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Private waterfront minutes from downtown Traverse City.

Photo gallery for Private waterfront minutes from downtown Traverse City.

Outdoor dining
Exterior
2 bedrooms, iron/ironing board, travel cot, free WiFi
Fridge, microwave, oven, stovetop
Property grounds

Reviews

9.8 out of 10
Exceptional

Entire home

2 bedrooms1 bathroomSleeps 4

Popular amenities

  • Beach view
  • Parking available
  • Dryer
  • Washer
  • Barbecue grill

Explore the area

View map
Traverse City, MI
  • Bass Lake
    ‪1 min walk‬
  • Great Wolf Lodge Water Park
    ‪10 min drive‬
  • Turtle Creek Stadium
    ‪13 min drive‬
  • Traverse City, MI (TVC-Cherry Capital)
    ‪18 min drive‬

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About the area

Traverse City

A family-friendly stay in Traverse City awaits you at this cottage. You'll be 12.8 km (7.9 mi) from Lake Michigan. .Accommodation features a washing machine, free WiFi and a patio. In-room dining is easy with a kitchen that comes equipped with a fridge, a microwave and a stovetop. A living room, a Smart TV and a coffee/tea maker are also available. .Spend the day at the beach where you'll find sunloungers. Added amenities include laundry facilities and gas grills.
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What's nearby

  • Bass Lake - 1 min walk - 0.0 km
  • Great Wolf Lodge Water Park - 10 min drive - 10.8 km
  • Grand Traverse Mall - 11 min drive - 11.2 km
  • Turtle Creek Stadium - 13 min drive - 10.5 km
  • Front Street - 14 min drive - 15.5 km

Getting around

  • Traverse City, MI (TVC-Cherry Capital) - 20 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Chick-fil-A - ‬10 min drive
  • ‪Culver's - ‬11 min drive
  • ‪Burger King - ‬10 min drive
  • Cracker Barrel
  • ‪McDonald's - ‬10 min drive

About this property

Entire place

You'll have the entire home to yourself and will only share it with other guests in your party.

Private waterfront minutes from downtown Traverse City.

Wailing Loon cottage is located on Bass Lake just 10 minutes from Traverse City and about 30 minutes from the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Bass Lake is an all-sports lake but best suited for fishing and kayaking. The cottage is located on its own sandy beach frontage. A gas grill is available for you and there’s a private fire pit on the beach. Two kayaks, one paddle board, and a canoe are available for renters to use for free. The cottage has two bedrooms with a queen bed in the main bedroom and two twins in the other. The twin beds can be moved together to create a king-sized bed upon request. The one bathroom includes a toilet, vanity, and shower. There is a strict 4-person limit due to township rules and no pets. If you don't like dogs, this property is probably not for you. We have doodles and a couple of other pups that frequent the beach area and they love people. Our family also owns the following properties on the same shore of Bass Lake. VRBO # 1901939 and 1693207. If you have a larger group, we may be able to accommodate you all!

Traverse City is famous for many summer festivals and restaurants, but we can also offer easy access to a quiet lake and a beautiful trail system right out of your backyard. Our proximity to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore makes our location perfect for those seeking beauty, freshwater beaches, and gorgeous vistas. We have something for everyone!

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Property amenities

Beach

  • On the beach
  • Beach loungers
  • Beach towels

Internet

  • Available in the cottage: Free WiFi

Parking and transport

  • Parking on site

Kitchen

  • Blender
  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Cookware, dishware, and utensils
  • Hob
  • Kitchen island
  • Microwave
  • Oven
  • Paper towels
  • Refrigerator
  • Spices
  • Toaster

Bedrooms

  • 2 bedrooms
  • Bedsheets provided

Bathroom

  • 1 bathroom
  • Hair dryer
  • Shampoo
  • Shower
  • Soap
  • Toilet paper
  • Towels provided

Living spaces

  • Living room

Entertainment

  • Books
  • Games
  • Smart TV

Outdoor areas

  • Firepit
  • Gas grill
  • Outdoor furniture
  • Patio

Laundry

  • Laundry facilities
  • Washing machine

Comfort

  • Air conditioning
  • Heating

Pets

  • No pets allowed

Suitability/Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • Area rugs in public areas
  • Gravel flooring in public areas
  • No lift (single-level property)
  • Single level property
  • Smooth flooring in public areas
  • Step to reach entrance
  • Thin carpet in public areas
  • Well-lit path to entrance
  • Smoke-free property

Services and conveniences

  • Iron/ironing board

Location highlights

  • Near a health/beauty spa
  • Near the marina
  • On a lake
  • On the waterfront

Things to do

  • Kayak
  • Birdwatching nearby
  • Casino nearby
  • Fishing nearby
  • Hiking/biking trails nearby
  • Horseback riding nearby
  • Kayaking nearby
  • Motor boating nearby
  • Swimming nearby
  • Wildlife walks nearby
  • Winery tours nearby

Safety features

  • Carbon monoxide detector not reported (host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector)
  • Smoke detector (host has indicated there is a smoke detector on the property)
  • First aid kit
  • Fire extinguisher

General

  • Local artist showcase

Policies

Check-in

Check-in time starts at 4:00 PM
Minimum check-in age - 18

Check-out

Check-out before 11:00 AM

Special check-in instructions

You will receive an email from the host with check-in and check-out instructions

Pets

  • No pets allowed

Children and extra beds

  • Children are welcome.

