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Sandy Toes Retreat: Private beach on Little Bay de Noc!

Sandy Toes Retreat: Private beach on Little Bay de Noc!

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Overview of Sandy Toes Retreat: Private beach on Little Bay de Noc!

Reviews
8.8 out of 10 Excellent
3 bedrooms2 bathroomsSleeps 7156 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Pet-friendlyPet-friendlyPet-friendly
  • Outdoor spaceOutdoor spaceOutdoor space

Enjoy the area

Map
Stephenson, MI
  • Popular LocationJ.W. Wells State Park7 min drive
  • AirportEscanaba, MI (ESC-Delta County)24 min drive
  • Popular LocationChip-in Casino29 min drive
  • Popular LocationIsland Resort & Casino29 min drive

Rooms & beds

3 bedrooms (sleeps 7)

Bedroom #2: Queen bed

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom #3-twin bunkbed and 1 separate twin bed

1 Single Bed and 1 Single Bunk Bed

Master Bedroom-King bed

1 King Bed

2 bathrooms

Bathroom 2

Bathtub · Toilet · Shower only

Full Bathroom attached to master bedroom.

Toilet · Shower only

Spaces

Deck or patio
Kitchen
Dining Area

About this property

Sandy Toes Retreat: Private beach on Little Bay de Noc!

Sandy Toes Retreat
SLEEPS: 7
BEDROOMS: 3
BATHROOMS: 2
*LAKEFRONT (Green Bay—Lake Michigan)
*SWIMMING ON PROPERTY
*Ring doorbell on property
*Fire pit and fire table available for use!
**Book now to reserve your 2023-24 snowmobiling/ATV trip! See 'Offroad' section below for more details!

**Great for ice fishing!

There isn't a name more apropos for this slice of Michigan's Upper Peninsula southern paradise. Not far from the Michigan-Wisconsin border, Sandy Toes Retreat is an ideal place to literally dip your toes into one of Michigan's Great Lakes-- Lake Michigan itself. The 120-foot beach is wide, and the sand provides the ideal cushion for your beach towel. Set up for the beach day, right outside your lake house door, without the traditional beach crowds you generally find further south.

The initial look of Sandy Toes Retreat is unassuming. It has a classic vibe with simple accents, all on one level. Outside the sliding door wall, facing Lake Michigan is a deck to soak in the view.

The kitchen is open and spacious, with seating at both the countertop bar and traditional kitchen table. On top of the traditional kitchen appliances such as the fridge and stove/oven, having a dishwasher is a convenience that is deeply appreciated when traveling with a family. It's also a pleasant surprise to have air conditioning, even though it often isn't needed in the upper peninsula. Plus, having an electric fireplace to soak in the ambiance and cool evenings sets an ideal tone of tranquility and ease.

The Master Bedroom not only has a King-size bed, yet comes with an en-suite bathroom, so your privacy and peace are enhanced. The 2nd bedroom is simple with a Queen-size bed. Nonetheless, once you enter the 3rd bedroom, your kid's hearts will skip a beat when they lay their eyes on the dreamy fort of a bed. There will definitely be a rock, paper, scissors match to see who gets the top bunk within the 3 twin beds here.

Don't forget to bring along your beach towels, toys and sunscreen as you enter your lakefront, beach space. Enjoy the sandy beach without the crowds, yet with all the memories an ideal family vacation provides.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Air Conditioning: Yes-central air conditioning.

ATV'S/Snowmobile Trails: Not accessible from cottage, but there are some nearby.

Animals: You may see a variety of birds, deer, wild turkey, eagles, swans, and frogs.

Bathrooms:
Bathroom #1: Full Bathroom attached to master bedroom. Shower, sink and toilet.
Bathroom #2: Full Bathroom with tub, shower, sink and toilet.

Beach/Swimming: This property allows great swimming conditions with120 ft. of sandy beach. The lake is a beautiful, sandy-bottom lake, which has a very gradual slope.

