Torch River Retreat (Torch River, MI)- Across from Torch Lake!
Cottage in Torch Lake, MI
4 guests · 2 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 cottage rental
This is cozy cottage located right on Torch River. This home is unique because from the front door you will see the popular all-sports Torch Lake and out the backdoor you gaze upon Torch River. The public beach access is directly across the street from the property, which has a small sand bar. In addition, with a private dock, this home allows you to use bring your own water vessel or you are free to use the kayak which is included in your stay. There is a waterway passage from the river to the lake and vise versa. When taking your boat (up to 30') to and from, please watch for stumps in the water. You may also want to observe other boats on how they get through because the waterway is not clearly marked.
Having a main floor and an upper level, there is enough space to separate yourselves for some peace and quiet! Upstairs plays host to the 2 bedrooms and only bathroom in the home, while the main floor is occupied by the kitchen and living room. An attached-garage is also where you will find water goodies and extra supplies. With patio furniture and fire-pit, you will thoroughly enjoy your time on Torch River.
TORCH RIVER RETREAT - directly ON Torch River
SLEEPS: 4 MAX
BEDROOMS: 2
BATHROOMS: 1
*RIVERFRONT (Torch River backdoor, Torch Lake front door)
*SWIMMING ON PROPERTY
*KAYAK Included (Memorial Day to Labor Day)
*PRIVATE DOCK-One side is available for guest use
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
ATV's: Not allowed on property
Bathroom: 1 full bathroom on upper level
Beach/Swimming: The public access beach is right across the street from the home (it is a small access). Swimming can also be done on the property. On the property, there is a break-wall, and then the water. It is shallow and gradually increases in depth.
Bedroom Configuration: Master Bedroom-upper floor: 1 Queen bed
Bedroom #2-upper floor: 1 Full bed
Boats: Kayak is included in you stay (Memorial Day to Labor Day)
Bugs: On top of your standard array of Michigan bugs such as mosquitos, spiders, ants, bees, ticks, flies, wasps, beetles, and stink bugs, every so often (2 times/year on average) we see no-see-ums, which find their way not only outside, yet through the screens)
Cell phone service: Sprint seems to work well
Distances:
* Traverse City: 35 minutes (24 miles)
* Grand Rapids: 2 ½ hours (147 miles)
* Mackinac Bridge: 2 hours (108 miles)
Dock: One side of the 30 foot private dock is available for your use
Fishing License: You can purchase your fishing license online.
Grill: Propane Grill is on property with an extra tank in the garage. Propane provided
Grocery Store: There is a convenient store about a mile up the road
Internet: Wi-Fi
Linens: Yes, we provide your sheets and linens. Just like a hotel, the beds will be made for you upon arrival. If you are fussy about the thread count of your sheets, just let me know, and I'll make sure we leave a bed open for your sheets. We have just the basic sheets, pillows, pillow cases and bath towels.
Parking: There is only parking for a single car on the property.
Pets: Dogs 15lbs or less will be considered. Please contact us. Freshwater Vacation Rentals currently charges $75/per pet for your entire stay. We do ask that you please clean up after them both inside and outside the cabin. Plus, if you allow them on the furniture, we do ask that you please bring your own linens/blankets for them to sleep on. Just let us know which bed you will be using with them, and we'll make sure it is ready for your sheets when you arrive. Plus, if the pet hair starts to build, we do ask that you please run the vacuum. Generally, dogs love the water and places to explore. Pet food does tend to attract mice, so vigilance is needed.
Smoking: No smoking allowed of any kind, on the property. Due to the close proximity of the neighbors, it is strictly prohibited.
Towels: Yes, we provide towels. It's always good to bring extra though.
Washer and dryer: The home does not have a washer/dryer.
Wood: Guests can find fire wood for sale about a mile from the home.
Having a main floor and an upper level, there is enough space to separate yourselves for some peace and quiet! Upstairs plays host to the 2 bedrooms and only bathroom in the home, while the main floor is occupied by the kitchen and living room. An attached-garage is also where you will find water goodies and extra supplies. With patio furniture and fire-pit, you will thoroughly enjoy your time on Torch River.
TORCH RIVER RETREAT - directly ON Torch River
SLEEPS: 4 MAX
BEDROOMS: 2
BATHROOMS: 1
*RIVERFRONT (Torch River backdoor, Torch Lake front door)
*SWIMMING ON PROPERTY
*KAYAK Included (Memorial Day to Labor Day)
*PRIVATE DOCK-One side is available for guest use
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
ATV's: Not allowed on property
Bathroom: 1 full bathroom on upper level
Beach/Swimming: The public access beach is right across the street from the home (it is a small access). Swimming can also be done on the property. On the property, there is a break-wall, and then the water. It is shallow and gradually increases in depth.