Events

No events allowed

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher and a first aid kit
This property is managed through our partner, Vrbo. You will receive an email from Vrbo with a link to a Vrbo account, where you can change or cancel your reservation
Charges for extra guests may apply and vary according to property policy.
A cash deposit, credit card or debit card for incidental charges and government-issued photo identification may be required upon check-in.
Special requests are subject to availability at the time of check-in. Special requests can't be guaranteed and may incur additional charges.
    This property is managed by a private host, not a professional engaged in trade or business. On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited. For guests' safety, the property includes a fire extinguisher, a smoke detector and a first aid kit in all accommodation.

Frequently asked questions

Are there any beaches close to Private waterfront minutes from downtown Traverse City.?

The closest beach to Private waterfront minutes from downtown Traverse City. is Traverse City Beach (14 km).

Does Private waterfront minutes from downtown Traverse City. have a pool?

No, this cottage doesn't have a pool.

Is Private waterfront minutes from downtown Traverse City. family-friendly?

You bet! With amenities such as a playground and laundry facilities, as well as highchairs and children's dinnerware, it's no surprise that Private waterfront minutes from downtown Traverse City. is a winner with our family travellers.

Is there a free airport shuttle available at Private waterfront minutes from downtown Traverse City.?

No, Private waterfront minutes from downtown Traverse City. does not offer an airport shuttle service.

What time are check-in & check-out at Private waterfront minutes from downtown Traverse City.?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM. Check-out time is 11:00 AM.

Are pets allowed at Private waterfront minutes from downtown Traverse City.?

No, pets are not allowed.

Private waterfront minutes from downtown Traverse City. Reviews

Reviews

9.8

Exceptional

Rating 10 - Excellent. 24 out of 26 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 0 out of 26 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 2 out of 26 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 26 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 26 reviews

9.6/10

Cleanliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Rachelle W.

Liked: Cleanliness
The house was adorable and the view was amazing. It was a great size for our girls trip. We didn’t get to use the fire pit or kayaks because we ran out of time but def next time! Our only complaint was that the water smelled metal-ish but I think that’s to be expected with a lake house. Would def stay again!
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2025

10/10 Excellent

Brian G.

Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2025

6/10 Okay

Mary J., Yellow Springs, OH

Our cottage was on the lake and we were delighted to see and hear the loons. The location is good. We found the house somewhat unequipped with suitable cookware.Many of the pans were damaged teflon. Oven and toaster needed cleaning, broiler didn't work, gas stove burners needed adjusting because the flames only run on high. We also desperately needed a dresser in one of the bedrooms which only had closet space. Nothing life shattering but disappointing and lots of little things added up to less than a relaxing stay. The owners were timely, accommodating and made it clear they were available.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness

Perfect place for our Traverse City area visit

This cottage was perfect for our family of 4. The location was great for visiting Traverse City, Sleeping Bear Dunes, Fishtown and more. Our teens who love to fish spent hours in the kayaks on the lake bass fishing. We rented a pontoon on Long Lake one day too (so close). The kitchen had everything we needed for meals at house and we used the grill several times. The hosts were easy to reach if needed. Would highly recommend. One tip: bring your own drinking water.
Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness
Would definitely stay again.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Matthew R.

Liked: Cleanliness

Lovely little lake house

Super cute, very well supplied and a beautiful lakefront setting. Lots of nice & thoughtful little touches. My son was fishing from the beach and dock the whole time. Highly recommended.
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2025

10/10 Excellent

Doug C.

Liked: Cleanliness

Quick getaway

Cottage was just as welcoming and inviting as the pictures showed! Thats even more impressive when you find out the host is a professional photographer! So close to all the attractions of traverse city and yet you feel like you're far away and secluded. The most noise you hear is from the loons on the lake. In some places this would refer to the old drunk people on their pontoon but here it's the actual birds! We'll be back for sure! Thank you so much to the hosts for caring about the little things.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2025

6/10 Okay

Ron L.

Disliked: Cleanliness

Propane

Smaller than expected. Issues on the first evening with no propane and dirty pans. Owners were very nice and fixed the issues.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2025

10/10 Excellent

Jason R.

Liked: Cleanliness

Weekend Stay in Traverse City

Nice and quiet, minutes from town, everything was exactly as advertised! Would definitely stay here again!
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2024

10/10 Excellent

Kristy P.

Liked: Cleanliness

Cute and relaxing❤️

I loved the cabin! It was perfect and clean inside! The washer and dryer was very nice too. I loved the wildlife and the lake was just beautiful. I will recommend this place for sure! I missed the golden doodle! I looked for him when we came back to the cabin everyday 😊
Stayed 5 nights in Sep 2024

10/10 Excellent

Collin V.

