Entire home
Gorgeous Lake Retreat
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Reviews
10 out of 10, Loved by Guests
Top 10% based on
4 bedrooms3 bathroomsSleeps 12260.1 sq m
Popular amenities
Rooms & beds
4 bedrooms (sleeps 12)
Downstairs Bedroom w/ large mirrored cabinet with drawers and shelves for folded clothes plus numerous wall hooks
2 Queen Beds
Living Room 2
1 Queen Bed
Master Bedroom W/ built-in closets and a large dresser for hanging and folded clothes
2 Queen Beds
Roll-A-Way Beds
2 Single Beds
Upstairs Bedroom 1 W/ built-in closet with drawers for hanging and folded clothes
2 Queen Beds
Upstairs Bedroom 2 W/ built-in closet with drawers for hanging and folded clothes
1 Single Bed and 1 Double Bed
3 bathrooms
Downstairs Bathroom w/ Glass & Tile & Stone Shower + Sculpted Concrete Basin Sink & Large Concrete Counter + 6 Drawer Bath Cabinet
Soap · Towels provided · Bathtub or shower · Toilet · Shower only · Shampoo · Hair dryer
Master Bathroom w/ Large Glass & Stone Shower + Jetted Tub + Large basin Sink & Concrete Counter + Closet & Drawer Storage
Soap · Towels provided · Bathtub or shower · Toilet · Shampoo · Hair dryer
Upstairs Bathroom w/ Tube Shower combo + integrated sink counter & cabinet
Soap · Towels provided · Bathtub or shower · Bathtub · Toilet · Shampoo · Hair dryer
Spaces
Deck or patio
Kitchen
Office
Balcony
Outdoor play area
Garden
Dining area
About this property
Gorgeous Lake Retreat
Add dates for prices
Amenities
Kitchen
Washing machine
Dryer
Free WiFi
Air conditioning
Outdoor space
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Family-Friendly Cabin with Hot Tub, Sauna, Firepit with Loft, Sleeps 12
Family-Friendly Cabin with Hot Tub, Sauna, Firepit with Loft, Sleeps 12
- Spa pool
- Kitchen
- Washing machine
- Dryer
House Rules
Check in after 4:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 25
Check out before 11:00 AM
Children
Children allowed: ages 0–17
Events
No events allowed
Pets
No pets allowed
Smoking
Smoking is not permitted
Check-out instructions
The host requires you to complete the following before checking out:
Load and start the dishwasher
Store extra beds
Remove personal items and take out the rubbish
Turn off the lights and lock the doors
If you used one of the rollaway beds, please put it back where you found it. My cleaner is solo and it is a two person job.
Please strip any beds that you’ve used. Often times we find guests leave personal items that are entangled in the bedding and this process locates these items.
Feel free to leave the used bedding, sheets and towels in each room.
If you have unopened food items that you want to leave feel free to do so.
Failure to complete these may result in a negative review from the host.
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
This property uses eco-friendly cleaning products
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
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a first aid kit and a deadlock
We should mention
This property does not have any lifts
A car is required for transport to and from this property
About the area
Merrifield
Located in Merrifield, this holiday home is in a rural area and on the waterfront. Crosswoods Golf Course and Deacon's Lodge Golf Course are worth checking out if an activity is on the agenda, while those wishing to experience the area's natural beauty can explore Mississippi River and Crow Wing State Forest. Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway and Kicks on Route 66 are also worth visiting. Make sure you get close to the area's animals with activities such as game walks and birdwatching.

