Entire home

Beautiful river front with private dock!

Photo gallery for Beautiful river front with private dock!

Property grounds
Fiddler's Cove
Living area
Breakfast bar in kitchen
Private kitchen

Reviews

10 out of 10
Exceptional
2 bedrooms2 bathroomsSleeps 4167.2 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Parking available
  • Dryer
  • Air conditioning
  • Washer
  • Barbecue grill
  • Kitchen

Explore the area

Map
Welaka, FL
  • 40 Acre Park
    ‪4 min drive‬
  • Welaka Spring
    ‪5 min drive‬
  • Dunns Creek State Park
    ‪17 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

2 bedrooms (sleeps 4)

Guest room

1 King Bed

Master suite

1 King Bed

2 bathrooms

Guest bath

Bathtub or shower · Toilet · Jetted bathtub

Master bath

Toilet · Shower only

Spaces

Deck or patio
Kitchen
Garden
Dining area

About this property

Beautiful river front with private dock!

Just imagine waking up to this incredible view! Your most important decision of the day is breakfast on the patio or fishing on the river! Life couldn't get any better than this. Both sunrise and sunset cast a rainbow of colors on the water. The house is situated on a grassy knoll overlooking the St Johns River. The dock is a perfect place to enjoy the sunset and, most unusual, no sharing required! The Ocala National Forest lies directly across the river. 300+ acres of pristine forests and trails provide another layer of privacy. Venture inside to find the house spacious and open with an abundance of windows and doors throughout to allow full and natural light to the interiors. A magnificent four poster mahogany bed anchors the master suite. The adjoining deck, sunroom/sitting room, luxury bath and large walk-in closet complete the master suite. The kitchen and living area overlook the river, as well as a patio with teak adirondack chairs, chaises lounges, and dining table. This 1600 sq ft home is fully furnished has a dining room, guest room, 2nd bath with tub and shower, and laundry. Careful planning ensured that every room has a view! Experience the amenities of this special hideaway and you will be compelled to return again and again. The natural landscape is intertwined with live oak, cypress, cedar, palm, magnolia, citrus, all species of other native plants. Fish from the dock, around the cove, bring or rent your own boat. Throw out a shrimp net, sink a crab trap and cook your own catch. Voila!, dinner on the river! Observe and enjoy an amazing array of wildlife; eagles, turkey, deer, hawks, woodpeckers, owls, alligators, sandhill cranes, egrets, herons, anhingas, kingfishers, seagulls, and the occasional pelican. The old outdoor brick fire pit is a great place for an oyster roast or clam bake. A little bit of history can add interest and allure. For many years this property was known as the 'home of Rosie Hilton, fiddler extraordinaire'. A musician/songwriter/performer, Rosie frequently held outdoor concerts on his wooden stage joined by other performers including his son, TK "Kim" Hilton. Guests would gather round to enjoy the show. Please come, enjoy your stay and we hope to see you again real soon!

Property manager

Bonnie Peters

Add dates for prices

Amenities

Kitchen
Washer
Dryer
Air conditioning
Outdoor space
Water view

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House Rules

Flexible check-in available (contact host in advance of arrival)
Flexible check-out available (contact host to arrange)
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Children

Adults only
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Events

No events allowed
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Pets

No pets allowed
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Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

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
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip
Host has not indicated whether there is a smoke detector on the property

We should mention

A car is required for transport to and from this property

About the area

Welaka

Located in Welaka, this holiday home is on the waterfront. Ocala National Forest and Dunns Creek State Park reflect the area's natural beauty and area attractions include Welaka National Fish Hatchery Aquarium and Willard Hazen Ball Park. Lake Broward Park and Ravine Gardens State Park are also worth visiting. Make sure you get close to the area's animals with activities such as game walks and birdwatching.
Map
Welaka, FL

What's nearby

  • 40 Acre Park - 4 min drive - 2.3 km
  • Welaka Spring - 5 min drive - 3.6 km
  • Mud Spring - 8 min drive - 4.3 km
  • Dunns Creek State Park - 17 min drive - 14.6 km
  • Silver Glen Springs Recreation - 53 min drive - 38.6 km

Getting around

  • Palatka Station - 31 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Log Cabin Bar & Package - ‬3 min drive
  • ‪River Pub Italian Grill - ‬11 min drive
  • ‪Subway - ‬13 min drive
  • ‪Pomona Park Pizza - ‬13 min drive
  • ‪Angler's Paradise Lodge - ‬12 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is Beautiful river front with private dock! pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

Where is Beautiful river front with private dock! located?

