Skull Island - Blackbeard's Hideaway
Cabin in Lake Erie, OH
8 guests · 3 bedrooms · 1 bath
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 cabin rental
Ahoy, matey! Welcome to Skull Island where your adventures begin, and your memories are treasured.
Your adventure begins right after you park your car in the gated parking area. You'll bring your belongings to the dock where you can load it into your boat or use ours. From the dock, the house will be in your view on the island just to the right. THERE IS NO WAY TO DRIVE TO THE ISLAND, IT CAN ONLY BE ACCESSED BY ROWBOAT, YOUR BOAT OR RENTED PONTOON BOAT.
The home is unmistakable with pirate flags all around, painted black with cannons mounted to the side. You are about 100 yards or about a five-minute rowboat ride from your destination.
The property is on a point of the island. This gives you 270-degree views, main view of Pontiac Lake, the beach and Gale Bay. It's great to have the sun on the front of the house and to the rear of the house, you'll find shade under the large maple tree. In the evening you'll enjoy breathtaking sunsets.
You'll have access to everything you need. On the Lake, there is a Chinese Restaurant and a couple of boat liveries. Pontiac Lake State Park has a host of things to do.
Skull Island kid's camp is just on the other side of the island. Check them out on their website www.skullislandcamp.com or on Facebook www.facebook.com/skull.islandcamp.
Water is the way of the pirate so let's address that. There is a rowboat and paddle boat included with the house at no charge. We rent a well-seasoned 12-person pontoon for $150 per night or a newer pontoon can be rented from the multiple local boat liveries. Lounge around the lake or on the dock or deck all day and spend your evenings in Pontiac, Royal Oak, Birmingham, Clarkston, Detroit, Windsor (Canada), or other local hot spot of your choosing. Bring your fishing pole and catch Bass, Bluegill, Pike, Walleye, and other game fish when in season. Barbecue outside or cook inside. Vacation in beautiful Oakland County while enjoying the cozy, yet upscale, Northern Michigan atmosphere of this home. Abundant wildlife in nature sanctuary type setting all around the property. The cottage has additional dock space for your own boat as well.
On weekends you'll see the locals playing volleyball in the water.
Your adventure begins right after you park your car in the gated parking area. You'll bring your belongings to the dock where you can load it into your boat or use ours. From the dock, the house will be in your view on the island just to the right. THERE IS NO WAY TO DRIVE TO THE ISLAND, IT CAN ONLY BE ACCESSED BY ROWBOAT, YOUR BOAT OR RENTED PONTOON BOAT.
The home is unmistakable with pirate flags all around, painted black with cannons mounted to the side. You are about 100 yards or about a five-minute rowboat ride from your destination.
The property is on a point of the island. This gives you 270-degree views, main view of Pontiac Lake, the beach and Gale Bay. It's great to have the sun on the front of the house and to the rear of the house, you'll find shade under the large maple tree. In the evening you'll enjoy breathtaking sunsets.
You'll have access to everything you need. On the Lake, there is a Chinese Restaurant and a couple of boat liveries. Pontiac Lake State Park has a host of things to do.
Skull Island kid's camp is just on the other side of the island. Check them out on their website www.skullislandcamp.com or on Facebook www.facebook.com/skull.islandcamp.
Water is the way of the pirate so let's address that. There is a rowboat and paddle boat included with the house at no charge. We rent a well-seasoned 12-person pontoon for $150 per night or a newer pontoon can be rented from the multiple local boat liveries. Lounge around the lake or on the dock or deck all day and spend your evenings in Pontiac, Royal Oak, Birmingham, Clarkston, Detroit, Windsor (Canada), or other local hot spot of your choosing. Bring your fishing pole and catch Bass, Bluegill, Pike, Walleye, and other game fish when in season. Barbecue outside or cook inside. Vacation in beautiful Oakland County while enjoying the cozy, yet upscale, Northern Michigan atmosphere of this home. Abundant wildlife in nature sanctuary type setting all around the property. The cottage has additional dock space for your own boat as well.
On weekends you'll see the locals playing volleyball in the water.
Amenities
Air conditioner
Pets allowed
Kitchen or Kitchenette
Parking
Balcony or Patio
Dishwasher
TV
Map of Lake Erie, OH
$$$$
Ratings and reviews
10.0 / 10.0
The perfect place for a little getaway! Gorgeous views and you’re on an island, how cool? The pirate decor was fantastic and made everything 20x better.
It’s definitely worth renting the pontoon boat especially for a group of 4+.
We had a great time and I hope to visit again soon!
10.0 / 10.0
Me and my daughters had the best time. The cabin was perfect! Owner had everything there that we needed! My girls said “we just get good vibes here!” I agreed! Everything was easy and went as planned. Awesome getaway! Hope to definitely go back! Thank you!
