Raystown Lake Houseboat Rentals

General pick up and drop off times are as follows:

• Pickup between 3 and 5 pm on first day
• Drop off between 8 and 10 am on final day

Guests should plan on bringing attire appropriate to the activities they will enjoy during the houseboating vacations. For most, that means a couple of swimsuits, some t-shirts or loose-fitting tops and some flip flops. A large brimmed hat and plenty of sun block are good ideas for protection from the sun.

If a guest is going to one of our destinations in the spring or the fall, a light jacket and a few pairs of pants are a good idea for the evenings.

Other ideas include some of your favorite DVD’s for night time watching, board games and/or playing cards and of course your favorite music.

See Our "Planning a Houseboat Vacation Guide" Here.

Equipment and amenities on board vary by destination and by houseboat. We list the amenities for each houseboat on our website.

Standard equipment on houseboats at all our destinations include:

• Fully equipped kitchens with everything needed to prepare and serve meals
• Barbecue Grills
• Some cleaning supplies
• A supply of toilet paper and paper towels
• A freshwater tank

Houseboats are not equipped with anchors as anchoring requires additional expertise and isn’t as safe as mooring a houseboat. Mooring is the process of securing the houseboat to the shore where there are no underwater obstructions. Renters will be provided with all the equipment and instructions on how to moor the houseboat. We recommend beaches or coves where there will be some shelter from the wind, especially at night while you’re sleeping. Renters should plan to moor the houseboat to the shore at least 2 hours prior to sunset.

We recommend a 4 day/3 night or a 3-night trip as a minimum trip length to our first time houseboaters so that they have the full experience but aren’t burden by extra days if (in the very unlikely event) they don’t like the houseboating experience.

Experienced houseboaters typically will rent for a full week or more!

We absolutely recommend meal planning. Groups should start out by assigning different individuals in the group responsible for specific meals or snacks during the trip. Once that assignment has been made, make a menu for those meals and shop accordingly. Make a detailed shopping list and make sure you get everything you need. It is very inconvenient to be miles out on the lake and does not have the ingredients you need to make a specific meal.  Don’t forget condiments, cooking oil and spices!!

All of our destinations have shopping nearby. We recommend bringing dry goods (cereal, pancake mix, spices, etc.) from home if you’re driving and shopping locally near your destination for refrigerated items like milk, meats, eggs, etc.

Many of our destinations have shop and stock services. Ask us about these convenient services while scheduling your houseboat vacation with one of our experts.

Speedboat, personal watercraft (jet ski) and water toy rentals are popular additions to a houseboat rental vacation and we have these items at most of our destinations.

Water toys can include water skis, wakeboards, ski tubes, kayaks and paddle boards.

You are welcome to bring your own speed boats, personal watercraft, and water toys.

Some of our destinations have special inspection requirements for speedboats and personal watercraft so please inform our staff if you are planning to bring these items when you are scheduling your trip.

Cell phones will work at all of our destinations, although sometimes reception can be spotty or just not available depending on your proximity and line of site to a cell tower.

WIFI is not available to houseboat renters while they are out on the lake. There is WIFI at the marinas for some of our destinations.

All houseboats have a swimming platform on the back of the houseboat with a ladder that comes down into the water for easy re-entry onto the houseboat. Many of our houseboats have swim slides.

Some of our houseboats have hot tubs, covered top deck sitting areas, wet bars, and premium onboard sound and video systems. Some houseboats even have satellite television.

Small boat rentals are not required, but they do make a great recreation option allowing for water sports as well as faster/more economical exploration of the destination.

Yes, you can tow the smaller boat behind the houseboat.