Entire home

Peaceful and Secluded Solar Powered Retreat

Photo gallery for Peaceful and Secluded Solar Powered Retreat

main house
cordwood guest house
main house living room
main house wood stove
power room entrance
Reviews
10

Exceptional

4 bedrooms2 bathroomsSleeps 7111 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Pet-friendly
    Pet-friendlyPet-friendly
  • Fireplace
    FireplaceFireplace
  • Kitchen
    KitchenKitchen
  • Barbecue grill
    Barbecue grillBarbecue grill
  • Outdoor space
    Outdoor spaceOutdoor space

Check-in time

2:00 PM

Check-out time

11:00 AM

Explore the area

Map
Churubusco, NY
  • AirportCornwall, ON (YCC-Cornwall Regional)88 min drive

Most relevant reviews

Rooms & beds

4 bedrooms (sleeps 7)

Cordwood Guest House

1 Single Bed

Main House Downstairs

1 Queen Bed

Strawbale Studio

1 Single Bed

Upstairs Turret

1 Single Bed

2 bathrooms

Bathroom 1

Main House

Toilet · Shower only

Spaces

Kitchen
Outdoor play area
Garden
Dining Area

About this property

Peaceful and Secluded Solar Powered Retreat

Rivendell is a magical 9.1 acre off-grid retreat with 3 separate buildings. The main house has 2 bedrooms and a full bathroom with on-demand hot water for the shower and a composting toilet. It sleeps 6, in one queen, double futon couch, twin and a small cot. One of the twin beds and the cot are on second floor. The queen is in the bedroom, and the double futon couch is in the living room. The Cordwood Guest House is just one room which has a King bed that can be converted to two twin beds, a kitchen island with a two burner alcohol stove insert, a sink, and a composting toilet. The Strawbale Studio has two twin beds, and another composting toilet but no sink. There is a spring fed year-round stream at the back of the property, and there are walking trails wandering through a mix of forest and meadow with blackberries and apples in season, and lots of birds and wildlife. Since it is solar powered, it is important to be mindful of power usage, especially at night. It is very private. The driveway is 700 feet long, but there are helpful neighbors nearby.

Amenities

Kitchen
Pet-friendly
Outdoor space
Barbecue grill
Fireplace

House Rules

Check in after 2:00 PM
Check out before 11:00 AM

Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17

Events

No events allowed

Pets

Pets allowed: dogs (limit 2 total)

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted
Avoid depleting battery bank below 50%. Some appliance usage only while sun is shining.
Hot water & cook stove are propane, but run water pump to charge pressure tank only while sun is shining. Turn off all lights at bedtime.

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 and a first aid kit

We should mention

A car is required for transport to and from this property

About the area

North America

Map
Churubusco, NY

Restaurants

  • ‪Dunkin' - ‬15 min drive
  • ‪Bar le Vieux Pub a Rockburn - ‬24 min drive
  • ‪Filion's Diner - ‬16 min drive
  • ‪Owl's Nest Pizza and More - ‬15 min drive
  • ‪Cidrerie Rockburn - ‬24 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is Peaceful and Secluded Solar Powered Retreat pet-friendly?

Yes, this property allows dogs (limit 2 total).

What time is check-in at Peaceful and Secluded Solar Powered Retreat?

Check-in begins at 2:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Peaceful and Secluded Solar Powered Retreat?

Checkout is at 11:00 AM.

Where is Peaceful and Secluded Solar Powered Retreat located?

Situated on the riverfront, this holiday home is within 16 miles (25 km) of Adirondack Park, Lower Chateaugay Lake and Boise-des-Muir Ecological Reserve. Chazy Highlands Wild Forest and Wilder Homestead are also within 20 miles (32 km).