Bedroom Configurations:
Bedroom #1: 1 King size bed with attached bathroom.
Bedroom #2: 1 queen size bed
Bedroom #3: 1 twin bunk bed and separate twin bed

Boats: 2 kayaks with life jackets. There is also a paddle boat. Available from May 1st through Labor Day.

Bugs: Mayflies, black flies, mosquitos, spiders are prevalent on a waterfront home in the Upper Peninsula.

Cell Phone Service: Verizon, T-Mobile & AT&T work well.

Coffee Maker: Keurig coffee maker. No drip coffee maker at the moment.

Distances:
* Iron Mountain: 1 hour and 13 minutes ( 98 miles)
* Green Bay, WI: 1 hour and 26 minutes (81 miles)
* Pictured Rocks: 1 hour and 42 minutes ( 92 miles)
* Marquette: 1 hour 42 minutes (92 miles)
* Green Bay, WI: 1 hour and 26 minutes (81 miles)
* Milwaukee, WI: 3 hours (198 miles)
* Mackinac Bridge: 3 hours (174 miles)

Dock: No dock is available at the property.

Drinking Water: Well water. There is a filtration system.

Drugs/Smoking/Fireworks: Freshwater does not permit illegal drugs of any kind on the property. Due to the location of the properties, smoking is strongly discouraged around the home and strictly prohibited in the home. Fireworks are prohibited at a Freshwater location for the safety of all persons in and around the property, even if it is legal in that city.

Fireplace: There is an electric fireplace in the cabin.

Fire-pit: Propane fire table and a wood burning firepit as well(please bring your own wood)

Fishing/Ice Fishing: You can wade in the water a bit and fish by the shore, or you can travel 2.3 miles to Cedar River and fish along the river. Please be sure to bring your own poles/gear as there are none at this property. Also, in order to fish in Michigan lakes, one is required to hold a fishing license. You can purchase your fishing license on the Michigan DNR website. Always check ice conditions before ice fishing.

Grill: Propane grill.

Grocery Store: There is a gas station/convenience store 2.3 miles away, which also has a restaurant in it. In Stephenson, which is 18 minutes away, there is a Family Dollar store.

Internet: Starlink internet. Great speeds!

Linens: Yes, we provide your sheets and linens. Just like a hotel, the beds will be made for you upon arrival. We have the basic sheets, pillows, pillowcases, and bath towels.

Offroad: There is trailhead parking that is about 15 minutes south in Cedar River. It is the Forest Island Trail & Route South. We do recommend trailering your ORV's to the parking area since the property is on the highway. Please check out ridecommand.polaris.com for more details on trail locations around the property.

Parking: There is room for 3 cars.

Pets: Yes, we do accept 1 dog, yet we do ask that you please clean up after them both inside and outside the cabin. We do provide a medium sized kennel and kindly ask that you kennel your pet if you leave them unattended. Because of nearby wildlife please keep dogs close by. Plus, if you allow them on the furniture, we do ask that you please bring your own linens/blankets for them to sleep on. Plus, if the pet hair starts to build, we do ask that you please run the vacuum. Pet food does tend to attract mice, so vigilance is needed. Freshwater Vacation Rentals currently charges $75/per pet for your entire stay.

Privacy: You are in a neighborhood. Neighbors are close by.

Snowmobiles: There is an area on the side of the house where you may park a snowmobile. Though you're not able to ride on the property itself, there are many trails nearby to access! A trail map may be provided upon request.

Space: One Floor

Televisions: There is a Smart TV in the living room.

Towels: Yes, we provide bath towels. Please bring your own beach towels for swimming.

Washer and dryer: Yes! Laundry soap is provided.

Property manager

Freshwater Vacation Rentals
Premier Host
Premier Host

Languages

English, Spanish

Amenities

Pet-friendly
Outdoor space

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

Pets allowed

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Damage and incidentals

You will be responsible for any damage to the rental property caused by you or your party during your stay.

