Notes from the host
Crystal Lake Cottage
Relax and enjoy our quaint, retro 1400 SqFt, 3-bedroom lakefront home with beautiful views of one of Pennsylvania’s most pristine lakes, visible from the front porch or through the large picture window in the living room.
Nestled in the rolling Endless Mountains of Northeastern Pennsylvania, Crystal Lake is a private, 45 acre, spring-fed lake located minutes from Elk Mountain Ski Resort. Our one-story home includes an eat-in kitchen, a dining area and a cozy living room with a fireplace that looks out over the lake.
The master bedroom has a king size bed, the second bedroom has a double bed plus twin bunk, and the third has two twins – sleeps 8. Crystal Lake is a private (not open for public use) family-friendly lake located just over 2 hours from both Philadelphia and New York City.
In the summer, you can enjoy swimming in the crystal clear water, sunbathing, fishing, kayaking, sailing, paddle boarding & canoeing. You may prefer just relaxing on the lakefront dock and front porch, or taking a leisurely walk, run or bike ride along the scenic 2.8-mile road that follows the perimeter of the lake.
For something more challenging, you can mountain bike or hike Elk Mountain, or bike the 40+ miles of Rail-Trails that run throughout the region. For the golf enthusiast, there are five public golf courses within 6 miles, including the nearby Scottish Glen, a 9-hole course situated on the lake with beautiful views of Elk Mountain. Many of the area courses cost less than $20 for 18 holes of golf.
While the charm and quiet of Crystal Lake is the draw, there are many other activities in the area. There are dozens of antique stores, particularly in the Fleetville area. One of the largest and most well known is The Carriage Barn, which has been featured in Country Living Magazine. Shopping is plentiful in Dickson City just 25 minutes away (20 miles). Here you'll find Veiwmont Mall, anchored by Macy’s, JC Penny’s and Sears, and many discount stores, such as, Target, Wal-mart, Sam’s, TJ Maxx, Marshalls, K-mart, Best Buy and Wegman’s. You will also find many popular chain restaurants in this area, such as, Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Pizzeria Uno, Friday’s and more. There are movie theaters and bowling alleys as well. In nearby Scranton, the Steamtown Mall (23 miles) and the new upscale outlet mall, Shoppes at Montage (29 miles), are also great for shopping.
For outdoor enthusiasts, there are the NEPA Rail-Trails with many trails for biking and hiking plus events to participate in throughout the year. There are 3 local spots where you can park and get to the trail head. The main one is located in Uniondale where you will find the Rail-Trail office and Cable’s General Store... great place to relax, pick up some provisions and enjoy some great food! Ambitious hikers can hike up Elk Mountain... there are beautiful views at the top!! Afterwards, you can stop at Chet’s Place...
Local restaurants on the lake and within a mile include Oliveri’s and Crystal Pines. Many others are located nearby in Carbondale, Simpson, Union Dale, Clarks Summit and Dickson City all within a short 5 to 25 minute drive. Looking for Breweries... there are a number of them to check out within 20-30 minutes drive including in the charming town of Honesdale.
Other attractions include, Montage Mountain Water Park, the Lackawanna Coal Mine Tour, Scranton Iron Furnaces, Steamtown National Historic Site, the Houdini Museum, Scranton Cultural Center, Electric Car Trolley Station & Museum, Anthracite Heritage Museum, Lackawanna State Park and the Archibald Pothole State Park. PNC field in Scranton is home to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees, the Class-AAA Minor League Baseball affiliate of the New York Yankees.
In the fall, you will enjoy the colorful foliage and quiet peacefulness of the lake. There are also a number of local events including Oktoberfest at Elk Mountain and the Steamtown Marathon.
The main draw in winter is skiing and snowboarding at Elk Mountain, Pennsylvania’s finest ski resort with 1000 feet of vertical drop and 100% snowmaking coverage. Montage Mountain, which also features snowtubing is located nearby (30 miles) just off Route 81. The lake and surrounding area are great for ice-skating, cross-country skiing, sledding and ice fishing. The nearby Rail-Trails are also great for snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling. NEP Sno Trails grooms the trail system in the winter and issues trail passes that are required for snowmobiling.
Keywords: Lake House, Cottage, Elk Mountain, Endless Mountains, NEPA, Crystal Lake, Elkview Country Club, Lake Front, Carbondale, PA Skiing, Newton Lake, Fishing, Swimming, Kayaking, Rail-Trails, Hiking
