Private lakeside retreat, swim, boat, fish! Perfect for family events
4.8
Outstanding(98 Reviews)House in Wisconsin
18 guests · 4 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
1.1 acres with 213 feet of lakefront, a native wildflower garden, and a large lawn perfect for lawn games, picnics, weddings, and reunions.
Our family cabin on John’s Lake, in central Wisconsin, has been the site of many happy memories, and lots of summer fun. Now we are sharing this special place with others.
Birch Bay Retreat is family-friendly and is an excellent location for a family reunion, a small casual outdoor wedding, a retreat for a small group or club, or similar events, or a quiet weekend getaway or writing retreat.
Enjoy fishing and swimming from our pier, or take our canoes or pontoon boat out for a spin! BBQ on our wraparound porch with views of the lake and wildflower garden, and then gather around the campfire at our private lakeside fire pit in the evening. For summer guests, the first night's firewood is on us as our welcome to the lake! Please note that the Boat and Pier are only guaranteed in from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Please inquire if you are planning on staying outside of those times, if the Pier or Boat will be available for use.
Two televisions (one on each floor). Roku TV's , (bring your own Netflix/Hulu subscription) along with WiFi are included in the rental fee.
Lawn games and other outdoor activities are available for summer guests. On rainy days, enjoy the basement game room with ping-pong, a foosball table and carpet bowling.
The house has a large kitchen and a family-sized dining room that opens out onto a balcony, with views towards the lake. We have beds, sleeper sofas, and futons to sleep 14, and there is space to squeeze in more if you have a bigger gathering.
We do our best to make sure you can bring the whole family:
For families with young children, a Graco Pack-N'-Play is available for infants as well as a Chico caddy hook-on chair and washable silicone placemat to use at the table. Cots are available for young children. The house is partially child-proofed (a stair gate is available, cleaning supplies are placed out of reach of children, and most unused outlets are covered with safety plugs).
To accommodate older family members, the master bath has a walk-in shower with a handhold installed, showerhead with hose, and a shower bench is available upon request.
We understand that pets are part of the family, so your dogs and other pets are welcome to join you in enjoying a stay at Birch Bay Retreat. We do require an additional fee to help cover wear and tear from pets.
A second refrigerator in the basement will allow you to chill all your food and drinks for a large gathering, and a laundry room (washer / dryer / iron and ironing board / drying racks) is available.
We continue to improve the family accessibility based on feedback from our guests.
Birch Bay Retreat is near several charming small towns such as Redgranite, Berlin, and Wild Rose, as well as wineries, golfing and antiquing. Grocery stores, restaurants, and other shops are a short distance away in Wautoma.
The cabin is also close to the Mt Morris ski resort, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling trails, so there are lots of winter recreation opportunities! It's heated and comfortable for winter guests.
Our family has cherished the memories and traditions we have created here over the years and we know you will, too. Come stay and relax at the lake!
Check in: 4:00 PM - the Property Manager will send you your code for a keyless entry into the home. Directions for use are posted on the door. There will be a house key and boat key on the counter. The necessary paperwork for your stay will be available on the counter with instructions on filling out and where to place them after signing. The Proerty Manager will be available if you have and questions or need futher assistance.
Check In: 4:00 PM (or later)
Check Out: 11:00 AM
A friendly reminder as listed under our house rules: Quiet hours begin at 10:00pm. This includes our wonderful game of carpet ball. While it is a ton of fun, it echo's throughout the lake and can be very loud for all guest and neighbors. Please be sure to continue to make the lake a great place for all!
Because we have a rapid turnaround between guests, early check-in and late check-out is not available during peak summer months (June-August). During non-peak times, early check-in and late check-out may be available upon request for a small fee, on a case-by-case basis -- please ask during the booking process!
Birch Bay Retreat does not allow smoking in the house, on any decks or area attached to the home. There is no smoking on the pier and no
smoking/no pets on the pontoon boat. We do provide portable ashtrays that can be used on the lawn or at the fire pit.
Our family cabin on John’s Lake, in central Wisconsin, has been the site of many happy memories, and lots of summer fun. Now we are sharing this special place with others.
Birch Bay Retreat is family-friendly and is an excellent location for a family reunion, a small casual outdoor wedding, a retreat for a small group or club, or similar events, or a quiet weekend getaway or writing retreat.
Enjoy fishing and swimming from our pier, or take our canoes or pontoon boat out for a spin! BBQ on our wraparound porch with views of the lake and wildflower garden, and then gather around the campfire at our private lakeside fire pit in the evening. For summer guests, the first night's firewood is on us as our welcome to the lake! Please note that the Boat and Pier are only guaranteed in from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Please inquire if you are planning on staying outside of those times, if the Pier or Boat will be available for use.
