Cozy summer cottage in the woods of S. Vermont

Entire cottage in Dover, Vermont

  1. 4 guests
  2. 1 bedroom
  3. 4 beds
  4. 1 bath
Hosted by Darva
  1. Superhost
  2. 15 years hosting

Listing highlights

Top 10% of homes

This home is highly ranked based on ratings, reviews, and reliability.

24-hour self check-in

Check yourself in with the keypad whenever you arrive.

Beautiful area

Guests love this home’s scenic location.
-The Ice Pond Camp, East Dover, VT
A small well equipped summer cottage, surrounded by nature & quaint beauty.
Enjoy southern Vermont: relax, disconnect, recharge. Spend your time in nature & Vermont's beauty.
Close to Mt. Snow with its host of warm weather enjoyment, Wilmington (shopping, events & good food), Putney and Brattleboro to name a few. Enjoy scenic villages, farms, brooks, ponds and lakes, walking trails & country scenery.

The space
Read our many reviews and see how previous guests enjoy the back-to-nature, simplicity, privacy and country quiet that the cozy Ice Pond Camp provides. (No WiFi)
Summer arrives beautifully and you’ll find June, July, Aug., Sept and October to be beautiful.

You don't need a four wheel drive, the driveway is located right off a black top road, surrounded by woods with no homes in sight - just nature. The birds singing in the morning and the owls hoot at night.

This rental is a small cottage, a portion of which began it's life in 1930's as a typical New England - "camp". It has kept the original name which can be misleading to people who aren’t used to New England ‘camps’, but the old actual Pond is no longer.

The cottage has a spacious main living room, a small bathroom and an eat in kitchen. The sleeping loft is acessed by stairs, with one comfortable queen and one full sized bed. There is a comfortable covered porch to enjoy.

The Ice Pond Camp is light and cheery in the daytime; at night there is no better place to enjoy the stars, a campfire or quiet night in. Sit on the covered porch if it rains and enjoy the tapping on the metal roof.
No homes around, no streetlights, it is very peaceful!

Tucked just a few minutes from West Dover, home of Mount Snow and the many activities the Mount Snow region and beautiful Deerfield Valley provide. Plenty of shopping, eating and various fun activities in the quaint town of Wilmington, just 10 minutes away and bustling eccentric artsy town of Brattleboro are a 25 minute drive.

While at the Ice Pond Camp you can enjoy hiking the brooks or woods, viewing the birds and beautiful country side. Take a stroll down the road to the town's old time post office, enjoy trails and waterfalls, lakes and state parks. Old farms, maple sugaring businesses and rural beauty abound on meandering dirt roads.

The Ice Pond Camp is exceptionally well equipped with what you'll need for a relaxing stay.

Sleeping:
Loft contains one double and one queen bed. Blankets and pillows are provided.
BUT:
**You WILL NEED to bring your own sheets/pillowcases and towels. **

Bathroom:
Toilet, sink and a small shower. Bring your towels.

Kitchen:
Fully equipped with everything you need - I'll send you an inventory a few weeks before your rental.
Don't pack too much, - just keep it simple and easy!
We have all utensils, wine bottle opener, coffee perc., kuerig, cookware, all dishes & silverware, bowls & mugs, glassware and even sugar, spices, dish soap, paper plates. Refrigerator/ freezer and a cooler for your day trip use.

Outdoor cooking:
If you prefer to cook outdoors over campfire grill or on the propane grill - we have foil, lighters, cast iron cookware, camp fire/grill pie / sandwich presses, s'more marshmallow sticks... Campfire wood is provided, bring kindling or use the kindling which abounds in the woods.

Indoor:
Games/cards, detailed hiking trail maps, local maps, birding books, history of area and plenty of local information. Additional books, kids rainy day activities on bookshelves.

Outside:
Picnic table and lounge chairs, grill and fire pit.
Enjoy an evening campfire, roast marshmallows or make dinner over the fire!

If your soul needs refreshed this is a peaceful location. Birds, spotting of turkey, deer, fox, owls and other interesting wildlife. There is wildlife in the area, please don't leave food outside. This is a cottage in the woods, you may see critters and even a few insects inside too!

The camp is off a country road which at times has summer farm traffic, primarily tractors, trucks, and hay trucks. We are surrounded by woods and hay fields and small farms.
Located in State of Vermont officially designated Wildlife Preserve area.

Make this your home base - there is so much to explore in lovely southern Vermont.

One mile down the road is the East Dover Post office and the WONDERFUL East Dover General Store!

People spend time at the local swimming holes, brooks and lakes.

A few miles away:
West Dover/Mount Snow:
- 10 minutes away, enjoy miles of trails, hiking and biking, summer gondola rides, flower filled meadows, golf, horseback riding, mountain events, restaurants, artist studios, festivals, farm tours and good food!

Wilmington: 15 min. Cute town with a very helpful Chamber Visitor Center for up to date local Deerfield Valley information.

Close by:
- Within 30 minutes, numerous classic New England markets, covered bridges and quaint villages, Lake Whitingham's 28 miles of coastline,Lake Raponda, scenic Newfane, Putney (home of music) , farm markets, auction galleries, shops, hiking trails & waterways.

- The next "large" town, just 17 miles east is Brattleboro VT. Smithsonian Magazine named it one of the 20 Best Small Towns in America! It is a unique ‘must visit’ town filled with great restaurants, coffee shops, music, - quite an eccentric mix of art and food, an very fun town to explore.

The Ice Pond Camp is the perfect place to reconnect with friends and family, relax, read, write, poke around, hike, walk and explore! Staying here always feeds my soul - and yes, it's SO much more fun and cheaper than therapy ;) !

Contact me for any additional details.

