A miracle happened at Sunny Hill in 1954 when a local bulldozer operator, Bud Young, suggested building a lake on Sunny Hill’s grounds where there are no streams or sizable springs of any kind, In fact, for many years Sunny Hill was plagued by lack of good water supplies and the Nicholsens were forced to have wells drilled deeper and deeper.
At Bud’s suggestion, more than 15 acres of woods were cleared and he proceeded to dig out the stumps and build a dam. He uncovered a considerable number of surface springs which yielded a small amount of water. However, when the melting snows and Spring thaws came, the Nicholsens were amazed to see the lake fill up with water and hold it’s level to a surprising degree because of the clay content of the soil. The lake was named Lake Loree in honor of Gail Loree Nicholsen and has been a real “godsend” to Sunny Hill in enabling storage of millions of gallons of water used for resort consumption, boating and fishing, and the maintenance of the golf course.
Now a central feature of our resort it is stocked with game fish, including large mouth and calico bass, blue gill, rainbow trout, sunfish and perch. Lakeside, you’ll find a pavilion, a picnic area with row boats and paddle boats, and scenic nature trails perfect for family walks.
Every Friday night in the summer, we host the Friday Night’s “Celebration of America.” We pull out all the rides, host live bands on our outdoor stage, eat hotdogs and ice cream, and top it off with fireworks!
Cookouts on the lake serve up to 300 – a great solution for family reunions and other group activities. Group outings are available.
Activities
The activities are endless at our family resort in the Catskills!
