Large house on 3 acres in woods, 5-minute walk to ocean, 5-minute walk to town

Southwest Harbor, Maine
$486 avg/night
Bed 6

Bed

Bath 3

Bath

Home Private Vacation Home

Property Type

Sleep 13

Max Sleeps

Greetings Prospective Renters -

This is our third year posting the Knollen on VRBO. Please see our profile of the Knollette on VRBO for ample reviews of the smaller home on this family land.

In 1937 our great-grandfather built the Knollen on three acres of land . At that point in the island's history, innumerable island plots were available to him, including many oceanfront properties, but he chose this spot. The location is wonderful.

The property includes a big grassyfield, beautiful woods, and a much smaller cottage (the Knollette, also available for rent on VRBO). While the Knollen has not undergone any major renovations (including the kitchen and bathrooms), it's large (offering ample bedrooms), lovely, quiet, comfortable, and full of simple amenities. With extended family members living here for months at a time, we can attest to its high level of functionality, comfort, and charm. The living room can accommodate large family gatherings. Two particularly special spaces include a first-floor, screened-in porch with traditional wicker furniture and a large, second-floor sleeping porch - both of which offer close, peaceful connection to the surrounding woods.

The Knollen is located on a quiet, private lane. Walk 5 minutes and you will discover the causeway at Norwood Cove - a spot that offers wonderful vistas of the ocean & mountains; dramatic tidal activity; opportunities for swimming, SUPing, canoeing, kayaking; peaceful sitting spots; and spectacular night skies. Walk 5 minutes in the other direction to the center of Southwest Harbor, a small quaint town where you will find shopping, dining, art, crafts, a bike rental store, and a wonderful public library. You'll also find access to the Island Explorer, the free shuttle to all parts of MDI and Acadia National Park.

Acadia National Park is a playground for walking, hiking, biking, swimming, boating, and picnicking. Explore scenic ocean trails, carriage roads, beaches, mountains, lakes, and nearby islands. There are also opportunities to rent boats of various sizes; play tennis, pickleball, or golf; antique hunt; visit museums and art galleries; eat ample fresh seafood; and more.

Keywords: large cabin, large wooden house, quiet private lane, near ocean, near town, Southwest Harbor, Causeway Lane, Norwood Cove, Acadia, Mount Desert Island

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

Feature Features

  • PETS

    Service Animals Only (pets Not Allowed)
  • BEACH

    Beach Towels
  • DINING

    Dining Table
  • SAFETY

    Carbon Monoxide Detector Installed (host Has Indicated There Is A Carbon Monoxide Detector On The Property) Fire Extinguisher First Aid Kit Smoke Detector Installed (host Has Indicated There Is A Smoke Detector On The Property)
  • BEDROOM

    6 Bedrooms Bed Sheets Provided
  • GENERAL

    At Least 80% Lighting From LEDs Bulk Dispenser For Toiletries Eco-friendly Cleaning Products Provided Unit Size: 2500 Sq Ft (232 Sq M) Water-efficient Showers Only
  • KITCHEN

    Coffee/tea Maker Cookware/dishes/utensils Dishwasher Ice Maker Microwave Oven Refrigerator Stovetop Toaster
  • LAUNDRY

    Laundry Facilities Near Laundromat Washing Machine And Dryer
  • PARKING

    Onsite Parking Onsite Parking Options Include A Garage
  • INTERNET

    Free WiFi
  • OUTDOORS

    Barbecue Grill Garden Outdoor Furniture Porch Or Lanai
  • BATHROOMS

    3.5 Bathrooms Eco-friendly Toiletries Hair Dryer Shower Soap Toilet Paper Towels Provided
  • WORKSPACES

    Desk Desk Chair
  • LANGS SPOKEN

    English
  • THINGS TO DO

    Basketball Nearby Bicycle On Site Birdwatching Nearby Cycling Nearby Ecotours Nearby Fitness Facilities Nearby Golf Privileges Golfing On Site Hiking/biking Trails Nearby Marina Nearby Snorkeling Nearby Swimming Nearby Tennis On Site Wildlife And Game Walks Nearby
  • ENTERTAINMENT

    Books DVD Player Games Music Library Stereo Video Library TV With Cable/satellite Service
  • LIVING SPACES

    Dining Room Fireplace Living Room
  • CLIMATE CONTROL

    Air Conditioning Heating
  • FAMILY FRIENDLY

    Children's Books Children's Games Children's Toys Playground Stair Gate Travel Crib
  • LOCATION HIGHLIGHTS

    Near A Health Or Beauty Spa Near A Hospital Near The Bay Near The Sea
  • SERVICES AND CONVENIENCES

    Iron/ironing Board Phone
  • SUITABILITY/ACCESSIBILITY

    If You Have Requests For Specific Accessibility Needs, Please Contact The Property Using The Information On The Reservation Confirmation Received After Booking. No Elevators Smoke-free Property Upper Floors Accessible By Stairs Only

CheckIn Check-in : 04:00 PM CheckOut Check-out : 10:00 AM
No Wheelchair No smoking No pets Children allowed
Occupancy Max occupancy : 13

Map Map

School District Rates & Availability

Review Review

  • M A.

