Cabin

Sweet Retreat: Theater, Pool/Ping-Pong, Quiet!

Photo gallery for Sweet Retreat: Theater, Pool/Ping-Pong, Quiet!

Spring-Summer & Fall Swimming & Fishing
Living area
Audience view of 8 foot wide screen streaming Netflix movies.
Ping pong top for pool table
Miscellaneous

Reviews

9.6 out of 10
Exceptional
2 bedrooms2+ bathroomsSleeps 64900 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Parking available
  • Dryer
  • Washer
  • Pet-friendly
  • Fireplace
  • Kitchen

Explore the area

Map
Camp Connell, CA
  • Calaveras Big Trees State Park
    ‪6 min drive‬
  • Arnold Rim Trail
    ‪11 min drive‬
  • Sequoia Woods Country Club and Golf Course
    ‪14 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

2 bedrooms (sleeps 6)

Bedroom 1

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 2

1 Queen Bed and 2 Single Bunk Beds

2 bathrooms, 2 half bathrooms

Bathroom 1

Bathroom 2

Bathroom 3

Bathroom 4

Spaces

Kitchen
Balcony
Garden

About this property

Sweet Retreat: Theater, Pool/Ping-Pong, Quiet!

Family- and dog-friendly "Sweet Retreat" at 5000 feet on 1.3 acres with plush movie theater, pool & ping pong table. 8 minutes to the Stanislaus River (swimming holes!) and Big Trees Park. Summer: Bocce, Pickle Ball, and Frisbee/Disc Golf course are -a 2 minute walk through the 1 acre back yard. Remote feel yet minutes to groceries and restaurants. Summer pool privileges included until Labor Day.

Near Arnold, In between Murphys and Bear Valley.

Inside: This cabin in Big Trees Village includes a theater with an 8' wide screen with surround sound and plush seating, a pool & ping pong table, and fast wireless throughout. The theater also has a built in microwave and small refrigerator. Bring popcorn and drinks! Movie watching fun!

Bedroom 1 has a queen bed, guest armoire, and streaming movies. The 2nd bedroom has one queen bed and bunk beds, sleeping 4. A pull out queen sleeper sofa is also available in the living room. Sleeps 6 in beds assuming 2 sleepers in each queen, and one each in bunk beds. The sleeper sofa accommodates an additional 2.

AMENITIES:
Bocce, basketball, picnic grounds, and a kiddie-play area are a two minute walk through the trees to the Big Trees Recreation Center. Kiddie and Olympic swimming pools only in summer (Until labor Day)

Soap, shampoo, towels, hair dryer, and bedding, are supplied. Also on hand: BBQ grill (bring your coals), drip coffee maker (bring grounds), pots, pans, utensils, spices, and a variety of flavored teas.

8 minutes to the Stanislaus River Sourgrass Recreation area and whitewater rafting. 9 minutes to jaw-dropping huge trees at Big Trees State Park. Murphy's wine tasting and many lakes are 30 minute drives.

PARKING:
Cars lacking 4-, or all-wheel drive should park at the top of the driveway year round, as should all vehicles during winter months.

FAMILIES:
Kids adore the theater. More than one young child has asked their parents during their stay if the family could live at the Sweet Retreat full time. :-)

Sitting on the back deck dwarfed by super tall pines, one guest remarked: "it feels like luxury camping here." Yes, the feel is remote and secluded, yet groceries, gas, and restaurants are just a few minutes away.

Winter Notes: One family wrote "Thank you for our best Christmas ever" highlighting being able to watch their kids sled the steep driveway from the comfort of the wood-stove-heated living room.

IMPORTANT:
What's fun for some families isn't for others: Families with children who have to be carried should carefully check weather conditions before renting in the winter: carrying a child on the steep driveway in icy conditions is unsafe.

Rates are based on a party of 1-4, with additional guests @ $35.

Guests have access to everything but the owner's closet, one utility closet. Includes fast wifi, charcoal grill, well equipped kitchen, home theater, hookups upstairs and down for playing music from your smartphone/iPad, Amazon Echo dot downstairs, pool table, and a land line telephone.

The host lives offsite 30 minutes away. Live interaction by special request.