10.0 / 10.0
Such a fun stay
The pirate house lives up to the pictures! The views are beautiful for adults and lots of fun activities for kids. The paddle boat is perfect for sunset rides. We hope to return again!
10.0 / 10.0
Pictures don’t do it justice
Absolutely beautiful! The pictures made it look good but seeing it in person it was so much better than we had hoped. Beautiful views, cabin is just fantastic, found some great sand bars on the lake to hang out on, overall a great experience. Every member of our family had a great time including our Labs and who were in doggy heaven with all the swimming. Highly recommend!
We brought a boat, but if you don’t have one I would highly recommend renting the pontoon to be able to easily bring supplies to the cabin, spend the day on the lake, etc….
10.0 / 10.0
Fabulous!
Highly recommend—great communication, cabin is wonderful, perfect week for my son and I.
10.0 / 10.0
Wedding,
Absolutely beautiful, we had the most fairytale wedding and weekend here, the owners are so much help! We will definitely be staying here again
8.0 / 10.0
Such a cute piratey house!
Great decorations! very clean, nice floors, good furniture in living room. For sure glad we rented the pontoon too, very close to shore but still the rowboat would have been hard. perfect for our dog (pug) b/c the house area is nicely fenced in up to the water so dog could run around freely. great deck and the furniture on the deck was perfect, very comfortable and good umbrella when the sun got intense. lots of window air conditioners so able to keep house nice and cool.
the mattress upstairs in the main room was unbearable. otherwise i would give a 5 star review but it basically was unsleepable. so terrible compared to all the other nice quality furniture. also the pontoon is essential, there are no other rental places on the lake so you have to rent their boat but it is like the slowest pontoon on the planet lol. nice condition boat though, good seats and size.
The other drawback was that there is a camp on the tiny island, so basically immediately next to the house b/c the island is very small, is a camp of like 5-13 year olds swimming and playing starting at 8am... zoinks... its not like it was bad but kids in downstairs bedrooms complained about not being able to sleep in... couldnt hear it at all upstairs...
the water was pretty clear and had two docks, we stayed in early july and the water was pretty cold to me but swimmable... very cool lake for exploring around, lots of space...
10.0 / 10.0
Relaxation and sunshine
The property was absolutely as described. Loved the vibe and the location on the lake. Great area to cool off in the water, plenty of sunshine on the deck and if weather is not cooperating games and movies inside. Definitely on the rotation of our annual water trip.
10.0 / 10.0
Everything was great
My family and I had a great time, everyone enjoyed fishing and watching the sunsets. The view is amazing and we enjoyed paddling around on the paddle boat. The owner was very nice and respond to any questions immediately. Cant wait to return!
10.0 / 10.0
Great place with tons of character.
Super duper. Thumbs up emoji.
10.0 / 10.0
Unexpected Island Oasis
This is an extremely unique property on an equally unique lake. The lake borders an amazing recreation area and wildlife sanctuary, but also has super interesting peninsula/canals with houses and a fun vibe to it. The house had a great view and everything was accurate to the listing description. Highly recommend for those who just want to kick back, have a beer, and watch all of the many activities going on in front of you at the lake. So happy to have gotten the opportunity to stay there and the owners/hosts were very chill and accommodating.
10.0 / 10.0
Wonderful setting, and thoughtfully equipped . Would stay there in future
A great escape .
10.0 / 10.0
Everything we expected and more!
This property is great! Donard and Nan are very accommodating hosts. The house was clean and the pirate theme is awesome! We enjoyed cruising around the lake in the pontoon, playing corn hole, and making s’mores on the fire. The lake is clear and beautiful as well! Highly recommend!
10.0 / 10.0
Quite nice.
All went well.
10.0 / 10.0
Birthday stay
Had a great time relaxing.. I'd rent the pontoon boat or bring my own... being on the island is great but many trips on the paddle boat... I will return again as it was an awesome stay!
10.0 / 10.0
Absolutely awesome get away. Beautiful lake fishing was great.
I thought it was awesome , owner was very Nice and accommodating. Definitely coming back.
10.0 / 10.0
Great elopement setting
Very accommodating for a small wedding or just a weekend get away. The host was very responsive. We enjoyed our stay and hope to return soon.
5.0 / 10.0
We had an amazing time! The cabin is immaculate and beautiful. It's super private. The kitchen is fully stocked. The views are spectacular. We loved going out on the paddle boat every day. The owner is super attentive and helpful. The lake is beautiful and the swans are very sassy. We definitely want to come back!
5.0 / 10.0
This was are 2nd stay here.Great property. We enjoyed are staying!
