FAQ

We offer a variety of accommodations to suit your needs, including four Gallery Rooms, twenty-three Fireside Suites, six Heritage Cabins, two Luxury Cabins, and four Black Bear Cabins. Our Gallery Rooms and Fireside Suites are located within the lodge and provide easy access to shared amenities, including the Great Room, Billiards Room, and our on-site restaurant, which is open Thursday to Saturday from 5pm to 8pm. Additionally, we have a Meeting Facility available for corporate retreats. The entire property is nestled within the stunning Cook Forest State Park in Pennsylvania.

Check in for cabin guests is 3—5pm and check out is by 10:30am. Check in for room guests is 4—6pm and check out is by 12pm.

Our Fireside Suites are all about comfort and connection — the perfect cozy retreat tucked away in the forest. Each suite features a California King or Queen bed, a gas fireplace for chilly nights, and a jetted tub for unwinding after a day in nature.

You’ll also enjoy a freshly made breakfast delivered to your door each morning, crafted with local and organic ingredients — no continental trays here, just real food made with care.

Each Fireside Suite includes two bags of De FER’s Eliza Furnace coffee each morning from a beloved Pittsburgh-based roaster (with 10-packs available at the front desk), a selection of TAZO teas with an electric water kettle for clean brewing, and a complimentary pint of farm-fresh milk from Lane’s End Farm — with additional pints available for $3. You’ll also find freshly baked snickerdoodle cookies waiting in your room at check-in, along with a mini-fridge, dual-sink bathroom, bubble bath, shampoo, and soap. For convenience, suites are equipped with STARLINK satellite WiFi, an iron, ironing board, and a wall-mounted hair dryer.

Some Fireside Suites include a TV. Our ADA-accessible suites are available on the first level. Please note: Fireside Suites are not pet friendly.

Our best rate is through our website. Check out available dates and our current rates here.

Please email info@gatewaylodge.com and you will be contacted by a staff member to assist you.

Yes, we have ADA-accessible rooms with walk-in showers and supportive handrails for your convenience. You can book these rooms online, but if you need any help, feel free to email us at info@gatewaylodge or give us a call at 814-744-8017.

Children aged 12 and older are welcome to stay in the main lodge when accompanied by an adult. Families with children of all ages are welcome in most cabins, with the exception of the Luxury Cabins.

We do not allow pets, but service animals as defined by the ADA are welcome. Our staff may ask if the service animal is required due to a disability and what tasks it’s trained to perform. Service animals must be under control at all times. Guests are responsible for any damages. Misrepresenting a pet as a service animal is illegal and may result in legal consequences.

We do not have an EV charging station onsite. However, there’s one at the Cook Forest State Park office nearby. It’s an ENPHASE HCS-60. Turn into the office parking lot, stay left, and drive behind the office. The station is on the right, across from the Children’s Fishing Pond. Note that it’s first-come, first-served. Another option is at Walmart in Clarion, about 20 minutes away. For details on their charging stations, visit Walmart Clarion Charging Station.

Yes, firewood can be added on to your stay for delivery on arrival. Cost is $45 per 1/8th cord. You may also purchase additional firewood during your stay through our Guest Services desk. Complimentary fire starters and matches are provided in each cabin.

The Luxury Cabins are air conditioned, but the Heritage Cabins and Black Bear Cabins are not. The queen bedrooms in Black Bear Cabins do have ceiling fans. Most of our cabins do have ceiling fans in the common areas. You may choose to bring additional box fans. AC window units are prohibited.

Yes, all of our cabins have furnace heating. 

No, tents are not permitted on cabin properties nor are trailers allowed. We recommend contacting the Cook Forest State Park office for assistance in finding a camping or trailer site.

We allow a maximum of two midsize vehicles per cabin. Additional vehicles, including those of visitors, must be parked in the nearby lot off River Road, which is less than a mile from the cabin property.

No, motorized dirt bikes, ATVs, or similar vehicles are not permitted on the property. Our cabins are on shared grounds meant for peace, safety, and relaxation. These vehicles create noise, pose safety risks, and aren’t suitable for the terrain. For liability reasons, we cannot allow their use anywhere on the premises.

To confirm your reservation, a 50% deposit of the total booking amount is required. Cancellations or date changes made less than 14 days before the scheduled arrival will result in the forfeiture of the full deposit. Cancellations made 14 days or more before the arrival date will incur a $75 cancellation fee. If you cancel on the arrival date or fail to show, the full amount of the stay will be charged.

Please note, the cancellation policy does not apply to large group reservations or full lodge rentals. Please refer to your events manager for these details.

We accept all major credit cards. The credit card on file for your reservation is automatically processed on the day of your arrival date prior to your arrival. Please contact the reception desk prior to your arrival date if you need to make a change in payment type or if intending to use a gift certificate for your remaining balance.

Guests must be 21 years or older to check into a room. Children 12 years or older may accompany their parental guardian within the main lodge as long as it does not exceed occupancy of the room.

Yes, all of our rooms and cabins are equipped with Starlink satellite-based internet access. Please note that internet access is reserved for registered guests

Guests in rooms and cabins can be reached by phone, but please ensure that Wi-Fi calling is enabled on your device once you’re inside the lodge. Additionally, babysitters can call the lodge directly between 9am and 10pm, and our front desk staff will make every effort to reach out to you via text if needed.

If you’re staying in the Suites, please call 814-744-8017 and follow the prompts. There is also a designated emergency phone available at the main porch entrance of the Gateway Lodge. Simply pick up the receiver, and you’ll be directly connected to a staff member. This phone can also be used to dial 911 for emergencies.

