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Lakeside Cottage 2 bedrooms/full bath & kitchen/Great Swimming!

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Beach
Private kitchen
Cozy living room sleeps 2 extra people.
2 twins will be made into a king upon request.
Property grounds

Reviews

9.8 out of 10
Exceptional
2 bedrooms1 bathroomSleeps 655.7 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Dryer
  • Fireplace
  • Washer
  • Kitchen
  • Parking available
  • Pet-friendly

Explore the area

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Gilmanton IW, NH

Rooms & beds

2 bedrooms (sleeps 6)

Bedroom 1

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 2

2 Single Beds

Living Room 1

1 Double Futon

1 bathroom

Bathroom

Soap · Bathtub or shower · Bathtub · Shampoo

Spaces

Deck or patio
Porch or lanai
Kitchen
Outdoor play area
Garden
Dining area

About this property

Lakeside Cottage 2 bedrooms/full bath & kitchen/Great Swimming!

The Villa is a cozy cottage nestled in the trees. It features 2 bedrooms (one with Queen, one with two twins which can be made into a King) and a futon in the living room for 2 more. Walk about 100 feet to an extremely clean lake and 200' of naturally sandy beach in the heart of the New Hampshire Lakes Region.

The property has a gorgeous view of the Belknap Mountain range and the best beach on the lake! There are lots of activities including swimming from our three piers and swimming raft, fishing and boating. We have a paddleboat, rowboats, kayaks and canoes for your use and we even have a kayak for the kids!

Crystal Acres provides easy access to everything you need. For Laconia Bike Week fans, we’re right between Weir’s Beach and the Loudon Speedway. For sightseers, all the attractions in the White Mountains are at your fingertips. Funspot, the largest arcade in the country, is 30 minutes away. Tangier Outlets are only 25 minutes down the road. Our favorite thing to do at Crystal Acres just float in a tube and relax.

As your hosts, Darcy, Kristi, Sue or Art are always on site. Just ask us for whatever you need!

Property manager

Sue Cloutman

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Amenities

Kitchen
Washing machine
Dryer
Pet-friendly
Outdoor space
Parking available

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House Rules

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

Children allowed: ages 0–17
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Events

No events allowed
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Pets

Pets allowed: limit 1 total
Dogs considered. No cats.
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Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

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

We should mention

A car is required for transport to and from this property

About the area

Gilmanton IW

Located in Gilmanton IW, this cottage is in a rural area and on the beach. Canterbury Shaker Village and Clark House Museum are local landmarks, and some of the area's attractions include Hampshire Pewter Co. and Stand Up Paddleboard NH. Looking to enjoy an event or a game while in town? See what's happening at New Hampshire International Speedway or New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Discover the area's water adventures with fishing and swimming nearby, or enjoy the great outdoors with hiking/biking trails and mountain climbing.
Map
Gilmanton IW, NH

Getting around

  • Tilton Station - 28 min drive
  • Laconia, NH (LCI-Laconia Municipal) - 28 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪McDonald's - ‬17 min drive
  • ‪Shibley's At The Pier - ‬18 min drive
  • ‪Jack's Pizza - ‬16 min drive
  • ‪Alton Village Pizza - ‬15 min drive
  • ‪Shibley's Soft & Hard Ice Cream - ‬17 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is Lakeside Cottage 2 bedrooms/full bath & kitchen/Great Swimming! pet-friendly?

Yes, this property allows pets (limit 1 total).

What time is check-in at Lakeside Cottage 2 bedrooms/full bath & kitchen/Great Swimming!?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Lakeside Cottage 2 bedrooms/full bath & kitchen/Great Swimming!?

Checkout is at 10:00 AM.

Where is Lakeside Cottage 2 bedrooms/full bath & kitchen/Great Swimming! located?

Nestled on the beach, this Gilmanton IW cottage is within 1 mi (2 km) of Crystal Lake Park and Suncook River. Sunset Lake and Gilmanton Iron Works Library are also within 3 miles (5 km).