10.0 / 10.0
Wonderful
This was are 2nd stay here.
Great property. We enjoyed are staying!
10.0 / 10.0
We Didn't Want to Leave 🧡
We had an amazing time! The cabin is immaculate and beautiful. It's super private. The kitchen is fully stocked. The views are spectacular. We loved going out on the paddle boat every day. The owner is super attentive and helpful. The lake is beautiful and the swans are very sassy. 😛 We definitely want to come back!
10.0 / 10.0
Extended weekend wedding
Heading near Detroit for a weekend wedding and decided to try Donards place for an unusual extended stay. Was worth it. We lived the place, was quiet during our October stay. Had a blast.
10.0 / 10.0
Excellent
Property and experiences was everything advertised and more! Don responded almost immediately to any questions or needs.
10.0 / 10.0
Great Little Getaway
We had such a great time during our stay at Blackbeard's Hideaway. The owners were quick to respond, the house was super clean with all the amenities. Our pups loved running around in the fenced yard. The paddle boat was great and definitely recommend renting the pontoon boat to ride around the beautiful lake. Amazing views of the sunrise and sunset. Highly recommend!
5.0 / 10.0
The pirate house is better than described. We loved everything about the house. It was very clean and the yard is spacious and fenced in. Pontiac Lake is a hidden gem. The beach is so nice and you can dock the pontoon boat near the beach and walk on over to the sand area-which is very large and clean. Our grandson who is 2 loved going to the beach. Our family of 8 had plenty of space at the house and there are loads of activities to do while you are there. Rent the pontoon boat and take some sunset rides. There is even a guy who sells ice cream on the lake, everyone enjoyed that! We were blessed to be there over 4th of July weekend, the neighbors all around us put on a a great fireworks display and we lucked out again the following weekend and caught the Skull Island Camp having their fundraiser, so we were able to watch the live band from our boat. We all had a great time and will definitely book this home again. Thank you to our amazing hosts.
5.0 / 10.0
This was the most enjoyable vacation of its kind we have ever experienced! Started a little wonky with bad gps directions (DON’T turn down Lynn Dr with a trailer or large vehicle, even if the gps tells you to!), but it definitely went uphill immediately 😊. We stayed midweek, so the neighbors were not around, and we had our own little private island paradise. The kids loved the paddle boats and the pirate feel and this cabin was perfectly setup for our dog! The lake is beautiful and the atmosphere in and around the cabin was incredible. Every detail was taken care of! We will definitely be staying again at the first opportunity 😊.
5.0 / 10.0
Only book this place if you're looking for an awesome and amazing place to stay for your vacation !
This place deserves all the stars it got. Beautiful, clean, fully stocked and had all amenities. The house was clean, nice and well decorated for a pirate theme.
The area is beautiful, the lake is really nice, the kids had a ton of fun and were able to swim right off the edge of the yard. Row boat experience getting to the house was very cool and something different. The experience is certainly unique. We enjoyed the lake, the beach at the state park which was sandy and nice, fishing, waving at people on their boats and kayaks, sunrise and sunset, as well as sitting on the dock at night, and the bonfire and s'mores. We did it all !
Do not hesitate to book this house, I am glad I did. We will be back for sure.
Donnard was very nice, courteous, and responsive. Thank you for hosting us!
5.0 / 10.0
This is our 3rd stay at the pirate house and looking forward to many more! 4 of us for our annual fishing trip had a great time. The fishing wasn't as good as last June but we still caught some decent bass and a pike. House is very clean and Donard and Nan are excellent hosts!
5.0 / 10.0
This rental was so much cooler than we had expected! Photos can't do justice to the beautiful setting OR the decor, which was just so fun. 100% reccomend to any scallywag looking for a fun, relaxing escape.
5.0 / 10.0
everything was great my only issue is the row boat is a little unrealistic to take your stuff back and forth if you are staying for an extended time or more than a few people
5.0 / 10.0
Excellent hosts!
5.0 / 10.0
Memorial Day weekend at Donard and Nan’s pirate house was just the break we needed. The house is clean and very well stocked. The experience of being on an island is so fun and the house and deck make you feel like you’re on a boat! Ability to rent the pontoon boat is great. The paddle boats that are provided are also fun to use. This is a great house to rent and I’m already trying to figure out when we can go back! Thanks Donard and Nan for a fantastic weekend.
5.0 / 10.0
Though Mother Nature wasn’t very cooperative for our annual fishing trip, our hosts were really accommodating to make sure our every need was met. We had a relaxing time and much needed time away.
5.0 / 10.0
My dad and I stayed here for a little father/son getaway. The house was very clean, was very well stocked with linens, towels, kitchen items, etc., and the owners were very hospitable. The directions Donard gave were easy, and he even checked in to make sure we had everything we needed. We really enjoyed the unique experience of rowing to the island and being surrounded by water, with amazing sunrises and sunsets.