Bedroom Configuration: Master Bedroom-upper floor: 1 Queen bed
Bedroom #2-upper floor: 1 Full bed
Boats: Kayak is included in you stay (Memorial Day to Labor Day)
Bugs: On top of your standard array of Michigan bugs such as mosquitos, spiders, ants, bees, ticks, flies, wasps, beetles, and stink bugs, every so often (2 times/year on average) we see no-see-ums, which find their way not only outside, yet through the screens)
Cell phone service: Sprint seems to work well
Distances:
* Traverse City: 35 minutes (24 miles)
* Grand Rapids: 2 ½ hours (147 miles)
* Mackinac Bridge: 2 hours (108 miles)
Dock: One side of the 30 foot private dock is available for your use
Fishing License: You can purchase your fishing license online.
Grill: Propane Grill is on property with an extra tank in the garage. Propane provided
Grocery Store: There is a convenient store about a mile up the road
Internet: Wi-Fi
Linens: Yes, we provide your sheets and linens. Just like a hotel, the beds will be made for you upon arrival. If you are fussy about the thread count of your sheets, just let me know, and I'll make sure we leave a bed open for your sheets. We have just the basic sheets, pillows, pillow cases and bath towels.
Parking: There is only parking for a single car on the property.
Pets: Dogs 15lbs or less will be considered. Please contact us. Freshwater Vacation Rentals currently charges $75/per pet for your entire stay. We do ask that you please clean up after them both inside and outside the cabin. Plus, if you allow them on the furniture, we do ask that you please bring your own linens/blankets for them to sleep on. Just let us know which bed you will be using with them, and we'll make sure it is ready for your sheets when you arrive. Plus, if the pet hair starts to build, we do ask that you please run the vacuum. Generally, dogs love the water and places to explore. Pet food does tend to attract mice, so vigilance is needed.
Smoking: No smoking allowed of any kind, on the property. Due to the close proximity of the neighbors, it is strictly prohibited.
Towels: Yes, we provide towels. It's always good to bring extra though.
Washer and dryer: The home does not have a washer/dryer.
Wood: Guests can find fire wood for sale about a mile from the home.
Amenities
Air conditioner
Pets allowed
Kitchen or Kitchenette
Internet / Wifi
Parking
Laundry
Balcony or Patio
Dishwasher
TV
Family friendly
Map of Torch Lake, MI
££££
Reviews
8.0
Wonderful
10.0
Lov d location with private beach and dock and use of kayak and paddle board. Only comment is step into house in front is too high for us. Another step is needed. Enjoyed ourselves! Thank you!
10.0
Great location for kayaking both the Torch river and Torch lake. The house is compact, modern, clean, and perfect for a couple looking for a long weekend or extended stay vacation.
10.0
Perfect for us for that time of year.
10.0
Property is in the perfect location -- bayou (and dock) in the backyard and public beach lake access directly across the street. Even better, this property is less than 1/4 mile from my husband's family cottage from his childhood. Property manager was very responsive. It was a great vacation.
10.0
Nice older two bedroom/one bathroom cottage in nice location near (within 25 minutes) of most anything you would want to get to. Many other cool attractions/beaches/parks/restaurants within one hour. Rental was clean and had linens, towels, fully furnished with essentials. Also, has a paddle boat (but you will need a few people to get it in and out of the water, several kayaks with oars and life jackets; also a couple inner tubes.
As stated, there is room for "one car"; that is pretty accurate. We had a pickup truck and made it work, but one vehicle is all this property can hold. The house is pretty close to the street. There is public access (parking) to Torch River right beside the house and across the street to Torch Lake, but you might get a ticket if you park there overnight....
10.0
Property was clean with many staple items in the cabinets. Can’t wait till next year.
8.0
The place was lovely. Unfortunately we had rainy weather and didn’t get to enjoy allot had to offer. The location would have been perfect if the weather was nice.
10.0
Perfect location
10.0
The house was clean and location was great. My husband and i brought our kayaks. It was nice to have access to the river from the back yard and an easy paddle to torch lake. The sandy beach access across ths road toTorch Lake was nice for swimming. Small grocery and restaurant down the road were handy.
4.0
Bad bug problem, sheets for beds were clean but the bathroom had spider webs everywhere especially a big collection right above the toilet that must have been missed multiple cleaning times. Dirty shower curtain. Really bad fly and bug problem, every time we opened or closed the door we had 10 to 20+ flys on the ceiling. The ac unit above the main bed has black mold pumping out onto the pillows. Walls have holes, felt more like a frat house rental. Tried vacuuming said bugs and then the breaker went out, electricity seemed weak in the house. Outside chairs and deck would have been nice to use but covered in a bunch of stuff. Was not relaxing because of these reasons. The owner was nice and the location. For the price we were really bummed on the experience overall.
