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COUGAR House -Mt St Helens / Yale Lake Retreat

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Property grounds
Property grounds
Property grounds
Property grounds
Property grounds

Reviews

9.8 out of 10

Exceptional

2 bedrooms2 bathroomsSleeps 6

Popular amenities

  • Pet-friendly
    Pet-friendly
  • Hot tub
    Hot tub
  • Washer
    Washer
  • Parking available
    Parking available
  • Barbecue grill
    Barbecue grill
  • Outdoor space
    Outdoor space

Explore the area

Map
Cougar, WA
  • Ape Caves
    15 min drive
  • Marble Mountain Sno-Park
    19 min drive
  • Mount St. Helens
    26 min drive

Rooms & beds

2 bedrooms (sleeps 6)

Bedroom 1

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 2

1 Queen Bed and 1 Single Bunk Bed

2 bathrooms

Bathroom 1

Toilet · Shower only · Jetted bathtub

Bathroom 2

Toilet · Shower only

Spaces

Deck or patio
Porch or lanai
Kitchen
Garden
Dining Area

About this property

COUGAR House -Mt St Helens / Yale Lake Retreat

In the heart of Cougar WA. Central to the best variety of year round recreation the PNW has to offer. From the comforts of this cozy retreat access all your favorite outdoor recreational activities within minutes. If you want to do it…. This is where to find it!
Walking distance to Bar & Grill, stores and Yale Lake / Cougar Park.
Gifford Pinchot National Forest, there are almost 1,500 miles of trails on the forest open to hiking, biking, ect.
Mount St. Helens Nation Volcanic Monument, open for climbing year round and offers some of the most popular snow-parks for snowmobiling/cc-skiing enthusiast. Be sure to visit Lava Canyon!
Ape Cave lava tubes (10 miles), which formed about 2,000 years ago and is open year round.
Marble Mountain Snopark (4.5 miles) The trip to June Lake is one of the most popular ski tours from the Marble Mountain Snopark. If the snow is good, the skiing is easy. Other skiing and snowshoeing options are available, and the snopark also serves as a base for hiking and climbing trips. Marble Mountain Snopark is the hub for snowmobilers, cross-country skiers, and snowshoers on the southern slopes of Mount St. Helens. Adequate snow cover for skiing can usually be found from December through March most years. The snow at the snopark is seldom very dry and often changeable, so it’s generally best to be riding on no-wax skis. Most days are skiable here if you’re prepared for the conditions.
The Falls (34 miles) Lower Lewis River Falls, the Middle Falls, and the Upper Lewis River Falls.

Local Fish
Variety of trout, Bull Trout, Dolly Varden, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Silver Salmon, Kokanee, Northern pike minnow, Sculpin & Tiger Muskie, Coastal Cutthroat, Steelhead.

Boat Ramps & Recreation
YALE LAKE RESERVOIR
Cougar Camp (1 mile), restrooms and showers, parking for 180 vehicles, 15 picnic tables, and a one-lane boat ramp.
Beaver Bay (3.5 miles), restrooms and showers, parking for 40 vehicles, 6 picnic tables, and a one-lane boat ramp.
Yale Park (2 miles), restrooms, 30 picnic sites, parking for 130 cars and 80 trailers, a four-lane boat ramp and a beach swim area.
Saddle Dam (9 miles), restrooms, parking, picnic tables, swimming area and boat launch ramps.
LAKE MERWIN
Cresap Bay (8.5 miles), restrooms and shower, 20 picnic tables, a two-lane boat ramp and a beach swim area.
Speelyai Bay (8.5 miles), restrooms, 25 picnic tables, parking for 250 vehicles, a two-lane boat ramp and a beach swim area.
Merwin Park (20 miles), restrooms, 135 picnic tables, parking for 250 vehicles, and a beach swim area.
SWIFT DAM RESERVOIR
Power Canal (7 miles), parking to fish at canal and two developed recreation facilities at the east end of the reservoir. Swift Forest Camp has restrooms a two-lane boat ramp with parking spaces and a day use beach swim area. Eagle Cliff Park has restroom, parking and is a walk in park with picnic tables and is a cool place with secluded feeling.
MERRILL LAKE
Merrill Lake Camp (6.5 miles), restrooms, parking, boat launch, catch and release fly fishing.

Property manager

Troy S Zuercher
Premier Host

Languages

English

Add dates for prices

Amenities

Hot tub
Kitchen
Washer
Dryer
Pet-friendly
Free WiFi

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Exterior
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Dryer
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9.4 out of 10, (11 reviews)
St. Helens House ~ Yale Lake/Mt St Helens Retreat.