--Some recommendations for fishing...We found the best spot to be the West/Northwest part of the lake. This is where the houses end and the Pontiac Lake State Rec area begins. We caught many big mouth bass and a blue gill. It is a 1 mile row to get there.
--Golfing at Indian Springs Metropark Golf was really nice. The course is beautiful and well maintained. You drive in to the park and pay $10 but bring the receipt to the proshop and they take $8 off your golf rate. There are very nice hiking, biking trails, a splash-pad for kids, playgrounds, and shelters all within the park as well.
--Within 15 minutes is a Kroger, Walmart and other restaurants. We enjoyed Kickstand Brewing Company for dinner one night and I would recommend it.
5.0 / 10.0
It’s a nice place right on the water with most of the comforts of home. We have our own boat so we spent a lot of time on the water.
5.0 / 10.0
I had a wonderful time! Cabin is beautifully appointed and very clean. Couldn't have asked for anything more!
5.0 / 10.0
My husband and I stay at 3-6 rentals a year. This, by far, was one of the cleanest. Nearly all of the little touches that we look for were provided. Luggage rack? Check. Paper towels out and accessible? Check. Plastic cups for the bathroom (because, really, who wants to risk a glass in a stranger’s sink)? Check. Coffee, creamer, sugar? Check, check, check.
The main bed is quite firm but not uncomfortable. I have a bad back, so chose to sleep downstairs in a softer bunk. But my husband is a stomach sleeper/thrasher and liked the master bed. Sheets and blankets were So. Darn. Soft. Seriously, I need to find where they bought them. Plentiful towels. Dog bowls were provided. Kitchen well stocked with pots, pans and accoutrements.
No WiFi. HD antenna. Several DVDs and a blue ray player. A few board games. Enough to keep us busy for a rainy weekend.
This is tiny island of houses only. No walking paths nor stores. It’s about a football field away from the mainland. Rowboat provided. Bring what you will need to survive if you don’t want to row across just for milk. If you do that, you’ll have a great weekend of lying around, eating and cards just like we did!
5.0 / 10.0
Perfect getaway for this Florida mermaid coming to Michigan and staying at Skull Island, Blackbeard's Hideaway. Totally off season, so every morning was perfectly silent & serene. All i could hear were birds & fish jumping. Perfect for anyone needing a private getaway, couples, and families. Everything i needed was there already. 1 trip to the store & i was all set for the week. Id recommend that you at least rent the pontoon boat to take your belongings to the island. Youll be good to row the boat or paddle boat after that. It was not time of year to swim but the privacy and quietness were amazing. Had a great time catching up with family and friends. Family are already looking at renting this place in the summer for a close to home getaway. Everything the owners say is here, really is here. All you really need are clothes and groceries. The stores are close by. This place was perfect in every way possible. Thank you so much for letting me enjoy your piece of Michigan Paradise.
5.0 / 10.0
Awesome! Place was perfect for our family of five. Kids loved swimming and jumping off the dock. The house is so cool...Lake views no matter where you stand in the house! And they have everything you need. We rented the Pontoon, which was so easy and very convenient. When your 12 year old asks if this can be a yearly trip...it must have been a great place!!
Also, Donard was fantastic with any questions or tips about the island😎
5.0 / 10.0
What a great place! Living on an island has always been a dream, and so has being a pirate. Our family got to do both. The house is really cute, fit my wife, myself and three kids perfectly (even had room for a fourth kid to sleep if we wanted).
It is right out on a point, so you have plenty of water view and there are two docks. My kids enjoyed swimming, trying to catch fish off the dock, and playing around. The house had a few games and lots of pirate movies to watch. The appliances worked great and the whole place was clean and carefree. This is much better than owning a place, I am convinced.
We won't hesitate to book it again.
FAQs
How much does this cabin cost compared to others in Lake Erie?
The average price for a rental in Lake Erie is $261 per night. This rental is $73 above the average.
Is parking included with this cabin?
Yes, parking is listed as an amenity at Skull Island - Blackbeard's Hideaway. For more information, we encourage you to contact the property about where to park.
Is there a pool at this cabin?
We didn’t find pool listed as an amenity for this cabin. It may be worth double checking if a pool is important for your stay.
Is Skull Island - Blackbeard's Hideaway pet friendly?
Yes! This cabin is pet-friendly. For more information, we recommend contacting the booking provider about animal policies.
What amenities are available at Skull Island - Blackbeard's Hideaway?
We found 7 amenities for this rental. This includes air conditioner, pets allowed, kitchen or kitchenette, parking, and balcony or patio.
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