Everything we expected!

The house was even lovelier than pictures suggested. Well appointed and immaculate. Took advantage of the canoe, kayak, and SUP, and spent many hours reading by the pond. Bald eagle was a frequent pond visitor. Idyllic getaway for the whole family.

What an amazing place! If you are looking for a stay in a super-quiet, serene spot, then this is it. The cottage is very nice and extremely thoughtfully/well-equipped. There are 3 bedrooms, 1K and 4 twins (1 single in loft), but the twins can be put together to make a King if needed. Linens are lovely, natural cotton. We cooked every dinner there, including BBQ (charcoal provided, groceries 15min away). The location is fantastic, right on an idyllic large pond, with plenty of (non-motorized) water toys. There are some mosquitoes, as there are everywhere in ME, but very tolerable for the super-bug-attracting me! It was record-breaking hot one day, but there were fans in every room, so we were very comfortable (thank you!!). We used the puzzle table the whole time for puzzles and cards. We were able to get my 85-year old mom out into a canoe quite easily (lifejackets provided). We lay out on the dock one night gazing at the milky way, satellites and even a large shooting star. The sky is incredible if you catch a clear night before moonrise. We had a National Geographic moment with the loons as we sat quietly, and they drifted closer and closer to us, calling and then doing a courtship dance. Awesome place, I can't wait to go back!

We had a lovely week at Hodgdon Pond Farm - we would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to experience a quiet, peaceful setting and visit Acadia National Park. The cottage was perfect - it had everything we needed and provided a quiet retreat. We loved hiking in Acadia and exploring Mount Desert Island. Highly recommend!

If youre looking for a restful place away from the hustle and bustle, this cottage is perfect. Very clean, well equipped with everything you could need, and situated on a delightfully peaceful pond, yet only a 20 min drive to anywhere on the island. We were able to enjoy sights of the Milky Way on a clear night, an enormous buck relaxing in the field near the cottage, and the amazing warmth of the wood burning stove on the cold nights. Barbara called us to make sure everything was as anticipated, and even offered some advice for a rainy day. Our family really enjoyed this place for our much needed stress-relieving getaway from everyday life, and we look forward to returning in the (hopefully near) future.

If you're looking for a restful place away from the hustle and bustle, this cottage is perfect. Very clean, well equipped with everything you could need, and situated on a delightfully peaceful pond, yet only a 20 min drive to anywhere on the island. We were able to enjoy sights of the Milky Way on a clear night, an enormous buck relaxing in the field near the cottage, and the amazing warmth of the wood burning stove on the cold nights. Barbara called us to make sure everything was as anticipated, and even offered some advice for a rainy day. Our family really enjoyed this place for our much needed stress-relieving getaway from everyday life, and we look forward to returning in the (hopefully near) future.

My husband and I stayed a week at HPF and could not have picked a better rental for our first visit to Maine and Mt. Desert Island. Cottage 1 is at the end of the lane--very quiet and private. The cottage is very well equipped with many of the little extras that make a stay comfortable. The master bedroom bed is very comfortable. With the window open at night we heard the loons early in the a.m.! We especially enjoyed the wood stove a few cool evenings. My husband liked fishing the pond from the canoe and I liked the hammock. Owner is prompt and easy to contact. This location is easy drive to Acadia and area sights. When not relaxing at the cottage we: ate at Thurstons and Bealls, had lunch and a walk at Jordon Pond House, went on a nature cruise out of Bass Harbor, took the carriage road bridge tour, hiked with picnic lunch the ocean path trail in Acadia. So our Golden Pond experience definitely lived up to our expectations.

We have vacationed on MDI about 15 times over the last 30+ years. Hodgdon Pond Farm - Cottage 1 is by far the finest lodging we've had on the Island. Gorgeous natural beauty and tranquility are there in magnificent quantity. The cottage is very attractive, well organized and comfortable. You'll be very glad you chose this place.

The morning sun shines gently on the pond as I wake from the comfort of a peaceful nights sleep. The children slumber while I brew coffee in the fully equipped kitchen. Looking out the kitchen window I watch a small chipmunk gather his own breakfast on the dirt road that leads to this quaint cottage. Carrying my Maine coffee cup I walk down to the pond and sit on the dock to greet the day. A bald eagle joins me on his graceful flight over the water as he searches for his own breakfast. The water is like glass and it mirrors the blue sky and a few white puffy clouds that glide out towards the salty ocean just beyond the trees. I drain the last of my New England coffee from my cup and walk back towards the cottage. I find my husband in the living room reading one of the local area books he found on the shelf. "Morning walk?" I ask. He agrees and we head out the door to the dirt road. We stop by the tiny pond behind the house and question what type of animals visit this fairy like location to get a drink. As we walk a little further down the lane we soon discover it was two large bucks grazing in the field of wildflowers. They are not frightened of us on our stroll and just eye us curiously as we continue on our way. We stop at the small family cemetery and read the incredibly old stones. "What history in this beautiful place" we say. We turn and walk back the 1/8 mile to the cottage listening to the sounds of nature all around us. The smell of sugar is in the air as we open the door and find the four teenagers we have brought with us diving into the donuts I had left on the counter. Plans for the day are discussed over the orange juice and chocolate covered treats. A drive into Bar Harbor is requested to walk on the 'land bridge' at low tide and the girls want to do a little souvenir shopping. The boys plan to skip rocks into the ocean to avoid the stores and my husband agrees to go with all of us as he wants to stop outside of town and grab some fresh lobsters for our dinner- of course our kitchen has a lobster pot! What great Maine cottage would not? Upon our return the teenagers head out onto the pond in kayaks and rowboats to swim off the anchored swim platform. My husband starts a fire in the BBQ to grill some steaks while I prepare to steam the lobster. (We learned this technique from the lobster woman we purchased them from). After dinner the boys head out for some evening fishing while the girls and I work on a puzzle in the cozy living room.

