Notes from the host
Mckeen's Riverside Retreat
Overlooking tidal Kennebec River. Open year-round.
A relaxing setting to gather with your family, a few friends, or for a getaway. The cabin is in a partly wooded setting with a nice view of the river, and is well away from the main road, so it’s quiet. It’s fully insulated with heat & AC for year-round comfort.
Easy kayak put-in at any tide. Short trail along the riverside.
5 minutes away is Richmond, with stores, restaurants, gas, etc.
This cabin is not the place for loud parties; please see our house rules.
If you decide to book:
1. This property is not a typical lake house, so it’s important that you know what to expect. Please read the description of the grounds below. Swimming is not great here.
2. On your device, please turn on Vrbo notifications. We will communicate with you through Vrbo’s messaging platform.
Below is more complete information about:
* Grounds & outdoor amenities
* Cabin interior & indoor amenities
* Boating & fishing
* Swimming (not ideal at the cabin)
* Nearby places & driving times
* Cleaning fee
* House rules
GROUNDS
The cabin is set back from the river, although there’s a wide view of the river from the cabin. You have full use of the property in front of the cabin, all the way out to the river. The riverfront is in its natural state. The riverbank is steep, but there is a nature trail that brings you to a place where water access is easy. At low tide, there are mud flats with tall marsh grass. See BOATING below about where to put in kayaks.
This property is at the end of a lightly traveled dead-end dirt road, so it’s quiet and safe. The road passes between the cabin and the river.
Our home is in a separate house, across the lawn up behind the cabin.
Please see our MAP of the property — it's in among the photos of the cabin.
OUTDOOR AMENITIES (Apr-Oct)
There's a campfire ring & free firewood, plenty of lawn chairs, a picnic table, a gas grill, a big lawn with some shade, a swing set, a hammock, a corn hole game, space for tents, and we provide 2 canoes and 4 kayaks with life vests & paddles.
CABIN INTERIOR
The cabin’s interior is intentionally rustic and reminiscent of an old-time Maine “camp”. The bathroom and bedrooms are small. Besides those rooms, the larger part of the cabin is open-concept. We stay at many other vacation rentals and we take note of what's not so good, and then make improvements to our cabin accordingly. Our goal is to have anything you might need already in the cabin.
Please see our FLOOR PLAN of the cabin — it's in among our photos.
The cabin’s basement is not part of the rental: that’s where we keep our tools, and we may sometimes go down there through an outside entrance during your stay.
INDOOR AMENITIES
There is sleeping for 10, kitchen, dining set, small bathroom with shower (no tub), living area, heat pump/AC, electric fireplace, WiFi, Roku TV with streaming and local over-the-air stations, Blu Ray player & movies, stereo w/Bluetooth, and a large covered porch. No meals are served, although coffee & tea are provided with the Keurig. A complete list of kitchenware is available upon request. The bunk beds are in the common area.
BOATING
At low tide, there are mud flats with grass, so to avoid the mud, there is a short trail to the boat put-in, with two kayaks kept there so you don't have to carry kayaks down from the cabin.
Please see our MAP of the property — it's in among the photos of the cabin.
The tidal current is gentle and easy to overcome when paddling. Strong wind however, can create a challenge. To see a tide table for your dates here, do a search for ‘marine weather Richmond Maine tides’.
• Kayaks: we provide several kayaks; most are sit-in, some are sit-on, one tandem, and one youth size.
• Canoes: we provide two 3-person canoes.
• Motorboats: if you bring a motorboat, there’s a public boat ramp on the opposite side of the river in Richmond (5 minutes away) for launching at any tide level.
HIKING
We have a nature trail that runs along the river’s edge for a round-trip hike of 0.5 mile.
We also have a list of nearby hikes you can drive to.
FISHING
At the end of our nature trail, there is a popular fishing spot. Upon booking, we will send you links to Maine’s fishing regs and license application (license required to fish.) Striped Bass are what most people catch.
SWIMMING
For the best swimming, there is a small public park with lakefront swimming about 20 minutes away, and two choices of ocean beaches about an hour away to the south. Swimming at the cabin is possible, but not good. There is no sandy beach at the cabin.
NEARBY PLACES and DRIVING TIMES
5 minutes away is Richmond with restaurants, pub, gas, stores, laundry and ice cream.
We are also next to Swan Island Wildlife Management Area, with tours, trails and historic buildings.
Within 20 to 30 minutes are more restaurants, shopping, attractions, and services. A more complete listing, including day trips and hiking trails, is in a binder in the cabin.
Driving times from the cabin to...
Augusta 28 min north
Bath 21 min south
Bar Harbor & Acadia NP 2 h 33 min east
Boothbay Harbor 38 min south
Boston 2 h 28 min south
Brunswick 31 min south
Express Care in Gardiner 17 min north
Freeport 36 min south
Gardiner 20 min north
Hallowell 26 min north
Harpswell 45 min south
Popham Beach 46 min south
Portland 50 min south
Richmond 5 min west
Rockland 1 h 3 min east
Waldoboro 43 min east
Wiscasset 19 min east
HOUSE RULES
* No parties
* Reasonable quiet after 10 PM
* No smoking inside
* Clean up before check-out
* Provide addresses & phone numbers info for all adults
* Dogs welcome, but no cats inside
* No fireworks
CLEANING FEE
This is a once-per-stay amount that pays a cleaner to come after check-out and launder linens & towels, make beds, vacuum, restock, clean surfaces, disinfect, and clean the grille. Otherwise, we ask that you leave the cabin and the grounds as you found it.
Thanks. -Kevin & Jacki