Merrifield, MN
What's nearby
- Horseshoe Lake - 1 min walk - 0.1 km
- Bass Lake - 3 min drive - 2.2 km
- Crow Wing State Forest - 4 min drive - 2.2 km
- Cross Lake Recreation Area - 19 min drive - 19.4 km
- Gull Lake - 24 min drive - 29.8 km
Getting around
Restaurants
- Commander Restaurant & Bar - 18 min drive
- Dockside Lounge - 18 min drive
- Maucieri's Italian Bistro & Deli - 13 min drive
- Mission Tavern - 6 min drive
- Subway - 17 min drive
Frequently asked questions
Reviews
10
Exceptional
Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window10/10
Cleanliness
10/10
Check-in
10/10
Communication
10/10
Location
10/10
Listing accuracy
Reviews
Verified
1 March 2026
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2026
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Verified traveller
19 January 2026
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Verified traveller
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2026
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Carolyn K.
21 June 2025
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Just wonderful
Carolyn K.
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2025
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Verified traveller
15 July 2025
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Wonderful week at Horse Shoe lake
Verified traveller
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2025
Verified
10/10 Excellent
John T.
5 August 2025
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
John T.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2025
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Elly K.
26 July 2025
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Elly K.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2025
Verified
10/10 Excellent
David L.
26 August 2025
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
David L.
Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2025
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Jennifer K.
9 June 2025
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Perfect!
Jennifer K.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2025
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Kristen I.
28 June 2025
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
We keep going back!
Kristen I.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2025
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Amanda E.
25 November 2024
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Absolutely perfect
Amanda E.
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2024
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Emily S.
31 July 2021
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Perfect place for our multi generational family
Emily S.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2021
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Julie F.
2 September 2025
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Julie F.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2025
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Amanda E.
17 May 2024
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
The best place we've ever stayed!
Amanda E.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2024
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Mary L.
18 July 2021
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Family vacation!
Mary L.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2021
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Sally W.
7 August 2023
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Family get away
Sally W.
Stayed 6 nights in Jul 2023
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Paul K.
3 June 2024
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Family getaway
Paul K.
Stayed 6 nights in May 2024
Verified
10/10 Excellent
grant n.
21 June 2025
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Horseshoe fun!
grant n.
Stayed 5 nights in Jun 2025
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Wesley J.
3 September 2024
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Incredible lake cabin
Wesley J.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2024
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Sarah L.
9 July 2023
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Girl’s weekend
Sarah L.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2023
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Ron B.
6 October 2024
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Great place for everyone
Ron B.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2024
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Kevin Q.
21 July 2025
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Kevin Q.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2025
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Paul K.
3 July 2023
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Family lake vacation
Paul K.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2023
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Michaela B.
3 January 2021
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Beautiful property-great stay!
Michaela B.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2020
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Amanda E.
6 November 2023
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Amazing, as always
Amanda E.
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2023
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Leslie G.
1 September 2023
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Loved our visit
Leslie G.
Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2023
About the host
Hosted by Dennis Galatowitsch
My wife Kristin and I are both corporate dropouts. I was a Heavy Industrial Consulting Engineer and my wife had a bachelor degree in Interior Design and was doing commercial design and sales.
We both loved design and loved to build things.
Neither of us enjoyed working for others. So, we both quit our jobs.
Kristin went to law school and has owned her own law practice for 22 years. Together we started a store called Twister in Princeton, Wisconsin. We still own and operate both business.
I have been fortunate to have spent many months at the lake each year since I was 4 years old. At that time my parents bought a small resort, now private cabins, that sat adjacent to the current lake home.
Working at the resort, I learned many skills in the building trades.
The freedom afforded us by our self employment resulted in us spending all our extra time up at the lake or building other projects.
The lake home you are looking at was mostly built by my hand in 1983/84/85. I designed the additions of 2004.
In 2004/05 My wife and I install the concrete driveway and I built all the gardens and patios.
In 2016 my wife and I purchased the home from my mothers estate.
Our lake home is our favorite place on earth.
Not able to retire to our lake home in 2016 we started to rent it as a short term rental.
We continue to spend many weeks at the lake home each year and love making improvements. Being at the lake for us is a labor of love. We never have enough time during our stays to do all the things we plan for
We never hire services and do everything ourselves. We know that sometimes this might yield interesting results but more often than not we feel we achieve something better and hope you can feel the love we put into our home and yard.
