Beautiful Secluded Christmas Retreat House -100 yr old Lake Lodge-Dog Friendly
4.8
Outstanding(100 Reviews)House in Wisconsin
16 guests · 5 bedrooms · 2 baths
Reasons to book
Guests love it hereGuests give this property a top rating
Free cancellationFull refund if you change your mind
Great for petsBring all your friends and family, even the furry ones
About this house rental
Welcome to Briar Lake Lodge, a rustic log cabin/lodge built in1923 on a beautiful, isolated trout lake. Located about 30 minutes from downtown Duluth, there is plenty to do year-round both onsite & nearby; including fishing, swimming, kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, four wheeling, cross country skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling. (Large gatherings require prior approval)
With a 6-person sauna, one master king bedroom, 2 bedrooms on the main floor and two loft bedrooms on the upper floor, and a hide-a-way couch, there is plenty of room for the whole family. A large grand living room at the center of the lodge boasts a huge stone fireplace. Air conditioning for warm days available in lofts. There is a dock with kayaks, and sups to venture around the lake, as well as a large patio and firepit for family BBQ.
This property is the definition of a Northwoods lake cabin/lodge getaway. It is one of our favorite places to be and hopefully it will be one of yours too!
With a 6-person sauna, one master king bedroom, 2 bedrooms on the main floor and two loft bedrooms on the upper floor, and a hide-a-way couch, there is plenty of room for the whole family. A large grand living room at the center of the lodge boasts a huge stone fireplace. Air conditioning for warm days available in lofts. There is a dock with kayaks, and sups to venture around the lake, as well as a large patio and firepit for family BBQ.
This property is the definition of a Northwoods lake cabin/lodge getaway. It is one of our favorite places to be and hopefully it will be one of yours too!
Amenities
Air conditioner
Pets allowed
Kitchen or Kitchenette
Internet / Wifi
Fireplace
Parking
Laundry
Balcony or Patio
Dishwasher
Hot tub or spa
Garden
Family friendly
Map of Wisconsin
Reviews
4.8
Outstanding(100 Reviews)4.8
Beautiful property !!
Beautiful views !!
Wonderful family time together !!
Very relaxing atmosphere !!
4.8
My family enjoyed our stay! The place was exactly what we had hoped.
4.8
A very gorgeous property and cabin, well situated for larger groups with great views of the lake, a large dining area and plenty of outdoor seating.
4.8
Wonderful weekend with my kids and their families. Kayaks and paddle boards were a hit. Loved the dining area… played games, had our meals and loved having morning coffee over looking the lake.
4.8
This place was awesome! Beautiful & perfect for our small casual wedding reception & family stay! The only thing I could recommend to the owners is to provide some hand lotion in the bathroom & kitchens. We did use the oven to warm up some food & found an issue due to someone leaving a broiler pan full of grease in the bottom causing a smoke issue but were able to resolve it with removing the pan & using fans & and windows to clear the smoke. We did clean the pan & the dirty dishes that were left in the dishwasher. Other than that everything went very smoothly & we would not hesitate to stay here again in the future!
4.8
Great place to get away from the city. The cabin is beautiful and spacious. We spent 80% of the time outside because it was so well kept that the fireplace was perfect and a great little field for corn hole. My group had a great time relaxing and having actual conversations instead of just looking at a screen.
4.8
What a wonderfully relaxing lakeside oasis! Everything was as advertised. Best aspects were un-ending amounts of firewood for the interior fireplace and outdoor fire pit. The sauna, dock and multiple sleeping accommodations (7 separate beds). Only feedback is that they need to replace the oven hot mitts and gas grill (no bottom to collect the grease). Otherwise the group of us would gladly return here again! Cheers 🍻
4.8
This was the perfect place to get away from hectic life of the cities. More than enough space for everyone, as well as spacious room for the dogs to roam. Was out of the inner city enough to receive peace and tranquility, but close enough to run into town to tour canal park and other tourist attractions. I will recommend this place to family and friends.
4.8
The cabin was everything our two families of 5 needed—enough space for sleeping and room for the kids to play. The sauna was a great feature and got a fair amount of use. All in all it was a wonderful time up north!
4.8
Had our winter wedding there! And it was beautiful!
4.8
Our party of 7 adults and 7 kids gathered to celebrate Christmas together, and this cabin was perfect for our needs.
The three bedrooms on the main floor are beautiful! Two lofts with two full beds each are great for kids, but the stair/ladders are pretty steep for children who are afraid of heights. Luckily ours got over their fears quickly and were able to sleep up there just fine. *Beds were ok, but bring your own pillows if you are used to big fluffy ones.
Large table overlooking the lake is connected to the livingroom area with a fireplace. Very warm and cozy, and we were able to all eat together for meals!
The kitchen is small and lacks counterspace for meal prep, but the side breakfast nook with the large buffet/countertop worked well for spreading out our buffet style meals.
