Moosehead Lodge, Bass Lake

About this listing

Short Summary

Luxurious Log Cabin Nestled in the Mountains

Summary

Moosehead Lodge (est. 2002) is a luxurious retreat blending 64 years of family history. Ideal for reunions, adventures, and getaways, it offers a serene escape with scenic Sierra views, lakeside days, and cozy evenings by an outdoor fireplace. Enjoy spa-like baths, a gourmet kitchen, and rustic elegance. Close to Bass Lake, Yosemite, and ski resorts, it’s 1.5 miles from the lake for tranquility, yet spacious for families and groups. A perfect blend of comfort, nature, and elegance.

Notes

Please remember this is the mountains. There are mosquitoes, bats, bugs, and bears. Please remember repellent and have a “Great Outdoors” attitude if a bat finds its way into the house. Just please don’t break everything as you swing the broom around to swish it back outside!!!

Access

Guests will have access to all areas of the house except the basement which will be locked unless it has been rented for your stay. Please contact me for details.

Transit

There is ample parking at the property for your vehicles as well as a large parking area for your boat and trailer should you bring one. There is no public transportation but rental cars are available in Oakhurst.

Interaction

It would love to be able to meet all of my guests in person to introduce them to the cabin. However, I am typically moving around and traveling myself. I will do my best to address any questions you have online or by telephone.

Neighbourhood

We are only 1.5 miles to the boat launch ramp and 2 miles from Miller’s Landing where you can rent a boat or jet skis if you didn’t bring your own. The south entrance to Yosemite is just about 25 miles away.

Go to the lake and rent a boat or jet ski, or just hang out by the water. Slide down the natural rock slide at the Falls where the snow water comes into the lake. Take a drive up to Yosemite. It is beautiful all year long. Take a train ride on a steam powered locomotive in Fish Camp. Hike on the trails around the lake. Take the kids to the Children’s Museum in Oakhurst. Go to the Chukchansi Casino in Coarsegold. Or just relax on the deck and enjoy doing nothing!

Space

What makes Moosehead Lodge so desirable to those who visit is the spaciousness of the cabin. It is large yet cozy and all who visit marvel over the fact that they can share the house with that many people and yet still feel that they have privacy. The 3 acre property is wooded and very quiet.

Please note: Bedroom 6 is a loft room and is not private.

The basement room is available for an additional fee of $150 per night. It has another queen bedroom, full bathroom, and full kitchen. There is also a large open area perfect for yoga retreats or other times when large open space is needed.

Madera County Business License B0107375

House Manual

Using the Home
We have tried to make the home as user friendly as possible even for the most technically challenged….(like the owner!) Here are just a few of the basics that will hopefully help should a challenge arise.

Internet:
I have the fastest internet possible from Ponderosa Telephone. The router is behind the TV in the living room. The network is SmithNetwork_5GHz and the password is moosehead. Please remember you are in the mountains. Having said that, the internet can be a bit spotty at times. Especially if there is a storm. If you have any issues with the internet while you are enjoying the cabin please call tech support at 1-800-682-1878.

Television:
There is a Roku in the great room that has lapps in which guests can log in to their accounts. Satellite and/or cable are not provided at this time. We intentionally do not have TVs anywhere else as this is where we come to recharge and reset and be together and the lack of electronics everywhere fosters that environment 🙂

Movies:
We have a large collection of DVD’s for you to choose from and a DVD player under the TV.

Fans:
The switch for the fans is on the log wall in the great room that leads to the dining room. It is the split switch.

Water:
Please be aware that we are on a well. This is quite different from city water in that you can actually RUN OUT! We have set a maximum occupancy at 14 as that is about as much as the holding tank can handle before it needs recovery and fill time. I strongly advise if you are at capacity with your guests you try to not all take showers, baths, wash dishes, and do laundry at the same time. If you do happen to drain the tank it will take several hours to fill back up.

Septic:
Regarding the septic, ABSOLUTELY do not flush ANY wet wipes or feminine products in the toilets. This WILL clog the system and unfortunately you will be held responsible for the costs to unclog it. Also, please do not put anything except liquid in the garbage disposal. Use a can for collection of grease and dispose of food scraps and solid cooled grease in the trash cans. Again, this backs up the system and can result in a hefty fine to have the septic lines and leach fields pumped.

