Woodstock Retreat

A Upstate New York Hideaway

This vacation home rental in Upstate New York is alive with color and panache. It has four bedrooms and three baths, a saltwater swimming pool tucked into its tranquil grounds, a lush garden, a 2,000sqft wraparound grill and lounging deck, a cozy fire pit with Adirondack chairs looking out on the pine and oak forest, a basketball court, and two woodburning fireplaces inside for sweater weather.

The house is alive with color and pattern found in art, family furnishings, and fun bathroom and den interiors. Its outdoor swimming pool is fenced in from the surrounding forest for double the privacy.

Around

This is Woodstock country, with the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts now occupying the general site of the legendary 1969 music festival. World-class concerts and music history memorabilia are on offer at the center today, with musicians of all genres performing nightly in the multi-million-dollar destination performance center. Beyond its legendary history, the area offers a multitude of outdoor recreation opportunities and loads of local farm-to-table styled restaurants, cafes, bakeries, and breweries.

Hikers and mountain bikers can check out Overlook Mountain, one of the region’s favorite hikes, its 4.6 miles leading to panoramic views of the hills and valleys striped by local rivers and dotted with lakes. The 13 miles of trails at Walnut Mountain Park offer varied levels of treks. The Minnewaska State Park and the Mohonk Preserve Kerhonkson offer scenic overlooks, mountain-bike and snowshoeing trails, breathtaking cliffs, swimming holes and cascades. Or go low-key and wander along converted rail trails that are also open to cross-country skiers in the colder months. Swimmers can take the plunge at the Big Deep, a secluded swimming hole near the house, while tubers can float Esopus Creek, and whitewater rafters will find waters of the more rushing sort (Class I and II rapids) in the Upper Delaware Recreational and Scenic River system a half hour/hour’s drive away.

Swan Lake’s scenic waters are great for boating, fishing, and splashing around, and the lake is home to its namesake birds, too. The Woodstock Farm Sanctuary is a family favorite, a site of rescued farm animals given refuge. And art lovers should head to nearby Saugerties, to view Opus 40, a sizeable environmental art installation of ramps, pedestals and platforms covering 6.5 acres of bluestone quarry land.

Skiers have half a dozen options in season, from the Sawkill Family ski center to Hunter and Windham Mountains.

Location

Woodstock, New York, USA. Nearest airport: NY La Guardia (85 miles)

Best time to visit

April to November