We never use insecticides or yard chemicals. We cherish and try and support the wildlife, trees and plants
We appreciate being able to share our home with others and turn everything back into the property and its amenities
We both loved design and loved to build things.
Neither of us enjoyed working for others. So, we both quit our jobs.
Kristin went to law school and has owned her own law practice for 22 years. Together we started a store called Twister in Princeton, Wisconsin. We still own and operate both business.
I have been fortunate to have spent many months at the lake each year since I was 4 years old. At that time my parents bought a small resort, now private cabins, that sat adjacent to the current lake home.
Working at the resort, I learned many skills in the building trades.
The freedom afforded us by our self employment resulted in us spending all our extra time up at the lake or building other projects.
The lake home you are looking at was mostly built by my hand in 1983/84/85. I designed the additions of 2004.
In 2004/05 My wife and I install the concrete driveway and I built all the gardens and patios.
In 2016 my wife and I purchased the home from my mothers estate.
Our lake home is our favorite place on earth.
Not able to retire to our lake home in 2016 we started to rent it as a short term rental.
We continue to spend many weeks at the lake home each year and love making improvements. Being at the lake for us is a labor of love. We never have enough time during our stays to do all the things we plan for
We never hire services and do everything ourselves. We know that sometimes this might yield interesting results but more often than not we feel we achieve something better and hope you can feel the love we put into our home and yard.
We never use insecticides or yard chemicals. We cherish and try and support the wildlife, trees and plants
We appreciate being able to share our home with others and turn everything back into the property and its amenities
Why they chose this property
I grew up here - never appreciated how unique and special our lake home is. Age & travel shined a light on why our lake home is special:
A perfect lake, well designed home, complimentary yard and location on the lake are the ingredients that make our home our favorite place on earth.
Horseshoe Lake is one of the cleanest and clearest lakes in Minnesota.
No Marina, no bait, no snack or gas service. Non-residents mostly put into lakes with these services. Residents tend to use their boats less as gas is one five gallon tank at a time. Most weekday there are only a few boats on the lake.
At 900+ acres it is a fairly big lake with great fishing. It is also small enough that it is often glassy calm as wind does not easily attach to the lake surface.
No rocky shores, only gently sloping sand beaches and shallow reeds along the shoreline, dampen boat waves and result in that totally glass calm which reflects the sunset and trees on many nights.
The lake is partially spring fed which keeps water temps from heating up and contributing to algae growth. That said, the shallow sandy area in front of our beach heats up in the sun so that you can literally be in the water all day. We have never had a day where the water was cloudy, even in the late summer.
Our property sits on the south-east shore, just shy of a mile from the west shore. This means we are perfectly opposite the sunset all year except in winter. The main benefit is that we see the last rays of the sun each evening. No need for an early coverup, you are in the sun until it gets dark. This results in daytime activities being extended to 9 or 10 PM many summer evening.
Our lake side yard is extraordinary. It is large, flat, perfectly manicured and sunny. Trees, plenty of chairs, table with umbrella and a shaded yard swing by the waters edge provide shade when needed.
It is a perfect transition as you go from the home, through the gardens and out to the fire-pit, lake and dock.
A perfect lake, well designed home, complimentary yard and location on the lake are the ingredients that make our home our favorite place on earth.
Horseshoe Lake is one of the cleanest and clearest lakes in Minnesota.
No Marina, no bait, no snack or gas service. Non-residents mostly put into lakes with these services. Residents tend to use their boats less as gas is one five gallon tank at a time. Most weekday there are only a few boats on the lake.
At 900+ acres it is a fairly big lake with great fishing. It is also small enough that it is often glassy calm as wind does not easily attach to the lake surface.
No rocky shores, only gently sloping sand beaches and shallow reeds along the shoreline, dampen boat waves and result in that totally glass calm which reflects the sunset and trees on many nights.
