Serene minimalist cottage directly on Lake Oscaleta with spectacular waterfront and Mountain Lakes Park behind. Quiet, isolated and lost in the trees, you feel you are in Vermont or the Adirondacks. Yet it's only 1 hour from Manhattan, 10 minutes from restaurants. Kayak, canoe, fish, paddleboard. Cottage is elegant, cozy and winterized warm and the lake is effectively empty in the fall/winter/spring. Please note: because of an asthmatic child, we cannot accept any animals. The space The cottage is in a minimalist, Scandinavian lake style. Light and airy, with great reading and working areas. A band of windows overlooking the lake. We love it just as much in winter as we do in summer! The kitchen is small but workable with a generous supply of cooks' tools and entertaining resources. Guest access You may use the dock, and go out on the lake in our kayaks or paddleboard (or the very heavy canoe which leaks a little bit.) Other things to note The area is full of fairly underused parks with wonderful trails for hiking. If you only have one big hike in you in your time here (sitting on the couch and meditating on the wind rippling on the lake maybe all you want or need to do!) we recommend the lookout trail in Mountain Lakes Park. You can see the lookout from the house- it’s the rock patch about 2/3 the way up the mountain a little off to the right as you look across and behind the lake. To get there: Go right on Oscaleta Rd when you get back off Knapp Rd. It goes around to the right and eventually climbs steeply up the hill (small mountain). At the top of that hill is the well marked Mountain Lakes Park. Go in. About 1/3 of a mile in is a parking area on the right and a trail head with a yellow metal bar to block cars. The look out is less than a mile in. The really cool part of the trail is past the lookout. It eventually (another mile and a half?) dumps back out on the main Park road you parked your car on, only now you are about 1 mile up the road. All in all maybe 3.5 miles, a good hour hour and a half hike. Or... you can do this the way we do it and park the car at the end of where you can take your car in the main road and park it there. Walk up that road about 1/2 mile and take the large trail (car could drive on it) that angles off and up to the right. That will also get you to the look out. Either way it is a magical trail with a wonderful view of all three lakes. You can see the lake house from it. Our other favorite hikes (there are many) are in Ward Pound Ridge about a 12 minute drive away (back past Cross River on Rt 35, left on route 121, then left again a hundred yards down. On a busy weekend you’ll have to pay $10 for the car. All of it is amazing. To the left as you go in is a river with a trail along it. Off to the right is a ridge with some pretty terrific views once you get deep in - Spy Rock, Raven Rocks, Castle Rock, Leatherman’s Cave, the Overlook. Really cool stuff. We have been going for years and still have not been everywhere. By the way, the big wide hill just past the Trail Side museum is considered the best sledding hill in the area and works for sledders old and young, cautious and intrepid. So after a big snow storm it is definitely worth checking out. If you have less time or a crew that prefers less vigorous terrain there is Long Pond Preserve at the far tip of Lake Waccabuc. Go right as you exit Knapp Rd. Take the first left (50 yards) on to Benedict Rd, go about 1 mile, then right when it T’s in to Post Office Rd. About 200 yards in on the right you’ll see a parking area for 2 cars, a small sign and a trail head cutting across the pasture towards the lake. It’s a lovely flat walk along the lake. Beautiful.