Rental of the Week: Emerald Forest Bungalows in Ellenville

  |  April 17, 2012

 

White Pine Villa chalet

The folks at Emerald Forest Bungalows (AKA Jake’s Place) are quick to point out comparisons between their Ellenville (Ulster County) vacation rentals and the movie Dirty Dancing. In fact, their website calls Emerald Forest a cross between “Walden Pond and Dirty Dancing“. They continue: “Our grandparents remember spending summers at Catskill resorts, singing in variety shows, telling corny borscht belt jokes.  That era is behind us, though Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey won’t let us put that memory in the corner, Baby.”

Well, that certainly grabbed our attention.

Emerald Forest is located on a rural stretch of County Route 52 in Ellenville, about four and a half miles north of the village of Ellenville. It’s in bucolic, pine-tree-filled surroundings, hence the Dirty Dancing comparisons, 2 hours from NYC and close to Sam’s Point Preserve and Minnewaska State Park, which are both gorgeous places to hike around.

There are a couple of accommodation options at Emerald Forest. Higher-end chalet style lodgings are available (like the one in the picture above), and seasonal, more rustic cottages are available, as well. The cottages are less expensive.

Rustic cottage

Emerald Forest Bungalows prides itself on being a green establishment and employ a number of environmentally sustainable upkeep and operating measures, like composting and recycling, using natural insect control, utilizing green cleaning products, and supporting local farms. Emerald Forest procures locally sourced food for guests, who can order online and it delivered to their cottages. Emerald Forest also has its own home-grown honey.

You can rent a seasonal cottage for $600/week, or one of the fancier chalets for $1500/week. All guests get 2 free day passes to Mohonk Preserve. Mid-week booking discounts are available.

Check out the website and the GMAP.

About Kandy Harris

Kandy is a writer and musician/music teacher living in Saugerties, NY.

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