House Rules

Check in after 4:00 PM
Check out before 11:00 AM

Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17

Events

No events allowed

Pets

Pets allowed: limit 1 total
Must be approved by host

Smoking

Smoking allowed: in designated areas
Parking available for 2-3 vehicles. for Additional
If approved your pet must be house trained . Your

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
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
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, a first aid kit and a deadlock

We should mention

A car is required for transport to and from this property

About the area

Cougar

Located in Cougar, this holiday home is in the city centre and on a river. Cedar Creek Grist Mill and Pomeroy Living History Farm are local landmarks, and the area's natural beauty can be seen at Gifford Pinchot National Forest and Ape Caves. Make sure you get close to the area's animals with activities such as game walks and birdwatching.
Map
Cougar, WA

What's nearby

  • Ape Caves - 15 min drive
  • Marble Mountain Sno-Park - 19 min drive
  • Mount St. Helens - 26 min drive
  • Canyon Creek - 27 min drive
  • ilani Casino - 46 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪The Cougar Bar & Grill - ‬3 min walk
  • ‪Ape Cave - ‬15 min drive
  • ‪Red's espresso - ‬2 min walk
  • ‪Jack's Restaurant & Store - ‬9 min drive
  • ‪Squatch Stop - ‬2 min walk

Frequently asked questions

Is COUGAR House -Mt St Helens / Yale Lake Retreat pet-friendly?

Yes, this property allows pets (limit 1 total).

What time is check-in at COUGAR House -Mt St Helens / Yale Lake Retreat?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at COUGAR House -Mt St Helens / Yale Lake Retreat?

Checkout is at 11:00 AM.

Where is COUGAR House -Mt St Helens / Yale Lake Retreat located?

Located in the heart of Cougar, this holiday home is within 12 miles (20 km) of Ape Caves, Gifford Pinchot National Forest and Toutle River. Ape Cave Lava Tubes is 11.9 mi (19.2 km) away.

Reviews

9.8

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
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Rating 10 - Excellent. 22 out of 26 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 4 out of 26 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 26 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 26 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 26 reviews" "

9.6/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Staff & service

10/10

Amenities

10/10

Property conditions & facilities

10/10

Check-in

9.8/10

Communication

9.6/10

Location

9.8/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

8/10 Good

Stacy H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, location, listing accuracy
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2024

10/10 Excellent

Dann O.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Great house in cougar
Great place to get away for everything and enjoy being away from the busy city.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Thaine E.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Cougar house
House was nice, perfect size. Hot tub is actually a jet tub but all in all a good time.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Jenifer W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Paddle and fishing adventure
Great little cabin like get away.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2024

10/10 Excellent

Stephanie L.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Very cozy and excellent host.
We will definitely be back.
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Mary Ann B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Cozy cabin in Cougar
Cozy little cabin close to everything we needed. Lovely private outdoor space which really added to the experience. Good communication with Troy. Internet a bit wonky at times, but we worked it out!
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

mary Ann

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities, communication
Very cool place
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

Fred C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Quiet spot right in Cougar.
It is a clean property with all the things you need including air conditioning.
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2022

10/10 Excellent

Anjali D.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Great snowy stay!
Had a great time at the cabin! Was very well situated and lots of room for 4 adults. One room has a large bed and a bunk bed and the other has a queen size bed with an ensuite. Cooking with the hot plates and the tabletop oven went well and it was nice to have a small dishwasher too. Would love to return in summer when we can enjoy the lake!
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2021

8/10 Good

Kate F.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Easy access to Lewis River
It was pretty much as described.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2021

10/10 Excellent

Lauren C., Los Angeles

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Cool place!
Cute, eclectic place with enough amenities to make it comfortable.
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2021

10/10 Excellent

Elena J., Portland, Oregon

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Lake escape
We spend 3 days in this beautiful cozy house on the lake and we just LOVED it! The house was perfect size, crispy clean and cute decorated. We made a delicious dinner on the fancy BBQ and enjoyed the fire. It was great that we could use all the kayaks, paddling boards and had fun on the water. Thank you and we will be back!!!!
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2021

10/10 Excellent

Hwaing H., Camarillo, CA

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
A cozy place
It's neat and cozy with a beautiful front yard and patio.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2021

10/10 Excellent

Walda C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Peaceful place
This is a wonderful place to stay. We had a family reunion group and it exceeded our expectations. Comfortable, peaceful, wonderful memorabilia that is extremely entertaining. Plan on returning!
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2021

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Awesome place, will be back
Awesome place, will be back!
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2021

8/10 Good

Patricia D.

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Great Location for a Mount St. Helens Adventure
Our family very much enjoyed our extended weekend at this cozy site. The fire pit was especially enjoyed by our younger members and the small enclosed yard was much appreciated by our dogs. A great location for exploring the southeast side of the mountain.
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2021