Reviews

9.8

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 15 out of 16 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 0 out of 16 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 1 out of 16 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 16 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 16 reviews

9.6/10

Cleanliness

9.6/10

Check-in

9.6/10

Communication

10/10

Location

9.2/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Dave S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

overall great-we will be back

We had a great time even with a few bumps. No where in the VRBO description does it clearly state that NO sheets or towels are included. A surprise first for us. We ended up having to rent sheets and towels and were not pleased with the additional cost. Please clarify your website.The other issue we encountered was that the owners have a pit bull that Darcy advised us was not friendly with children or small dogs. The dog is staked out where it commands 1/2 of the beach and you have to get past the dog to get to the boats that are included. Having a pit bull on "high alert" watching our granddaughter and our small dog was not the most relaxing thing. When we asked to have the dog moved, the owners complied nicely, but in a family situation like Crystal Lake, we should not have had this concern. Other than these bumps, we loved the place and we will plan to return next summer.
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2025
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Really nice location

We really enjoyed everything about this stay. The owners were very helpful with anything we needed. The location was so peaceful and stress free. The lake is beautiful and having access to everything(paddle boats, canoes..) you need to have fun on the lake was a great bonus. We had no problems with the villa we stayed in and the enclosed porch was very nice also. We would recommend this place.
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Hendrik L.

Wonderful place for a relaxing and fun family vacation

We loved our vacation at Crystal Acres! We found the cottage to be exactly as described. It was comfortable and very well equipped and maintained. All five of us, and our dog, had a great time. It was just steps from the cottage to a beautiful sandy beach. We had lots of fun swimming and kayaking, relaxing in the sun, and also just taking in the amazingly beautiful views of Crystal Lake. Sue and Art were very friendly and helpful. We just came back home, but are already looking forward to returning to Crystal Acres!
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Phyllis R., Takoma Park, MD USA

Great vacation spot for all ages

My family has stayed at Crystal Acres every summer for years and years. The beachfront is perfect for young kids--shallow, sandy water--and for older kids--a raft, and a variety of fun boats. We love the shuffle board too. The cabins are great with lovely porches. We've spent many a night playing cards and telling stories. Crystal Acres is close enough for day trips to local water parks or day hikes or movies, but mostly we love to stay on site and relax. Sue and Art are friendly and welcoming. Truly a lovely vacation spot.
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Chris F.

Ideal family vacation in an absolutely idyllic setting

Our family had the most wonderful week staying in the "Villa" at Crystal Acres. The cottage itself was so cozy - the bathtub, laundry and TV with Netflix were a huge bonus for a family with three small children! The kids loved running around the property with Sue's (the owner's) grandchildren, jumping off of the piers, playing shuffleboard, digging moats in the sand with the large collection of sand toys, making s'mores in the fire pit, and touring the beautiful lake in the canoes, paddle boat, kayaks, various inflatable floats, and especially the kids kayak! Sue and her family were absolutely lovely, and we loved hearing about the history of the lake and the property - what a special place!! We felt like the cottage was just the right mix of being in a secluded, quiet location, while being within driving distance of civilization for grocery stores and little trips out to dinner or ice cream around the bigger lakes (we went to Weirs Beach, Wolfboro, to the Speedway in Loudon, and for a hike up Mount Major). Sue and her family have a wealth of knowledge and great recommendations for tucked away spots to check out around the area too. We can't wait for our stay on Crystal Lake next summer!
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2017
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

6/10 Okay

Barbara C.

Beautiful beach, kid friendly,family vacation spot

We use home away quite often and we rely on the reviews before renting a property. When I write a review I try to be very honest so there are no surprises. First of all the lake is beautiful, the best beach on the lake! Sue & Art are kind enough to allow use of all the kayaks, boats, floats ect. which we took advantage of. The cottage was clean, and well stocked for cooking. The cottages are as described and have a very authentic feel to them. There are tons of nearby activities, other lakes, places to eat ect. close by. Sue & Art are very nice, and right there to help should you require anything. That being said you should understand this is for families with kids . The owners are very close to the cottages which gives no sense of privacy.You REALLY need to be quiet after 10pm. 90%of the time it was just my husband & I. We did have friends up (4 people) all 40 yrs and older a couple of times. We were playing cards on the back porch laughing and talking , not "whooping" it up and were all in bed by 11pm on a Friday night. The next day we were told we had to keep it down because voices carry in the woods. We were very put off by this since we are very respectful of other people and were not playing music or being loud and obnoxious. After that we felt like we had to be very quiet and worry that we were disturbing others. There are NO locks on the doors. I inquired about this and Sue said "nothing has ever happened". We were not comfortable with this as no-one can keep an eye on things at all times , especially at night. We also locked our computers ect in the car when we left the cottage and feel that locks are a must in today's society unfortunately. We understand the owners want to keep the old fashioned feel of the place, but we felt this needed mentioning. An under the sink water filter is a must. The odor of the water is really terrible. We honestly were disgusted by the smell. We know it's safe to drink , but you surely wouldn't want to! Spiders! If you have a phobia you will have an issue big time! Giant spiders are outside the screens at night. One of our friends was completely freaked out. A regular perimeter cleaning and bug spraying needs to be done on a regular basis. Overall I would recommend this HIGHLY to families with children for the reasons stated. Had other renters mentioned the issues we had, I would have looked for something more private.