Two televisions (one on each floor). Roku TV's , (bring your own Netflix/Hulu subscription) along with WiFi are included in the rental fee.
Lawn games and other outdoor activities are available for summer guests. On rainy days, enjoy the basement game room with ping-pong, a foosball table and carpet bowling.
The house has a large kitchen and a family-sized dining room that opens out onto a balcony, with views towards the lake. We have beds, sleeper sofas, and futons to sleep 14, and there is space to squeeze in more if you have a bigger gathering.
We do our best to make sure you can bring the whole family:
For families with young children, a Graco Pack-N'-Play is available for infants as well as a Chico caddy hook-on chair and washable silicone placemat to use at the table. Cots are available for young children. The house is partially child-proofed (a stair gate is available, cleaning supplies are placed out of reach of children, and most unused outlets are covered with safety plugs).
To accommodate older family members, the master bath has a walk-in shower with a handhold installed, showerhead with hose, and a shower bench is available upon request.
We understand that pets are part of the family, so your dogs and other pets are welcome to join you in enjoying a stay at Birch Bay Retreat. We do require an additional fee to help cover wear and tear from pets.
A second refrigerator in the basement will allow you to chill all your food and drinks for a large gathering, and a laundry room (washer / dryer / iron and ironing board / drying racks) is available.
We continue to improve the family accessibility based on feedback from our guests.
Birch Bay Retreat is near several charming small towns such as Redgranite, Berlin, and Wild Rose, as well as wineries, golfing and antiquing. Grocery stores, restaurants, and other shops are a short distance away in Wautoma.
The cabin is also close to the Mt Morris ski resort, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling trails, so there are lots of winter recreation opportunities! It's heated and comfortable for winter guests.
Our family has cherished the memories and traditions we have created here over the years and we know you will, too. Come stay and relax at the lake!
Check in: 4:00 PM - the Property Manager will send you your code for a keyless entry into the home. Directions for use are posted on the door. There will be a house key and boat key on the counter. The necessary paperwork for your stay will be available on the counter with instructions on filling out and where to place them after signing. The Proerty Manager will be available if you have and questions or need futher assistance.
Check In: 4:00 PM (or later)
Check Out: 11:00 AM
A friendly reminder as listed under our house rules: Quiet hours begin at 10:00pm. This includes our wonderful game of carpet ball. While it is a ton of fun, it echo's throughout the lake and can be very loud for all guest and neighbors. Please be sure to continue to make the lake a great place for all!
Because we have a rapid turnaround between guests, early check-in and late check-out is not available during peak summer months (June-August). During non-peak times, early check-in and late check-out may be available upon request for a small fee, on a case-by-case basis -- please ask during the booking process!
Birch Bay Retreat does not allow smoking in the house, on any decks or area attached to the home. There is no smoking on the pier and no
smoking/no pets on the pontoon boat. We do provide portable ashtrays that can be used on the lawn or at the fire pit.
Amenities
Air conditioner
Pets allowed
Kitchen or Kitchenette
Internet / Wifi
Parking
Laundry
Balcony or Patio
Dishwasher
TV
Garden
Family friendly
Map of Wisconsin
Reviews
4.8
Outstanding(98 Reviews)4.8
Great for our family of 18. All us adults and kids loved the open levels, great kitchen, dining room, and big deck. We were floating everydayand on the sanbar and great pontoon. 2 bedrooms upstairs were comfy but the 3 hydabeds need a think foam and the 2 twin beds could really use new mattresses. Our grandchildren said they loved it there.
4.8
The internet service was terrible. No reception at all. Couldn’t watch tv. Ran out of hot water after 2 showers and even had no water at all. Could have been a cleaner house. Had hair in bathrooms and cobwebs. Had broken chairs on deck The pontoon boat was nice to have. The landscaping would of looked really nice with wild flowers if the weeds would of been kept under control
4.8
Great for the size of our family and plenty to do!
4.8
Everything was good except the Wifi was terrible. The last two days, I couldn't even log into the Wifi. And with a weak cell phone signal, good Wifi would have improved the experience a lot.
4.8
Th cottage was very clean. Dishes were clean and we felt comfortable climbing into bed. The water was great for boating, swimming, and kayaking. I personally like the slow boat ride around the lake. The family time was wonderful. We even had fun playing games. The carpet ball game was played the most. We put all the puzzles together. Our daughter came with items for us to paint. The grandchildren spend hours painting. All were very creative. The weather was great. The kitchen had everything we needed. I liked the size of the kitchen. We did find one chair, on the deck, that was broken. The outside door's handle fell off. We did snap off a corner of the boat, when we came to the dock. I was very pleased someone came to check on the gas supply on the boat. Thanks for sharing your cottage.
