Lakeside Cottage and detached Guest cabin sleeps 28
150 feet of frontage on beautiful Elk Lake. The property is actually a 2 house compound. The 3500 square foot Main Cabin has 4 bedrooms and 3 full baths, includes bunk room with 5 bunk beds and covered porch with perfect lake views. The very private 1400 square foot back Guest Cabin with gorgeous fire place, 4 twin bed loft, and cozy master bedroom. Perfect for Grandparents that want a get away for the generations to enjoy together. Go swimming, boating and fishing in Northern Michigan's best kept secret Elk Lake. This is private frontage, with a bon fire pit for enjoying the amazing sunsets and personal sand volley ball pit that doubles as a giant sand box for the kids. The composite dock has large steps for swimming, and there is a mooring ball for tying off your boat. (We ask, and strictly enforce, that you not tie to the dock as storms can roll in quickly and we have lost several docks and boats over the years when guests don't use the mooring.) You are only a short boat ride from Downtown Elk Rapids and the World Famous Torch Lake Sandbar. Only about 20 minutes from Traverse City and a little farther to the wineries on Old Mission Penninsula. In wintertime it is a short ride to snowmobile trails and 35 minutes to Shanty Creek and 45 minutes to Boyne. We are able to split the properties for a cheaper rate in the late fall, winter and early spring. Rentals in June, July and August are 7 days Friday to Friday. There is a outbuilding on the property between the main house and the guest house that is not part of the rental and houses our personal items. Please be aware the property to the south is our neighbors and we ask, and will strickly enforce, that you not trespass. We will go over the guidelines on check in.
Property manager
Jeffrey Thewes
Premier Host
Add dates for prices
Amenities
Kitchen
Washer
Dryer
Air conditioning
Outdoor space
Parking available
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7 day minimum stay June through august. Friday to Friday rental during the summer
Important information
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has indicated that there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
About the area
Williamsburg
Located in Williamsburg, this cottage is on the waterfront. Shoppers can check out Front Street, while everyone can enjoy the natural beauty of Traverse City Beach and Torch Lake Park. Travelling with kids? Consider Flintfields Horse Park and Music House Museum. Take in the nearby slopes with cross-country skiing and snowboarding, or try out other outdoor activities such as sledging and snowmobiling.
Williamsburg, MI
What's nearby
Elk Lake - 1 min walk - 0.0 km
Turtle Creek Casino - 16 min drive - 11.1 km
Flintfields Horse Park - 19 min drive - 13.6 km
Grand Traverse Resort Golf Course - 22 min drive - 17.3 km
Torch Lake - 30 min drive - 24.8 km
Getting around
Traverse City, MI (TVC-Cherry Capital) - 27 min drive
Restaurants
Season's Buffet - 13 min drive
Bourbons 72 - 13 min drive
Blue Water Bistro & Pizzeria - 21 min drive
Crossroads Bar - 13 min drive
Cone Corral & Pizzeria - Rapid City - 17 min drive
Frequently asked questions
Is Lakeside Cottage and detached Guest cabin sleeps 28 pet-friendly?
No, pets are not allowed at this property.
What time is check-in at Lakeside Cottage and detached Guest cabin sleeps 28?
Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.
What time is check-out at Lakeside Cottage and detached Guest cabin sleeps 28?
Checkout is at 10:00 AM.
Where is Lakeside Cottage and detached Guest cabin sleeps 28 located?
This family-friendly Williamsburg cottage is located on the waterfront, within 1 mi (2 km) of Lake Skegemog and Elk Lake. Haynes Lake and Turtle Creek Casino are also within 6 miles (10 km).
Reviews
10
Exceptional
Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Six families stayed at this property for a soccer tournament in Traverse City. We each had our own room. The two houses are large and clean. Check in was a breeze. It was nice to have items in the kitchen to help with preparing meals, and the laundry facilities really came in handy with washing uniforms between games. I wish we could have enjoyed the outside more! The lake is beautiful, the volleyball court was awesome, and the chairs outside were a great touch to make the space feel warm and inviting. Overall, we would recommend this property for a large group!
We really enjoyed staying at your place on a bitter cold winter weekend. We were a full team of hockey players and the ability for us to split off into the other house was great. Plenty of hot water and warmth and a well stocked kitchen was wonderful. Hoping that it will be a yearly event!!
Well appointed, massive sleeping options, beautiful lake front, guest cottage perfect get away but the main house needed a deep clean.
Owner was easy to communicate with, check in super easy, overall our large family had a nice vacation.
Perfect property and location to relax and enjoy this beautiful area! Great property to explore the area from or just stay put!
Jeffrey was extremely welcoming and responsive!
Amazing property with the best views on Elk Lake. There was no need to leave the property as it has it all: views, water sports, volleyball, fire pit, cornhole. It was one of the best family vacations we have ever taken. The owners were wonderful and we are thankful they let us share a piece of their paradise.
The setting is just beautiful, sun sets every night were amazing. The house was very large with enough room for 10 grandchildren and 6 adults. The smaller home was comfortable, had everything we needed and was very quiet. Area activities, food shopping and wineries were very close by. It was just beautiful and would highly recommend a stay!!!