The lake is partially spring fed which keeps water temps from heating up and contributing to algae growth. That said, the shallow sandy area in front of our beach heats up in the sun so that you can literally be in the water all day. We have never had a day where the water was cloudy, even in the late summer.
Our property sits on the south-east shore, just shy of a mile from the west shore. This means we are perfectly opposite the sunset all year except in winter. The main benefit is that we see the last rays of the sun each evening. No need for an early coverup, you are in the sun until it gets dark. This results in daytime activities being extended to 9 or 10 PM many summer evening.
Our lake side yard is extraordinary. It is large, flat, perfectly manicured and sunny. Trees, plenty of chairs, table with umbrella and a shaded yard swing by the waters edge provide shade when needed.
It is a perfect transition as you go from the home, through the gardens and out to the fire-pit, lake and dock.
What makes this property unique
I never want to leave my lake home when I am there. That means something.
Sure, I go road bike riding or head to Cyuna for trail riding and like to have a beer mid or post ride. But for all practical purposes everything is better at our lake home.
I would rather wind down with a drink while we play bocce ball, can-jam or bag-toss and enjoy the sunset. The alternative is stopping some activity, showering, getting dressed up and driving 15 to 20 minutes each way to a noisy busy restaurant.
I would rather stay in my swimsuit and grill steaks, salmon, asparagus and potatoes while sitting around our fire table with friends and a drink. That verses waiting to be served, and paying restaurant prices for food and drink. And because we are at home, not everyone needs to hang out in one place. My kids are much happier in their suits at the waters edge playing frisbee than being at a restaurant. My wife generally has no trouble finding people to join her for wine at the garden table on the lake side of the house while I grill.
I also cannot think of a better setting than my lake side tables and the undeniably beautiful sunsets they present. Even if you can find a similar view at a local lakeside dining establishment you wont find a quieter more relaxing place to eat than my home.
Our new dishwasher can handle all the dishes from a party of twelve in one load. If you have a large party of 12 you can easily load dishes into the dishwasher in less time then it takes to drive home from a restaurant. Then you can be on a walk down our quiet roads.
In addition to the amenities at our property we are located 1/2 mile from a town park with 4 immaculately maintained & fenced tennis courts, 2 fenced pickleball courts, full basketball court, hiking trails through the woods, baseball diamond, frisbee golf course, sand volleyball courts and and a kids playground with lots of equipment.
Sure, I go road bike riding or head to Cyuna for trail riding and like to have a beer mid or post ride. But for all practical purposes everything is better at our lake home.
I would rather wind down with a drink while we play bocce ball, can-jam or bag-toss and enjoy the sunset. The alternative is stopping some activity, showering, getting dressed up and driving 15 to 20 minutes each way to a noisy busy restaurant.
I would rather stay in my swimsuit and grill steaks, salmon, asparagus and potatoes while sitting around our fire table with friends and a drink. That verses waiting to be served, and paying restaurant prices for food and drink. And because we are at home, not everyone needs to hang out in one place. My kids are much happier in their suits at the waters edge playing frisbee than being at a restaurant. My wife generally has no trouble finding people to join her for wine at the garden table on the lake side of the house while I grill.
I also cannot think of a better setting than my lake side tables and the undeniably beautiful sunsets they present. Even if you can find a similar view at a local lakeside dining establishment you wont find a quieter more relaxing place to eat than my home.
Our new dishwasher can handle all the dishes from a party of twelve in one load. If you have a large party of 12 you can easily load dishes into the dishwasher in less time then it takes to drive home from a restaurant. Then you can be on a walk down our quiet roads.
In addition to the amenities at our property we are located 1/2 mile from a town park with 4 immaculately maintained & fenced tennis courts, 2 fenced pickleball courts, full basketball court, hiking trails through the woods, baseball diamond, frisbee golf course, sand volleyball courts and and a kids playground with lots of equipment.
Languages:
English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Arabic
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