Best Vacation House Rentals in the Catskills for Families

This Log House in the heart ofthe  Hudson Valley is perfect for multiple families, a  large family get-together or a birthdaygetaway!
This Log House in the heart ofthe Hudson Valley is perfect for multiple families, a large family get-together or a birthdaygetaway!
10/5/23 - By Shari Simpson

The Catskills have been famous for many things and these unique Catskills vacation rentals make planning a family getaway to the region easier than ever. So, whether you want to explore the history of Borscht Belt comedians, Rip Van Winkle, Woodstock, and Dirty Dancing or enjoy some outdoor recreation in the 700,000 acres of mountains that cover four New York counties, we've found a vacation rental home in the Catskills to fit your family.

Once you've found the perfect Catskills vacation rental for your crew, all that's left to do is decide which of these 25 things to do in the Catskills with kids you'll check off first, including camping, hiking, skiing, river rafting, cave touring, visiting alpaca farms, horseback riding, zip-lining, and more.

Read on for our top vacation rental picks in the Catskills. These properties can sleep a crowd and provide family-friendly perks, like game rooms, bunk beds, and even sledding hills right out the back door. Find more local getaways in our Guide to Day Trips and Local Getaways.

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Budget-Friendly Catskills Vacation Rentals for Families

At under $300, these spacious homes cost less than renting hotel rooms, and give you more privacy and options.

Oak Ridge Guest House – Ellenville

Yes, this five-bedroom house on top of a hill is lovely and the cool game room has arcade basketball and corn hole, but what makes this place unique is that the owners run a local restaurant, Aroma Thyme, so they offer chef and catering services to their tenants; now that’s a family-friendly perk. There’s also a professional Equity playhouse, Shadowland Stages, only 10 minutes away, and if you’re in need of some goat therapy, drive five minutes to the Frederick Farm Goat Sanctuary.

Callicoon Creek House – Hortonville

If you’ve got water lovers in the family, this four-bedroom home has it all: Callicoon Creek is in the backyard, with a deep swimming hole, and trout fishing in the Delaware River is only five minutes away. Carousel Water and Fun Park is less than a half-hour drive, too. But even if you prefer to keep things dry, the house itself is particularly charming with bright pops of color throughout, and a play shed in the backyard.

RELATED: The Best Family-Friendly Catskills Resorts

Best Vacation House Rentals in the Catskills for Families
Relax on the bench swing that overlooks the fire pit, lower deck, and private dock at Camp Summer Wind. 

Moderately Priced Catskills Vacation Rentals for Families

At $300-$600/night, these homes are still cheaper than multiple hotel rooms, and offer lots of space and kid-friendly amenities.

Stone Home – Pine Bush

This gorgeous stone dwelling is very secluded and designed for nature lovers, surrounded by oak, maple, apple, and cherry trees, with a view of the Shawangunk Mountains. Kids will love the large game room and the volleyball pit outdoors, and there’s a really cool bonfire area surrounded by a ring of tall pine trees, where families can make s’mores and stargaze. If you venture out of this little slice of paradise, Minnewaska State Park is nearby or you can catch a game at Loren Campbell Memorial Field.

Camp Summer Wind – Athens

Don’t let the name of this lovely five-bedroom home fool you into thinking it’s only for the summer season; there is fun to be had year-round. Among many activities, Camp Summer Wind is close to ski resorts for the winter, apple and pumpkin picking farms in the fall, and it has a private dock for spring and summer kayaking. Situated in Sleepy Hollow Lake, the community offers two pools, a beach, tennis, paddle ball and basketball courts, playgrounds, and a driving range. If that’s not enough to sell you, Camp Summer Wind has a fire pit, a big media room, a game room, and one of the kids’ bedrooms has a play tent, which kind of did it for us.

RELATED: Favorite Farm Stays near NYC for Rustic Getaways

Best Vacation House Rentals in the Catskills for Families
Spend the hot summer days in the beautiful 40-foot saltwater pool at Bella Vista Country Estate in Ulster Park.

Multi-Family or Splurge-Worthy Catskills Vacation Rentals

While a price tag of $700+ per night may seem steep, these homes are all larger and perfect for multiple families to share, making the stay more affordable and loads of fun. We were blown away by these options and want to stay in all of them!

Ski Mountain Chalet – Windham

This bright and spacious luxury mountain home sleeps 15 (the kids’ double bunk room is adorbs!) and although it’s only a five-minute drive to Windham Mountain skiing, the house has the extra perk of sitting atop a hill for right-out-the-back-door sledding and snow tubing. The kids can hang out in the game room with shuffleboard, billiards, and board games while the parents relax in the outdoor hot tub.

Log House in Heart of Hudson Valley – Saugerties

Yes, folks, it’s a 2,500-square-foot log cabin! A stunning great room and open kitchen will allow the kids to be nearby as the parents cook, and then everybody can relax in front of the Jøtul wood stove and pretend to be roughing it. Close to Rhinebeck, New Paltz, and Woodstock for shops and great restaurants, and Kaaterskill Waterfalls and Saugerties Lighthouse for sightseeing. But our favorite thing about this property? It has a yurt in the backyard. A yurt! We’re there.

Bella Vista Country Estate – Ulster Park

This estate has a rainbow play system in the front yard, a 40-foot saltwater pool in the back, and a gorgeous five-bedroom house in the middle. Black Creek Forest Preserve, Shaupeneak Ridge, John Burrough's Slabsides, Mohonk Preserve, and Minnewaska State Park are close by for the whole family, and if you’re really trying to make the kids happy, there’s also the Mid-Hudson Children's Museum and McCann Ice Arena. Bella Vista is consistently rated as “exceptional” for the killer combination of breathtaking views and meticulous cleanliness.

RELATED: 35 Things To Do in Rhinebeck, NY with Kids

Best Vacation House Rentals in the Catskills for Families
Stissing Lake House, located on 11 acres, has breathtaking views of Stissing Lake.

Stissing Lake House – Pine Plains

This gorgeous 100-year-old Victorian country home has such a beautiful front lawn with a tire swing, hammocks, and a perfect view of Stissing Lake, you may never want to leave the property. But if you can drag yourself away, Taconic State Park, Harlem Valley Rail Trail, and Northern Dutchess Botanical Gardens are a short drive. The main house has six bedrooms and sleeps 14, but there’s also a guest cabin that can be rented if you want to add more families to the fun.

MTV Famous Home – Haines Falls

If you’ve got a really big group and you like fun and unusual digs, check out this funky house that sleeps up to 25 and every one of its nine bedrooms has its own private bath! Featured on MTV, there are some serious kid perks—the kitchen is decorated in a 1950s diner style, the large game room has air hockey and ping-pong, and there’s a karaoke machine just waiting for your littles to practice their Taylor Swift vocals. Add a couple of dogs to this pet-friendly spot, and you’ve got yourself a vacation.

Contemporary Catskill Home – Catskill

Only a five-minute drive from the active town of Catskill, New York, your family can relax in a sweet 4-bedroom family home on 24 private acres overlooking a forever-wild forest/bird sanctuary, plus there's a huge pool for summer swimming and a sledding hill out the back door for winter recreation. The best part? There are eight bunk beds in the basement surrounding a big rec room with a big screen TV, so you may not see your kids the entire vacation. OK, maybe that’s not the best part, but when you’re sitting in front of the big stone fireplace with a glass of wine while the kids are all downstairs, you’ll thank us.

Photos courtesy of VRBO