8.0
The place was cute and clean beautiful front and back view however the Weather and the VRBO Rentals next door was very poor in nature. ( Loud into the night!)
10.0
I went with 2 other women on a girls trip. Prior to going I reached out to see how many kayaks were on site available to use, and was told 3. (We would have brought our own If there wasn’t enough for all 3 of us to go. Anyway- I messaged the property manager & within a few hours she had bought a brand new kayak & dropped it off at the house. We were very impressed & very much appreciative. The house is great. Good size for a small family or group of friends. River access our back & lake access our front. Stores within walking distance. We will def return & will be staying in the same house if possible. Thanks for a great experience Cara & staff.
10.0
Great time staying at this house. River out back with kayak launch next to the house. Can also access Torch Lake across the street at another public access. House has 3 kayaks and a paddle boat to use. Will definitely rent again. Everything was super clean and nicely updated. Walking distance to local restaurant also.
10.0
Recommend it to anyone
10.0
We liked the property overall. The issues we had were the very busy road, immediately in front of the house. We didn't get to enjoy the water, but that was due to weather, not at all because there were any issues with the amenities, which all seemed to be in place as advertised.
10.0
The place was very conveniently located to the lake and river. The beach access was wonderful.. it is not a very touristy area, which was great. The amenities were awesome. Only thing I have to say bad was the hot water was horrible. Not enough for one shower let alone 2 in a row.. Will definitely be back for a longer stay next year.
10.0
Perfect location to visit torch lake.
8.0
This was a truly sweet place to stay. It was pretty small, but perfect for 3, possibly 4 people. The kitchen was nicely redone, everything was clean. The windows were recently updated, which was nice in terms of sound, and the AC was good.
The bedrooms need to be redone, but the beds were good to sleep in, so ok, as long as it's clean.
We appreciated the use of the kayaks, the paddle board, and the availability of extra deck chairs, and life vests. Everything was in good working order.
Bring your own beach towels! The towel situation is minimal.
It was lovely to have access to the river behind, and to be able to walk across the street to Torch Lake in front. Beware that the weekends are definitely a huge party on the lake, but during the week, it was pretty calm.
10.0
Summer Vacation
First, this location is absolutely perfect if you want to spend time at the sandbar on the south end of Torch Lake. The house is across from the public access with a small beach area which was great to just relax and put your toes in the water. Having Torch River right behind the house was also nice.. great for a paddle boat ride after dinner or just to take a kayak ride. The house was nicely remodeled and we had everything we needed. The back patio and upper deck porch was a great place to relax and have a few drinks. We will 100% be staying here again!
The Wards
10.0
Convenient & clean
Will definitely rent again. The property was well kept and had a fire pit, kayaks, and paddle boat for use. The kitchen was well equipped. There are 4 towels, so bring extra bathroom linens if you feel you’ll need more than that.
The description says there is room for a single car in the drive way, which is accurate. I have midsize SUV and it was a perfect fit. A larger vehicle might need to park at an angle.
10.0
Nice place for a weekend
It was our first trip to Torch Lake, so was not familiar with the area. Found this listing for weekend in mid-July. I was worried that it might be loud so close to the road and the public beach right at the sand bar boat party. Rental was great, downstairs was renovated and clean, main bedroom was spacious and comfy, 2nd bedroom was a bit small for our teen boys, but they managed for a weekend. We rented a boat from the Torch River Shack, and used the dock behind the house to launch into Torch Lake using Torch River. This was the highlight of our trip. Absolutely wonderful. As far as the noise, it wasn't too bad. Traffic and public beach goers were dead by 8pm, so my concerns were not warranted.
10.0
Great location for torch lake and torch river access. Took the wife here for her birthday.
Couldnt ask for more it was a fantastic stay properties really nice. Very clean. Great views of both Torch lake and river. Took my wife here for her birthday enjoyed the time. Close by 2 stores for food and other stuff. Would stay here again.
8.0
Great location deferred maintenance
The location was great! House was adequate but all the windows were dirty so the view out was not so good. We had a lot of rain and the front windows leaked and actually got the carpet wet. Lots of spiders and webs inside and out on the windows. The bed spreads were sour and stained but the sheets were fresh. Overall it was clean so it was okay but could have been better with alittle more effort
10.0
Perfect Location!
This home has a perfect mix of quiet river in the backyard and access to the beautiful lake directly across the road. The backyard is mostly private so we could sit back there and enjoy the view. Being able to go back-and-forth from the beach to our home was extremely convenient and that’s what we were looking for. We loved that kayaks, a paddle board, and paddle boat were available at the house. The beds were comfortable, the kitchen had what we needed. We had perfect weather while we are there so we didn’t spend a lot of time in the house, but it’s a nice size for a small family. There’s a convenience store within walking distance that serves pizza, sandwiches, and has other things you may need. Their ice cream is delicious as well! we have already discussed and will be looking to book this home again next year.