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 not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip
Host has not indicated whether there is a smoke detector on the property

About the area

Stephenson

Located in Stephenson, this cottage is on the beach. The area's natural beauty can be seen at Lake Michigan and J.W. Wells State Park, while Ellison Bay Pottery Studios and Linden Gallery are cultural highlights. Be sure to check out the area's animals with activities such as game walks and birdwatching.
Map
Stephenson, MI

What's nearby

  • J.W. Wells State Park - 7 min drive
  • Chip-in Casino - 29 min drive
  • Island Resort & Casino - 29 min drive
  • Upper Peninsula State Fair Grounds - 34 min drive
  • DeYoung Family Zoo - 37 min drive

Getting around

  • Escanaba, MI (ESC-Delta County) - 24 min drive

Restaurants

  • Hirsch's Cedar River Pub - 6 min drive
  • Shell - 6 min drive
  • The Lighthouse Pub - 6 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is Sandy Toes Retreat: Private beach on Little Bay de Noc! pet-friendly?

Yes, pets are allowed at this property.

Reviews

8.8

Excellent

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
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Rating 10 - Excellent. 5 out of 6 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 0 out of 6 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 6 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 6 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 1 out of 6 reviews" "

8.8/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

9.8/10

Communication

8.8/10

Location

9.8/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Victor C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
UP Getaway
Relaxing stay at a great clean property. The bunkbed was a big hit.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2024

10/10 Excellent

Shifrah M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Fantastic family time!
Beautiful beach worth every penny
Stayed 6 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Margaret P.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Very relaxing location
Our family enjoyed staying at this property. The view of the lake was stunning. We watched the sunrise every morning. Beach was very private and clean. Enjoyed the two kayaks that was available. Water of the lake is shallow and sandy. Nice for little kids to play in. I definitely recommend this property to anyone who is looking for a quiet and relaxing location. Only one note- no grocery store nearby (the gas station convenient store is not supplied enough), only two restaurants nearby.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2023

2/10 Terrible

LeAndrea R.

Liked: Check-in, communication, listing accuracy
Disliked: Cleanliness
Bug Infestation
AVOID!!! The house itself was very pretty, however we ended up leaving a day early as we could no longer deal w/ the bug infestation. When we came prepared with bug spray not only for ourselves but also for our pups. The minute we walked into the house it was full of mosquitoes. I left my husband and drove 30 min 1 way and purchased around $80 worth of additional bug spray and fly swatters. We I returned back to the house my husband and I spent nearly 2 hrs and a full bottle of bug spray killing hundreds, and I wish I was exaggerating, but hundreds of mosquitoes. Honestly if we hadn't of driven for so long all day to arrive and it not have been nearly dark, we probably would have just left. After we cleared the house of bugs we were finally able to do an actual walk through. There were lots of spider webs in the corners of the tall ceilings and the ceiling fans in both the living room and master bedroom were very dirty. We tried to make the best of the situation and when we woke up the next day we were able to see hundreds more dead mosquitoes in the windowsills and door frame. We killed thousands more outside the front door w/ bug spray over several days and have the photos to prove it. The grass in the backyard had not been cut before we arrived. Over the rest of our trip we spent a good majority of our time being exterminators and not relaxing as we should on vacation. Management should have properly cleaned and treated for bugs but failed to do so.
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

Jason M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Amazing property
We had a great time at this property. It was everything we expected!
Stayed 2 nights in May 2023

About the host

Hosted by Freshwater Vacation Rentals

Host profile image
Freshwater Vacation Rentals
• Established in 2005
If you are looking for a vacation rental, you have come to the right spot! We specialize in vacation rentals throughout Michigan. From your own private island to a lodge big enough to host your family reunion or a relaxing getaway on one of the Great Lakes. If you feel like a social vacation where you have neighbors to enjoy the evening fires together, to remote places where you won't see another soul, give us a call and we'll find the right place for you.
Our philosophy
We work hard so you don't have to. Our goal is for guests have a wonderful vacation experience and assist our owners in maximizing their investment. We started this business over 13 years ago, with the purchase of Republic Island, and added the Rapid River Lodge. We have a unique perspective, as we are both owners and property managers. We love the business and are enjoying it as it grows.

Languages:

English, Spanish

Premier Host

Premier Host
They consistently provide great experiences for their guests
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