About this space
Steps from the stunning lake that inspired the film "On Golden Pond," this beautiful home has lake views from every room. It is newly renovated with open plan, high ceilings, elegant furniture & new appliances. See spectacular sunsets from the house & screened porch, and swim, kayak & relax on your private dock, just 30' from the house. Two large BRs, each over 200 sq ft, plus a 3rd BR loft, will sleep 8. Belgrade Lakes is the most lovely, historical town in this renowned lakes region.
The space
Our waterfront home in the Belgrade Lakes region is a tranquil retreat on the water’s edge of the iconic Great Pond, which inspired the movie On Golden Pond. Eugene O’Neill also found inspiration writing in Belgrade Lakes. Great Pond is the largest of the Belgrade Lakes, with an area over 8,500 acres, and ideal for swimming, fishing, exploring with family and friends on a pontoon boat, paddling the pine-studded coastline in a kayak, or relaxing on the shore with a book, watching for bald eagles and loons.
This beautiful, classic, 1300 sq ft A-frame home sits just 30 feet from the water, with a gentle walk, not a steep climb, to the dock. The house offers expansive lake views from every room, and faces west for stunning sunsets over the lake.
This home was a traditional cabin that has been completely renovated and expanded. It is not a ‘rustic cabin’ but more like an ‘upscale cabin,’ with all comforts and elegance but still offering the classic Maine lake country experience. The home’s recent renovation includes the finest materials, finishes and appliances (heat, AC, and gas fireplace), with elegant, comfortable furniture and lovely décor—you will feel like you want to stay for a long time!
One of the many unique features of this house are the spacious bedrooms, more typical of a house than a cabin. Both bedrooms have lake views and patios that open towards the lake, and smart TVs. Either could be the master bedroom: One bedroom (215 sq. ft) has a king size bed, a large closet, two large antique dressers, and a half bath. The other bedroom (220 sq. ft.) has a queen size bed, a wide chair that opens into a single bed, full bath, and opens into an adjacent space that includes a desk, a ‘fireplace style’ wall-mounted heater, dresser and large closet, and a chair that unfolds into a single bed. The third bedroom is an open loft overlooking the living room, with two double beds and a large dresser. The house is fully supplied with sheets (700 thread in the two main bedrooms, 400 in the loft), towels, soaps and sundries.
The living room, kitchen and dining area adjoin in an open plan, with high ceilings and large windows overlooking the lake. The living room has a smart TV, and a lovely gas fireplace that keeps the house toasty warm in the cool months, and AC that keeps the house cool and comfortable in the summer. The house is fully insulated. The kitchen is fully equipped, with new appliances, new supplies, lovely ceramic dishware, and pantry closet for your groceries. A new Ninja Twisti will provide you with smoothies in the morning and frozen drinks in the evening.
The large, lovely screened porch faces the lake, with elegant wicker couches and reclining armchairs with footrests. You will enjoy drinking your morning coffee while taking in the expansive view of the lake’s scenic beauty, watching your family and friends enjoying the lake during the day, and drinking wine or enjoying food while watching the sunset over the lake, with Blueberry Hill (one of the best local mountains for hiking) in the backdrop. A new, three-burner Weber grill on the nearby patio is there for you to grill on those evenings that you don’t go out seeking fresh Maine seafood.
The short path to the lake is graveled with a gentle slope—this is one of the great advantages of this home, as many houses in the lake regions have steep rocky climbs or long staircases to the water. Older guests can thus comfortably sit near or on the dock and return to the house as frequently as they wish. The water is lovely for swimming, and there are two new LL Bean kayaks for your use. Great Pond Marina rents paddleboards, fishing boats, ski boats, pontoons and more, and there is a private mooring off our dock for your use. The cabin is in on a peaceful, secluded peninsula, but a 10-minute drive or motorboat ride will take you to downtown Belgrade Lakes, where you can pick up groceries, go out for a meal or ice cream, or stroll around the beautiful town.
Belgrade Lakes is a unique place in Maine: the most lovely town in central Maine’s renowned lake region, with classic New England architecture and charm, cute shops, great food and a vibrant tourist scene. There are 7 lakes in the region, with Belgrade Lakes situated on a stunningly beautiful spot tucked between the two largest lakes, Great Pond and Long Pond. Leisurely dine on the edge of an inlet off of Great Pond at the Village Inn (live music on Sun and Wed, outdoors in the summer, and in the Fireside Lounge in the Fall and Spring), known for exquisite hand-crafted cocktails, gourmet cuisine, 12-hour roast duck, and locally grown vegetables. Then head to the ice cream parlor at Day’s store and enjoy eating at a picnic table overlooking Long Pond. In summer, visit the charming Belgrade Lakes Farmer’s Market on Sundays, one of the many farm stalls or farms in the area. If you want a quick but delicious meal, head to the food stand at H J Blakes (mid-June through mid-Sept), known for the region’s best lobster role, lobster stew, fish or ½ pound burger, home-made French fries and fresh baked goods. Summer offers a wide selection of eateries, while the rest of the year offers a smaller set, but more options 20 minutes away in August and Hallowell. Or head to the coast, visiting the famous Reds Eats, shops and galleries in Wiscasset (50 minutes away) Boothbay Harbor or Camden (75 min away), or Acadia National Park (a little over 2 hours away). Belgrade Lakes is 20 minutes from Augusta, 80 minutes from Portland, and under an hour from Freeport, home of the LL Bean flagship store and many popular outlets.
Guest access
Guests have the entire house to themselves, and access to all rooms.
Other things to note:
This is a newly purchased home, first time listed and we are new hosts. We have been frequent guests, so have supplied our new home with what we most value in our stays. If there is anything you need, we will really appreciate your letting us know so that we can try to provide this for you and our future guests—we will do our best to accommodate your request within the same or next day. It means a lot to us to make sure that you are comfortable and happy in our home.
The TV in the living room and bedrooms are internet-enabled TVs, so you can log into your own accounts for streaming.
The home is part of an association, which adheres to “Lake Smart” practices to protect the environment of the Belgrade Lakes region, and the shared septic system has limited capacity. The homes thus do not have washing machines or dishwashers. For guests who stay for a week or more and request it, we will provide laundry service once a week at no charge.
The homeowner's association has a few other rules:
- The septic tank is sensitive so only single-ply toilet paper should be used. We supply this.
-No open fires are allowed because of fire safety concerns.
-'Quiet time' is 10 pm to 8 am.
- Limit of 2 cars overnight.
Please note: The house interior common space is most comfortable for 6 people, although the house sleeps 8.
- There are two large bedrooms on the main floor, one with a king size bed, and one with a queen bed and wide chair that folds out to a single bed.
- In the loft above the living room, there are two full size (double) beds.
(There is a full flight of stairs to the loft, so a small child could instead sleep in the fold out bed downstairs).
- The house is best for up to 4 adults and 4 children. 6 adults is not encouraged because of the interior common space seating and one shower, and because the condo association limits each house to two cars each. However, it’s possible if you can make that work. No more than 6 adults can be accommodated.
-The common space includes both the living room, with a large loveseat, large armchair, cushioned rocking chair, and wide bean bag chair (for 1-2 kids). This space is open to the kitchen, with dining table comfortably seating 6 chairs (but 8 could squeeze).
The large outdoor screened porch facing the lake seats 8 on the sectional couch and two reclining chairs, and up to 6 at the dining table.
-There is one shower (no bath), with great water pressure but small in size. It is accessible from both one bedroom and from the hallway.
-Security cameras are located outside facing main and side doors. Video is only checked if we have been alerted to a problem.