As the cabin can't be easily seen from the street and is on 1.3 acres the feeling is more "private" than "neighborhood." The nearby recreation center, open only in summer, is both super convenient yet far enough away to preserve privacy. Please note access requires a separate $950 fee for unlimited access.

No public transit.

Level 2 charging via a 4 prong female 14-50 outlet or extension cord NOT AVAILABLE IN SNOW CONDITIONS as outlet location is at bottom of steep driveway. Level 1 charging available at top of driveway year round.

Winter wear share bin has lots of gloves, jackets, etc. in case you forget yours. The home site is adjacent to some of the planet's most awesome and treasured giant trees. So we take minimizing fire dangers more seriously than most. NEVER start a campfire unless the water hose is turned on at the spigot and ready to spray errant sparks at the campfire site. CRITICAL: Thoroughly douse the fire so no smoke or steam is present. Usually takes at least 10 minutes.
No smoking in the house. If you smoke outside, please note any butts found on the property after check out will result in cancellation of your deposit refund, as will failure to sort trash into recyclables and garbage. Owner prefers guests put sheets on any furniture dogs are allowed on.) Never remove ashes from the wood stove unless placed immediately in the provided metal ash can.

Please return furniture and other items to their original locations . . and leave towels and sheets on top of the washer-dryer. Extra points for running a load of sheets through a wash and dry cycle during departure day breakfast. :-)
Thank you.

GARBAGE RELATED FEES
Because weekly street side garbage/recycling pickup is unavailable or impractical for this property, we ask guests to pack out their bags of separated garbage and recycling to the convenient Avery Transfer Station…a minute off Hwy 4 in Avery…4541 Seagale Road, Avery, CA.

If departing on Wednesday or Thursday when the Avery Transfer Station is closed, please leave your bags sealed/tied in the kitchen.

Because the housecleaners don’t have room in their vehicles for full bags of garbage and recycling, we have to pay a service $5/bag to remove those bags. If you’re unable to remove your bags, please leave $5 per bag in cash. If you prefer to pay by credit card through AirBnB, use the “send/request money” function to transfer the fee. Thanks for your understanding.

PET FEE

We're dog lovers so welcome your pooches. Some breeds don't shed but most do so instead of an arbitrary pet fee imposed on everyone, we leave it to the housecleaners to tell us if there was extra work due to dog hair. After your booking confirms, we'll send a request for $30 per dog. If the cleaners report doing extra work removing dog hair, we keep the fee and pass it on to the cleaners. If none, we refund the fee.

Property manager

David Sweet
Premier Host

Languages

English, Spanish

Add dates for prices

Amenities

Kitchen
Washer
Dryer
Pet-friendly
Air conditioning
Outdoor space

Have a question?

AI iconBeta

Get instant answers with AI powered search of property information and reviews.

Similar properties

House Rules

Check in after 3:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 18
Check out before 11:00 AM
default

Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17
default

Events

Events allowed
default

Pets

Pets allowed
default

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
Parties and events are allowed on site
Host has indicated that there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher
Property Registration Number PM-0264

About the area

Arnold

Arnold is home to this cabin. The area's natural beauty can be seen at Calaveras Big Trees State Park and Arnold Rim Trail, while Sierra Nevada Logging Museum and Murphys Creek Theatre are cultural highlights. Leland Meadows and Twain Harte Miniature Golf are also worth visiting.
Map
Camp Connell, CA

What's nearby

  • Calaveras Big Trees State Park - 6 min drive - 3.3 km
  • Arnold Rim Trail - 11 min drive - 9.0 km
  • Sierra Nevada Logging Museum - 14 min drive - 11.5 km
  • Sequoia Woods Country Club and Golf Course - 14 min drive - 11.1 km
  • Bear Valley Ski - 68 min drive - 32.4 km

Getting around

  • Sacramento, CA (SMF-Sacramento Intl.) - 149 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪The Lube Room Saloon - ‬4 min drive
  • ‪Bistro Espresso - ‬13 min drive
  • ‪Giant Burger - ‬12 min drive
  • ‪El Vaquero Authentic Mexican - ‬13 min drive
  • ‪Bristol's Ranch House Cafe - ‬13 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is Sweet Retreat: Theater, Pool/Ping-Pong, Quiet! pet-friendly?