Situated on the waterfront, this holiday home is within 1 mile (2 km) of Ocala National Forest, Welaka National Fish Hatchery Aquarium and Welaka Town Hall. 40 Acre Park and Welaka Spring are also within 3 miles (5 km).

Reviews

10

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
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Rating 10 - Excellent. 27 out of 27 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 0 out of 27 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 27 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 27 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 27 reviews

10/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

9.8/10

Location

10/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Richard B.

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

Wonderful house on the St. John’s River

My wife and I had a wonderful week here celebrating our 5th anniversary. The house is exactly as advertised and the best stocked place we’ve stayed in. Rented a pontoon from Renegades on the River and used the house’s boat dock. Be sure to try Shrimps R Us and Corky Bells (in Palatka) for lunch or dinner. We’d love to stay here again.
Stayed 9 nights in Jan 2023

10/10 Excellent

Susan P.

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

Spectacular waterfront sunsets!

The natural beauty of this property is remarkable, especially the birds. The house is super-clean, cozy, and well-stocked for a comfortable stay. Quiet, friendly neighborhood. Appreciated the easy check-in, check-out and owner responsiveness. Working remotely from this paradise was a pleasure - we'll be back!
Stayed 28 nights in Feb 2023

10/10 Excellent

Clarence N.

Wonderful!

What started out as simply a fishing getaway over a long weekend, turned into a wonderful family vacation! We were delighted to find such a spectacular home when we arrived on Friday evening. The home is BEAUTIFUL and the view is gorgeous! Bonnie has done a great job with the home and has provided many of the necessities needed for a family getaway! We saw an array of wildlife while we were there and can't wait for another opportunity to visit!
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2018

10/10 Excellent

Mary P.

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

Paradise Found at the River House

We can’t wait to return to the River House on the St. John’s River. The feel of the house is extremely comfortable, exceptionally clean and welcoming. Its ideal secluded riverfront location allowed us to spend our days exploring in our kayaks and fishing. You can’t get enough of the outdoors and surrounding natural beauty. The yard is full of citrus trees! The house is tastefully decorated and appointed with everything you could possibly need. No detail is overlooked: the fully appointed kitchen, a comfortable and spacious master bedroom and renovated bath, and a huge dock to relax and watch the incredible sunsets or stare at the star filled night skies. The house affords beautiful views and picture windows that bring the gorgeous outside in. The hosts, Bonnie and Malcolm go above and beyond, and are extremely helpful and available for questions about the area, the amenities the home has to offer, and of course, fishing tips. We hated to leave. Thank you for sharing your slice of paradise with us.
Stayed 7 nights in Nov 2021

10/10 Excellent

Charles G.

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

An Amazing Getaway

The view is beautiful, the town is quaint, the home is nicely renovated, and this is easily the most well-appointed by-owner place I've ever rented. Anything you might need from kitchen utensils, to condiments, to coffee, to first aid supplies... it was all there. The master bedroom feels palatial with the sweeping views of the lake, private door, and sunroom. From the comfort of this room we regularly saw deer, wild turkeys, ospreys, and at night an owl dove through the fireflies hunting for its breakfast. Bonnie, the owner, was very responsive and communication was pleasant and easy. The only improvements I could suggest is a path to the dock (like some walking stones). Also, curtains or blinds in the master bedroom would be nice. Keep in mind, there's no direct sun in the morning, and there are no visible neighbors, so this is a very minor thing. All in all, we LOVED the place and would love to rent here again next time we come to the area.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2021

10/10 Excellent

Elena Y.

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

Simply the best for us ...

Good for people who are looking relaxing and love Mother Nature...,
Stayed 14 nights in Mar 2021

10/10 Excellent

Jennifer C.

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

Great place, ideal location for fisherman, friendly and helpful host.

My partner and I stayed here for a fishing tournament on the St. John's River. The location was perfect with ample parking for boats. Clean, quiet, and everything we could ask for. Owner was very helpful with questions before our trip. We'll definitely look to stay here again in the future.
Stayed 8 nights in Feb 2021

10/10 Excellent

theresa h.

Fantastic!

Back for the second time. Even better than the last! Beautiful home, beautiful yard. We got a chance to meet Bonnie this trip, she is delightful! Hope to return again.
Stayed 7 nights in Mar 2019

10/10 Excellent

Rosemary D.