Very private, relaxing, beautiful scenery. Nicely appointed, great "quiet side" location.

This is a really special house! The house is well situated at the southern end of Hodgedon Pond, so both the house and dock feel very private. It's about 20 - 25 minutes to Bar Harbour, Northeast Harbour and even closer to Southwest Harbour, so the location is excellent. The house itself is clean and well laid out. There were several boats available for use, so we had a great time kayaking, canoeing and paddle-boarding on the pond. The pond is small enough that there aren't any motor boats, but large enough to explore and swim. We saw an otter, several beaver, a muskrat, a garter snake, and a number of birds and frogs. The "upper" pond is just a fabulous place to hang out and enjoy the scenery or watch for wildlife. We spent a lot of time in the comfortable chairs available there. I highly recommend this house if you're looking for a quiet, outdoorsy place from which to explore Mount Desert Island.

Comfortable, private cottage on a beautiful pond. Very thoughtfully equipped. Definitely exceeded our expectations. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and look forward to returning!

Very pretty cottage inside and out; clean, spacious,great beds and bedding, beautiful view of pond

I have been coming to MDI for 20 years now, and this is, hands down, the finest property I have ever rented. The location could not be more pristine. If you seek true tranquility and an escape from the noise of everyday life, this is the place for you. I never wanted to leave.

We always look for privacy and quiet when we book vacation rentals, and this one certainly fits the bill. Add charming and beautiful, with unobstructed views of a private lake and the woods of Acadia, and we found the perfect place. An easy and scenery-filled ride to Bar Harbor, Southwest Harbor and Northeast Harbor and to all sections of Acadia, we enjoyed every minute of our week long stay. The owner was helpful and quick to respond to any questions we had. Book it now.

My family of four (including 2 almost 8 year-old boys) loved this home away from home. Very well maintained cottage with everything you need. Great selection of boats on the private dock, and truly a quiet setting with lots of privacy. Often we were the only ones on the pond, with about 10 homes lining one side of the pond. The other side is Acadia park land (no development). You look out to pure nature from the property, and have a great view even from inside the cottage. Our kids delighted in learning how to kayak on easy water, and we loved swimming off the float. We prefer the Quietside of MDI. Less traffic, even during this busy time of year, and you get to feel like a local after a few days of going into Southwest Harbor which is just 20 minutes away. Very short drive to some of the sights and great hikes. We will likely come back again, and have been spoiled by everything this cottage offers. Thank you!!

Beautiful cottage on the water. Had a wonderful time with my family. We enjoyed canoeing and kayaking on the pond, loved the nearby hiking and restaurants. Just fabulous! We hope to return.

What an amazing week! Your beautiful cottage was perfect for our family of 5, and I think we used everything here! Canoe, kayaks, and paddle board were a huge hit - we were out on the pond several times every day - the hammock was delightful, we grilled out and ate on the picnic table, we tried our hardest to catch frogs in the little ponds, we played on the playground and we climbed trees and wandered down to the cemetery to remember those who came before and talk about what life was like long ago. Oh - and the games and books! Those were such a great addition. (Loved the "Growing up in Maine" stories - highly recommended). MDI is gorgeous, the pond is almost ridiculously perfect - it was just a fantastic vacation. Barbara - thank you for sharing your beautiful space! From Grace (age 11): We saw: an eagle, an otter, many frogs, 3 snakes, 4 turtles in the big pond, and 1 in the small ponds, red, blue, yellow and white dragonflies, tadpoles, a dam but no beaver, osprey and the porcupine. We also saw a porpoise and seal in the ocean.

It was a week in paradise. The weather was beautiful, the privacy undisturbed. The calm waters of the pond were so inviting that I swam a couple of times a day. Beautiful scenery, a lot of places to visit on the Mount Desert Island, the land of Acadia national park. Nice local gift galleries and shops. The cottage itself is cozy and comfortable, has everything you need for your getaway in terms of the household items. We loved the wood stove and the grill outside on the patio. I especially loved the hammock for reading my novel, so perfectly positioned to catch the afternoon sun.

What a wonderfully private place! We stayed at cottage Two which had everything imaginable to make our stay comfortable and relaxing. After a day in Bar Harbor, it was so nice to come back to the "quiet side" of the island. The Park Loop with its many beautiful vistas and Jordan Pond House (be sure to order their famous popovers) along the Loop made for a very pleasant day. We enjoyed driving out to Bass Harbor and Southwest Harbor where there are beautiful views and a couple of short, easy hikes along the water. When we first decided to visit Acadia, we were sure that we wanted to be in town (where the action was) but after we chose and saw Hodgdon Pond Farm we quickly realized that was the place for us! Thank you, Barbara for sharing your wonderful cottage with us. We highly recommend it.

We had a wonderful stay at HPF. The property is so beautiful and peaceful. It's about 25 minutes from Bar Harbor so your primary goal should really be enjoying the beauty of MDI and Acadia, but if that's what you're going to MDI for, I couldn't more highly recommend HPF. We traveled with our 1-yr old son and the cottage was perfectly set up for him (booster seat, pack and play, games/toys). Barbara even purchased an infant life jacket for us to use because she didn't have one, which was incredibly kind and thoughtful. My only concern in writing this review is that HPF won't be available when we're ready to return.