4.8
Needed to get away
4.8
We used the cottage to allow for additional family to come for a Memorial service for my mother who passed away during covid. We own a cottage on John's Lake but needed more sleeping accommodations. It worked out great and gave everyone some private space. We enjoyed having the use of the pontoon boat for evening cruising.
4.8
We had a great girls weekend! The house was very accommodating and there was plenty of room for all! The lake was beautiful and relaxing. Unfortunately the boat was not in service, however, we still had a great weekend! Would recommend!
4.8
We chose this location due to it's proximity to surrounding lakes for our company ice fishing trip. Everything was perfect and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay.
4.8
Beautiful lake views. Lots of space inside for a sizable group to cohabitate for a weekend. Several sleeping quarters but if you have more than 2 couples looking for a private bedroom, you might want to consider other options. Fun indoor activities for kids if weather is uncooperative.
4.8
Fantastic
4.8
Great place for a large group! Plenty of house and yard space for activities. Plus the lake is very clean and great for swimming.
4.8
Looks are deceiving from the outside but very nice & spacious inside. All the amenities you could ask for. Nice bog outdoor yard for games, and the pontoon boat is a big plus! Definitely will try to return to this place!
4.8
Perfect Getaway
Beautiful cabin on serene lake!
4.8
The place was bigger than expected, the yard is huge and the lake is beautiful! Nice location, quiet and a nice little sandbar for the kiddos to play at. Tons of games and books inside for the littles which was awesome. The neighbor/caretaker was very nice, brought extra wood for fire and gas for pontoon towards the end of the week.
Some things to point out:
- multiple different checkout lists, nothing was consistent across the board as to what should be done.
-listing was changed after booking and around the time our stay started regarding the switch from propane provided to charcoal grill available- not a huge deal but not what was expected.
-couches except for one were very worn and uncomfortable, our intent was not to be inside often but it rained a number of days.
4.8
Family getaway
The place was bigger than expected, the yard is huge and the lake is beautiful! Nice location, quiet and a nice little sandbar for the kiddos to play at. Tons of games and books inside for the littles which was awesome. The neighbor/caretaker was very nice, brought extra wood for fire and gas for pontoon towards the end of the week.
Some things to point out:
- multiple different checkout lists, nothing was consistent across the board as to what should be done.
-listing was changed after booking and around the time our stay started regarding the switch from propane provided to charcoal grill available- not a huge deal but not what was expected.
-couches except for one were very worn and uncomfortable, our intent was not to be inside often but it rained a number of days.
4.8
The cottage is very nice and has no steps from the bottom of the cottage to the lake, which was important this year because my wife was on crutches. Having a pontoon boat for cruising and some limited fishing was a nice benefit as well. This was our second year with the same cottage and same week of the year. Overall, we were very pleased.
4.8
Beautiful lake house in central Wisconsin. The pictures do not do justice to the property. Being on a lake with the ability to enjoy the beauties of John’s Lake, spacious yard, fire pit and indoor creature comforts., I highly recommend.
4.8
Fun with swimming and campfires.
The cottage is very nice and has no steps from the bottom of the cottage to the lake, which was important this year because my wife was on crutches. Having a pontoon boat for cruising and some limited fishing was a nice benefit as well. This was our second year with the same cottage and same week of the year. Overall, we were very pleased.
4.8
A beautiful location, large yard, many activities, and multiple boat options were just some of the things our family loved about this lake home. It contained everything we needed, and some things we didn’t even know we needed: agenerator (after a HUGE storm and 2 day power outage), large living spaces, a tandem bike, and we can’t forget carpet bowling. The managers were great with any issues we encountered and checked up on us after the storm. It was the perfect place for our family gathering of 9.
4.8
Great large family lake house
A beautiful location, large yard, many activities, and multiple boat options were just some of the things our family loved about this lake home. It contained everything we needed, and some things we didn’t even know we needed: agenerator (after a HUGE storm and 2 day power outage), large living spaces, a tandem bike, and we can’t forget carpet bowling. The managers were great with any issues we encountered and checked up on us after the storm. It was the perfect place for our family gathering of 9.
4.8
Many activities to do with family and friends, very organized and welcoming. You feel right at home here and fall in love with it.
4.8
Beautiful lake house in central Wisconsin. The pictures do not do justice to the property. Being on a lake with the ability to enjoy the beauties of John’s Lake, spacious yard, fire pit and indoor creature comforts., I highly recommend.
4.8
Hidden Gem
Beautiful lake house in central Wisconsin. The pictures do not do justice to the property. Being on a lake with the ability to enjoy the beauties of John’s Lake, spacious yard, fire pit and indoor creature comforts., I highly recommend.
4.8
We were notified 1 hour before arrival that there would be no dock or pontoon boat. We were too far from home to turn around and get kayaks. We had planned on fishing and boating. It was out of the owners hands, but also disappointing. We were refunded the boat rental fee, but we did not plan on finding alternatives for entertainment.