10.0
Perfect location!
We had a lovely weekend stay. We had a couple questions during our stay and were able to get quick responses via text which made things super easy.
10.0
Nice Torch Place
Nice, small and cozy place, we booked months in advance, we took our boat, but we were rained out.
10.0
Great time
There were four of us and the cottage was very accommodating. The location was great. Despite nonstop rain which didn't allow us to partake in any water activities we found plenty to do nearby.
10.0
Cute little cottage style lake home
Pros; Clean, lakeside, included water equipment.
Cons; Single pain glass windows are noisy when loud trucks roll by. Sometimes pretty late at night. But the trucks aren't the property owners fault. Just something to be aware of.
Otherwise, we really enjoyed our stay.
10.0
Beautiful get away!
Great stay with great views!
10.0
Great Weekend Getaway
My fiancé and I rented the Torch Lake Retreat with 2 of our friends and had a blast! We had never been to Torch Lake before, so we did our homework on the best area to stay in, and this place did not disappoint. It was right across from the sandbar area (you can walk across to it from the public beach access right across the street). There is also a really good Italian restaurant within walking distance. The owner left us kayaks and a paddle board to use (awesome not to have to rent), so we paddled around each morning, launching off the river-side of the property in the back. We will definitely be coming back.
10.0
Location!!
It was as advertised excellent location! If you have a boat bigger the 20 foot you’ll need to find a place to put trailer. But my trailer fit perfect in the front yard! Disconnected from my Jeep
5.0
The cottage was perfect for my husband and I. It was a great place to relax after our days of boating. We were able to launch our 23ft boat from the public launch up the river to the dock behind the cottage. Torch Lake was a short ride from there. We were also able to boat up the river to Elk lake. The cottage was very clean and comfortable
10.0
Great cottage on Torch River.
The cottage was perfect for my husband and I. It was a great place to relax after our days of boating. We were able to launch our 23ft boat from the public launch up the river to the dock behind the cottage. Torch Lake was a short ride from there. We were also able to boat up the river to Elk lake.
The cottage was very clean and comfortable
10.0
Amazing spot
Wow!! This place blew us away. Immediately after arriving we both mention how sad we were to be only staying two nights. Already trying to figure out how to come back next year.
10.0
Mini vacation
We stayed for 3 nights the end of June. House was as pictured and the inside was very nice. The outside could use some work but wasn’t an issue for us. Had the lawn been mowed, that would’ve been nice, it was rather long. We loved all the water toys available for use. My son has always wanted to paddle board and he got to do just that! Kayaks and paddle boat also a bonus. We didn’t spend much time in the house but if we needed something it was available. Beds were clean and comfortable and nice bath towels. Only reason I didn’t give it a 5 for cleanliness is there was a lot of cob webs and Spiders. I did vacuum up some! Wouldn’t be much for the house cleaners to take the vacuum wand to the ceiling and walls. One thing, which is mentioned in the post, there is little parking. We took our boat and had no where to park the trailer so ended up paying to keep it at a marina. Again, this is no fault of the owners since they do make it known there is parking for a small car only. Location is great, road is very busy, but it’s right across from the sand bar and the water is amazing. 15 minutes to Alden and not much further to Bellaire, 20 ish to Traverse City and About an hour from the sand dunes at Sleeping Bear State Park.
10.0
Great spot
Nice spot across from public beach on Torch Lake.
6.0
Overpriced
The house was clean, but there were inconveniences that made it overpriced. The queen bed was actually a double with a queen mattress thrown on top. The showerhead is very low with a slanted ceiling making showering difficult. The stove was supposed to be replaced during our stay due to overheating. It wasn't. It had to be left unplugged. Although we were told it could be used, we weren't comfortable to do so. We were told to leave the garbage bin by the garage for pickup. That turned out to be inaccurate. Consequently, no garbage pickup during our stay. The kitchen table is very small and has stools; no chairs with backs for support. Consequently, it was uncomfortable and useless. The house itself was cute on the inside, but due to many factors twice the price it should have been.
10.0
Great spot
Nice get a way spot next to sand bar.
8.0
Such a cute place - enjoyed our stay will rent again !
Easy process
FAQs
How much does this cottage cost compared to others in Torch Lake?
The average price for a rental in Torch Lake is £328 per night. This rental is £80 above the average.
Is parking included with this cottage?
Yes, parking is listed as an amenity at Torch River Retreat (Torch River, MI)- Across from Torch 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 Torch River Retreat (Torch River, MI)- Across from Torch 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 Torch River Retreat (Torch River, MI)- Across from Torch Lake!?
We found 10 amenities for this rental. This includes air conditioner, pets allowed, kitchen or kitchenette, internet / wifi, and parking.
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