Summer is the season the cabin was built for. The lake is 200 acres, clean, quiet, and has no public boat launch, which means the boats you see on the water are local people. Out of the cabin we have two paddle boards, a kayak, and a row boat, all included in the stay. The dock is private. The fire pit is set up. The grill works. If you've been picturing the version of summer that involves sweating on a subway platform, this is what we're offering as an alternative.
The lake, what it actually is.
Shehawken Lake is a 200-acre natural lake in northern Wayne County, PA, five minutes from the New York border. No motorboats over 10 horsepower, no public boat launch, no commercial development on the shore. Mostly small private cabins like ours, spaced out enough that you don't see the neighbors from the dock. The water is clean and warm enough for swimming from late June through early September.
The lake holds largemouth bass, pickerel, sunfish, and perch. Catch and release. The row boat from the cabin works well for a sunset paddle around the shore with a fishing rod. A Pennsylvania fishing license is required for anyone 16 and up; the easiest place to buy one is online before the trip.
What's included, for water time.
- Two paddle boards, with paddles and leashes
- One kayak, single-person sit-on-top
- One row boat, three-person, oars included
- Life jackets in adult and child sizes
- The dock itself, with a ladder for getting in and out
- The lake bottom, sandy and rocky in different spots, wadeable around the dock area
You don't need to bring water toys. You might want to bring towels and a small dry bag if you're paddling far out.
The summer schedule, what people actually do.
The honest version of a typical cabin summer day:
Morning: coffee on the dock around 7. The lake is glass-calm in the early morning, before the wind picks up. Paddle out for a quiet half-hour. If anyone's fishing, this is the time.
Late morning: drive into Hancock or Honesdale for groceries, breakfast at Cocoon (in Hawley) or Native (in Honesdale), or just a walk down Main Street wherever you end up. The Hawley page and the Honesdale page have full options.
Afternoon: back to the lake. Swim. Paddle. Read in the shade. Bigger ambition: drive 45 minutes to Lake Wallenpaupack for a rented pontoon and a real boat day. The Lake Wallenpaupack page walks through that.
Evening: grill on the deck. The fire pit gets lit around 9. The night sky here is one of the better dark-sky views within three hours of NYC, with the Milky Way visible most clear nights.
The bigger summer trips, while you're up here.
- Tube the Delaware. Lander's River Trips in Narrowsburg, an hour from the cabin, will rent you tubes, rafts, or kayaks with a shuttle. Half-day trips run all summer.
- Rent a pontoon on Lake Wallenpaupack. See the Hawley page. Book ahead on summer weekends.
- A Bethel Woods concert. The summer 2026 lineup is stacked. The Bethel Woods page has the schedule.
- Promised Land State Park for hiking and a swim beach if you want a state-park day. See that page.
Booking summer weekends, the honest version.
Summer is the peak season for the cabin and weekends from late June through Labor Day book up earliest. July 4 weekend and Labor Day weekend are gone by February most years. The August weekends are the easiest to find from the late spring on. Weekdays in summer are much easier to find than weekends and are a real value if you can swing a Monday-to-Thursday stay.
For the broader context, the Starrucca guide covers the lake's immediate area. The family trips stay page walks through the summer-specific cabin setup.
Where to stay.
If you're reading this and not yet booked, here's the quick pitch: the better stay for couples and small groups is a private cabin on a quiet lake within an hour of here. Three bedrooms, private dock, paddle boards, a kayak, a row boat, and a fire pit. About 3 hours from NYC. 4.86 stars on Airbnb, Guest Favorite. See it on Airbnb, or check availability and ask a question first.
