Riverside Cabin on the Ten Mile River, Catskills New York

Photography by Jennifer MacFarlane. Follow the cabin on Instagram at @cabinontherivercatskills.

Riverside Cabin sits directly on the Ten Mile River in the western Catskills of New York, a quiet, rural corner about ten minutes from the Delaware. Jennifer MacFarlane, a photographer, hosts it, and her wood fired AlumiTub has been part of the place for more than four years.

Four years later, ours has become part of the identity of the cabin. It's not simply an amenity, it's part of the ritual of being there.

Jennifer MacFarlane, Riverside Cabin, Catskills, New York

The setting

The cabin is about twenty minutes from Bethel, where the Woodstock festival actually took place, and almost equidistant from New York and Philadelphia, so guests come from both cities. The river is what Jennifer loves most.

The river is one of the things I love most about the property because it's constantly changing. Depending on the rain, snowmelt, and season, it can be a foot deep or ten feet deep. It feels like this living, breathing thing that transforms the entire experience of the cabin. I built steps down the riverbank so guests can walk right into the water for a cold plunge, which is particularly incredible when you can climb straight out and into a steaming hot tub.

That contrast, cold river then hot water, is one of the simplest and best routines a riverside tub allows. No chiller and no second tub, just steps down the bank.

Four years, every season

Our hot tub gets a lot of use. We empty it about once a week and refill it with water from the river, and even through Catskills winters, we've never had problems with freezing.

Refilling from the river is the same loop we see at many water-access properties: a pump draws straight from the water, and the smooth aluminum interior, with no jets or internal plumbing, means each drain and rinse is a full reset. More on that in filling from a lake, river or well, and on cold-weather use in can you use a wood fired hot tub in winter.

The fire is the point

People sometimes assume having to build a fire is a drawback, but I see it as the opposite. So much of our lives has become automated and instantaneous. There's something deeply satisfying about doing something manually: stacking the wood, lighting the fire, tending it, waiting for the water to heat. The ritual is part of the pleasure.

I even love smelling like woodsmoke afterward. To me, that's the sign of a very good night.

Jennifer hosts guests who come to leave the city and slow down, and she sees the wood fired tub as a huge part of that experience. Many of her guests have gone on to buy an AlumiTub of their own, including other Airbnb hosts.

Buy a good one the first time

Before this one, I thought I had done my research and bought a tub from another company. It turned out to essentially be a cheap product, and from the moment it arrived, it was a disaster. Eventually we had to cut our losses, get rid of it completely, and start over.

That experience taught me something I always tell people when they ask about buying a wood-fired hot tub: buy a good one the first time. Something that lives outside, holds hundreds of gallons of water, deals with fire, freezing temperatures, and constant use is not where you want to cut corners. Buying something substandard can end up costing you far more in the long run.

Her AlumiTub, a Standard Wood Fired, has been, in her words, incredibly reliable. For what to look for before you buy, see before you buy a wood fired hot tub and the wooden hot tub buyer's guide.

Stay at Riverside Cabin: book it on Airbnb, and follow along at @cabinontherivercatskills.

Common questions

Can you fill a wood fired hot tub from a river?

Yes. At Riverside Cabin in the Catskills, the tub is drained about once a week and refilled with a pump straight from the Ten Mile River. A wood fired tub needs no power, and an aluminum interior with no internal plumbing rinses clean between fills.

Can a wood fired hot tub be used through a Catskills winter?

Jennifer MacFarlane has used hers through more than four Catskills winters at a busy guest cabin, refilling weekly, and reports no freezing problems.

Is a wood fired hot tub a good amenity for a rental cabin?

At Riverside Cabin, the fire ritual and the river cold plunge are central to the stay, and several guests have gone on to buy their own tub. See a host's guide to wood fired hot tubs.

More owner stories: The Narrows on Lake Sylvan, Minnesota and The Lofty Pines in Sundridge, Ontario.

All photographs by Jennifer MacFarlane. Riverside Cabin is on Airbnb and Instagram at @cabinontherivercatskills. See more properties at where AlumiTubs live, or explore the Wood Fired.