Nature is not a place to visit. It is home

The maximum occupancy for our rental is 8 adult guests and up to 2 small children.

Although the Dorset Pond House looks like it might be from the eighteen hundreds complete with a real slate roof, beautiful  wide plank flooring, and many other historic features it was actually built in the 1990s. In fact, it has "floor heating", a built-in vacuum system and AC units in 4 of the 5 bedrooms.

We have a French press, a 12 cup brew coffee machine and an electric hot water kettle.

Our rental includes a fully equipped kitchen, linens and towels, Wi-Fi, and cable TV, as well as a laundry room with iron, ironing board, laundry supplies, a selection of spices, a library with books for all ages, some board games and much, much more.

This requires a longer answer. Regrettably climate change has arrived in Vermont and during the summer we do sometimes need to cool our homes. We have installed AC (Mitsubishi) units in the four large bedroom suites but not in the smaller bedroom with 2 twin beds. For that bedroom we have a fan and recommend opening the window at night. Most homes in Vermont do not have AC because traditionally we didn't need anything other than closing up the house during the day and opening the windows at night. That's still the best way of doing it. 

Our home has floor heating (oil heat) and also Mitsubishi heat-pumps in the largest 4 of the 5 bedrooms. For ambiance, during the cold season, you are welcome to build a fire in the family room. You must read the instructions and check with us for clarification if you have never used a fireplace before. No "roaring fires", any fire must be attended at all times. Note, the fireplace in the formal living room may not be used at this time as the chimney needs some work.

The pond is public and anyone may use it to swim, fish, and kayak/ canoe.  We just ask that you please not use the neighbor's floating platform. The entrance to the pond is off the sides of the driveway but it's not suitable for small children. 

Yes, our property also borders on the Battenkill River. If you're interested in exploring that part of the property we can give you directions.  There is a rustic walking path from the house to the river.

The easiest way to figure out travel time is to enter the address into a GPS or Google Maps. 99.99% of the time there will not be any traffic except for leaf peeping season and around the holidays.

Only pre-approved dogs are allowed. Please message us with info about your dog so we can approve them. No puppies or high-shedding dogs.  Pets must be supervised at all times when they're outside and must either be crated when you leave the property or accompany you. Pets are not allowed on any beds, or furniture.  There's a $80 pet fee per stay. For our complete pet policy please contact us.

Since we love to travel ourselves and may not be in Dorset during your stay our fantastic property managers Chris and Amy (also residents of Dorset) will take care of you in our absence. You will receive the contact information with our guestbook.

You may arrive anytime after 4 pm on the day of arrival. We have a keypad (keyless access) to our house, requiring an access code which you will receive prior to your check-in.

We provide cable and high-speed wifi by Xfinity, strong enough to stream movies and for multiple people to work remotely. 

We accept credit cards (3% surcharge with MasterCard, Visa, Discover) through Stripe plus Venmo, Paypal, Zelle, and check. Please contact us for details.

Cancellations before 60 days of arrival will receive a refund of amounts paid, there is no cancellation fee. Cancellations within and including 60 days before arrival, late arrival, or early departure receive no refund. We highly encourage you to purchase trip insurance to cover your stay in case you need to cancel within the 60 days or depart early. 

Our house is located in beautiful Dorset (East Dorset), at 331 Benedict Road, Southern Vermont. Please see our "Contact & Location" page for a map.

Yes, we have a pack-n-play, 2 high chairs, a baby bathtub, and a small selection of baby blankets. Please let us know if you'll be traveling with a baby/ toddler. We would love to get the items ready for you.

There is a great grocery store nearby, approximately 10 minutes away: 

• Shaw's 64 Equinox Terrace, Manchester Center, VT 05255, phone: 802-362-4447

They provide delivery services through Instacart

Yes, indeed! Right in the front yard, overlooking Deming Pond and the mountains. Very fun for s'mores!

Yes, we provide a propane BBQ grill during several months of the year (approx. May- October). If you run out of propane you can get a refill at the Citco gas station in East Dorset, about 1 minute from our house.

Our house is stocked with a starter set of paper towels, toilet paper, dish soap, hand soap, dishwasher tablets, dish sponges, kitchen towels, trash bags, as well as spices and other things!  If you run out of these supplies you will need to buy more.

For the security and safety of our property and guests, we have security cameras on the exterior of our home.

There is absolutely NO SMOKING allowed in our house.  We would also prefer that you not smoke outside for a variety of reasons. If you do smoke outside, please dispose of your cigarette butts properly in the trash.

The primary renter must be at least 28 YEARS OLD to rent this home and must stay with the group during the entire rental period.

Once you've completed your booking we will provide you with an online guest book that has many more great tidbits of information about our house and the area, including suggestions of things to do for all ages.