Bala, Ontario
Hideaway Cottage is a lovely and private all-season cottage near Bala, Ontario in the heart of Muskoka. This is a family-friendly house that we use ourselves when it is not rented.
Wood floors, a BBQ, a dock on a quiet lake and 70+ acres of privacy make this the ideal escape in the spring, summer or fall. Cook on the BBQ, play in the large backyard, lounge in the hammock, roast marshmallows at the fire pit, go for a swim in the lake, or just plain old hang out.
The amenities make your stay easier. There's a fully equipped kitchen with new induction stove/convection oven, fridge, microwave, dishwasher, espresso machine and drip coffee maker.
The living-dining area is L shaped with a cathedral ceiling. The dining area seats 12. The living room is bright with windows overlooking the woods and the lake, and there is a tile woodstove.
The main level master bedroom has patio doors opening to a deck looking out through trees to the lake. Two bedrooms that accommodate 7 people and a play area are upstairs, perfect for the kids. Linens are included.
There's a Muskoka Room (a screened in porch) overlooking the back garden, with a dining table and seating for 4.
The ground level has been newly renovated: there’s a bright bedroom with a queen-sized bed with an intimate view of the woods, a 3-piece bathroom, and a games room/tv room with a double futon. There are DVDs, board games, books and cards. And an air hockey table! Access your Netflix and other streaming services accounts on the smart TV.
Location, Amenities, Conditions:
On Porter Lake - very quiet - no motorboats or other motor craft permitted.
Canoe + 3 kayaks.
Games & toys available for kids.
Outside fire pit and marshmallow forks are included! Bring s'mores!
What's Nearby:
Town of Bala and Bala Falls
Near Bala’s stores, restaurants, TD Bank, LCBO and Beer Store, library and skating arena.
Concerts at Kee to Bala
Downhill skiing Mount St Louis Moonstone
Johnston's Cranberry Marsh
Muskoka Steamship Cruises in Gravenhurst (30 minutes away)
Hardy Lake Provincial Park with great walking trails (15 minutes away)
Restrictions:
No pets on the property.
No smoking.
No hunting on the property.
Summer rentals: 1 week or longer only. Cleaning is included.
The cottage is on a small and quiet private lake, with about 1,000 feet of frontage on each side of the lake. Swimming is primarily from the dock, with plenty-deep water that is usually quite warm in the summer. There are 3 kayaks and a canoe for exploring and you'll find lots of lifejackets on site for adults and kids.
There is a treed slope down to the water; a mix of Canadian Shield and grass. The water is about 2ft deep at the shoreline and then gradually deepens more. The lakebed is firm to soft sand/gravel/rock bottom.
On site there are tons of books for both adults and children, a variety of board games, and toys for young children. Play soccer in the backyard or have fun playing volleyball, bocce ball or croquet. A hammock in the backyard overlooks the garden. There's an air hockey table for rainy days.
Bring your fishing poles - there are lots of bass in the lake.
This reservation has a flexible cancellation policy - refunds will be issued up to 14 days prior to the check in date.
A 100% refund is provided for travellers cancelling at least 14 full days before check-in. No refunds are provided for travellers cancelling less than 14 days prior to check-in.
Our house rules: primary renter must be 25 or older, no smoking, no parties or events, no pets.
No smoking indoors and no littering.
Rules for disposal of garbage must be followed.
Fires must be moderate in size and in outdoor fire pit only.
No additional overnight guests without permission.
Renter assumes liability for any and all damages including damages by family or guests.
Important limitations of liability:
- swimming, boating, hiking, skiing, encounters with wildlife (there are bears, poisonous snakes, etc. in Muskoka), walking on lake ice, use of BBQ or fire pit, and other outdoor activities may be hazardous and may present a risk of injury.
- The cottage -- including the surrounding property and any boats, life-jackets, barbeque or other items on site (collectively the "furnished cottage"), are provided on an "as is" basis without warranties of any kind, either express or implied.
- We disclaim all warranties, express or implied, including, but not limited to, implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose.
- In no event shall the cottage owners ("we", "us") be liable for any direct, indirect, special or consequential damages, or any other damages of any kind whether in an action in contract, tort (including but not limited to negligence) or otherwise, arising out of or in any way connected with the use or inability to use the furnished cottage.
- In no event shall the aggregate liability of us -- whether in contract, warranty, tort (including negligence whether active, passive or imputed), product liability, strict liability or other theory -- arising out of or relating to the use of the furnished cottage, exceed any compensation you pay, if any, to us for access to or use of the furnished cottage.
This cottage was perfect for our family! Beautiful views from balcony! Everything was provided as far as entertainment ,water sports, yard games! The owner was great friendly and very responsive when we need help! Thank you Gillian and Steve for everything! Highly recommend!
Beautiful lake for swimming off the spacious dock with lots of water toys for use. We had perfect weather and enjoyed lawn games and bonfires at night. A huge bonus was having the firewood provided. The week went by too fast!
Had a great time here. Both the adults and children in the group were able to find so much to fall in love with. The design of the house really lends itself to a more social atmosphere and proves itself well in handling a higher number of guests. The amenities were a welcome change to what we have experienced at other rentals and really helped allow more people to commit to coming on our trip. The property itself was easy to find and navigate and is a great location that was close for us but still gave the vibes you want from a Muskoka getaway. We'd all love to come back!
Lovely dock and lake area. Wonderful family time. A/C is only in one area of main floor. Apart from leak and power failure was a successful stay.
We rented this cottage for the first week of July. Our group was two families incl 4 Adults and 4 Kids ages 5 - 11. Proximity to Bala is great for access to anything you'd need/want, or to take in a show at the Kee, but at the lake it feels like you are very secluded. Small/quiet lake with 3 docks, and no boat launch so no motor boats which we found very quiet and safe for kids paddling on their own. Very large property, with so much distance from neighbours you won't see anyone else if you don't want to. It was a great week and we will very likely be back next year.
Hideaway Cottage is a lovely spot on a very quiet lake (no motor boats). The cottage is comfortable and well equipped, and is particularly suited to young families as there is a wide assortment of toys and games. The location is very close to Bala and a short drive to Port Carling, making shopping convenient, and there are lots of things to do and places to explore in Muskoka. We had a great week and hope to be back.
A group of 8 adults and 4 small children under 5 years of age - we had a great time! The only thing we were unclear on was the path down to the water and how steep that would be - but we made it work. The lake was so quiet and private, the long driveway made some fun walks and bike rides, the fire pit and green space were amazing for the kids to run around. The sun room / play room was well equipped with lots of toys and books for the kids. There is no AC in the children’s rooms at the top level but tons of fans available for air circulation. Kitchen was pretty well stocked. The view of the lake was so peaceful. We would definitely recommend this place again!
We had a beautiful week. Property was exactly as described. Clean and well-appointed with everything we needed. Loved the dock, the lake, the kayaks and canoes. The beds were comfy and there were lots of nice places to sit. Loved the location and would return again.
We had a wonderful time with our family at this cottage. Gillian and Steve were so welcoming and helpful with anything that we needed. The cottage was completing stocked with anything and everything that we needed and was especially great for our toddler (lots of toys, games, and books). The Lake was perfect for swimming, fishing and relaxing. Most of our days were spent on the dock! We had such a great family vacation and look forward to returning in the future.
Amazing! & Extremely well equipped, the extra fridge is a life saver!
Your dates are Available!
Total
Includes taxes and fees