Reviews

10

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
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Rating 10 - Excellent. 5 out of 5 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 0 out of 5 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 5 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 5 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 5 reviews" "

8.8/10

Cleanliness

9.6/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

10/10

Location

9.6/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

lawrence k., Ridgewood, NJ

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Exactly as promised in description
We were looking for the off-grid experience in a nice quiet location and Rivendell was exactly that. The owner was very helpful and the experience was well executed. Obviously compostable toilets and off-grid solar offer challenges but Johanna was able to explain everything and we had a very successful week.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2021

10/10 Excellent

Molly M., Burlington, USA

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Relaxing off-the-grid
Fall asleep to the wind in the trees and wake up to birdsong. This secluded spot has a lot going for it including the space to spread out in multiple buildings, forest paths to explore, and an enchanting brook nearby. If you’re not an avid outdoors person you might be put off by some of the more rustic features like the composting toilets. The shower was a bit tricky at first but once we figured it out it was fine. We always had enough power, but we careful to not run everything at once. Great mindfulness training! My favorite part was retreating to one of the “writer’s shed” with some tea for a few hours. Also reading in the hemmock was great. And s’mores.
Stayed 14 nights in Jul 2021

10/10 Excellent

george h.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
A peaceful and relaxing vacation
This unique and beautiful artisan home offers peace and quiet and an opportunity to experience off grid living. We liked having access to the Adirondack hikes at a reasonable price. Johanna is an excellent communicator and her home is truly a magical refuge. We loved our stay at Rivendell and hope to book it again soon. Just as an aside, it is close to the Canadian border so when not on Rivendell's wifi you may be hit with roaming charges.
Stayed 6 nights in Jul 2020

10/10 Excellent

Nicole F.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
The most unique place I've ever stayed...
The property is the most unique place I've ever stayed. The grounds and the buildings are beautifully artistic and such thoughtfulness has gone into make this place eco conscious, with composting toilets and solar electricity. Its outdoorsy and rustic -- an ideal place for people who long to go camping, but don't want to rough it. The area is filled with lots of outdoor activities. We swam at two State Parks and hiked nearby and at Paul Smith's College, which is about an hour's drive, but so pleasant and gorgeous. Johanna was very considerate and responsive - a gracious and welcoming host.
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2020

10/10 Excellent

Dylan D.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Charming Retreat
Johanna is a gracious host and her property offers the perfect, quiet getaway. The buildings are beautifully crafted; the creek, a short, peaceful walk away. We had everything we needed. And managing composting toilets was easy. We loved our stay!
Stayed 5 nights in Jun 2020

About the host

Your host

Host profile image
I have a huge interest in sustainability and healthy living. Rivendell has solar power, wood heat, and Jenkins style composting toilets. The average American uses 110 gallons of water per day (6 gallons/flush) Given the worldwide shortage of clean drinking water, that seems really wasteful. From an energy perspective, the well pump is also the biggest drain on the battery bank, and flush toilets would mean a lot of extra water being pumped up 125 feet from the well, only to be polluted. If you are unfamiliar with Jenkins toilets, you can see in the photo of the bathroom that the toilet looks pretty normal. What you don't see, is that inside the wooden box that has the toilet seat attached to it, there is a 5 gallon plastic bucket fitted exactly into the wooden box cover. That bucket has a layer of sawdust, and after you use the toilet, you add another layer of sawdust to cover what is there. This eliminates odors and aids with the eventual composting. When the bucket is full, there is a designated composting area to empty it and get a fresh bucket to replace the one you just emptied. It's not a messy, unhygienic or stinky process, and is an efficient, affordable and workable solution to waste management for a more sustainable future. If that interests you, Rivendell will provide an experience of this.

Why they chose this property

The kitchen is fully equipped with pots and pans and dishes and silverware. Linens and towels and soap and shampoo are provided. There is also a propane barbecue grill and a fire pit with wood provided. There is a chest refrigerator (I think it is 7 cubic ft.) but no freezer.

What makes this property unique

The individual buildings do not rent separately. Renters will have exclusive use of the entire 9+ acre property. The nearby Marble River has excellent fishing and is incredibly beautiful.
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