, antiquing, and local farms & vineyards.
There are two markets nearby as well as a wine & liquor store for your convenience. This house is so well located that you will find great Food & Drink options moments away, including Phoenicia Diner, Woodnotes Grill, Woodstock Brewing, Brio’s Pizzeria, and the Phoenicia Steakhouse.
If you are looking for the great outdoors, there’s something for everyone - year round. A quick 15 min drive to the base of the ski side of Hunter Mountain you will have 320 skiable acres, 67 trails, 13 lifts, and Hunter Mountain’s nearly 1000 feet long tubing hill, a “no-skills” fun activity for the whole family. In the town of Windham (just 30 min away) you’ll find skiing in the winter with 85 skiable acres and 54 trails over two peaks, 6 terrain parks and 11 lifts. “The Windham Mountain Adventure Park offers family fun, day and night during the winter season. Six lanes of exhilarating snow tubing serviced by a conveyor lift, kids snowmobiles, and a comfy lodge. Grab a cup of hot cocoa, a slice or a pie for the whole family at Drop Zone Pizza before racing down the tubing lanes!”
Come spring/summer, be sure to check out Kaaterskill Wild Forest (just 20 minutes away) you’ll find some of the best hiking New York State has to offer, with a variety of trails for all levels, and enjoyable through the different seasons of the year. Another favorite of ours is Rail Explorers where you pedal alongside the Esopus Creek through the beautiful woods of the Catskill Mountains. Windham Mountain offers some of the best mountain biking trails in the region as well as golfing with spectacular views of the Great Northern Catskills. Windham is also home to the 1,355-acre Elm Ridge Wild Forest. Here you will find a 1.5-mile portion of the Escarpment Trail, the 1.1-mile long Elm Ridge Trail, and numerous other trails totaling more than 25 miles available for multiple uses, including hiking, cross-country skiing, and mountain biking.
Getting Around:
Nearest airport: Kingston Ulster Aiport – 41min drive from the house.
Nearest train station: Rhinecliff – 48min drive from the house.
Nearest bus stop: (162) Phoenicia- Rt 214 @ Church St – 6min drive by car.
Interaction with Guests:
The check-in will be contact-less. Before your arrival, you will be given the code to access the house. If you have any question or issues during your stay, please message us through the booking channel.
