Entire home

Beautiful House, only 1.2 Miles To Shy Beaver Boat Launch on Raystown Lake

Lakefront vacation home with kitchen and patio

Photo gallery for Beautiful House, only 1.2 Miles To Shy Beaver Boat Launch on Raystown Lake

Exterior
Smart TV, fireplace, DVD player, stereo
Interior
Fridge, microwave, oven, stovetop
Outdoor spa tub
Nestled in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains, Bear's Retreat is a warm and inviting cabin at Raystown Lake. Enjoy swimming, water skiing, boating or fishing on the lake. Relax in the hot tub overlooking beautiful mountains or roast marshmallows by a fire pit. With spacious living areas and outdoor activities like pool table games and hiking nearby.

Reviews

9.8 out of 10
Exceptional

Entire home

4 bedrooms4 bathroomsSleeps 11204 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Dryer
  • Parking available
  • Washer
  • Kitchen

Add dates for prices

About this property

Entire place

You'll have the entire home to yourself and will only share it with other guests in your party.

Beautiful House, only 1.2 Miles To Shy Beaver Boat Launch on Raystown Lake

This warm and inviting cabin, called Bear's Retreat, is located at Raystown Lake and is nestled in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains and offers spacious living in a picturesque and tranquil setting. The water is great for swimming, water skiing, boating, and fishing. Bear's Retreat is tucked in a secluded neighborhood, Shy Beaver Lakeview Estates and is only 1.2 miles from Shy Beaver Boat Launch. Boat parking is available offsite, at a minimal fee.

The entrance to this beautiful cabin is located on the main floor. You enter into the kitchen that is fully equipped for your culinary enjoyment. Off the kitchen is the deck overlooking beautiful mountains where you can dine at the picnic table or relax in the hot tub. The open floor plan leads from the kitchen to a dining area that opens to the great room with a flat-screen TV, stone fireplace, and majestic cathedral ceiling. The main floor has 2 bedrooms. The first primary bedroom has a queen bed with a private bath. The second bedroom has a pyramid bed (full bed on the bottom and twin on the top). A half bath is located in the hallway outside the second bedroom. The laundry is conveniently located on the main floor.

The lower level has a fully furnished family room with sofas, flat-screen TV, pool table, and bar area. There is a third bedroom with two twin beds and a full bath on this level. The walkout basement leads to a gas grill and a yard area. There is a fire pit where marshmallows can be roasted.

The upstairs has a second primary bedroom with a king bed and a private bathroom. The loft area has a pull-out (queen) sleep sofa, and fully equipped gaming table for a late night game of poker.

Our location abounds with fun activities and entertainment opportunities! Seven Points Marina and recreation area is about a 20 minute drive. It includes a beach area for swimming, picnicking, fishing, hiking, and an array of water sport activities. The facility includes a floating trampoline and snack shop. If you didn't bring your own boat you can rent one there.

Shopping, restaurants, and the cinema are all conveniently located in Huntingdon, about a 20-25 minute drive. Our Central Pennsylvania location is convenient to Penn State University, Juniata College, Lincoln Caverns, Rails to Trails of Central PA, Swigart Car Museum, DelGross’s Amusement Park, Skiing at Blue Knob and much more!

Property amenities

Ski

  • Close to skiing
  • Snowboarding nearby

Pool/Spa

  • Hot tub

Internet

  • Available in the house: Free WiFi

Parking and transportation

  • Car required
  • Parking on site

Kitchen

  • Blender
  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Cookware, dishware, and utensils
  • Dishwasher
  • Electric kettle
  • Kitchen island
  • Microwave
  • Oven
  • Paper towels
  • Refrigerator
  • Spices
  • Stovetop
  • Toaster

Dining

  • Dining table

Bedrooms

  • 4 bedrooms

Bathroom

  • 3.5 bathrooms
  • Bathtub or shower
  • Soap
  • Toilet paper

Living spaces

  • Dining table
  • Fireplace
  • Living room

Entertainment

  • DVD player
  • Games
  • Smart TV with cable/satellite channels
  • Stereo

Outdoor areas

  • Firepit
  • Garden
  • Gas grill
  • Outdoor furniture
  • Patio

Laundry

  • Laundry facilities
  • Washing machine

Comfort

  • Air conditioning
  • Heating

Pets

  • No pets allowed

Suitability/Accessibility

  • Smoking not allowed

Services and conveniences

  • Iron/ironing board
  • Phone

Location highlights

  • In the mountains
  • Near a hospital
  • Near the marina
  • On a lake

Things to do

  • Arcade/game room
  • Billiards/pool table
  • Birdwatching nearby
  • Fishing nearby
  • Golfing nearby
  • Hiking/biking trails nearby
  • Hunting nearby
  • Jet skiing nearby
  • Kayaking nearby
  • Motor boating nearby
  • Mountain biking nearby
  • Mountain climbing nearby
  • Sailing nearby
  • Swimming nearby
  • Water skiing nearby
  • Water tubing nearby
  • Wildlife walks nearby