AIRBNB doesn't allow posting of websites, so search area activities on the world wide web using these key words:
- SOUTHERN VERMONT also known as the
Deerfield Valley for local summer and autumn events: Community Suppers, music, craft shows, festivals, open studio art exhibits etc.
For autumn visits: search ‘Foliage-vermont’. This site has the most accurate and interesting fall foliage information

____________________________________________
If you choose to be our guest, here are the important things to know:

1. I expect you will leave the camp neat and tidy.
- Sink empty and clean, dishes put away, surfaces
wiped down, floor swept.
- Bed coverlets pulled up neatly.
- All tash taken out to trash/recycling cans in shed.

2. Animal guests: One well behaved dog may also
enjoy the Ice Pond Camp.
- Do not leave your pet unattended at the camp,
unless crated.
- Please bring a dog bed or blanket for your pet &
keep dog hair contained as much as possible
please!
3. This is a NO smoking property!
4. I will ask for your email address and phone number. A few weeks prior to your arrival I will send you an email with exact directions, key code and details for you to enjoy a GREAT stay.

Guest access
You have acess to the entire cottage.
You will note there are a few cupboards marked "Personal - Owners", thank you for being respectful of these supplies.

I have good cell reception, we regularly stream movies and podcasts from our devices.
No WiFi. For Wifi - The Dover Town Library just 2 miles up the hill (Dover Road, Dover Town Commons) has WiFi as do many coffee shops and businesses in West Dover, Wilmington and surrounding areas.

Other things to note
Upon reserving the camp:

* I will ask for your cell number and email address. In advance of your stay will email you a doc. with key code, exact directions and helpful information for your stay.

-- Remember to bring:
* Your bedding and towels. Sheets and pillowcases are not provided!
* A roll of paper towels, your kitchen towels.
* Bug spray
* And please remember to leave camp neat and tidy.

Registration Details
HPG 142730

Where you’ll sleep

What this place offers

Kitchen
Free parking on premises
Pets allowed
Private patio or balcony
Private backyard

Select check-in date

Add your travel dates for exact pricing

Rated 4.95 out of 5 from 254 reviews.

Guest favorite
This home is in the top 10% of eligible listings based on ratings, reviews, and reliability
Guest reviews mention

Where you’ll be

Dover, Vermont, United States
This listing's location is verified.

Neighborhood highlights

The Ice Pond Camp is located in rural farm area, among the rolling hills and lovely southern Vermont. The driveway is just off of a blacktop country road, road usage does increase during farming/ hay season when farm tractors and pickup trucks "make hay while the sun shines".

Being rural the area does experience a rare power outage since the electric lines go through the woods, this doesn't happen often and has always been very short. Contact me and be patient if this happens, we have back up options in place. No refunds are given to guests for power outages.

There are no shops in East Dover, just the small local post office one mile down the road.

The neighboring town of West Dover, home of Mt. Snow is just one hill (10 minutes) away and yet a whole world away. In West Dover you'll find the shops, groceries, gas stations, a small movie theater, walking trails, coffee shops, restaurants, festivals and entertainment.

The next town, Wilmington VT also has everything you'll need if you choose to leave the Ice Pond Camp - lakes, shops, food, trails...

Meet your host

Superhost
336 reviews
4.95 out of 5 average rating
15 years of hosting
My work: Retired from hospice
I spend too much time: Reading
I'm a bit of a vagabond at heart...and I just love traveling! The love began when growing up in Europe and traveling all about as a kid. I didn’t comprehend the word ‘permanent’. Now I rarely leave home without my passport, - just maybe an opportunity could present itself, and I'll be prepared! My husband and my dearest friends love the hustle and bustle of busy cities and the exact opposite: living life in the sleepiest of unique, unexplored villages. Traveling in the middle east, the UAE and Oman have been my most fascinating stays. The rocky countrysides, miles of sandy deserts, stark simplicity and then just around the corner the grandeur, scents and tastes all captivate me beyond words. In the US my favorite spot of all is my Ice Pond Camp in East Dover, VT - enjoying a simple life. It began completely off grid as a 12x12 camping shanty, but in the past 39 years has grown and gained amenities that I couldn’t even begin to hope for in my early years. It is my joy and blessing and I couldn't be more thankful for the Ice Pond Camp. It's a juxtaposition from my everyday life, and perfectly feeds my soul. One of my favorite words in the English language is: "yet". As in: I haven't lived there "yet"- , or I haven't seen, experienced, eaten, visited, smelled, touched or been there "yet"- . My bucket list is long and full, and to some it may be a little unique, I just haven't lived all there is to live, -YET! My husband, family, friends and I travel often using airbnb home stays whenever possible. We especially enjoy Austria & Switzerland. My husband and I celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary this year, have 2 adult daughters and a son-in-love who live a few hours away. Cats - Maple and Tacoa and our own house guests keep the house lively even while we are off traveling around. Staying with Airbnb hosts has provided a wonderful, interesting and cost effective travel - we've stayed in homes in Austria, Germany, the UK, Ireland, Puerto Rico, Belize, Panama, Roatan, Nicaragua, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg … and so many places in the US. Each and every stay has been a very wonderful experience! I thoroughly enjoy hosting people as well and have been blessed by so many truly awesome guests. Please read our reviews and you’ll see the top notch experiences both we as hosts and our guests have! God has given us a fun and exciting life, we are thankful to be right in the middle of purposefully enjoying and living it! We look forward to meeting you!

Darva is a Superhost

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Host details

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Things to know

Cancellation policy
House rules
Check-in after 4:00 PM
Checkout before 11:00 AM
4 guests maximum
Safety & property
Heights without rails or protection
May encounter potentially dangerous animal
Carbon monoxide alarm