TARA'S MEADOW nonprofit with its Cedar Lodge in the Woods, and its 30 acre Nature Sanctuary offers guests a one-of-a kind vacation experience! Its also perfect for the individual or couple seeking professional guidance to the Island's outdoor nature opportunities, ecology, and the fascinating history of Beaver Island. Our guests enjoy a private bedroom with a birch tree out their window and doorway into the forest. The house may be rented privately or shared with your host -- just be sure to set up a phone call (rather than email) to discuss and to make your arrangements clear in advance. We also offer an extraordinary glamping option in our beautiful 30 acre Nature Sanctuary.
RELAXING IN THE MEADOW Unwind beneath Beaver Island's Dark Sky Milky Way in our official Monarch Butterfly Meadow preserve, with wildlife sightings and sounds of the occasional Sand Hill Crane, Barred Owl, and Common Loon to grace your solitude. Tara's Meadow is perfectly situated for nature lovers as a Dark Sky Nature site, with Beaver Island’s larger official Dark Sky Park just a short walk away. In addition to the birding, butterflies, and wildlife found on location, we offer close access to lakes and trails, marshes and other nature preserves nearby, including Miller's Marsh Natural Area and beautiful Greene's Lake with its 300-year-old oaks on the shore.
AMISH SOLAR CABIN
As a private alternative to our main Cedar Lodge, our Amish-Built Solar Cabin provides an enchanting "glamping" experience in the heart of Tara's Meadow's beautiful Dark Sky Butterfly Meadow. Located at the edge of our 30 acre Forest and Meadow preserve, the cabin has a luxury full size bed as well as a loft space that sleeps 1-2 people. The cabin features solar lighting and only the sounds of nature, and is supplied with delicious fresh well-water hauled out to the site. Guests use a porto-potty nearby, with full use our bathroom and shower facilities during the day up at the main house a 5 minute walk away.
GEODESIC DOME
The Geodesic Dome offers guests a daytime use private space for meditation and relaxation, study and rest, with privacy in nature away from human activity in the quiet of the forest.
TARA'S MEADOW IS AN ENVIRONMENTALLY-ORIENTED NONPROFIT with 30 protected acres of forest and meadow. We are active in a number of programs promoting Beaver Island as a model of Sustainability. You onsite hosts Seamus & Amie possess a deep knowledge of Beaver Island, with Seamus a professor and official tour guide and historian who can be contracted for tours of the Island’s fascinating human and natural history. Our perfect location offers access also to the surrounding lakes and trails, marshes and nature preserves, with Beaver Island’s official Dark Sky preserve a short walk nearby. You can check out the variety of other “guest sojourn” services we offer at the tarasmeadow website
THE BEAVER ISLAND ARCHIPELAGO is composed of ten small islands that peek above the fresh waters of northeast Lake Michigan, far enough from the mainland to be environmentally distinct and relatively well preserved. An abundance of natural life thrives: 19 mammal species and hundreds of fish, bird, insect, and plant species all supported by a remarkable variety of beaches, forests, wetlands, and other habitats. The large inhabited Island contains 6 inland lakes and representations of every ecosystem in Michigan. And on the biggest island, Beaver, stands the great lake's largest settlement - a year-round community for seven generations, distinct for its relaxed pace, quality of life, and resilience. The inhabitants of Beaver Island are warm and welcoming, and include folks of historic Irish and Native American descent as well as many friendly folks of more recent residency on the Island.
