Activities at the Estate

Registered guests are warmly welcome to use the following infrastructure (free of charge) found in the common area:

  • Sauna
  • Campfire Pits
  • BBQ Grills & Picnic Tables
  • Camp Kitchen
  • Horseshoes
  • Yoga/Meditation Platform
  • Kayaks
  • Stand Up Paddleboards (SUP's)
  • Fishing

While staying at the Estate, guests may also take advantage of the following resources, available on request from local service providers:

  • Pontoon Boat Rentals (see below)
  • Sailboat Boat & Peddle Boat Rentals (see below)
  • Boat Dockage & Moring Buoys at Silverlaken
  • NEW! Yoga & Pilates Instruction onsite at Silverlaken's lakefront.  Check out this link for detail.

Silverlaken Sauna

High praise from Scandinavian guests:

“Thank you for the kind service and beautiful estate. The sauna was especially great and authentic. This is coming from two Finnish people!  The best sauna we have encountered in the USA! We are 2 satisfied Finns.”

A sauna can be more than relaxing.   It is a place to cleanse body and soul. An opportunity to nurture ourselves as we retreat from the outer world.  The solitude and serenity of a lakeside sauna promotes introspection and relaxation.

Here is how to take your Silverlaken Sauna experience to the next level:n

  • It's not a competition to see who can stay in the sauna the longest- breaks should be taken to cool down.
  • Infrared saunas are a joke. Colored lights, aromatic fragrances and relaxing music have nothing to do with true sauna. Real Finnish saunas are dimly lit, there’s no music or smells except for fresh cedar wood and the sound of löyly (the steam that comes off hot rocks when water hits them).
  • In groups, women and men go to sauna separately, but families go together.
  • Don’t eat too much before your sweat ritual - consider sauna a form of exercise. You wouldn’t go running on a full stomach, the same goes for spending time in the sauna.
  • Don’t enter the sauna until it’s at your preferred temperature, it is worth the wait.
  • While in the sauna, sit on a towel in an upright position. Keep your hands relaxed in your lap. Focus on the experience of the heat and how it feels against your skin.
  • After admiring the view of the lake, close your eyes and concentrate on your breathing. Breath through your mouth and note how it feels each time you exhale and inhale the warm air.
  • If your thoughts begin to wander - gently bring them back to focusing on your breathing.
  • As you start sweating - visualize the sweating as a cleansing process, clearing your body from stress and negative emotions.
  • Once out of the sauna, it’s the perfect time to exfoliate, shower and shave.

Campfires

Help us keep invasive species (like the Emerald Ash Beetle) in check by using our local firewood and never bring your own firewood from outside of Wyoming County. It is actually against the law to transport firewood across county lines.  Don’t worry, we provide plenty of free firewood!

Firewood Satchel

 

 A pile of split firewood is centrally located near the lodge building.  Next to the firewood you will find: Kindling Choppers Firewood Satchels Fire Starters Kits & Lighters Cardboard (from the recycle bin)

First satchel of firewood is free. Additional satchels may be purchased by leaving $5 for each satchel load in the honor box next to the firewood pile.   The money is donated to our local church and is used to help community members in need

Campfire Pits

Consult the Estate Map for the location of the firepits.  In order to foster social distancing during the pandemic:n

  • Lodge guests should use the firepit #2 in front of the lodge.
  • Lakefront Cottage guests should use firepit #3 behind the cottage.
  • All other guests are welcome to use either the main firepit (#1) in the common area or any of auxiliary firepits (#4, #5, #6).

 

The firepits are positioned with the prevailing wind in mind, but kindly select a different firepit if smoke is blowing directly towards guest accommodations. In order to avoid embers landing on the rental units, tents and boats, please use only the designated campfire pits.

Special Notes for Water Activities

Swimming

We do not offer a formal swimming area at Silverlaken, but guest often paddle out on the kayaks and cool off in the water. The Perry Public Beach is just a few miles away at the North East end of the lake as well.

Boat Rentals

www.PaddleSailSmile.com is based next to the Silverlaken Lodge and offers kayak rentals, peddle boats, sunfish & catamaran sailing. Please contact them directly for rates and availability.

Powerboats rentals are available at Silverlakemarine.com. If you wish to rent a pontoon boat, please contact the marina well in advance of your trip to make a reservation as their fleets gets booked fast in the summer.

Complementary Watercraft at Silverlaken

The following watercraft are found in the common area at the Estate and offered free of charge to registered guests.

  • 1 Blue Mini Kayak for a Small Child
  • 10 Red Kayaks
  • 4 SUP (Stand Up Paddleboards)

First come-first serve:  there is no formal reservation system for use of the boats.  Consider limiting your use of the craft to 1 hour or less during weekends or busy periods to ensure all guests have a chance to have fun.

 

Watercraft are used at your own risk.  Please don't use the watercraft if you are not a strong swimmer or don’t know how to paddle.

 

  • Life jackets are required by law. To ensure a proper fit, please bring your own life jackets.  There are some extra jackets in the outdoor box near the boats but no guarantee they will fit every guest comfortably.
  • Check the weather. Wind can easily push you and your boat far away from the Estate.
  • Please stay close to shore when paddling.
  • Watercraft without navigational lighting are not allowed on the lake after dark for safety reasons, per local laws.
  • For your safety, please be sure to wear some type of footwear when standing in the water or walking around the lakefront. Shoes will protect you from the occasional leech or sharp shellfish that live in the Finger Lakes region.
  • Guests are responsible for lost or damaged equipment.
  • Please return the boat/paddles/life jackets to the assigned spot in the common area.

Dockage/ Launch Ramp

A lunch ramp with parking area is found less than a mile from Silverlaken at the Silver Lake State Park.

If agreed in advance, certain docks at Silverlaken may be used to tie up your boat during your stay. In the event of strong winds or large boats, you may need to pull your boat out of the water at the end of the day, as the docks are residential duty rather than commercial.

Fishing

A valid New York State fishing license is required for ages 16 and up.  You may find small pan fish under the docks at Silverlaken, but larger game fish inhabit the deeper water about 50 feet off the shore, along the weed bed.

Please do not fillet your fish at Silverlaken and never dispose of fish guts on the estate grounds or trash bins.

Guests must be very careful when fishing from our shore or docks and never leave sharp hooks and tackle on the ground.

The nearest bait shop is located on West Lake Road about 1 mile away.

The Silver Lake State Park at South End of the lake offers 1000 feet of shoreline, suitable for fishing.