10/10 Excellent

Deborah and Greg R.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Nice location

The cottage was spotlessly clean and just as described. The entire property is well-maintained and probably the best location and beach on the lake. The beach is sandy, clean, serene, has three little docks, and is shared with guests from the other cottages, so be prepared to socialize. Dogs are welcome and must be on leash at all times. We had to leave after two nights due to a medical situation so weren't able to enjoy the property as planned, so didn't swim.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2021

10/10 Excellent

Cathy M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wonderful stay

We had a wonderful time staying in the Villa. It was clean and comfortable. The lake was clean and warm and the provided kayaks gave us plenty to do. Thank you!
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2020

10/10 Excellent

Allannah G.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Cozy Hospitality

This was a wonderful getaway that felt safe for our family during Covid. We chose this location to have access to the White Mountains with a lake front place to relax after hikes and on non-hiking days. It ended up that we weren’t able to hike as much as planned, so we were so glad to have such a wonderful lakefront place to be. Crystal Lake is clean and deep, perfect for long swims or playing at the dock and raft. They provide kayaks and canoes along with plenty of life jackets in many sizes. This was a perfect place for our dogs, as they were welcome on the beach with us and there were many other dogs. Darcy and Dave helped is right away to tell us the personalities of different dogs so that we were all able to manage peaceful intermingling. One consideration is that the cabins are close and no sound proofed so if you have dogs that bar at every little thing, you’ll have to manage that. We do so we kept them with us, but we know that about our guys. The cabin was clean and very well equipped. It had a washer and drier in the bathroom, and plenty of cleaning products and paper goods. The owners were extremely hospitable, all greeting us and going above and beyond to make us feel comfortable. Art is a great source of knowledge about hiking. We considered an indoor fire one night due to rain before we realized it would get too hot and Dave chopped kindling for us and brought it to our door. We had a lovely evening with everyone around a fire with cocktails and s’mores. You are sharing this property with a couple of other guests and Sue and Art’s family, but they are lovely people who go out of their way to take care of their guests and allow them their own space too.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2020

10/10 Excellent

Matthew B., Seaford, New York

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

A Great Outdoors Family Vacation

My wife and our two boys, aged 2 and 4 were looking for a place close to a lake, but far enough away that our boys couldn’t simply run into the water. We didn’t want to be on top of a steep rock wall to get to the lake either. We wanted a place we could bring our family dog. We wanted a place that we could enjoy a good old fashioned family vacation. This place checked all the boxes. We had been to Winnipesaukee before and loved all it had to offer, but had found it hard to find a house to rent that offered all of the things we wanted while being in our price range. Not to mention that we wanted to have a nice beach on a lake. The beach at Crystal Acres is perfect for the children to play, the dog to enjoy and for my wife and I to go and sit in one of the Adirondack chairs and watch the kids in the refreshing lake against the most beautiful backdrop of the Belknap mountains. Both the Cloutman’s and other guests are respectful of others while being warm and appreciative that you chose their place to stay. They provide paddle boats, row boats, and life vests amongst other things for you to enjoy the lake. We don’t get as much time with our kids as we would like and I was so grateful to have taken my older one for a row boat ride onto the lake. It was the definition of family and/of father son bonding. There are 2-3 cabins/homes on the property so you will most likely see others on the property throughout the week. Everyone is very friendly while also being polite and respectful that everyone else is there for the same reason...their own vacation. We were lucky enough to have been there when the Cloutman’s had there daughter, son in law and 2 grandchildren there. They couldn’t have been a more accommodating family. Our children played together and we enjoyed their company, but they were also so attentive to letting us enjoy our family time. From the property we made regular trips to Alton bay, weirs beach, Harts, and to Storyland, and felt as if we were both in a secluded beachfront lake spot in a beautiful clean refreshing lake while being minutes away from all that Winnipesaukee offered. Our family is so grateful to have found this property and these hosts to have enjoyed our summer vacations the past 2 years. Time seems to slow down when you’re there. For a family that’s always on the move and doesn’t get to enjoy our own time together much, Crystal Acres gives us exactly what we need.
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Katya N.

A perfect family vacation spot!