Safety features

  • Carbon monoxide detector not reported (host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector)
  • Smoke detector not reported (host has not indicated whether there is a smoke detector on the property)

General

  • Garden
  • Unit size: 2,200 square feet

Similar properties

Policies

Check-in

Check-in time starts at 4:00 PM
Minimum check-in age: 25

Check-out

Check-out before 11:00 AM

Special check-in instructions

You will receive an email from the host with check-in and check-out instructions

Pets

Pets not allowed

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome

Events

No events allowed

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
Onsite parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip
Host has not indicated whether there is a smoke detector on the property
This property is managed through our partner, Vrbo. You will receive an email from Vrbo with a link to a Vrbo account, where you can change or cancel your reservation

We should mention

A car is required for transportation to and from this property

Property is also known as

Only 1.2 Miles To Shy Beaver Boat Launch James Creek
Only 1.2 Miles To Shy Beaver Boat Launch Private vacation home

About the neighborhood

Map
James Creek, PA

What's nearby

  • Trough Creek State Park - 21 min drive - 20.3 km
  • Seven Points Marina - 34 min drive - 32.8 km
  • Juniata College - 40 min drive - 39.1 km
  • Lakemont Park and the Island Waterpark - 49 min drive - 53.7 km
  • Penn State Altoona - 53 min drive - 58.8 km

Getting around

  • Huntingdon Station - 32 min drive
  • Altoona, PA (AOO-Blair County) - 24 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Original Italian Pizza - ‬16 min drive
  • The Grind
  • Marina Cafe
  • ‪Bubba's Pizza & Sub Station - ‬17 min drive
  • Happy Hollow Restaurant

Frequently asked questions

Is Beautiful House, only 1.2 Miles To Shy Beaver Boat Launch on Raystown Lake pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

What time is check-in at Beautiful House, only 1.2 Miles To Shy Beaver Boat Launch on Raystown Lake?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Beautiful House, only 1.2 Miles To Shy Beaver Boat Launch on Raystown Lake?

Check-out is at 11:00 AM.

Where is Beautiful House, only 1.2 Miles To Shy Beaver Boat Launch on Raystown Lake located?

Located on a lake, this family-friendly vacation home is within 12 mi (20 km) of Raystown Lake, Warriors Path State Park, and Trough Creek State Park. Allegrippis Trailhead and Seven Points Marina are also within 20 mi (32 km).

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Beautiful House, only 1.2 Miles To Shy Beaver Boat Launch on Raystown Lake Reviews

Reviews

9.8

Exceptional

Rating 10 - Excellent. 165 out of 183 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 15 out of 183 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 2 out of 183 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 183 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 1 out of 183 reviews

9.6/10

Cleanliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Bethany N.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Bear's Retreat was the perfect getaway spot to explore the Raystown Lake area and spend quality time with family and friends in absolutely stunning surroundings. The house itself was definitely spacious enough for a large group and was enjoyed by all, from blowing bubbles on the deck with a 5 yr-old after a day swimming with fish at Tatman's Run Beach to a 62 yr-old hustling everyone else at pool in the rec room. Having a second fridge in the kitchenette in rec room was a huge plus for a large group! The host was very responsive through booking and the stay. We would absolutely stay here again!
Stayed 6 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Kimberly G.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Cousins Weekend

Very much enjoyed the property. Set up of house allows for large groups yet provides privacy. Lots of space both indoors and out.
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Lee P.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Our happy place

Love the mountain setting,love the house design,love the space for all kinds of activities!
Stayed 6 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Merita S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Smith family vacation

The house is beautiful and exactly how it looks online. Will rent again if our travels take us that way.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2024

10/10 Excellent

Linda S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great getaway

Our stay was very enjoyable. The property was great. Very clean and the owner was great about getting back to us about any questions we had. Will definitely be back .
Stayed 3 nights in May 2024

10/10 Excellent

William M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Family vacation 2024

Nice house with lots of room. Kitchen and bonus kitchenette, which was nice since we had six adults and three kids. Quite a hilly area but the house was situated nicely.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Alyssa Ann N.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Exceptional

This was the perfect weekend getaway for our family before our kids went back to college. The host was kind and communicated well when we had questions. We have stayed in this house multiple times over the years and always had a great time. We will definitely be coming back.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Justin D.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Quiet & Clean

Very nice and clean home. Location is quiet and peaceful. Home included everything needed for all your basic needs.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2024

10/10 Excellent

Brad s.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Rays riding glory

Great house! Highly recommend all around
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2019

10/10 Excellent

Dave W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great House

Had a great guys weekend with friends. House was clean and comfortable. Back yard and pool table were great. Would rent again.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2023

10/10 Excellent

Chrisandra B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Lovely home by the lake

Just a short drive to Shy Beaver boat launch for some shore fishing. Love being able to pack a small bag/cooler and head to one of many swimming spots on a hot summer day!
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2019

10/10 Excellent

Jacqueline M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wonderful house

This is our 4th year going to Bears Retreat. We love love the place. It has everything you need and it’s clean. The house is close to Lake Raystown resort and Saxton. Plus the boat dock is right there. We have enough bedrooms with bathrooms for everyone which is so nice. We will be there again next year!!
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Dana S., Fenton,Michigan

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Family reunion

Would have been a beautiful Mountain View if some of the trees would have been trimmed back.We also would have liked too have had more than 1 towel and 1 wash clothes each,and beach towel(because of hot tub)considering I had too pay 125.00 extra for linens.Would stay here again,it was beautiful!!
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2023

8/10 Good

Neil M.

