PERFECT FAMILY GETAWAY! Historic CRYSTAL SPRINGS INN is all yours - 4,000 sq ft! - Baxter

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Entire home

Snow happens! We get a bit of the white stuff every now and again.

Welcome to the front porch! We typically use the kitchen door for the main entry

Welcome to the Front Porch, where lots of both sitting and sipping happen!

Overview
Amenities
Policies
Location
Host

Exceptional

5 bedrooms2 bathroomsSleeps 20371.6 sq m

Popular amenities

Dryer
Pet-friendly
Washer
Parking available
Fireplace

Explore the area

ALTA, CA

Sons of Norway Recreation Center
‪3 min drive‬
Rollins Lake
‪16 min drive‬
Scotts Flat Lake
‪49 min drive‬
Auburn, CA (AUN-Auburn Municipal)
‪30 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

5 bedrooms (sleeps 20)

Amazonite (2nd floor)

1 Double Bed

Amethyst Room (2nd floor)

1 Double Bed

Jade Suite

1 Queen Bed

Rose Quartz Room (2nd floor)

1 King Bed and 1 Child Bed

Tourmaline (2nd Floor) FAMILY SUITE

4 Single Bunk Beds, 3 Double Beds and 1 Double Futon

2 bathrooms

1st Floor Jade Suite private

Toilet · Shower only

1st Floor Main Bath (Parlor)

Bathtub · Toilet

2nd Floor main bath (shared)

Toilet · Shower only

2nd Floor TOURMALINE bathroom

Bathtub or shower · Toilet

Spaces

Porch or lanai

Kitchen

Outdoor play area

Garden

Dining area

About this property

PERFECT FAMILY GETAWAY! Historic CRYSTAL SPRINGS INN is all yours - 4,000 sq ft!

NEW! We are now offering 2-night minimums through the winter and spring! Perfect family getaway for any time of year - Our beautiful, historic 1890's Victorian Farmhouse (5 bed/4 bath) features a swimming pool (not a winter option - open from mid-May to mid-September only!), fire pit (when allowed by county), a relaxing front porch and plenty of space to spread out. We normally operate as a Bed & Breakfast during winter, but with the COVID crisis we decided on whole home rentals to share our wonderful home. Lots of local activities and our home will accommodate up to 20 guests (with shared beds) making it the perfect getaway for your friends, family or both! We do see a bit of snow in the winter time, and our large yard is perfect for snow play. We can set up badminton in the front yard, bean bag toss, and help you plan the perfect family activities. We have wi-fi available (as well as excellent cell phone coverage), but we encourage you to disconnect and enjoy your surroundings. We have a large well stocked kitchen for your meals (we can also recommend a local caterer that delivers), a parlor, media room, study and dining area, along with 5 bedrooms (one bedroom is a suite that has 3 sleeping areas - we call it the Bunk House) and 4 baths. Each room has a TV and DVD player and we have an extensive DVD inventoried library. Our location is perfect for almost every outdoor adventure. Hiking, fishing (lakes and rivers), rafting, the PCT, boating, skiing & snowboarding, even rock climbing are all within 30 minutes of Alta. Some even start a morning hike right outside our front door. We are approximately one hour from the Reno or Sacramento Airports and 45 minutes from Truckee and a few minutes more to Lake Tahoe.

Property manager

Jenn Sellers-Rein

Premier Host

Languages

English

Add dates for prices

Amenities

Pool

Kitchen

Washer

Dryer

Pet-friendly

Free WiFi

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Kitchen
Washer
Dryer
Pet-friendly

House Rules

Check in after 4:00 PM

Minimum age to rent: 21

Check out before 12:00 PM

Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17

We do have an unfenced pool in the front yard

Events

Events allowed

No loud parties past 10pm outside. No ragers

Pets

Pets allowed

Pet fee required determined on an individual basis

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Smoking is allowed on front porch only

Fire pit is not to be used on "no burn days". We will communicate the counties policies weekly.

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy

Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges

Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed

Parties and events are allowed on site

Note from host: No loud parties past 10pm outside. No ragers

Host has indicated that there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property

Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property

Safety features at this property include a deadlock

We should mention

A car is required for transport to and from this property

About the area

Alta

Located in Alta, this holiday home is in a rural area and on a river. Malakoff Diggins-North Bloomfield Historic District and Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum are local landmarks, and some of the area's activities can be experienced at Montoliva Vineyard & Winery and Scotts Flat Lake. Grass Valley-Nevada County Chamber of Commerce and Nevada County Fairgrounds are also worth visiting. Enjoy the area's slopes with cross-country skiing and snowboarding, and don't miss out on the sledging.