If you enjoy Florida, but not the traffic, this rental is for you.

My husband and I stayed at Riverhouse at Fiddler's Cove for five weeks. It was wonderful; so peaceful, private and quiet. The rental is beautifully decorated, clean, comfortable and well stocked. The large deck made it easy to fish the river and watch the gorgeous sunsets. We caught and released over a hundred fish including bluegill, red breasted sunfish, blue catfish, blue crabs, and even a stingray. Wildlife including black and whitetail deer, turkeys, squirrels, small alligators, turtles and many different birds including eagles, osprey and great blue heron visited the property daily. We enjoyed picking and using the lemons, grapefruit, and oranges from the trees on the property. The area is wonderful for walking and everyone is friendly. Several restaurants are within a short driving distance.
Stayed 35 nights in Jan 2019

10/10 Excellent

Amie M.

We are ready to go back!!!!

I cannot say enough great things about this property AND the property owner, Bonnie. The house is in impeccable condition and the decorating touches are precious. It is well stocked with things you just don't think to bring from home that you always need. We had fresh juice almost every morning from the fruit trees on the property and the juicer in the kitchen!! The view from all of the windows is to die for as well as the sunsets from the dock. We would have been fine to never leave the house and the beautiful large yard.. The time on the dock was my favorite! We saw lots of deer and wild turkeys in the yard. At night, you hear nothing but sweet wildlife noises while gazing at countless stars. Our family is ready to go back. It was a very relaxing vacation, which is just what we hoped!
Stayed 7 nights in Dec 2018

10/10 Excellent

Troy B.

great stay

beautiful place!
Stayed 8 nights in Apr 2018

10/10 Excellent

Angel M.

Great lake house rental

Our vacation visit was in May 2018, during the new moon phase. The weather was rainy & the fishing was not great. We did not catch any of those BIG BREAM. The secluded lake house was perfect & had everything you needed. We had to reschedule our trip & Bonnie was able to accommodate us. The gator was in the cove. 3 deer came to visit each day & a raccoon was in one of the trees. We also saw a manatee eating while fishing close to dock. The dock is a good football field away & it's up hill on the way back to the house. I suggested to Bonnie to get a golf cart for the travelling back & forth to the dock. The closest grocery store was 20 minutes away in Palatka. I would highly recommend this as a quiet vacation spot.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2018

10/10 Excellent

JODY P.

Perfect retreat

Thank you for allowing us to enjoy your home away from home. The house is very clean and completely furnished. It is secluded enough for deer and turkeys to walk through the yard every couple of hours. I plan to return next spring!
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2018

10/10 Excellent

gary g.

Great spacious clean house

Love this place. Very private and serene on the river. Owner very very gracious and helpful. Will return!
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2018

10/10 Excellent

theresa h.

Beautiful home. Beautiful yard.

Comfy bed, pillows, and sheets! Comfortable living room and dining room furniture. Huge bathroom, bedroom, and walk in closet. Beautifully decorated. Most rental houses we’ve stayed in leave you enough toilet paper and dish soap to last a day, not here. The owners of this home are so generous. All the little extras make you feel like you were staying at your grandmas home. The yard is a nature lovers dream. Large, old trees line the property. So private, you can’t see another house, yet a short walk to shrimps-r-us for a delicious dinner. The back yard is open, with a beautiful view of the river and your own little cove. Great pier with great chairs awaiting. Wildlife everywhere! Only wish we could have stayed longer!
Stayed 7 nights in Feb 2018
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Amos N.

A quiet retreat

We hunted long for a place like this to stay in Florida and we were not in the least disappointed. The privacy was exactly as we had hoped, the view of the river was lovely, and the wildlife was more than we ever imagined. I will say we were a little nervous about taking our small inflatable raft out on the dark water with the alligators, so we did most of our fishing from the dock. My husband and I each caught a catfish, one 18 inches and the other 24. The house was spacious and beautifully decorated. We used the grill a lot. To those of you who are used to a green egg, this one doesn't have a convector with it. This is also a great place to bring a toddler. There's plenty of play area and the water is not uncomfortably close to the house. And there are several dollar general stores close by for anything we didn't bring along. The owner was very helpful and ready to answer any questions we had before and during our stay. We went further south for a few days afterwards and when we returned to our home in PA, our damage deposit refund was waiting in the mail for us already. Thanks so much Bonnie!
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2017
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Beverly C.

