Entire home

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

Lakefront holiday home with kitchen and patio

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

The house overlooking the beautiful mountain scenery.
Exterior
Large Deck and porch area
Kitchen view from upstairs.  New Granite Counter tops!
Kitchen Island

Reviews

9.8 out of 10
Exceptional
4 bedrooms3+ bathroomsSleeps 11204 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Dryer
  • Parking available
  • Washer
  • Fireplace

Explore the area

View map
James Creek, PA
  • Place, Raystown Lake
  • Place, Trough Creek State Park
    ‪21 min drive‬
  • Place, Seven Points Marina
    ‪34 min drive‬
  • Airport, Altoona, PA (AOO-Blair County)
    ‪28 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

4 bedrooms (sleeps 11)

Bedroom - Main Level

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom- Upstairs

1 King Bed

Living Room 1

1 Queen Bed

Lower Level

2 Single Beds

Pyramid Bed - Main Level

1 Double Bed

3 bathrooms, 1 half bathroom

Bath - Main Level Bed

Bathtub or shower · Toilet

Bath - Upstairs Bedroom

Bathtub or shower · Toilet

Lower Level

Bathtub or shower · Toilet

Main Level

Toilet

Spaces

Deck or patio
Kitchen
Outdoor play area
Garden
Dining area

About this property

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!

Add dates for prices

Amenities

Hot tub
Kitchen
Washing machine
Dryer
Free WiFi
Air conditioning

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House Rules

Check in after 4:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 25
Check out before 11:00 AM
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Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17
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Events

No events allowed
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Pets

No pets allowed
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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
On-site 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

We should mention

A car is required for transport to and from this property

About the area

James Creek

Located in James Creek, this holiday home is in the mountains and on a lake. 321 Gallery and East Broad Top Railroad are cultural highlights, and some of the area's activities can be experienced at Seven Points Marina and Blair County Driving Range. Travelling with kids? Consider Frankstown Township Memorial Park and Kelly Park. Make sure you get close to the area's animals with activities such as game walks and birdwatching.
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?

Checkout 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 holiday 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 miles (32 km).

Reviews

9.8

Exceptional

9.6/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

9.8/10

Location

9.8/10

Listing accuracy
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

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Sarah C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
We all loved it. It was a beautiful house.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2025

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

8/10 Good

Greg C.

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
We absolutely love your house. There were 6 of us, including a 7 year old boy and 5 year old girl who loved the fire pit, bunkbeds and staying up later and of course using the hot tub after dinner on the deck. Our grandson enjoyed playing pool with his Daddy which by his own account was the best part of our stay at your Raystown Lake house, even more so than spending a day on the lake tubing behind the pontoon. Go figure! The furnishings and decor are magazine worthy....very on point for the house setting. Great job!!! I would like to address some issues I've noted regarding housekeeping. We found several instances where the cleaning crew cut corners. It wasn't any one thing that ruined our stay but, nevertheless should be addressed. We would definitely stay there again, with pleasure.
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 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

Kendall L.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Friendly host. Very nice property would stay here again
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2025

10/10 Excellent

Austin P.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Beautiful property that had everything we needed. Really enjoyed our stay!
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2025

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

About the host

Hosted by Diane Bottenfield

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Languages:

English

Premier Host

They consistently provide great experiences for their guests