Liked: Cleanliness, location, listing accuracy
Disliked: Check-in

Just a heads up

The good: very clean, very private, nice setup The bad: very hard beds, had some trouble checking in (never got an email with access code), the grill has 2 tanks but they were both empty and the grill is a little rusty.
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Peter W., Bethlehem Township, NJ

Wonderful value near Raystown Lake

Property exactly as described. Very clean and comfortable with plenty of flexible sleeping options with a variety of beds, 3.5 baths, 3 levels of living space plus deck with hot tub, and outdoor fire ring. We will definitely stay here again since our daughter is a sophomore at Juniata College. A few nitpicks/maintenance items which in no way detracted from our stay: the fireplace screen has clearly gotten snagged many times on the damper lever, and as a result doesn't always close fully. Felt tips on pool cues have all but worn out. Night light under microwave not working. Flood lights facing driveway not working and that made it dark at night for arriving guests. Odd issue with family room TV -- no sound when you turn it on. To get sound, I discovered that I needed to use the TV remote to cycle through the various sources, starting at HDMI 3, and going all the way around back to HDMI 3 and then suddenly there would be sound! Vacuum in kitchen closet ran but seemed to lack suction, however there was another vacuum in the basement closet which worked. Again, none of these were major issues - I'm just pointing them out to be helpful. We loved this place and will be back! Christy was very responsive when I sent questions prior to check-in. And then on our 3rd night suddenly the hot tub temp had dropped to 85 degrees and I couldn't figure out why. I called her and she suggested turning off the power at the breaker on the exterior wall near the hot tub, then turning it back on. That did the trick! It was a rainy weekend so we couldn't use the outdoor fire ring, but we used the inside fireplace extensively. The hot tub has no roof over it and cold rain fell during most of our stay, but I had brought a portable 10' X 10' canopy which I set-up over the hot tub and that worked great! I couldn't open it to the full 10' X 10' dimensions because the hot tub is in a corner of the deck with about 8.5' clearance to the house, but with weights securely fastened on each leg of the canopy, it was very secure and worked great although I did need to regularly push the water off the canopy because the water would pool on top since the canopy wasn't fully opened. We had originally considered booking another property which was 'higher end' (granite counters, stainless appliances, etc.) but would've cost twice as much and there was no hot tub. Bear's Retreat was by far the best combination of space, amenities and value and we're glad we found it!
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2018

10/10 Excellent

Alyx Y.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great place

Nice house and property.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

John B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Wonderful location very peaceful!
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Samantha m.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Loved our stay thank you
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Rebecca R.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Family vacation

Wonderful getaway for a family vacation. Gorgeous house in a quiet setting. Only a few miles from convenience stores and Raystown lake. We will be coming back every year!
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2025

8/10 Good

Fanny E.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Review

We had a great time. The house was clean and the kids had a great time playing pool and poker. It was also close to the launch area and Raystown resort which was great for us. The only problem was getting access to the internet/wifi service. The beds were also very firm.
Stayed 5 nights in Jun 2025

10/10 Excellent

Heather M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fabulous Getaway

The place is beautiful. There was plenty of parking. The fire pit is convenient to the bottom floor, so easy access to get s'more's supplies. The owner is friendly and accessible through the VRBO app. The beds had freshly laundered sheets wrapped in plastic. We had a wonderful time.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2025

10/10 Excellent

Geoffrey E.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Lovely Thanksgiving

My siblings and I stayed for our Thanksgiving holiday and everything was perfect! Highly recommend the picturesque cabin. The holiday couldn’t have been better. Thanks for the amazing stay!
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2024

10/10 Excellent

Brenton D.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great Property

10/10 Would recommend
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2024

10/10 Excellent

Tray P.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wonderful stay

Me and several of my friends travel every year for a guys weekend. We had a wonderful stay at this property. We drove to State College for game day and fished the Raystown lake. We enjoyed the game room for pool and football watching and enjoyed the campfire area every nigth we were there. The location was great, secluded and away from people. Ample kitchen ware for cooking, great grill and hot tub.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2024

10/10 Excellent

Brian and Erica C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great Getaway Cabin

This was our second stay at Bear's Retreat and we love it! The cabin is clean & spacious--the prefect place for our college roommate get-togethers. We can't wait to return next year!
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2024