Lakefront Home On Beautiful Donnells Pond,32 miles From Acadia N P and Bar Harbr

Franklin, Maine
$300 avg/night
Bed 2

Bed

Bath 1

Bath

Home Private Vacation Home

Property Type

Sleep 5

Max Sleeps

Located on a large lake, beautiful, pristine, Donnell Pond in Downeast Maine. Welcome to 'Memory Cove'!
Donnell Pond is one of Maine's premier lakes, with miles of protected and forever wild shoreline. Quiet even at the height of summer, with beautiful mountain views, remote sand beaches, and hiking.
Built in the early '60s as our family's Maine summer 'camp', 'Memory Cove' is floor-to-ceiling knotty pine, rustic, and spacious with a large newly remodeled kitchen, bathroom, and deck. Our dining area seats six with a separate den to relax and enjoy TV. The deck is right off the front, with a gas grill and plenty of seating so you can relax and enjoy a summer meal while taking in the beauty of the pristine lake.
Just steps to the dock to grab a kayak, or canoe and paddle out to islands or perhaps the secluded sandy beaches for a picnic or a mountaintop hike. Shared swim float for sunbathing and swimming, kids love it!
Other amenities include full laundry, dishwasher, deck with a propane grill, fireplace inside, and a fire pit outside (bring some marshmallows!).
Swim, fish right off the dock, or just relax on the deck while taking in the spectacular beauty of the mountains and lake.
Use our 2-person canoe and several single-person kayaks for your enjoyment.
My parents, born and raised in Maine, built this home in 1963 as a summer retreat. Every summer my parents would load up the station wagon and with 8 kids in tow drive from New York to Franklin, Maine to spend the summer. In Maine, a summer lake home is often referred to as 'camp'. And truly in the early years, camp it was, with no running water or electricity and with 8 kids (some in diapers). We loved it and we can't imagine a childhood without swimming and being on the lake. Over the years 'camp' has evolved into a home, perhaps still a bit rough around the edges, but no better spot exists as far as we 'kids' believe.
It's our pleasure to share our home with you so that you can make your own everlasting memories of summer in Maine.
Welcome to Memory Cove!

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  • Feature Features
  • Map Map
  • School District Rates & Availability
  • Review Review

Feature Features

  • PETS

    No Pets Allowed
  • BEACH

    Beach Sun Loungers Beach Towels
  • DINING

    Dining Table
  • SAFETY

    Carbon Monoxide Detector Installed (host Has Indicated There Is A Carbon Monoxide Detector On The Property) Smoke Detector Installed (host Has Indicated There Is A Smoke Detector On The Property)
  • BEDROOM

    2 Bedrooms Bed Sheets Provided
  • GENERAL

    Unit Size: 1200 Sq Ft (111 Sq M)
  • KITCHEN

    Coffee/tea Maker Dishwasher Kitchen Island Microwave Oven Paper Towels Refrigerator Stovetop Toaster
  • LAUNDRY

    Laundry Facilities Washing Machine And Dryer
  • PARKING

    Car Required Onsite Parking
  • INTERNET

    Free WiFi
  • OUTDOORS

    Firepit Garden Gas Grill Patio
  • BATHROOMS

    1 Bathroom Hair Dryer Shampoo Shower Soap Toilet Paper Towels Provided
  • LANGS SPOKEN

    English
  • THINGS TO DO

    Birdwatching Nearby Hiking Nearby Hiking/biking Trails Nearby Kayak On Site Kayaking Nearby Mountain Climbing Nearby Power Boating Nearby Swimming Nearby Whale Watching Nearby Wildlife And Game Walks Nearby
  • ENTERTAINMENT

    DVD Player TV
  • LIVING SPACES

    Dining Room Fireplace Living Room Wood Stove
  • CLIMATE CONTROL

    Heating
  • LOCATION HIGHLIGHTS

    In A Rural Location In The Mountains On The Lake On The Waterfront
  • SERVICES AND CONVENIENCES

    Phone
  • SUITABILITY/ACCESSIBILITY

    Smoke-free Property

CheckIn Check-in : 03:00 PM CheckOut Check-out : 10:00 AM
No Wheelchair No smoking No pets Children allowed
Occupancy Max occupancy : 5

Map Map

School District Rates & Availability

Review Review

  • Emily K.

