The Family Vacation You're Looking for on Birch Lake

Top rated by guests
The cottage from the lake side.
Remodeled kitchen with full range, microwave, and dishwasher.
Plenty of space to put your toes in the sand...
Gorgeous sunsets viewable from the family room, porch, and beach.
Shallow, sandy, sloping beach entrance to Birch Lake.
review stars
9.4Outstanding
(40 Ratings)
"We had so much fun!"
Patti M.
Don't miss out! Price and availability may change
9.4 / 10
Outstanding(40 Ratings)

Cottage in Michigan

6 guests · 3 bedrooms · 1 bath

Reasons to book

Guests love it hereGuests give this property a top rating
Great for petsBring all your friends and family, even the furry ones
Well priced for this locationPriced under area average

About this cottage rental

Just 20 miles north of Traverse City, Birch Lake is the family friendly lake. Warm water, sandy shore, gently sloping shallows, great for families, fishing, boating, water skiing, swimming, playing and relaxing.

The water front cottage is on the south side of Birch Lake, just 3 miles north of Elk Rapids. Cottage has 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, cathedral ceiling, full kitchen, washer.dryer, outdoor deck with charcoal grill. It has cable TV, WIFI and CD player. Sheets & towels are provided.

Amenities include: a sandy beachfront location; gently sloping shallows area for children; dock, boat tie out, full kitchen, comfortable great room, deck, picnic table, charcoal grill, fire place, beach fire pit, close to Grand Traverse Bay and Elk Rapids. Pets welcome.

Amenities

Non-smoking
Pets allowed
Family friendly

Map of Michigan


Ratings and reviews

9.4 / 10
Outstanding(40 Ratings)
10 / 10Outstanding·Jun 2026
We had so much fun!
10 / 10Outstanding·Jun 2026
This cottage is exactly as described and has everything you need for a northern Michigan trip. The sandy beach and shallow sandy water would be great for a family with smaller children. The cottage was clean and had a good amount of space. The property manager even stopped shortly after we checked in to make sure everything was good and to let us know his number was in the cottage if we should need anything while we were there. We had a great trip.
10 / 10Outstanding·Oct 2025
Another wonderful vacation at the Red Cottage. We were there for 3 weeks - late August and early September. The weather was unusually cold and wet but we made the most of the usable lake time. The cabin location allowed for impromptu trips to local small towns and new discoveries. We had warm and cozy game nights when campfires were not possible. There was plenty of room for everyone whether playing, watching movies or eating. I can’t wait until next year!
6 / 10Average·Aug 2014
Been renting on Birch Lake for 12 years. As far as I'm concerned, if you're looking for a great "up north" location, this should be your destination. Birch Lake is small and perfect for families. It's beautifully clean, warm and children can walk out into the water a long way before getting in too deep. Over the years we've rented 3 different cottages. This particular rental had pros and cons over the others. There's a nice, large deck on the back that has a table large enough to accommodate at least 6 comfortably. The beach area is good sized and there's a long dock that we used for sunning, towels, coolers, etc..... The living room has been remodeled, quaint and has nice wood floors. I personally don't like carpeting because of odors and being this cottage allows pets, I worry about fleas, dog hair and so on. Allowing pets is "ify". I appreciated my family being able to bring their dog but worried about what the pets before us had left. There weren't any noticeable odors, messes or hair, so... The master bdrm. was good, comfy queen bed and the second bdrm. also an okay queen bed. The 3rd bdrm was good but for us the bunk beds were useless. No one but small children could have slept in them; adults aren't going to climb to the top and feel claustrophobic on the bottom. We split the beds immediately. However, they still didn't get slept on because both mattress's were on boards and too uncomfortable. One of my family members opted for the couch instead, which made me worry about the flea issue again. The bedroom would be much better with 2 twin size real beds or 1 full size. It is also big enough to somehow accommodate a stack-able or small washer/dryer. The only laundromat nearby is closed; the closest one is 20 miles away. One of the other cottages we get does have a washer/dryer. There is a dishwasher and some sort of water filter. We used the filtered water for coffee and ice and it was fine. However, within a couple of days the sinks, tub and toilets were brown from the water and it was "yucky" for lack of a better word. The dishwasher leaves the dishes looking filmy. This cottage has WiFi, (actually better than mine at home) and the other cottages don't but the cable sucks; couldn't even catch a Tiger game, maybe 6 channels, total. The bbq grill was charcoal and had one rusty leg that fell off a few times. All that being said, I still may choose this cottage again because of the deck, beach and dock. A few small improvements would make this perfect!

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FAQs

Is parking included with this cottage?

Parking is not specified as an available amenity at The Family Vacation You're Looking for on Birch Lake. For more information, we encourage you to contact the property about where to park.

Is there a pool at this cottage?

We didn’t find pool listed as an amenity for this cottage. It may be worth double checking if a pool is important for your stay.

Is The Family Vacation You're Looking for on Birch Lake pet friendly?

Yes! This cottage is pet-friendly. For more information, we recommend contacting the booking provider about animal policies.

What amenities are available at The Family Vacation You're Looking for on Birch Lake?

We found 3 amenities for this rental. This includes non-smoking, pets allowed, and family friendly.


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