Host/house manager responded immediately when we called with a question. Very accommodating and friendly! Highly recommend this place for large group gatherings.
4.8
Although there was a problem with the main heating source, we were plenty comfortable (even a little too warm) as there were multiple portable heaters scattered through the house and the fire place was going when we arrived. I was a bit nervous with all the heaters with our newly walking granddaughter, but she knew they were “hot” so she stayed clear of them.
We had some issues with lights not working in the front porch, but management was quick to get back to us guiding us to some extra lighting.
The house was beautifully decorated for the holidays which made our weekend even more special! The lodge is rustic and noise carries easily through the house, but we loved the rustic atmosphere.
My only complaint was from some rude neighbors across the bay making negative comments about “VRBO guests” and screaming obscenities at someone’s barking dog.
4.8
This was our first whole family trip. It definitely exceeded my expectations. The cabin is in a perfect location, secluded but close enough to get to a store if needed. There was plenty of space for our dog to run around and the house was big enough that it didn't feel as if we were all on top of one another.
4.8
The property is beautiful inside and out. Large eating area and large family room which consisted of the entire center of the lodge. Nice, large yard for outside activities.
4.8
The property is amazing and merissa is top notch!
4.8
We were all very impressed at the condition of the old log cabin given its age and impressed at the expansion/additional that had been done to the originally cabin. This place is a must stay and was an amazing time!
4.8
This was a great place for a large group. Plenty of yard space and a great bonfire. The lodge is spacious and comfortable. Highly recommend.
4.8
The place feels bigger than the listing shows, which was a nice surprise. The amenities, yard space, and furnishings were great. The drawbacks I found was there wasn’t any cellular service in the area (Verizon) and the Wi-Fi loaded slowly - pretty minor issue when compared to how great the property was. Plenty of water equipment there was almost no need to bring our own. Would recommend this property!
4.8
Everything in the house was fantastic. We enjoyed inside out of the property. We loved the option on kayaking and would to come again! Thank you for such a beautiful place!
4.8
The cabin is large and has spacious family room and dining rooms. Secluded cabin with large yard for games.
The only cons were:
1. No bathroom in the loft, which has 2 sleeping areas.
2. The king size mattress in the master bedroom was very uncomfortable.
3. Would be nice to have steps going down the hill to the dock
4.8
The property was a little far to travel to duluth and the north shore. Other than that the cabin was comfortable for our ages of family .
Loved the huge table that we could all gather at for meals and games. The fire pit and lawn area were great for outdoor activities that we love. The access to the lake front was a little dangerous for our 2 year old , but the weather was not hot and so we didn’t spend a lot of time in the water.
Overall it met our needs very well.
4.8
We came for a hockey tournament and had a wonderful stay with multiple families. The property and lake are breathtaking.
The only issue we ran into was spotty service and internet but that’s what you get when you’re in the North woods. I just wouldn’t plan on working from here.
Lots of amenities and space for big groups.
4.8
We really enjoyed our stay for a long weekend gathering with extended family. We had 14 people and a dog and the space accommodated us very well. We loved the large dining table with beautiful views of the lake, late night bonfires, yard games, and paddle boarding and kayaking. The hosts were very responsive and friendly. I'd recommend this space and would love to go back.
4.8
Three generations came together to celebrate my Dad's 80th birthday! We had a wonderful time. The house was great. We enjoyed the lake and time at the big table for meals and games! Thank you!
4.8
First, this is a gorgeous house with an incredible panoramic view of a nice lake. It was spotless when we arrived and overall we really enjoyed our stay.
There were only seven of us, and I would say that this property is a much better value for a larger group (of people who are willing to stay in the same room, as a lot of the sleeping spaces are shared, like the two loft rooms with two double beds each, for example). For our size group it ended up seeming a bit expensive for what it was.
Our critiques are relatively minor, but worth noting. First of all the internet is not great here, so don't go expecting to be able to catch up on work or video chat. We really like to cook and had some issues. The oven is dangerously off-kilter. The grill was propped up on broken legs. These and a few other minor details suggest that someone with an eye to detail should review the amenities closely.
We appreciated the paddle boat, standup paddleboard, and kayaks, though I would say that for a property that is intended to sleep so many people, a greater number of kayaks would be more appropriate. Even our small group could not be on the water all at once.
4.8
Very comfortable and clean. Lake was very nice and we were even able catch a few fish. Property manager was very responsive and helpful. We had a group of 11 and it was perfect for us.
4.8
We had an amazing time! We had a few half-marathoners in the group, and this was a perfect location to rest and recover after race day. The outdoor space was perfect for toddlers, and we all enjoyed the water sports. We would love to come up again!
4.8
This property served us well for our women's Retreat with a head count of 12! I would highly recommend it!
4.8
Our family had a wonderful time staying at the cabin this past March. Unfortunately some of the families time was cut short due to weather conditions and travel . Merissa was a wonderful host and even extended our stay a few hours due to the weather. This was the second time we had stayed there for a family gathering and we hope to keep the tradition going.