ALTA, CA

What's nearby

Sons of Norway Recreation Center - 3 min drive - 3.3 km
Rollins Lake - 16 min drive - 17.3 km
Empire Mine State Historic Park - 34 min drive - 41.4 km
Nevada County Fairgrounds - 36 min drive - 45.3 km
Scotts Flat Lake - 49 min drive - 36.4 km

Getting around

Colfax Station - 15 min drive
Sacramento, CA (SMF-Sacramento Intl.) - 73 min drive

Restaurants

‪Monte Vista Inn - ‬4 min drive
‪Mountain Springs Hitch N Post - ‬6 min drive
‪C & J's Cafe - ‬3 min drive
‪Sierra Energy Express - ‬4 min drive
‪Krispy Krunchy Chicken - ‬4 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Does PERFECT FAMILY GETAWAY! Historic CRYSTAL SPRINGS INN is all yours - 4,000 sq ft! have a pool?

Yes, this property has an outdoor pool.

Is PERFECT FAMILY GETAWAY! Historic CRYSTAL SPRINGS INN is all yours - 4,000 sq ft! pet-friendly?

Yes, pets are allowed at this property.

What time is check-in at PERFECT FAMILY GETAWAY! Historic CRYSTAL SPRINGS INN is all yours - 4,000 sq ft!?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at PERFECT FAMILY GETAWAY! Historic CRYSTAL SPRINGS INN is all yours - 4,000 sq ft!?

Checkout is at 12:00 PM.

Where is PERFECT FAMILY GETAWAY! Historic CRYSTAL SPRINGS INN is all yours - 4,000 sq ft! located?

Situated on a river, this holiday home is 2 mi (3.2 km) from Sons of Norway Recreation Center and within 12 miles (20 km) of Tahoe National Forest and Rollins Lake. Stevens Trail Trailhead and Auburn State Recreation Area are also within 20 miles (32 km).

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.

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9.8/10

Cleanliness

9.8/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

9.6/10

Location

10/10

Listing accuracy

10/10 Excellent

Kathryn M.

20 June 2023

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Absolutely loved our time here.

The owners are very accommodating. Really easy check in and very clean. Enough room for everyone. They have so much to do here. My adult kids said it was like being at summer camp. Hope to stay here again.

Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

Ellen S.

15 August 2024

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Ideal large family home

Wish we had added a couple more days. This place has it all, so well equipped with everything you need and might want for playing together. Enough privacy with the many bedrooms, too. Pool shows not heated on the site but very comfortable temp. Host Jenn was great to work with

Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Amy O.

15 July 2023

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Perfect week

Our family, including our children and grandchildren, spent a fantastic week at the Crystal Springs house. The whole property is awesome. The outdoor space is so fun with all the yard games and a pool. The house is huge, beautifully decorated, well stocked and so homey! We can’t wait to come back!

Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

edel h.

12 December 2024

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication

Thanksgiving 2024

Large, rustic, very comfortable space, we felt very much at home. As previous guests have commented the freeway noise was an issue for some of our guests, others had no problem. IF coming in the winter months I would suggest bringing extra blankets if you do not want to run the heating all night. Our host was very helpful and accommodating. We may have to come back in Summer months enjoy the swimming pool.

Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2024

8/10 Good

Rita B.

3 August 2023

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great rental! Yes, there is freeway noise

Great rental! Lots of space and bathrooms. First place I've ever stayed that has sharp kitchen knives! Yes, the freeway noise is very loud outside and with the windows open. But, once people start talking and socializing, you no longer hear the freeway.

Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Craig W.