Romantic Getaway

This house has it all. Total privacy and lots of wild life. Had turkeys every morning walking through the yard, eagles souring overhead daily and an owl in the trees at night! Brought our own boat but the fishing wasn't very good, too cold and windy. We will definitely be coming back! Thank you!
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2017
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Bill H.

Nirvana

We had a wonderfully relaxing week! The place is very nice, quiet, and very private. The owners could not have been more nice or accommodating. The lemons, grapefruit, and oranges in the yard were a real treat. I've never been anywhere with more owls. There were hawks and eagles, deer, seven hens and a huge tom turkey in full plumage right in the yard. I really appreciated Malcolm sharing his fishing wisdom and a nice spot for kayak fishing in a very solitary creek. I never saw another person there, but as the weather warmed, it seemed the alligators were everywhere! I know they don't bother you, but I never did get used to that. If you like peace and quiet and want to be alone with little to do but relax and enjoy a lovely home and beautiful surroundings, this is a great place for you!
Stayed 7 nights in Mar 2017
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Diane C., Watkinsvilee, GA

Beautiful, peaceful place

This beautiful home is set in a wonderful, secluded place on the river. Inside wonderfully decorated with all the nicest touches. The views out the many windows allow yow to not only view the river, but the wildlife. We enjoyed watching a group of turkeys strutting by each morning. Definitely this is a great place to relax and enjoy the sunsets, especially from the dock. Thanks, Bonnie
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2017
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Tami S.

The perfect trip

We had such a wonderful time at The Riverhouse @ Fiddler's Cove! We took our three elementary age boys and had a blast. The boys explored the property, fished, kayaked, and played in the backyard. We saw wild turkey, owls, alligators (on kayak trips), various large birds, and loved every minute of it. Everything was in perfect working order and the house was so clean and very maintained. We even used a big green egg for the first time. The property was so serene and quiet and the house had everything we needed. The views were beautiful too. We look forward to making another trip to The RiverHouse. The property owner was very timely in respondig and corresponding.
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

MIKE K.

Great Place

We found the house clean and well stocked with an amazing sunset view from the dock every evening. The king bed in the Master Bedroom is very comfortable and there is a small study that allowed me to get a bit of work done as necessary. The property is quite and private and well managed.
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Paradise on the River

We enjoyed the views of the river and our stay in this pretty house on the St. John's River. All the other reviews match our experience staying in this pretty house on the river. We will be back.
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Want to get away?

If you truly want to get away from it all and truly relax, this is the place to do it. We needed a break from all the hustle and bustle of our hectic lives so we rented for an extended weekend. First we brought our boat but we were so relaxed after getting settled in that we mostly just enjoyed the peaceful beauty of the property on our stay. It is exactly as described and more. Very peaceful and clean and everything you need is right there also the place could not have been in a more beautiful setting. Thank you so much for sharing your place with us. We would love to stay longer next time. The only bad part is having to leave!
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

The River House at Fiddlers Cove in Welaka, Florida

Once again we stayed for 7 nights at this most beautiful location in North Florida. The River House at Fiddlers Cover is a beautiful home, fresh and modern with every amenity you could ask for. Loved cooking and eating on the patio overlooking the River. Loved waking up and seeing the St. John's River first thing. Loved having cocktails on the dock. Just enjoyed the entire stay so very much. If you are looking for privacy, comfort, peace and serenity, fishing and beauty, this is the place for you.v
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Linda S.

Private, Secluded ,Exceptional location on the River

I stayed here for a long weekend with close friends. We enjoyed ourselves so much ,we never made in to St Augustine or Daytona!! I've stayed in many properties thought out Florida. This place is "fresh" and modern. The most gratifying sunsets from the dock made "Happy Hour" spectacular !! I did little fishing, with a few misses. A had a bass boater tell me it was a "good spot"! !We did see lots of wildlife!! There are a few "Tiki" type restaurants close by. The kitchen and outdoor grills made it easy to prepare meals. The owners were very helpful and accomidating.

About the host

Hosted by Bonnie Peters

Host profile image
We bought this property in spring of 2014 and have completed renovations this year.

Why they chose this property

We love it! My husband grew up in Palatka and fished this part of the river all his life! He has long admired this property, but we never dreamed we would ever own such a treasure. And now for a very limited time we will share it with you. An opportunity not to be missed!