All Gallery Rooms, Suites, Cabins and public spaces are strictly non-smoking, which includes vaping, e-cigarettes, and marijuana. To restore a guest room to its smoke-free or vapor-free condition, a deep cleaning is necessary. Violations of this policy will incur an automatic charge starting at $500, with potential increases based on the room and severity of the odor. Guests are permitted to smoke cigarettes or vape inside their vehicles while on the property.

We kindly ask that guests do not bring outside alcohol into any of our common areas, including the lodge, restaurant, great room, patios, or shared outdoor spaces. We operate under a liquor license that requires all alcohol consumed in these areas to be purchased directly from us.

If you’d like to enjoy your own wine, beer, or spirits during your stay, you’re more than welcome to do so inside your private room or cabin.

Quiet hours are from 10pm to 10am daily. Loud, lewd, or vulgar behavior is not permitted. Gateway Lodge reserves the right to cancel any function or reservation if management determines that there has been a misrepresentation in the booking.

Masks are NOT required of our patrons or employees. Our staff will do our best to respect visitors that wear masks by offering delivery service and wearing a mask if requested to do so.

Visitors and staff are not to come to the lodge if they have tested positive for COVID five days or less before their arrival. Please contact info@gatewaylodge.com to make alternate arrangements or for cancellation under these circumstances.

UV Lights have been installed in our air ducts for guest room safety, along with extensive laundry measures such as double pillowcasing, and discontinued stayover cleaning. Please see our receptionist for any housekeeping needs during your stay.

Gateway’s restaurant offers dinner Wednesday through Saturday evenings from May to October and Thursday through Saturday from November through April. Breakfast delivery to room guests. Personal alcoholic beverages and food are not permitted in the restaurant. Guests purchasing alcoholic beverages from the restaurant may enjoy drinks within the common areas in accordance with our liquor license.

Gateway Lodge is not responsible for any injury or damage done to guest’s property by acts of nature.

Gateway Lodge does not assume responsibility for personal property and equipment brought on the premises as well as equipment, materials or personal property left in the Lodge prior to, during, or following any visit.

Gateway Lodge reserves the right to charge for any damage done by a guest’s actions to the property and/or compensating persons injured as a result of such actions.

Rates and policies are subject to change without notice.

Yes, but only our pizzas from the Wild Crafter’s Kitchen Menu. Call 814-744-8017, and press extension 511, or follow prompts. Orders taken from the Wild Crafter’s Kitchen Menu should be placed between 5pm and 8pm.

Gluten free and vegetarian options are available on the Wild Crafter’s Kitchen Menu. Vegan options are limited. Guests ordering breakfast for their rooms are encouraged to call attention to needs at the time of placing your order.

The bar is open Wednedsay through Saturday evenings from 5pm until 8pm most nights. We serve craft beers by the bottle and wine by the glass or bottle from our Wine Spectator-recognized wine list.

Dinner reservations are highly recommended. Join us for dinner and savor our Wild Crafter’s Kitchen Menu from Thursday to Saturday. If you plan to dine with a group of 8 or more, kindly contact us at (814) 744-8017 to secure your spot in advance.

We deliver breakfast to our room guests within the lodge as part of their stay. We do not have the restaurant open for breakfast service.

At this time, we do not have this service available. We are happy to make breakfast recommendations of places in our area.

Our dining area can accommodate groups of up to twelve guests. We accept group reservations from Thursday through Saturday. We encourage larger groups to arrive before 6pm or to call ahead on the day of to check availability before arriving.

For groups of 5 or more, we kindly request a credit card number to secure your reservation. Please be aware that a $25 fee will be charged for any same-day cancellations or no-shows. Additionally, for parties of 10 or more, there is a $50 fee in the event of a no-show. This policy ensures that we can effectively manage our reservations and accommodate all guests.

We offer this option on weekdays (Monday–Thursday) but not on weekends (Friday–Sunday). Please contact events@gatewaylodge.com for details.

On weekdays for retreat groups staying at the lodge, we customize meal plans according to your group’s needs. For our normal restaurant hours of operation, the menus presented are what we offer. If your group exceeds six guests, we encourage you to call ahead to make arrangements for seating.

Email in advance to schedule a tour at events@gatewaylodge.com.

Call the reservation desk with your gift certificate number to use as a form of payment.  If you have a physical copy, please bring in your gift certificate to give to the receptionist at check in. If the gift certificate is partially redeemed after processing, the gift certificate will be returned to you. Gift certificates used as a deposit will follow the same reservation policies as credit card payments.

Gift certificates can be used towards lodging, food and beverage purchases, and retail purchases with exception of consignment items. Gift certificates are not redeemable for cash and have no expiration date.

No, but you can purchase a certificate for any increment of $25. If you are wanting to give a certificate that covers most of a two-night stay, we recommend a certificate for $600.

The Farm-to-Table package includes a $50 meal credit for each day: Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. These credits can be used exclusively for food purchases.

Packages that include a three-course dinner include gratuity and tax. Some dinner packages come with a wine or beer pairing as noted in the package details, otherwise dinners do not include beverages.

Visit our Journal’s page for detailed information on activities and events within our area.

Yes, the Tobecco trail begins on our property from the Suite parking lot. It’s a beautiful and long hike that takes you to the neighboring Clear Creek State Park. Many guests will walk a portion and return back the same way.

Yes, the National Wild & Scenic Clarion River is ¼ mile from our property. We do not have river access on our property, but the river can be accessed within a short drive. Parking is available at the Cook Forest State Park’s office or at designated picnic areas riverside. Shuttling and canoe rental is provided by Pale Whale Canoe Fleet.

Please visit DCNR’s Cook Forest page.