13 June 2024

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

best vacation ever

entire family were able to come together for a 5 day get together. House was fantastic. No problems. All 16 of us had plenty of room. They had games for out on the lawn, and in the house in the evening.The kitchen table was large enough to fit all of us at once. Jenn was just a phone call away and extremely helpful. If the house is available we have already planned to go back next year

Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

Rebecca S., San Francisco

21 August 2023

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, listing accuracy

Extra-special birthday weekend with family

This was the most beautiful get together our family has spend it a while. The property itself has a personality and history. It’s equipped with everything a large family could want: big spaces to spent time together for meals, tv nights, games, outdoor activities including a swimming pool, plus rooms and nooks to have alone time and relax for a nap. It’s close to hiking trails (which you have to drive to) and close the freeway which is the only drawback. But we didn’t mind that at all!

Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Robert H.

18 August 2023

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Idyllic Large Family Gathering Home

We had a large family gathering to celebrate Grandma’s birthday. The home and grounds are perfect, comfortable and well stocked. Bring your own equipment if you have a baby. Good communication with Jenn and Jody and easy entry. The house was quiet even with all our crew. Lots of fun outdoor activities in the yard and scenic walks and bike rides nearby. Get your supplies before you get there…closest large grocery store over 10 minutes away.

Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Shelley J.

8 July 2023

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fun time for everyone

Our yearly family/bff family trip was awesome, house was great, playing poker and some card games was nice….house is really big and had a lot of room for everyone… we had 20 sleeping there.. had almost everything needed, the only thing that would have been even better would have been air conditioning, they have wall coolers but doesn’t really cool down until like 4am… other than that, pool was nice and the yard is quite big…and we made more memories. Thanks Jenn hope to see you in the future

Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Melissa R.

15 August 2023

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great friends reunion

This was our second time staying at Crystal Springs. We were a friends group of 18 people, with the youngest being 8 yrs old. We had a fantastic time talking on the porch, swimming in the pool, playing ping pong and corn hole. There was ample space for all of us to relax and sleep. The upstairs kids room did get very hot, but we were able to adjust the portable A/C and fans to make it cooler. We arranged for a local caterer to make dinner for us every night which was a nice treat- they made delicious desserts too. Jenn was very responsive. Rollins lake wasn’t too far away and we rented boats one day. Excellent vacation home.

Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

28 June 2022

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Don’t look any further, just book this house!!!

Crystal springs was more than any of us imagined. The house is huge and spread out so no one felt on top of each other. Any kitchen utensil you could ever imagine can be easily found. None in our group could think of one down side to this house. The porch with the rocking chair was perfect for the adults to gather and watch the kids in the deep end of the pool. The game cabinets are amazing! Rollins lake is close by to rent boats, kayaks, and SUPs. Jenn was an awesome and thoughtful host who also connected us to a wonderful caterer who cooked dinner and dessert for us every night. This is a perfect home for a big group of friends or family.

Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2022

10/10 Excellent

Gary A.

13 September 2022

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

California Dreaming

Each year we plan a family reunion someplace in the country. This was a special year as we were going to celebrate the birth of my first grandson. After an extensive search we choose this house. We eventually had 16 people come for the reunion. The perfect house is one that you show up, open the door and everything is already in place. I arrived at the house and opened the door. Not only was everything in place but the owners showed up a few minutes after my arrival to make sure we had everything we needed. The only thing we needed was food for a week. EVERYTHING you could ever want or need was there. We only had to supply the food and the FUN. Even the weather was perfect. I told the owners we had planned some day trips to local points of interest. The response was that everyone tells her that, but most people just stay at the house and enjoy the pool. And that is exactly what we did. It was a perfect week.

Stayed 6 nights in Aug 2022

10/10 Excellent

Michael G.

6 September 2022

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Amazing house!

We love ver this place. A few families with kids stayed here, the house had all we could have wanted!

Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2022

10/10 Excellent

Patricia R.

2 September 2022

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wonderful stay

This house is simply fabulous, very easy to get to it, Jenn and Jody were very kind and very easy to communicate with them, it was a family reunion to celebrate our anniversary and all our guests left very happy from their stay in this place and thinking that they want to return at the next family reunion!

Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2022

10/10 Excellent

Shirley S., East Brunswick. New Jersey. USA

23 July 2022

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Annual family gathering

We had the best time at this lovely home. The gracious porch allowed for family fun including game playing, ping pong, and snacking. My family loves to cook and the kitchen was so well appointed, allowing for creative meals. Amenities like storage containers, spices, fabulous cookware were appreciated. Even though the house had no air conditioning, we found the rooms totally comfortable. The best was the beautiful pool where so many hours of fun and laughter were enjoyed. Quiet time on the hammock was so delightful. Everyone in my family agreed that we would definitely be back again!

Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

William M., Portland, OR USA

21 July 2022

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Kitchen, Front Porch, Yard, and Pool

Overall, this property is excellent for extended family stays. We had 13 people plus a dog in our party and there was plenty of room. The kitchen was well stocked and was large enough for 3-4 people doing some cooking. The front porch (my favorite part) was perfect to sit, have a beverage, and watch the kids in the pool. The yard is large and fenced in. Perfect for a dog. The pool was clean and the kids loved it. The owners are very responsive and the neighbors are super nice. The neighborhood is not the best place to walk a dog because some parts of the streets had no shoulder, but we did anyways and had no issues. The only compliant I have was my wife and I got stuck with a double-sized bed. No fault of the owners or of the property because it is fully disclosed on the listing. Just be beware that a double-sized bed is very small for two average size adults. Overall, the property is in good shape but could use a little TLC. Maybe a little paint here and a screw tightening there; but no major issues. Everything worked as expected. I highly recommend this property for large family gatherings who just want to relax and hangout with each other. A big "Thank You" goes out to Jodi (co-owner) for taking care of us during our stay.

Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Nancy B., Kihei, Hi

1 November 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Special place to stay with a group of people that has character

Great experience. The house has so much charm, character and history to it. Love the property and location and overall vibe. Owners are very friendly and accommodating.

Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2021

8/10 Good

John R.

8 August 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great large space for multi-family gathering

A group of friends from across the country all converged here. Easy to get to from SAC/Bay ARea airports. Pool is wonderful on hot summer days. Very spacious with plenty of beds/private spaces. Big kitchen and front porch for hanging.

Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2021

10/10 Excellent

Jeannette M.

8 July 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Perfect vacation house

A welcoming and well-stocked mansion with tons of character. Kids loved the pool. Great place to hang out with friends. Beautiful trees. Good kitchen. Very helpful hosts.

Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2021

10/10 Excellent

Josh G.

14 December 2020

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Such a great home

Jenn was an excellent host and always so quick to respond to questions and very accommodating. She really made us feel at home and my family loved the house. Definitely hoping to stay here again in the future.

Stayed 4 nights in Nov 2020

10/10 Excellent

Kate M., California, USA

28 September 2020

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great Getaway

This house was perfect for my family. We truly enjoyed our stay. The kitchen was very well equipped. We really liked sitting on the porch and drinking wine.

Stayed 5 nights in Sep 2020

10/10 Excellent

Ryan S.

17 September 2020

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Slow relaxing stay in the mountains

Everything was as advertised. There were 5 of us and we loved the home. We used the kitchen 2-3 times per day for the duration of the trip. The property managers were great at communicating and provided recommendations and warm conversation. Couldn't have been better.

Stayed 6 nights in Sep 2020

10/10 Excellent

Amy S., San Carlos, CA

14 September 2020

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Unique and Lovely Property

The pictures of this place don't do it justice- it is much bigger and more beautiful than we envisioned! Jenn was very proactive in her communication and responded to everything we needed. There was smoke from nearby fires and she even messaged me to give me a heads up prior to our last payment being due. It is this "customer first" mentality that she displayed throughout our trip. The house itself is a huge, sprawling property with lots of little touches to make it feel like home. We had six kids and appreciated the games, crayons, and space to run and ride scooters. The beds were comfortable and they had the best stocked kitchen that we had ever seen- huge bonus! We also really enjoyed the patio and did spend hours sipping and sitting. :) A couple of things to note- this is close to the highway so you always hear cars buzzing by (it becomes white noise after awhile). We were there when it was 90+ degrees and the pool was still really cold- only reached 70 degrees. It was dirty when we arrived. Finally, Jenn greeted our party upon arrival to give us a tour. Nice gesture but it lasted way too long after a long car ride in traffic with kids. We turned down the offer to do a walk-thru at the end for the same reason. Highly recommend this place for a relaxing getaway!

Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2020

10/10 Excellent

melissa R.

24 August 2020

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Family Fun

This is a spacious house with plenty of room for all. We enjoyed this property very much, the bunk house had great space and the parlor provided hours and hours of entertainment and sing alongs. With 10 adults and 8 teens/tweens, there was something for everyone. The yard provided plenty of space for activities and the pool was hit. I was so happy to see everyone disconnect from their devices and engage with each other. Nobody wanted it to end (including the teens). Looking forward to a return trip.