    Submitted Aug 10, 2025

    Stayed Aug 6, 2025

    This clean, peaceful and full-of-love home on a lake will stick with you long after you leave. We stayed for four nights (a mistake—we could have spent a week!) and genuinely would recommend it to anyone exploring Acadia/Downeast ME. Our kids (ages 8&10) fished off the dock mornings and evenings, we kayaked, canoed, SUP’d, and just sat outside taking in the view. We made multiple meals at the house and had everything we needed including the basics like oil/vinegar/salt/pepper/butter. We played cards and read books and watched hummingbird-territory battles. We did venture to Acadia two days: strongly advise against Mount Desert Island in the summer! However, Schoodic was amazing and so peaceful by comparison. We also recommend getting tickets one night to go to Timber Tina’s Lumberjack Show in Trenton—my kids are still talking about it. And lastly, communication with Tim was easy and quick; he even helped when we needed to amend our reservation in the month before we came. The only issue we had, and this is personal for me, was that the beds were very soft—I love a hard bed and they were not to be found here. However, all my family loved the beds except me! Overall, this is a 5-star VRBO and you’d be lucky to find it available!

  • Chad M.

    Submitted Jul 9, 2025

    Stayed Jun 22, 2025

    We had a great week at Memory Cove! Our family of five (3 kids 12 and under) had a wonderful vacation and loved everything about our stay. So much to do at the lake (paddle boarding, kayaking, fishing, etc.) that we spent several days at Memory Cove without leaving. The cabin is close enough to Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park but far enough from the tourist areas that you feel like you're experiencing the best of Maine. Highly recommend!

  • Hadis K.

    Submitted May 26, 2025

    Stayed May 22, 2025

    We enjoyed our vacation time at this lake house very time!

  • Shawn S.

    Submitted Jul 9, 2024

    Stayed Jun 19, 2024

    Great visit to a cool cabin on the lake. Lots of kayaks and paddle boards for peaceful water sports. Saw a loon mom and dad and 2 babies on our last day! Enjoyed coffee each morning on the back deck. Well worth the trip!

  • Kelly H.

    Submitted Jun 19, 2024

    Stayed Jun 12, 2024

    Our first visit to ME was great! Thank you Leavitt family for offering your home during our stay. The view is beautiful. We enjoyed sipping our coffee every morning sitting on the dock. The owners were very responsive and prompt to address a minor issue we had. Plus, all the area recommendations they gave us were super helpful. We enjoyed exploring Donnell Pond with the kayaks and paddle boards. We look forward to our trip back to Maine and Memory Cove! P.S. Be sure to go to Schoodic Point —breathtaking!

  • Angela S.

    Submitted Sep 23, 2023

    Stayed Sep 16, 2023

    Very nice cabin. Perfect location. We had a wonderful time!

  • Barbara R.

    Submitted Sep 10, 2023

    Stayed Aug 30, 2023

    It was a delight to walk into this sparkling clean, lakefront cabin located on a beautiful Donnell Pond (which would clearly be a lake in Colorado). While we’ve stayed in lots of vacation rentals in this country and others, this was the first time it felt more like entering the home of a close friend or family member. It was comfortable and plentifully stocked with everything we could possibly need. This included a recently remodeled kitchen with all the high quality pots, pans, dishes, condiments and gadgets that one could need. Having kayaks and a canoe right there for our use was delightful. It included so many thoughtful details, such as reusable bags for grocery shopping and guides for local activities. The host was very responsive should we need anything. The setting is amazingly quiet and peaceful with the call of the loons being a predominant sound. We hated to leave and would surely love to return.

  • Jaime B.

    Submitted Aug 18, 2023

    Stayed Aug 11, 2023

    We thoroughly enjoyed our stay here. The cabin provided all we needed for a one week stay for myself, my husband and our two teenagers. We had two relaxing “lake days” and spent the rest of our days on Mt Desert Island. While MDI is not around the corner we felt we had the best of both worlds being able to have a retreat away from the crowds. The home is cozy and has nice, modern updates but still gives you the Maine, lake, cabin feel. Owner checked in to make sure we got in ok but we did not need anything from him during our stay. The lake is beautiful and peaceful and we appreciated using the kayaks, paddle boards and canoes.

  • Scott L.

    Submitted Jul 2, 2023

    Stayed Jun 24, 2023

    Memory Cove was perfect for us. A beautiful location and property. The time went by too quickly, and we thoroughly enjoyed our time there. Can’t wait to go back again!

  • Ashley H.

    Submitted Jun 24, 2023

    Stayed Jun 13, 2023

    We had a wonderful stay at Memory Cove. It was peacefull and relaxing with everything you could possibly need. We used it as a home base for exploring Acadia and spending time together making memories! We feel really blessed the hosts have opened their home and allow others to make memories among the sounds of the wind, waves, frogs, loons and owls. We hope to return!

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Total

Includes taxes and fees
$300+
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