Cabin

The Guest Lodge at Santa Claus Lake

Photo gallery for The Guest Lodge at Santa Claus Lake

An October morning at the Guest Lodge (2021), just 40 feet from Santa Claus Lake
Fall foliage around Santa Claus Lake.
Fall foliage on Quill Hill in Rangeley, ME - one of our favorite places.
Drone pic of Santa Claus Lake facing Guest Lodge. Red square is our swim dock.
Our swim dock in the early morning mist. Photo by John Silva.
Reviews
10 out of 10 Exceptional
2 bedrooms1 bathroomSleeps 674 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Kitchen
  • Pet-friendly
  • Free WiFi
  • Air conditioning
  • Outdoor space
  • Barbecue grill

Explore the area

Map
Temple, ME
  • Popular LocationTitcomb Mountain Ski Area20 min drive
  • Popular LocationUniversity of Maine - Farmington21 min drive
  • Popular LocationMount Blue State Park55 min drive
  • AirportWaterville, ME (WVL-Robert Lafleur)61 min drive

Rooms & beds

2 bedrooms (sleeps 6)

Bedroom 1

Bedroom 2

Common area 1

1 bathroom

Bathroom 1

Towels provided · Bathtub or shower · Toilet · Hair dryer

Spaces

Deck or patio
Porch or lanai
Kitchen
Dining Area

About this property

The Guest Lodge at Santa Claus Lake

Secluded, log-sided cabin just 40 ft. from pristine lake shore. In addition to modern amenities, comes with lovely stone fireplace, private swimming dock, an enclosed outdoor shower with dressing room, a rowboat, canoe, kayaks (4 full-size and 3 youth)and loons to serenade you!
The space
The cabin was built in 1970 by Rob's father and grandparents when there was no Lake Drive or Christmas Lane; they brought the materials across the lake by boat and cleared the lot by hand to start. Then they built Lake Drive to make it easier. The mason who built the stone fireplace for them did so by hand, using stones he spent over a year searching for and finding one by one within 20 miles of the Guest Lodge; none were hewn, but used just as they were found. The Lodge was since renovated in 2013 and 2014, adding many improvements while carefully maintaining the cabin's original simplicity and charm. There are families who have been coming to the Guest Lodge since the 70's, with children who now return as adults with their families. The 81-acre lake, known by locals as 'Staples Pond,' was immediately dubbed Santa Claus Lake by Rob's father upon seeing an aerial view - it looks just like Santa with his pack on.
Whether your great love is hiking, biking, swimming, canoeing, antiquing, fishing, riding an antique steam train, renting a jet ski, or photographing the beautiful mountains, lakes and wildlife, the Franklin County area holds many interesting and fun things to see and do. Although many guests simply prefer to rest and enjoy the mesmerizing peace and quiet, wildlife and fishing or hiking right on this beautiful forest property, and only leave to go to Giffords' for ice cream.
Guest access
You will have the whole cabin and property to yourself, private access to the lake with swimming dock, and use of the canoe, row boat, kayaks and enclosed outdoor shower. (Note: outdoor shower is in use between Memorial day and Labor Day.)
Other things to note
There are both a charcoal grill and a propane grill on the side deck you are welcome to use. There is no cable service in Temple, Maine at all, but we have a DVD/BlueRay player (with some movies) and Apple TV (use your own NetFlix/Apple/Prive accounts) and televisions in the master bedroom and living room. The television in the living room also has a VHS player and Roku. The bookshelves are filled with books, and some games and puzzles are in the bench under the window in the dining area that you are more than welcome to enjoy. There is a printer/scanner/copier on the desk in the living room. The great room has a big, strong ceiling fan which is wonderful when the temperature rises and keeps the heat circulating when the weather is cold as well. There is central A/C that keeps the temperature down on those rare hot days in Maine, as well as two ceiling fans out on the back porch. And central heating keeps the cabin warm when the weather turns chilly in the Fall.
We are a seasonal property - open from the end of April through Thanksgiving and closed during the winter months. During the summer we rent only by the week (Saturday to Saturday), and in the fall we have a 3-night minimum.

Property manager

Rob and Beth Bull

Amenities

Kitchen
Pet-friendly
Free WiFi
Air conditioning
Outdoor space
Barbecue grill

House Rules

Check in after 4:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 21
Check out before 10:00 AM

Children

Children allowed: ages 0-17

Events

No events allowed

Pets

Pets allowed: dogs (limit 2 total)

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Damage and incidentals

You will be responsible for any damage to the rental property caused by you or your party during your stay.

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
Onsite parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has indicated there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a first aid kit, and a deadbolt lock

About the area

Temple

Located in Temple, this cabin is in a rural area and on the waterfront. Richardson Tract and Mount Blue State Park reflect the area's natural beauty and area attractions include Ski Museum of Maine and Maine Huts & Trails. Be sure to check out the area's animals with activities such as game walks and birdwatching.
Map
Temple, ME

What's nearby

  • Richardson Tract - 20 min drive
  • Titcomb Mountain Ski Area - 20 min drive
  • University of Maine - Farmington - 21 min drive
  • Webb Lake - 51 min drive
  • Mount Blue State Park - 55 min drive

Getting around

  • Waterville, ME (WVL-Robert Lafleur) - 60 min drive

Restaurants

  • The White Elephant - 34 min drive
  • Orange Cat Cafe - 20 min drive
  • McDonald's - 19 min drive
  • The Roost - 20 min drive
  • Homestead Bakery Restaurant - 20 min drive

Reviews

10

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
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Rating 10 - Excellent. 1 out of 1 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 0 out of 1 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 1 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 1 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 1 reviews" "

10/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

10/10

Location

10/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Alyson V.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Peaceful and Relaxing!
Our stay at the Guest Lodge was wonderful! The owners called when we arrived to make sure we had everything we needed and asked if we had any questions. They provided a "tour" of local spots to check out. We were able to see most of them and they were all beautiful. The Lodge itself was perfect!! We spent so much time relaxing on the deck with our dogs, listening to the birds. We were lucky enough to hear the loons. We went kayaking on the private lake, walked around the property on the private roads. It was incredibly peaceful! I would love to go back!
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2023

About the host

Hosted by Rob and Beth Bull

Host profile image
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