J&L
4.8
Beautifully restored log cabin in the Northwoods. Appointed with all the needs for a large gathering. Rustic and comfortable with easy access to the lake. The owners are responsive and very helpful!
4.8
Ourselves and our friends had an amazing time staying at the Briar Lake Lodge! Very nice set up, cozy, spacious and inviting. We had a wonderful time sitting a the huge table playing card games as well as sitting by the fire enjoying the warmth and each others company. We plan to make a return trip to the briar lake lodge either next winter or possibly even this coming summer season
4.8
I'd love to keep this secret but for selfish reasons. This place was awesome. Large kitchen and dining areas, plenty of separation to keep the kids at bay! Only thing that wa not working was the Sauna but we made due. I plan to find a time this summer to visit with the family. We ice fished (not successfully but ts fishing). We drove the short distance to Spirit Mountain for a day of fun. Huge dinners were easy to make with the stocked kitchen. Thanks for allowing others to enjoy this gem!
Jason K and Jennifer M (Saint Paul MN)
4.8
Property is as advertised! Spacious and comfortable. Definitely a premium VRBO. Owner very responsive to several questions during our stay. Enjoyed large open fireplace immensely. Internet was very slow, but we wanted to be away from devices anyway, not really an issue...but if you plan to do any work of video streaming, it will be a challenge.
4.8
We had a great time!
It was so nice that the Christmas decorations were left up for us!
Thank you so much!
Would recommend for any occasion any time of year.
One suggestion.
A highchair would be nice.
Would definitely rent again!
4.8
This property was beautiful! There were 10 of us all together and the accommodations were spot on! The lofts were roomy and fun and the master suite was amazing and comfortable! The great room with the fireplace going was cozy and relaxing and the banquet table that seated everyone of us had windows all around that overlooked the lake! It was truly like living in a dream! We will definitely be back!
4.8
Our group had a great time. The cabin has everything you need for a quiet and fun getaway.
4.8
My friends and I (12 adults and 1 infant) stayed here for a few days this fall, and last year in March I stayed with family (6 adults and 3 kids). This is a GREAT spot for large groups to spend time with one another; the space allows for people to come together or break off if different groups want to do their own thing. The huge dining room table and butler's pantry make kitchen prep and meal times simple, and the fireplace (supplied with firewood!) makes it such a cozy space to connect!!
4.8
We brought 10 of us up to Duluth to show international family parts of Northern MN and had wonderful time. The cabin was clean and cozy, was stocked with anything we needed for supplies, such a great place for such a big group, loved being able to all eat at the same table, we loved the sauna and ability to have our dog with us. We stayed in November, and had no trouble warming it up to our preference. Literally no complaints.
4.8
Great location
4.8
It was a really nice place for our family. Wish pontoon rate was communicated from get go. House is really creeky. Kitchen sinks and old fashion tub rusty. Water softener had no salt. Pilot light was out on water, so first person got a cold shower. The outside lights were an issue to get turned on until found hidden timer in kitchen closet for outside switch. So having 2 engineering sons was a bonus to those issues. The
refridgerator has a leak. But we were happy with event.
FAQs
How much does this house cost compared to others in Wisconsin?
The average price for a rental in Wisconsin is $338 per night. This rental is $1,131 above the average.
Is parking included with this house?
Yes, parking is listed as an amenity at Beautiful Secluded Christmas Retreat House -100 yr old Lake Lodge-Dog Friendly. For more information, we encourage you to contact the property about where to park.
Is there a pool at this house?
We didn’t find pool listed as an amenity for this house. It may be worth double checking if a pool is important for your stay.
Is Beautiful Secluded Christmas Retreat House -100 yr old Lake Lodge-Dog Friendly pet friendly?
Yes! This house is pet-friendly. For more information, we recommend contacting the booking provider about animal policies.
What amenities are available at Beautiful Secluded Christmas Retreat House -100 yr old Lake Lodge-Dog Friendly?
We found 12 amenities for this rental. This includes air conditioner, pets allowed, kitchen or kitchenette, internet / wifi, and fireplace.
Explore similar vacation rentals in Wisconsin
Explore all rentals in WisconsinWisconsin travel inspiration
Read our blogGuides
7 Beautiful Places to Go Glamping in Wisconsin
Budget Travel
The 16 Best Budget-Friendly Destinations for Summer Family Vacations
Research
Road Trip Routes to Witness Incredible Astronomical Events in 2023 and 2024
Guides
The Ultimate U.S. Bucket List: Top Activities in Every State
Local Culture
The Best (And Worst) Travel Destinations for Introverts
Budget Travel
Best Staycation Cities in the United States: 50 States Edition
Guides
10 Romantic Winter Weekend Getaways from Chicago
Guides
5 Fun Winter Activities in Madison, Wisconsin