We had a wonderful vacation at Crystal Acres this summer! We have 2 kids (under a year and 4 yo) and it was just a perfect spot to bring them to. The villa is just steps away from the lake, without the need to cross the street which was great for our daughter, we felt very safe. There are tons of sand toys and floaties on the beach which was a cherry on top! The beach is very kid friendly: shallow entrance, docks, clean sand, clean water. There are kayaks, a canoe, a pedal boat - everything you might want on a lake (life jackets are also provided)! We had a few nice walks (very stroller friendly) around the lake. The villa itself is very cozy, we loved the fireplace and the porch especially! We had a few rainy days, and we used them to explore the area around (the Weirs beach with the arcades was quite fun and Tilton was a good shopping experience). Sue, Art and their entire family were so welcoming and such nice people, it was really great having them closely! We can't wait to come back! Thank you so much for the wonderful week!
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Mary A.

Perfect lake vacation!

We just spent a wonderful week with family and friends at Crystal Acres. The atmosphere is homey and totally relaxing, and the beautiful sand beach and truly crystal water are just steps from the cabins. We stayed in the Villa which is well-equipped, clean and just as described. There was ample space for four adults and two small children. The kind hosts are on site and available and responsive to any need. Besides swimming, we enjoyed biking and running in the area, with a few outings for mini-golf and to the nearby Shaker Village. On top of all that, the loon calls in the evening - we hope to return and would certainly recommend this special place.
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

cora z.

Beautiful Sandy Beach!!

We stayed in the Villa at Crystal Acres from 6/28-7/5. What a place!! One of the most relaxing vacations we've had. Crystal Acres is set on the most beautiful stretch of sandy beach, with a gradual entry. This was perfect for me and my two young girls, ages 4 & 6. The water was clean and clear. There were plenty of toys for the girls on the beach, along with a kayaks and canoes for adults. The owners, Sue and Art, along with their family were wonderful. Kind, attentive to our needs, and great people to chat with. My girls really loved playing with their grandchildren on the beach! The cottage had everything we needed for the week. It was basic, but clean. The kitchen was well-stocked. I especially loved the washer and dryer in this unit. We will definitely be returning next year!
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

David L., Manchester, CT

Rustic Charm

All the lakeside fun of an iconic New England "camp" or cottage. Owners Sue and Art nearby to immediately attend to any need. We two and our daughter and husband and 2 children found the accommodations, beach & boats, and points of interest delightful. A good time had by all.
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Great Bike week

Our first stay at Crystal Acres. Four friends enjoying drinks, barbecues, campfires, singing and great times on Bike Week 2011. The rides to Weirs Beach were beautiful, the weather was perfect. What wonderful memories we are taking home. Sue and Art, thanks for putting up with our music and loud pipes. You have a wonderful spot here. Thanks so much. We hope to come back again. Tina Nova Scotia
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Absolutely Fantastic

We just spent the most fantastic family vacation at Crystal Acres. We have 2 children, Patrick 9 1/2 and Ainsley 4 3/4, and everything about staying at Crystal Lake was absolutely as described . The lake is so beautiful and clear. The beach front is spectacular- the sand is perfect and the gentle slope is perfect for all ages. Playing on the docks was so much fun. Art and Sue are so very freindly and helpful. The hiking in the area is great and you're just close enough to pop over to Alton Bay and Weirs Beach (both on Weinipisaukee) for that summer vacation stuff- Mini golf, creamies, penny arcades, boat rentals ect.) We are already looking forward to next summer.

About the host

Hosted by Sue Cloutman

Host profile image
Our family has owned this property since 1898! For generations we have loved summering here, and we love introducing it to new people and seeing old friends return year after year. There are 5 homes at Crystal Acres: 3 are for our guests each summer, 1 is shared by Darcy and Kristi and their respective families, and 1 is a year-round house for Sue and Art. We proudly say that we have the best beach on the lake, with 200 linear feet of natural sand and an impressive mountain view.

Why they chose this property

This is a very unique spot with lots of history and of stories which, given a chance, Art will tell you in great detail! It is quiet and serene, with a view of the Belknap Mountain Range. The lake is exceptionally clean and clear, with a gradual drop-off that is great for kids. It's rewarding to see parents who came here as children now returning with their children and even their grandchildren!

What makes this property unique

Parents often tell us it's the most relaxing vacation they've ever had because there is so much for the kids to do without having to leave. There's a shuffleboard court, yard games (you can bring your own or borrow ours) and the beach which provides hours of fun. Families and fishermen all love the row boat, canoes, paddleboat, and kayaks. We provide life preservers. In the evening you can watch the sunset or bring your fishing rod and fish off the dock. When the stars come out make s'mores by a fire.
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