10/10 Excellent

Trish L.

4 August 2020

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great escape!

We had such a wonderful family vacation here! Fun times in the pool and we played games into the evening hours. Thank you Jenn and Jodi for an amazing property and being such great hosts. We highly recommend for families.

Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2020

About the host

Hosted by Jenn Sellers-Rein

We're Jenn and Jodi Sellers-Rein. We relocated to Alta, CA after spending the last 25 years living in Southern California and we couldn't be happier about our choice of both home and location. It's been an amazingly welcoming community. We operate Crystal Springs Inn as a Bed and Breakfast at most times, but we're giving this whole home rental a try because we know how special our home is and want to share it. We thoroughly enjoy hosting, but we also enjoy traveling in our RV during the off-season.
We've only been here since March of 2018, and we've been operating as a B&B since November of 2018, after getting to know the quirks of living in a house that's almost 130 year old. The previous owners of Crystal Springs had it completely renovated in 1989, so though the house is celebrating 130 years in 2020, the plumbing and electric is only 30, which saves a lot of headache in maintenance.

Why they chose this property

We like to say this property found us, because it did! In fall of 2017 our youngest started college - and our ties to SoCal were almost done - Both of our kids were in college in Northern California so we knew we were headed north. When we started our search we initially had a campground setting in mind - small house, lots of land to build tiny houses and yurts... Then this house called, so we jumped in head first and the campground idea faded rather quickly. We're still looking to expand the guest experience and may eventually build cabins or yurts on the property, but for now we're having fun sharing Crystal Springs with both old and new friends.

What makes this property unique

The whole experience of staying here at Crystal Springs is quite relaxing. Our high-speed internet is limited (Starlink is our provider but no gaming - blame the mountains), so its a great place to disconnect from electronic stress and reconnect with friends and family. Our area has lots of offer for activities, but we find that the best memories are made on the front porch, rocking in the rocking chairs and sipping a tea or glass of wine (or bourbon!). That's where you'll find us most mornings and evenings, along with a few of our great neighbors that drop by for visiting. We have an open door policy when we're here, and it's lead to lots of new friends and a ton of fun.
We normally operate as a Bed & Breakfast during winter time, but for now we've decided to live in our RV while you get to have the Crystal Springs Inn all to yourselves! See you soon!

Languages:

English

Premier Host

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PERFECT FAMILY GETAWAY! Historic CRYSTAL SPRINGS INN is all yours - 4,000 sq ft!

Photo gallery for PERFECT FAMILY GETAWAY! Historic CRYSTAL SPRINGS INN is all yours - 4,000 sq ft!

Reviews

Popular amenities

Explore the area

Rooms & beds

5 bedrooms (sleeps 20)

Amazonite (2nd floor)

Amethyst Room (2nd floor)

Jade Suite

Rose Quartz Room (2nd floor)

Tourmaline (2nd Floor) FAMILY SUITE

2 bathrooms

1st Floor Jade Suite private

1st Floor Main Bath (Parlor)

2nd Floor main bath (shared)

2nd Floor TOURMALINE bathroom

Spaces

About this property

PERFECT FAMILY GETAWAY! Historic CRYSTAL SPRINGS INN is all yours - 4,000 sq ft!

Property manager

Languages

Add dates for prices

Amenities

Have a question?

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House Rules

Children

Events

Pets

Smoking

Important information

You need to know

We should mention

About the area

Alta

What's nearby

Getting around

Restaurants

Frequently asked questions

Reviews

Exceptional

9.8/10

9.8/10

10/10

9.6/10

10/10

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Kathryn M.

Absolutely loved our time here.

Kathryn M.

10/10 Excellent

Ellen S.

Ideal large family home

Ellen S.

10/10 Excellent

Amy O.

Perfect week

Amy O.

10/10 Excellent

edel h.

Thanksgiving 2024

edel h.

8/10 Good

Rita B.

Great rental! Yes, there is freeway noise

Rita B.

10/10 Excellent

Craig W.

best vacation ever

Craig W.

10/10 Excellent

Rebecca S., San Francisco

Extra-special birthday weekend with family

Rebecca S.

10/10 Excellent

Robert H.