MATTHEW COURTER/Sun-Gazette A cabin available for rentals at Happy Acres Resort, along Little Pine Creek Road north of Waterville.

Nestled in the hills of Waterville, lies Happy Acres Resort, a 60 acre haven where rustic camping meets all the comforts of a modern home.

“It started in the late sixties, and I bought it 20 years ago,” Gene Feerrar, who owns the resort with his wife, Irene, said.

“In 1991, I purchased my vacation home three miles from here, and Happy Acres was open, but it went bankrupt, and kept sitting, and I kept thinking, ‘this area needs lodging because there wasn’t any,'” he explained.

“Of course, it didn’t look like this. It was a rundown property, and so there’s been millions spent on redoing things,” he said.

The improvements made by the couple include upgrading the electric and septic systems and paving the roads.

All told, the resort, which is pet friendly and open year round, boasts around 200 sites, ranging from high end cabins and primitive tent sites. The cabins can accommodate anywhere from four to 25 people.

“We have a lot of permanent campers and some people have their own cabins here, too,” Gene said. “For some people, this is their vacation spot.”

Each cabin comes with a grill and all the amenities of a home, including a fully stocked kitchen, air conditioning, DirectTV and WiFi, and even jacuzzis.

“You just bring your food and clothes and you’re good to go,” Gene said.

“People come here and say that it’s nicer than their homes,” he said. “And they’re not on top of each other, so people have privacy.”

“We found a really beautiful area for people, with the state park and Pine Creek Rail Trail nearby, and they have the lake for fishing and hunting. It’s just wonderful,” Gene said.

The Resort also sells propane and wood, and has facilities for doing laundry and showering.

“Whatever people need, we have it,” Gene said.

The property is also host to a game barn, a swimming pool, and a large number of activities including a frisbee golf course, horseshoes, basketball, pool, shuffleboard and Foosball. Many of the cabins even come ready with at least one of those options.

The resort is the perfect host for any event,according to the couple.

“We have a lot of class reunions, family reunions and weddings,” Gene said. “We have a beautiful covered bridge that people walk across and then get married on the other side.”

And just down the road from the camping area, sits the expansive Happy Acres Restaurant, which also sees its fair share of bookings for various events. The restaurant seats a couple hundred people, Gene said.

And right next door is the camping store, with a large variety of camping essentials and Happy Acres apparel.

Word of all the camp has to offer has spread far and wide, according to Irene.

“We’ve had people from the U.K. here, and in August, there’s the Eastern States 100 race, and I believe we had a gentleman from Japan that was here for that,” she said.

One of the keys to success for the couple is providing their patrons with a hands-on approach to booking their stay.

“We don’t want people to come in and say, ‘oh, this cabin just doesn’t suit our plans,'” Irene said.

“Our reservation staff will kind of screen people just to pick their brains as far as why they’re coming and who they’re bringing, how many pets, that sort of stuff, and find out which cabin they would fit best. It’s a very personalized experience,” she said.

Resort options, pricing and availability can be previewed on its website, but reservations must be made through the office staff. Interested parties must be at least 18 to rent a campsite, and 21 or older to rent a cabin.

For Irene, the appeal of the resort boils down to giving people a low key escape from the busyness of everyday life.

“We’re not commercialized, so we’re very family friendly,” she said. “We’re not rowdy, we have games and things like that, but we have families that basically come and enjoy each other.”

“We are very much an outdoor lovers paradise, because you have so much to do in the area with the streams and the lake and the bike trail and there’s marked hiking trails all around our resort,” Irene said.

“We’re surrounded by state game land, so there’s hunting, fishing, all that,” she continued.

“I think the biggest draw for people is the fact that they want to get away from the city and the hustle and bustle. When you come out here, you have peace and you can breathe,” Irene said.