Lodge & Lake
Ruby Lodge
EVERGREENE DINING ROOM: The resort’s full-service restaurant offers a convenient location with reasonable rates. It has a fair-sized menu during the peak season, with specials a few nights of the week. The menu is smaller leading in and out of the peak season, and it is closed (in lieu of Lakers Lounge) in the winter. Service is not always the fastest — especially on Friday and Saturday nights — but the close proximity to the lake house makes it a convenient place to dine. And slow is rarely a problem when you can sit outside on the deck overlooking the lake when the weather is nice! See the Restaurants section for more food options in the surrounding areas.
LAKERS LOUNGE: The lodge has a separate bar/lounge area next to the Evergreene Dining Room named Lakers Lounge, which also serves food from the restaurant menu. During the winter months, the full restaurant is closed while the lounge continues to offer a basic menu of items. This area also offers large TVs for watching sporting events.
INDOOR POOL: A heated pool is found on the lower level of the lodge, along with locker rooms. A key card is needed to access the pool, which can be found in the copper bowl on the wall table next to the stairs in the great room of the house. The pool area also includes lounge chairs and seating around a few tables.
FITNESS CENTER: The gym has some basic exercise and weight-lifting equipment. It is on the lower level of the lodge and shares key card access — and locker rooms — with the indoor pool. The fitness center overlooks the lake, with large windows on that side of the room. The gym is free for use by property owners and their guests, but no outside persons are permitted to use it, preventing the space from becoming overcrowded or distracting.
GAME/ACARADE ROOM: The game room is in the lower level of the lodge, which includes a few arcade games, a pool table, a foosball table, a ping-pong table, and arcade bowling. There are also shuffleboard tables, billiards, and dart boards in the loft area of Lakers Lounge. A few board games, some jigsaw puzzles, and a small collection of kids’ books are kept in the game room, as well.
GIFT SHOP: There is a very small gift shop off the lobby of the lodge. Most items are generally specific to Alpine Lake. Payment is made through the front desk.
Boating & Fishing
WATERCRAFT: A single-person kayak and a 2– to 4-person canoe are stored in the boatyard near the Alpine Lake Boat House, plus a double-seat kayak rests along the side of the Deklewa house closest to the shed. All boats must enter the water via the boat launch in order to maintain the lake’s pristine shoreline. Additional kayaks can also be rented at the boat launch at a base cost of $8 for two hours. There is also a decent-sized inflatable raft in a cardboard box in the shed, which works great for an adult to safely take kids on the water.
PERSONAL BOATS: There is no fee or permit needed for resort guests to launch their own boat, which must be done only from the boat launch area. To preserve the peaceful mountain setting and clean lake water, no types of watercraft with a gasoline motor on board (including jet skis) are permitted on Alpine Lake, even if the motor is not going to be used. It is not uncommon to see rafts, paddle boards, and small sailboats on the water.
BOATING SUPPLIES: There is an adult life jacket, some infant life jackets, a couple of floatation cushions, a few adult water shoes, and some oars in the storage shed. There is also a sealable pouch with a long string to prevent your phone and personal items from getting wet or falling into the lake. Any time you are going out on the water, it is advisable to take the orange whistle found with those supplies, which should only be used in the event of a true emergency in the water.
FISHING REGULATIONS: Fishing is permitted on and along the water during daylight hours. The lake is well-stocked each spring with rainbow trout, yellow perch, black crappie, largemouth bass, channel catfish, and bluegills. Resort guests do not have to obtain a fishing permit or pay a fee, and a state fishing license is not required since it is a private lake. Full fishing regulations are posted near the boat launch.
FISHING AREAS: Fishing is permitted anywhere along the shoreline of Alpine Lake, except from the designated beach area. There is a handicap-access fishing area along West Alpine Drive, in an inlet just to the north of the boat house beyond the boat storage area. Fishing can also be done from a boat anywhere on the water.
FISHING SUPPLIES: You will need to bring your own supplies and bait if you plan to go fishing. Any small fishing supplies left behind by previous guests will be placed in the storage shed.
Beach & Swimming
BEACH AREA: There is a large, sandy area along the west side of the lake, within easy walking distance of the Deklewa house. The beach is restricted only to resort guests in order to limit the crowd on the beach and in the water, and there is no fee for those guests to use the beach or swimming area. Pets are not permitted on the beach area at any time.
SWIMMING: The large swimming section at the beach is roped off within the water to prevent boats from entering the area. Swimming is not permitted in any other part of the lake and is only permissible at the beach from 30 minutes after sunrise to 30 minutes prior to sunset. There is a small, floating platform along the deepest edge of the roped-off section of the swimming area, which can unofficially be used for diving if it is done respectfully of the other swimmers. No lifeguard or security is ever on-duty at the beach, so children under the age of 14 must be accompanied by an adult if they wish to swim.
BEACH FACILITIES: For those preferring to drive instead of walk, there is a small parking lot for the beach area immediately off of West Alpine Lake Road near its intersection with Laurel Circle. There is a small bath house with restrooms and an emergency kit near the beach area, but it does not provide a full changing/showering area nor storage/locker accommodations. There is a small picnic pavilion near the sandy area for those who wish to enjoy lunch at the beach.
BEACH SUPPLIES: Kids toys for the sand and water are kept in the shed at the house, and some of the folding chairs in the shed are actually low-rise beach chairs. You will need to bring your own beach towels, though a few extras may be found in the house. A small cooler is kept in the pantry of the house to take food and beverages to the beach, but glass containers are not permitted on the sandy area of the beach.
HOUSE CLEANING: Please use the garden hose near the driveway of the Deklewa house to wash all sand and debris off of bodies and beach items before re-entering the house. Please do not bring any towels inside the house after use at the beach in order to keep any sand grains from damaging the hardwood flooring on the main level. Beach towels can be hung along the deck railing to dry and, once fully dusted off, should only come into the house through the doors on the patio if destined for the washing machine.