Yes, pets are allowed at this property.

What time is check-in at Sweet Retreat: Theater, Pool/Ping-Pong, Quiet!?

Check-in begins at 3:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Sweet Retreat: Theater, Pool/Ping-Pong, Quiet!?

Checkout is at 11:00 AM.

Where is Sweet Retreat: Theater, Pool/Ping-Pong, Quiet! located?

Situated in Arnold, this cabin is 2.4 mi (3.8 km) from Calaveras Big Trees State Park and within 9 miles (15 km) of Arnold Rim Trail and Sequoia Woods Country Club and Golf Course. Meadowmont Golf Course and Sierra Nevada Logging Museum are also within 9 miles (15 km).

Reviews

9.6

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 9 out of 10 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 0 out of 10 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 1 out of 10 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 10 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 10 reviews

8.6/10

Cleanliness

9.4/10

Check-in

9.0/10

Communication

9.4/10

Location

9.0/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Shelly G.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Sweet Family Time
Had a beautiful time with family. Thank you David
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2025

10/10 Excellent

chris j.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2025

10/10 Excellent

Nicole C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Fun cabin
Quaint cabin set amongst the trees, nice entertainment options, easy communication with property owner or host. Recommended for teens (we enjoyed the toys!)loved the
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2024

10/10 Excellent

Sheila R.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Our home away from home
This was our third stay at Sweet Retreat and it didn't disappoint. My son enjoys ping pong and the movie theatre, my daughter the outdoors and the warm spot by the gas fireplace (and outdoor campfire) all the while spending intentional family time together in a place that feels like our home away from home. We hit snow sledding only 20 minutes up the mountain. Thank you again, Sweet Retreat!
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2024

10/10 Excellent

jonathan s.

Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2024

6/10 Okay

Megan C.

Disliked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, listing accuracy
Quiet Place with a STEEP driveway
Be aware of the STEEP and I mean STEEP driveway! Overall it was a nice stay, just wish the mice droppings would have been taken care of before our arrival! And yes, we did send the host a message and no we did not receive a single response!
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

kevin w.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Great place
Great view
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

Sheila R.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Summer Sanctuary
We had loved staying for the winter so much that our family decided to try for a summer stay at Sweet Retreat. Despite my son getting sick on our first day and needing to quarantine in a room, I couldn't think of a better place to isolate. The rest of us were still able to enjoy the Pool within easy walking distance as well as Big Trees park so close by, and making Smore's in the campfire area and BBQing our food. Sweet Retreat has become a favorite family vacation spot and we can't wait to return! The one thing I wish they had was a portable window A/C for both bedrooms or at least the master. We used the portable "swamp cooler" that was there and fans but it still got fairly warm indoors but not unbearable by any means.
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

hila r., alameda

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
A wonderful family getaway
We absolutely loved our stay at Sweet Retreat! The cabin had so many bonus amenities that gave us cherished family memories- ping pong and pool competitions, family movie night in the home theatre, and tasty meals sitting around the dinner table. There was just enough snow to enjoy sledding and snow shoeing too. Any questions we had were quickly answered by the owner too. Thank you, sweet retreat. We will be back to enjoy the summer season soon! What a great home away from home.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2024
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Ellen P.

Beautiful property in the pines
Dorrington has been one of our favorite vacations spots for a number of years, and I can't believe it took us so long to find the Sweet Retreat. The house itself is beautiful, but the property is breathtaking, surrounded by 150 ft. pine trees. Sitting on any of the house's wraparound decks is like sitting in the middle of the forest, and there are beautiful views from inside the home as well. The kitchen is stocked with whatever you might need in the way of spices, oils, condiments, and even has a pantry filled with yummy snacks! It was hard to decide between spending our evenings in the movie theater ( a million movies to choose from, and the recliners are SO comfy!) or the game room, so ample time was spent in each. Calaveras Big Trees State Park is right up the road and not to be missed for its giant sequoias. Thank you, David, for your amazing property and hospitality. You'll be hearing from us again soon, and we'll definitely plan on a longer stay next time!

About the host

Hosted by David Sweet

Host profile image

Languages:

English, Spanish

Premier Host

They consistently provide great experiences for their guests