The cabin was spacious and well stocked. It suited our group size very well. It was a peaceful cabin.
4.8
Cannot say enough about how beautiful this place is! The pictures don't do it justice, we were blown away when we arrived! We had a small gathering for my wedding and it was just the right size! The weather was perfect and the large yard was great for an outdoor wedding!
Definitely would stay here again just for a getaway with loved ones!
(My only complaint is the ticks but that's just life in Wisconsin!)
4.8
Super fun weekend!
Many activities to do with family and friends, very organized and welcoming. You feel right at home here and fall in love with it.
4.8
A birthday weekend
We were notified 1 hour before arrival that there would be no dock or pontoon boat. We were too far from home to turn around and get kayaks. We had planned on fishing and boating. It was out of the owners hands, but also disappointing. We were refunded the boat rental fee, but we did not plan on finding alternatives for entertainment.
The cabin was spacious and well stocked. It suited our group size very well. It was a peaceful cabin.
4.8
The best place for our mini wedding!
Cannot say enough about how beautiful this place is! The pictures don't do it justice, we were blown away when we arrived! We had a small gathering for my wedding and it was just the right size! The weather was perfect and the large yard was great for an outdoor wedding!
Definitely would stay here again just for a getaway with loved ones!
(My only complaint is the ticks but that's just life in Wisconsin!)
4.8
17 of us (8 siblings X2 plus mom) had a great time together. It was winter, so we ice fished and walked the lake. The bonfire pit was well used. There was not 8 bedrooms as listed, but lots of pull out sofas to fit everyone. All in all this house worked great for us!
4.8
On arrival we found that the fireplace (Listed as an amenity) was not useable! We would not have rented for a winter weekend if we had known. Mouse droppings on the kitchen counter. Advertised 8 bedrooms; there are 3. Bifold doors fall out of tracks. Trickle of water coming out of upstairs bathroom sink faucet. Twice did not have hot water (and we weren't using very much). We were charged a cleaning fee and laundry fee but found the beds were not made on our arrival. Our first evening in the lakeside big room was rather cold. We discovered the next morning that none of the windows in that room had been completely closed and latched . . . in February.
4.8
Worked perfect for our family
17 of us (8 siblings X2 plus mom) had a great time together. It was winter, so we ice fished and walked the lake. The bonfire pit was well used. There was not 8 bedrooms as listed, but lots of pull out sofas to fit everyone. All in all this house worked great for us!
4.8
Disappointed and won't be back
On arrival we found that the fireplace (Listed as an amenity) was not useable! We would not have rented for a winter weekend if we had known. Mouse droppings on the kitchen counter. Advertised 8 bedrooms; there are 3. Bifold doors fall out of tracks. Trickle of water coming out of upstairs bathroom sink faucet. Twice did not have hot water (and we weren't using very much). We were charged a cleaning fee and laundry fee but found the beds were not made on our arrival. Our first evening in the lakeside big room was rather cold. We discovered the next morning that none of the windows in that room had been completely closed and latched . . . in February.
4.8
We had a wonderful time.
4.8
Christmas weekend with family
We had a wonderful time.
4.8
Fall Lake Getaway
We had a wonderful experience at the cabin. It was beautiful with plenty of space and thoughtful accommodations. Becky was very helpful and kind.
4.8
Had a Good time
Very nice Property with most anything you would need. Host responsive. Very nice lake and able to bring own boat. Nice for big groups of people, might come back.
4.8
This property provided plenty of space and activities for four families (16 kids and adults) to gather. We loved the large yard, large fire pit area as well as a great pontoon boat and swimming area. It was perfect for us!
4.8
Extended Family Vacation
This property provided plenty of space and activities for four families (16 kids and adults) to gather. We loved the large yard, large fire pit area as well as a great pontoon boat and swimming area. It was perfect for us!
4.8
We enjoyed a wonderful week long family reunion in July. The neighborhood fireworks were awesome. The cabin had plenty of space for a large group. The lake was largely clear and great for paddleboarding and swimming. The fire pit had seating all around it, ready for a large group. The wifi slowed down a few times but we found a strong signal at a sweet local library. Thanks, Becky!
FAQs
How much does this house cost compared to others in Wisconsin?
The average price for a rental in Wisconsin is $220 per night. This rental is $212 above the average.
Is parking included with this house?
Yes, parking is listed as an amenity at Private lakeside retreat, swim, boat, fish! Perfect for family events. 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 Private lakeside retreat, swim, boat, fish! Perfect for family events 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 Private lakeside retreat, swim, boat, fish! Perfect for family events?
We found 11 amenities for this rental. This includes air conditioner, pets allowed, kitchen or kitchenette, internet / wifi, and parking.
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