We stayed here for our yearly family vacation and had a blast! The place was large enough for our big group and clean!! We loved the covered patio along with the screened in porch because we did have some rainy days! The guest house was also a nice addition as it allowed some of the family a nice quiet place to stay. The location is great as it is very close to downtown elk rapids along with meijer and the casino! The host Jeff was awesome with communication! If we had any issues or questions he responded immediately! Thank you for an amazing stay!
This was a beautiful property with an incredible lake view. I loved waking up to it every morning.
The property was sized well for our large family - 7 children, spouses, and grandchildren.
The location was convenient to Traverse City, shopping, cruising the area lakes and rivers, restaurants, etc.
Jeff was an excellent host. He responded promptly to our questions and addressed our few small needs while we were there.
Our only criticism would be that using a mooring ball to tie up the boat was not convenient given the cold water temperatures early in June.
Overall, this was a wonderful place to be.
Thank you for allowing us to rent your beautiful cottage on Elk Lake. Everyone had a great time. All expectations were met. A couple of problems were resolved however you might want to invest in an ice maker and some individual chairs for the back porch and area when everyone wanted to get together. We recommend your cottage for any large groups and hope to use it again.
The Merlo Group
We found everything clean when we arrived and loved the "Up North" decor of the two houses. The main house was very roomy during the day for our clan of 21 and the large yard was great for outdoor activities. A rainy day was still enjoyed thanks to the the ping pong table and the covered porch areas. Jeff, our host, was staying nearby so he was readily available for questions and was quick to respond to a couple of minor issues that we had. Hoping to return soon.
Beautiful property! Plenty of room for outdoor activities! Bonfires and sunsets every night! We enjoyed Elk Lake’s cool clear waters daily. We rented both houses/cottages which were clean and well equipped with kitchen supplies as we cooked or grilled most every night. Indoors hosted a number of large areas for groups to gather and the bedrooms are spacious. The property manager/owner was great, responding quickly to all of our questions. The location was 20-25 minutes from Traverse City and Elk Rapids. Plenty of fresh air and lots to do!! We all hope to return next year! Thank you Jeff!
Our family really enjoyed our time at Elk Lake. We had a large group with multiple family units and this home worked well. We especially liked the separate unit where my wife and I (grandma and grandpa) could stay. It gave us a place for a little more peace and quiet. The proximity of the lake was wonderful. Our children and grandchildren swam every day and made use of the kayaks and SUPs that we brought up north. The firepit was used a couple of nights for Smores. The proximity to Meijer's and to Traverse City worked well.
If you rent this location be aware that the beach does have sand fleas. On just one of the mornings when the children were out early playing in the sand they were bit up and it led to a few tears. After that we made sure they had on repellent.
Be sure to bring sand toys. The volleyball court doubles as a large sand box.
There are several farm stands on M72 and one small one just at the entrance to the unit. We had sweet corn and cherries from these stands.
We have been staying on Jeffery and Alisa property for three years and hope to continue the tradition. We bring family from all over the Midwest to meet up north and enjoy the fresh air and lake! The home is very accommodating to large family gatherings. The hosts are very responsive and helpful. We make lasting memories at their locations!
Perfect location for our annual family reunion/vacation! The house was both cozy and roomy, with everything we needed for meals and relaxation! Our host was excellent in responding to the one small problem we had! Hope to make it an annual location!
We had a great trip here. The home is perfect for multi generational family where grandparents have their own space. It’s quiet and private yet close to Traverse, sleeping bear, cherry picking, etc. definitely do a day to Torch Lake sandbar if it’s warm. Overall, great stay.
Andrew M.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2023
About the host
Hosted by Jeffrey Thewes
We have owned the property since 1997. The original property is part of a piece that was homesteaded as a pig farm in the 1800s and then sold to Chester Drake in 1916. He was sold about 1500 feet of frontage and almost 100 acres for $800. The property was divided and Mr. Drakes family still owns the cottage just to the south of us. They have the original land contract from over 100 years ago. Mr. Drake built a Sears and Roebuck House on the northern part of the property which is 2 doors up from the rental and is still there today. He sold the property for the main house to Mr. Kellyman in the 1960s. You can see that the house has been renovated from a simple cottage to one with a large living room and bunk room. My brothers and sister and I were looking for a vacation cottage in the mid 90s and looked for years for a special place that could accommodate the 6 of us. We had just about given up, but in the summer of 1997, our realtor called us and told us he had the place we would buy.
For us it was love at first site and we closed July 1 of 1997. Over the next few years the 6 of us all got married and had kids. Lots of kids, My parents have 26 grandchildren. With the explosion in family members, we decided to convert the back pole barn into a guest house for expansion in 1999. The neighbor just to the north was also one of Chester Drake's grandchildren, and they were getting older, and sold us their property in 2000. We had those places for 11 years, then we were able to buy the original Sears and Roebuck house and the large timberframe and polebarn that are 2 properties north.
Our mom passed away in November of 2021, the grandkids are getting older, and we don't use the place as much as we would like. It is still our favorite place on earth, and we are glad to share it with others through VRBO.
Why they chose this property
Large amount of frontage and bedrooms can accommodate generations of family members. The lake is pristine, and the place for a perfect "Up North" vacation.
Premier Host
They consistently provide great experiences for their guests