The Bear Stand: award-winning lakeside cabin on 99 acres w/private hiking trails, softub+sauna, wifi

Our 3,400 sq ft four-season, four-bedroom, three-bathroom cabin sleeps 10 (adults and kids).

Primary Renter age 30 years+. Family groups of all ages are welcome. For adult-only groups (up to 10 people) minimum age is 30 years.

BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS! We are excited to announce our award-winning property is featured in three beautiful coffee table books. 'Living on Vacation: Contemporary Houses for Tranquil Living' (2020) published by Phaidon; 'Homes For Our Time: Contemporary Houses around the World' (2019) by Philip Jodidio, published by Taschen; and 'Nature View: Perfect Holiday Homes' (2019) published by Lannoo.

Location:
The Bear Stand enjoys 99 very private acres on picturesque Contau Lake near the town of Gooderham in the Haliburton Highlands, 2.5 hrs northeast of Toronto. Our secluded 99-acre waterfront plot is located in its own bay, with 1,300 feet of secluded shoreline and over 5 kms of private groomed hiking trails and boardwalks, perfect for hiking in summer and snowshoeing in winter. The property is accessed by a 500-metre private road (accessible summer and winter) and bordered by crown land so enjoys high levels of privacy. It is equidistant from Algonquin Park, the Queen Elizabeth Wildlands, and Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park. Haliburton Forest and Wildlife Centre is a 40-minute drive away.

The Best of Nature:
The Bear Stand is the perfect place to enjoy the change of seasons for which Canada is so famous. In Summer, the natural shoreline and adjacent protected marshland offer excellent canoeing and kayaking scenery; take a dip in the lake (the sandy beach is great for kids), jump off the famous Contau Rocks (opposite) into deep clear water or simply sunbathe on the dock. Hike our Contau Trails (it's like having your own private wilderness experience), enjoy outdoor entertaining and toast s'mores at night over the firepit. When temperatures cool, take in the picturesque Fall foliage colours around Contau Lake and in the Haliburton area, embark on local art tours and stoke roaring log fires at night. In Winter, try your hand at snowshoeing, skiing, cross country skiing, toboganning, dogsledding and snowmobiling on the property and in the Haliburton area, or simply curl up with a good book in the den and watch the snow fall outside. WE promise you will feel at home in the heart of nature at The Bear Stand.

Inside:
The sunken two-storey open concept great room offers wraparound floor-to-ceiling windows, wood burning fireplace, large granite chimney, skylight, minibar, high end sound system and reading nook. Foodies will love the glass-enclosed cantilevered lakeview dining room (seats 8), professional open kitchen with gourmet appliances and reclaimed wood breakfast bar (seats 4). The outside living spaces have been carefully designed for maximum enjoyment, with a spacious outdoor terrace with dining table and patio furniture, inbuilt Wolf BBQ and warming drawer plus large furnished screened room with wood burning hearth, inbuilt radiant heaters. dartboard and drinks fridge.

Outside:
There are two campfire areas (forest and lakeside), a lakeside soft tub, 2 canoes, kayak and canoe dock. The grounds are beautifully landscaped to maximize the pristine forest setting and include a private children's jungle gym, shallow natural beach area, swim raft and lakeside walking path. For nature lovers, we offer an incredible network of private hiking trails, 2.5km of professionally groomed and sign-posted walkways, marsh boardwalks, scenic overlooks and nature viewing platforms. The Trails at Contau connect to two other lakes (one on our property) and link to a further 3.4 km of adjacent crown land trails. Perfect for hiking, wildlife spotting, dog walking and snowshoeing.

Bedrooms and Bathrooms:
4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms: 1 upper floor master bedroom suite with king bed, granite chimney, gas fireplace and skylight plus large ensuite bathroom with built-in wardrobes, twin vanities, freestanding lakeview tub, rainshower, screened-in private outdoor soaking tub, and adjacent sitting terrace; 1 large upper guest bedroom with king bed and inbuilt wardrobe, adjacent sharing bathroom with twin vanities and combination tub/rainshower; 1 lower guest bedroom with king bed, inbuilt wardrobe and adjacent bathroom with rainshower; quad children's upper bunkroom offering 4 x full size twin beds (so good for adults too), window-mounted desk and inbuilt shelving and storage. Upper den with large screen TV, surround sound, minibar, leather queen pull-out sofa (sleeps 2) and outdoor lakeview terrace. All bedroom placements have been designed to offer complete privacy for guests, making The Bear Stand ideal for rental by multiple families. Maximum occupancy 10: adults and children. High chair also available.

Amenities:
Indoors: Kitchen features professional Monogram GE appliances, stainless steel double oven and gas stovetop, refrigerator/freezer with pull out drawers, microwave, wine & beverage fridges, dishwasher, professional coffee machine, filter coffee machine, Nespresso machine, Cusininart/KitchenAid waffle maker, blender, toaster, kettle plus built-in pantry. Free Starlink wifi; surround sound speaker system, ipod/iphone recharge/docking station.

Laundry:
High capacity laundry facilities (high end LG washer and dryer), plus mudroom with boot bench, coat cubby and utility sink

Outdoors: Lakeview hot tub, forest view screened in outdoor soaking tub, cedar sauna, outdoor shower, gas BBQ, patio furniture, canoe dock, 2 campfire sites (lakeside and forestside), 2 adult canoes, 1 three-person kayak, 1 paddleboard, children's jungle gym swing set, private professionally groomed and signposted trail network (for hiking, dog walking or winter snowshoeing).