10/10 Excellent

Jeanette E.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Great place to get a break from quaranteening.
My family was looking for a place to stay to take a break from quaranteening. Cougar House is just the right place. It's cozy and homey. It was very welcoming as soon as we stepped-in. The house is rustic in design and yet modern. There is no stove but the cook top is enough to cook eggs and pancakes. We were given the wrong codes to enter the house, without cell signal, we struggled to find a way to contact Troy. Wifi connection is 90% reliable so after we figure that out, we were able to contact him and was able to get in. We were being cautious due to COVID so we checked the cleanliness first. We found some leftover condiments in the fridge and was expecting the garbage to be empty. It wasn't full, but empty juice bottle and some paper towels. There are also some leftover shampoo and soap in the shower. Turned out, past renters have been doing that and Troy said that if it not expired, they just keep them to help out new renters. We bought or own groceries and also left what we ddn't use. The town itself is very small, has their own convenience store and a couple of restaurant. Because of covid most of places we want to visit are closed, but the kids had a blast spending time in the lake. All in all, we had fun. We will probably plan to go back after COVID.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2020

10/10 Excellent

Jim B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Great House for a Small Group
This house was the perfect fit for a group of 4 friends and I. It had everything we needed to cook and BBQ. It is also within about a 5 minute drive of two parks on Yale Lake.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2020

10/10 Excellent

Jarod Y.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Fantastic
Great place, great host. Fantastic weekend!!!
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2019

10/10 Excellent

Stephanie D.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Mt. St Helens stay in Cougar, WA
Very pleasantly surprised with our stay! It was just perfect for us. Clean, lovely accommodations. The owners have made sure that you have about everything you need. The only thing that we noticed missing was a stove and they made sure you had a hot plate which worked great. If you wanted to heat up something like lasagna ( baked ) foods you likely could do it in the microwave. They also had a barbecue grill and heated pan available. There was also a super barbecue pit, kayaks, games. We didn't miss anything! We had all our meals right in Cougar House it was so nice. It is located near beautiful Yale lake. We spent our weekend and visited the Ape Caves and Windy Ridge.. The drive to windy ridge takes long as it is up hill but the drive back was half the time going. Just keep that in mind. Definitely recommend both. We hope to return and highly recommend!
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2019

10/10 Excellent

Liz

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Everything you need to be comfortable while exploring the area.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2019

10/10 Excellent

Kitty R.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
lovely hide away
great location for all that Mt St Helen's has to offer. sleeps 6 comfortably and 8 if 2 people use the couches. nice restaurant around the corner. Clean, great places to sit outdoors, quiet. Phone service not great but we knew that going in. Owners very pleasant.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2019

8/10 Good

Claudine C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Great Family Accommodation
Our family of five summer vacation included a four night stay at the Cougar house. Great location, plenty of space with kids having their own bathroom and parents another. Beds were firm but comfortable — way easier on the back than most hotels. Small kitchen but did the trick for lite meal prep. Hit the supermarket in town for food/snack needs. Take advantage of campfire — a great highlight for us city folk!
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2019

10/10 Excellent

Tim B.

Great place and location
Super cute cabin and the location is awesome. Owners are very nice and responsive. Stayed with my wife and two daughters. Was enough space and the two bathrooms were nice.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2019

10/10 Excellent

Tim W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
We would be glad to stay here again. Great place, great people, great vacation!
We were glad to find somewhere that was close to Mount Saint Helens that was affordable and nice. When we pulled up we did not realize there actually two rentals on this property but it was completely fine. They have separated it well and the vacation rental has it's own little yard and feels like it's own independent place. You can have your privacy or mingle at the opposite fire-pit that Troy has designed to be shaped like the Mountain. Really cool. I cannot wait to see it when we return after he does some more of the work he was telling us is planned. We met Troy when we arrived and he is the absolute nicest man. He even took kayaks down to the park for us and helped us when we had car trouble. It is very obvious that they care about their temporary tenants enjoying their time and having a wonderful place to stay. They were amazing people to meet. The space itself is really homey and cozy. It has wonderful touches around the house. Owl trinkets are a common theme and it immediately felt like a place of comfort. There are several fun games to play if you like dice games or custom Jenga for those of drinking age. The kitchen is small but for a few days it is all you need. There is no oven or stove but there is the cooktop that they provide and the barbecue. Just make sure you bring a little propane bottle to hook up. If you don't, they do sell them at the store around the corner. I only say something because some of the food we had planned was more oven friendly initially and it may be easier to plan for food more accommodating in a toaster oven, small cook-top or BBQ. They do a really nice job of providing all of the essentials like spatulas, plates, silverware, and even cheese graters so don't worry too much over that. This place is really close to the Ape Caves which I highly recommend. Wear appropriate footwear and take several sources of light (I personally recommend a headlamp.) Also, dress in layers. The caves are a constant 42 degrees. The lake was beautiful and relaxing. It is only a $4/day parking fee and was totally worth it in our opinion. We had a great time relaxing most of the day down there. Take sunscreen. To sum up, I really cannot adequately say how much we enjoyed our stay and appreciated Troy and his family. We will be back again next year and would highly recommend this as a place to stay for anybody.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2019

About the host

Hosted by Troy S Zuercher

Host profile image
Brothers, Partners, Best friends

Why they chose this property

Great Location, Cozy Accommodations. Completely Remolded.

What makes this property unique

Year round PNW recreation, each season brings a variety of outdoor opportunities.

Languages:

English

Premier Host

They consistently provide great experiences for their guests
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