Liked: Cleanliness

Great stay!

This was a perfect location, quiet and secluded yet close to town!
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Leanne W.

Liked: Cleanliness

Anniversary Trip

Very nice cottage right on Bass Lake. We took the provided kayaks out during the day and relaxed by the firepit at night. Close enough to downtown Traverse City to enjoy everything the city has to offer. Very quiet neighborhood. Would definitely stay here again.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

yvonne d.

Liked: Cleanliness

Terrific weekend get-a-way

Everything we had hoped for… a small lake that we could kayak, listening to loons, beach fires, good friends, and close to all the places we visited I.e.The sand dunes, a sailboat ride on the West arm of the bay and great meals grilled at the cabin and area restaurants. The host was very pleasant and helpful to get the WiFi working.
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Ashley V.

Liked: Cleanliness

Great Getaway on a Beautiful Lake

Awesome place for a family or couple getaway. Our friends rented the cabin next to us and it was the perfect set up for a multi-family vacation. The cabin is adorable and the lake is very pretty. It's a small lake in a quiet area and is perfect for kayaking (rental included kayaks). Updated and clean with more amenities than expected. We traveled with a 3 year old and 1 year old. Both bedrooms had enough space to put up our son's pack n' play. Beds were comfortable. There was a nice sandy area that my kids loved playing in. The area near the dock was also sandy and shallow - my children were able to easily walk into the water. My daughter really enjoyed trying to catch minnows in the water. Nice, big firepits were available to use. Host was friendly and we had an amazing time. We would return to this rental for sure.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Leslie L., Oceanside, NY

Liked: Cleanliness

Peacefull and Pretty

This lovely little cottage is peaceful and pretty. The view out the big picture window of the lake is gorgeous. We very much enjoyed our nightly capfires and smores. The beds are comfortable as well. The location is great. 20 minutes to downtown and also close to other fun activities like the Alpaca farm, Crystal Mountain, tubing, and Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore. I would defintately return.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Ray S.

Liked: Cleanliness

Amazingly pleasant cottage!!

We really enjoyed our stay at Wailing Loon Cottage. Everything inside the cottage was lovely, clean and easy to feel comfortable there. The deck and shady trees were great for early morning coffee and evening drinks. We really appreciated its proximity to the Interlochen!! We are looking forward to returning!!
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Andrew G.

Liked: Cleanliness

There were Lions!

We loved everything about the cabin! It was beautiful and just like the name says, we could hear loons the entire time!
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Matt L.

Liked: Cleanliness

Great Place to Stay

Our family loved our time here. The location was excellent. The house is on a very peaceful and quiet lake. Loons could be heard and seen quite frequently. Our kids loved the water and beach sand. We also had a fun time exploring the lake on the provided kayaks and paddle board.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Margaret O.

Liked: Cleanliness

Perfect quiet retreat, lakeside

Wailing Loon cottage was PERFECT, and we even heard the loon wailing! Quiet and plush, this cottage had all the amenities and an excellent selection of extras: kayaks, fishing gear, laundry facilities onsite. One enchanting thing that we discovered... the lake has beautiful pockets of water lilies. Just gorgeous. Jody couldn't be sweeter or more helpful to a couple of nerdy rock hounds who just wanted to chill. Thank you so much!
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Cheri P.

Liked: Cleanliness

Golf & relaxing long weekend

This getaway was super easy to access. When we arrived was very clean on the inside and was well stocked. The host responded speedily whenever I reached out. Would definitely recommend.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Aleisha F.

Liked: Cleanliness

Beautiful lake view

We loved our stay at the Wailing Loon Cottage. It has a beautiful lake view, peaceful, and just perfect for our family.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Tara A.

Liked: Cleanliness

Relax and Recharge

We had an amazing time on Bass Lake! The cottage was perfect and we all enjoyed kayaking, canoeing and paddle boarding. Truly one of our best family vacations!
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Brian P.

Liked: Cleanliness

Great place to stay!

We had a great time staying here. Quiet, peaceful lake located 15 minutes from Traverse City. The fishing and kayaking was great. Plenty of things to do within short driving distances. The cottage was clean and well maintained. Will definitely be coming back.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

krylkc

Liked: Cleanliness

10/10

Great communication with nice hosts for a cute property. We really liked that it contained remnants of its old resort feel. Eerie but beautiful at night, the moon looked lovely scattered across the lake.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

Cornelia F.

Liked: Cleanliness
Der Aufenthalt in dem Haus war fantastisch. Morgens aufwachen mit dem Blick über den ruhigen See, Frühstück auf der Terrasse. Es war fast schade dann zu den Ausflügen nach Traverse City oder Big Bear Dunes aufzubrechen. Die Kayak Runde um die Inseln am Nachmittag war das tägliche Highlight. Dann den Weber Grill angeschmissen und die Tage am Lagerfeuer ausklingen lassen.Die Wohnungseinrichtung ist geschmackvoll und die Wohnung ist sehr sauber.Besser kann der Urlaub nicht sein.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2025