Looking for a fun lake house to rent this summer? We recently stayed at the Copake Lake House and it was the ultimate Hudson Valley lakehouse rental  for families. The kids didn’t want to leave and we are already trying to plan a trip back. Here’s why it’s the perfect Hudson Valley lake house for families…

This family friendly lake house in Copake is the ultimate place to spend your summer. From swimming to fishing, from roasting marshmallows to family game nights, this is THE SPOT for making summer memories this season. It’s also perfect for a relaxing spring or fall getaway too.

We loved the built-in bunk beds, lots of lakefront dock, space to spread out and the bonus cabin (perfect for bringing grandparents or for 2 families).
It’s an easy drive from the NJ/NYC area and there are so many towns around the lake to enjoy while you’re vacationing there.

People ask me all the time for fun spots within a few hours and this spot is perfect for that. It’s less than 2 hours from New York City, so if you are in the tri-state area, it’s easy to reach. If you live further it would be a cool spot to combine with a New York City vacation: a few days in the city + a few days lakeside.

Hudson Valley Lakehouse Rental

Here’s the house we rented via Kid & Coe: The Copake Lake House Rental . The owners also have another house on the same lake: The Lakeview Road Residence .

The house is the perfect setup for families. The main house has a master bedroom and bath. There’s another bedroom with 4 built in beds and another bathroom (with a giant tub!). The bunk room had tons of fun toys from a play kitchen to train tracks and tons of cool books. There was also a pack n play and other great baby toys and gear.

The kitchen and living area is a big open floor plan and there are tons of board games and… guess what’s missing? A tv! Which we loved because while at a lake house we were really looking to unplug, enjoy time outdoors and family game night inside.

There’s also a bonus cabin on the property that was beautiful. It has another bedroom and bathroom and the views are spectacular. This would be perfect to bring along grandparents or another family.

The Copake Lake House couldn’t have been in a better location: it’s ON the lake. There are steps down to the dock and the dock extends the length of the property. Normally, I would have been on high alert because long dock + 5 kids = someone is falling/jumping in…. but the water around the dock is really shallow. They could fish, step off into the water and just enjoy living lake front for the weekend.

We loved the fire pit area that was overlooking the lake. It was such a great spot to relax and roast marshmallows. The Copake Lake House and being on the lake was our favorite activity, but when we wanted to venture out….

In the center of town, we stopped into the Copake General Store. Here you can grab baked goods, coffee, groceries and food to enjoy at the lake house. The kids love the store owners dog that greets you at the door! Across the street, is Dad’s Diner. They had excellent breakfast and a friendly staff. If you are looking to fish, like we were, we found “live bait” at the gas station in town.

If you are looking to rent a boat, kayak, paddle boards, etc there’s Copake Lake Boat and Ski. They also have a snack bar where you can sit lakeside and get food, drinks and ice cream.

One afternoon, we ventured over to Cooper’s Daughter. Cooper’s Daughter is a woman-owned and family operated distillery, cooperage, and apple orchard. Along with being a distillery, there’s a cocktail barn and garden to enjoy. It was about 15 min away and they had 2 visiting food trucks, lawn games and plenty of space for the kids to run around. We enjoyed Greek food from  Oh My Gyro and dessert from Supreme Soft Serve both visiting Cooper’s Daughter for the day.

There are so many cool towns in the Hudson Valley that surround Copake Lake. You could visit towns like Hudson, Chatham, Millerton, Tivoli, Saugerties and so many more. We decided to head 20 minutes across the state line to Massachusetts to the town of Great Barrington. 

It was such a fun town to visit with kids. There were a few toy stores, Robin’s Candy Store and Soco Creamery for ice cream. There’s a restaurant, The Prairie Whale, where you can play games outside while waiting on your food. We loved the food at GB Eats.

If you are looking for the perfect Hudson Valley lake vacation with kids, I highly recommend checking out the The Copake Lake House Rental or The Lakeview Road Residence .

Want to see a little more of the lakehouse? Check out this fun Reel!