    Submitted Sep 11, 2025

    Stayed Aug 21, 2025

    We all absolutely loved our stay! It is definitely a family home and very comfortable and welcoming. The kitchen has everything a cook would need. Beautiful surroundings and the causeway was amazing and changes throughout the day with the tides. We were all sad to leave. We would happily stay there again. :) Thank you for giving us the privilege of staying in such a wonderful place!

  • Christina T.

    Submitted Jul 11, 2025

    Stayed Jul 6, 2025

    This house is wonderful. Beyond charming and a perfect family house for our family. We spent mornings drinking coffee sitting in the lovely screened in porch, lots of walks to the causeway to see the starfish and crabs (and stunning views) and loved coming back each day after our daily adventures. Such a great location in walking distance to several happy hour and dinner spots. It’s really a special place with so many original, super unique little details. The host was incredibly responsive and directions around the house were super easy. We were sad to leave and can’t wait to come back!

  • Kathy R.

    Submitted Jun 30, 2025

    Stayed Jun 21, 2025

    Our immediate family stayed in this beautiful home during a larger family reunion in Southwest Harbor. The house was spacious and clean and had everything you needed to cook a small intimate dinner to a Thanksgiving feast. The kids loved the porch room where the cousins would play for hours. We saw deer, chipmunks, lots of birds. We loved the quietness of the area and the close proximity of the causeway and town Would definitely stay again

  • Bethany K.

    Submitted Jun 22, 2025

    Stayed Jun 14, 2025

    Very homey house. Felt right at home when we walked in. Loved the yard and privacy.

  • Cary R.

    Submitted Jun 15, 2025

    Stayed Jun 8, 2025

    Me, my husband, our four children, my in laws and parents stayed. We had the best time. The home was beautiful. We loved having a home base to play games together, eat and read. I cannot say enough good things about this wonderful vacation home.

  • Eva W.

    Submitted Sep 18, 2024

    Stayed Sep 7, 2024

    What a beautiful family home - so, so special. We felt very lucky to be able to stay somewhere with so much personal history. We often cooked and the kitchen had everything we needed. The sun porch was lovely for lounging and the fireplace was fantastic for chilly mornings. Our 4yo loved the books, train set, beach toys, and woodpecker doorknocker. The property and its location were fantastic - lush woodland, a big lawn for games, near a causeway for tide pool exploring, and not far from town. Adair made us feel really welcomed and was available for any inquiries. Highly recommended!

  • Tony W.

    Submitted Jul 5, 2024

    Stayed Jun 16, 2024

    It's hard to describe how perfect of a location for a family Maine vacation this place actually is. In the immediate vicinity there is so much. From harvesting mussels near the causeway and making an amazing dinner in the rustic but not kitchen, to the birdsongs every morning on the porch, this place has it all. With sadness we had to pull out one last time from the driveway and go home but before we did that we hiked all that we could and walked to town every chance we could. Southwest Harbor is a phenomenal location as well, it's perfectly pointed with all the things you need, but none of the traffic of Bar Harbor! Come and enjoy, you will not be disappointed!

  • Ashley L.

    Submitted Jul 3, 2024

    Stayed Jun 25, 2024

    The location was great. Felt homey inside. Good communication with host. Would totally stay again.

  • Kristen Y.

    Submitted Oct 15, 2023

    Stayed Oct 7, 2023

    In my opinion, I would much rather stay at this secluded home vs. dealing with the chaos of Bar Harbor and Acadia area! It was great! We got the best of both worlds. Traveling with a large group so there were limited options - and this home accommodated us perfectly. 3 full baths including a tub for the kids... plus additional half bath. My kids loved sleeping in the upstairs sleeping porch waking up to treetop views! We made several home cooked meals and had all we needed to do so! Also enjoyed nearby eateries... Upper Deck was a favorite and so close! The uniqueness of this VRBO stay was displayed by the family's love for this home sprinkled throughout. Photos on the walls, a notebook with their personal fav hikes and tips on what to do. Kids loved the causeway and we visited several times. We loved Flying Mountain!!! Highly recommend! We dipped into their board games too. Last but not least, since we traveled in the fall we got to use the floor furnace and the fireplace. So cozy!!! Wish we could have stayed longer...

  • STEPHANIE S.

    Submitted Oct 10, 2023

    Stayed Sep 30, 2023

    We had a great stay at the Knollen. It was large enough for our group, kitchen was well stocked, outdoor screen porch was a favorite hangout. We were able to walk to town (easy 10 minutes) and to Beal's. We made it to the Causeway to see the supermoon and the bioluminescence. We've been going to SWH on and off for 35-40 years and this is one of our favorite places we've stayed. Thank you!

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Total

Includes taxes and fees
$486+
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