Owner’s Requests:
We are happy to share our home with you but would kindly make a few requests so that we can continue to keep the costs down and the house available for years to come.

First and foremost, please be mindful that you are in a quiet neighborhood with full time residents. Respect at all times is required for us to be able to continue sharing our home with others. Please stay on our property only and do not wander onto others land. Use of guns, smoking, trash, loud music, partying, etc. that you would not want next door to your own personal house please do not do at ours.

We know eating is one of the best parts of vacationing but please contain the food to the eating areas. This especially applies to young children who love to wander around the house with sticky hands and leave crumb trails. In addition to keeping the house clean, it will help to deter the ants, spiders and bugs that love to come in and search for food. We have also provided plenty of coasters to use for your beverages.

Trash. Please close bags tightly and place them in the laundry room during your stay. We have raccoon and bear that will come get into the trash and take it all over the yard. Do NOT leave trash on the decks front or back as the bear will climb up and rip into it. Yes, bears. You are in the woods and they love your trash. If by chance a bear does get in the trash, please kindly pick it up, re-bag it.

Please be mindful of the cost of electricity. We designed the house to have a nice cross breeze in the summertime months and the logs act as a great insulator of heat in the winter. Please only use the AC and heater if absolutely necessary. If you must use them and you leave for the day please turn them off. In spite of the size of the house, it really does cool down and heat up quickly. Also keeping lights off in rooms you are not using would be greatly appreciated.

We have provided games for all ages to enjoy. We ask that the cards in the small upper drawer of the hutch only be used by adults or under adult supervision so they remain full decks. There are incomplete decks of cards, as well as kid’s card games, for the little kids to play with so if a card goes missing it won’t hinder the adult games!

Smoking is not allowed anywhere on the property. I have no problem with the fact that you might smoke but the logs absorb the smell like a sponge and it is a huge fire hazard to smoke outside. Please, please, please respect our wishes regarding this.

As some of you may or may not know, Bass Lake has been home to some horrendous and devastating wildfires in the last few years due to extreme drought conditions. Unfortunately, while we have four gorgeous fireplaces only two of them are usable at this time because of the fire hazard. The two fireplaces in the downstairs master bedrooms can still be enjoyed as they are operated by gas.

Kitchen and Bath Usage and Cleaning

There are a few small requests that we have to ask if/when you are cleaning.

Kitchen:
Please be mindful that the stainless steel in the kitchen will scratch. Please only use either stainless steel cleaner or just a small amount of dish soap and water to clean it with. Also, please wipe the direction of the grain because, again, it will scratch if rubbed the wrong way.

If you mop the kitchen floor please use only a damp cloth or mop with Murphy’s Oil Soap and water. It is real wood and too much water will damage it and cause it to warp.

There are two cycles on the trash compactor. The solid pack will lock the compactor so please flip the switch to finish the cycle before trying to yank it open. Also, PLEASE USE ONLY TRASH COMPACTOR BAGS IN THE COMPACTOR. Thin bags will break open when your trash is crushed. To open the compactor, step on the lever at the bottom. Please do not yank on the handle.

Please do not put eggs shells, strawberry stems, stringy veggies, grease, or any other non-garbage disposal friendly items in the garbage disposal. Please see notes on the septic tank for further instructions.

The range is a fun one from Italy. Looks great but sometimes confusing to use. The manual is in the drawer next to it and You Tube will be your friend if you can’t figure it out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXapFYpcaWQ

Bathrooms: VERY IMPORTANT INFO HERE!!!
The showers are made with natural slate so please be sure to rinse any cleaners off completely to avoid discoloration or build up.

Do NOT flush any tampons or sanitary napkins in the toilets. Not only will the toilets clog but the septic tank will too.
Do NOT flush wet wipes in the toilet. Even if they say they are septic safe they clog the system. You will be responsible for pumping and repair.

VERY IMPORTANT!!! In the master bathroom the shower door opens into the toilet. IT WILL BREAK IF YOU HIT IT TOO HARD! Please do not let your small children use it without supervision and please advise everyone of all ages to be very careful.

The upstairs bathroom shower curtain does not completely cover the back part of the shower. Please make sure the curtain is inside the tub or propped up along the back so water will not leak out onto the wood floor.