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Up North Lake Getaway—Kayaks, Pontoon, Bunk Room, Trails & Pet Friendly.

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A wooden deck with a bench overlooking a lake, surrounded by trees and greenery.
A sunlit room with large windows, wicker furniture, and a ceiling fan.
A spacious living area with a fireplace, leather furniture, and large windows offering a view of the outdoors.
A modern kitchen with granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, and a large island with bar stools.
A spacious kitchen with granite countertops, a dining area with bar stools, and large windows offering views of a lake.

Reviews

9.8 out of 10, Loved by Guests
Top 10% of guest reviews in this area

Highlights

  • The great outdoors
    Guests love the outdoor space here.
  • Centrally-located
    You're never far from where you need to be with this convenient location.
  • Discover nearby landmarks
    Near Pinckney State Recreation Area
2 bedrooms2 bathroomsSleeps 8

Popular amenities

  • Onsite parking available
  • Dogs and cats allowed
  • Kitchen
  • Washer
  • Air conditioning
  • Barbecue grill

Explore the area

View in a map
Pinckney, MI
  • Place, Pinckney State Recreation Area
    ‪2 min walk‬
  • Place, Patterson Lake
    ‪5 min walk‬
  • Place, Halfmoon Lake
    ‪3 min drive‬
  • Airport, Ann Arbor, MI (ARB-Ann Arbor Municipal)
    ‪43 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

2 bedrooms (sleeps 8)

Bedroom 1

1 King Bed

Bedroom 2

3 Twin Bunk Beds

2 bathrooms

Bathroom 1

Soap · Towels provided · Bathtub or shower · Bathtub · Toilet · Shampoo · Hair dryer

Bathroom 2

Soap · Towels provided · Toilet · Shower only · Shampoo

Spaces

Deck or patio
Kitchen
Outdoor play area
Garden
Dining area

About this property

Up North Lake Getaway—Kayaks, Pontoon, Bunk Room, Trails & Pet Friendly.

Welcome to your Up North lakefront getaway on beautiful Willows on Watson Lake. This recently renovated 2‑bedroom, 2‑bath home is designed for families, friends, and pet‑friendly stays that blend comfort, adventure, and the peaceful charm of Michigan lake living.

Wake up to quiet mornings on the deck with coffee in hand, listening to the water and wildlife. The lake sits just steps away, offering a calm, scenic backdrop for your entire stay. Whether you’re here to unwind or explore, this home delivers the perfect balance.

Inside, you’ll find a warm, modern space with new stainless‑steel appliances, comfortable seating, and everything you need for a relaxing visit. The house features a spa‑like ensuite bathroom tub, giving you a private retreat after a day outdoors. The bunk room sleeps up to six, making it ideal for kids, cousins, or multi‑family trips. With two full bathrooms, mornings and evenings stay easy for everyone.

Step outside and enjoy true lakefront living. Take out the kayaks or paddleboards to explore the shoreline, or head out on the pontoon to experience the full chain of lakes. Swim, fish, float, or simply enjoy the peaceful water views. Adventure continues off the lake with nearby hiking and biking trails, that offer plenty of ways to explore the outdoors.

Evenings are made for gathering around the large fire pit. Roast s’mores, share stories, and watch the stars come out over the lake. It’s the perfect way to end a day of fun and create memories that last long after your stay.

Traveling with pets is easy here. The home is fully pet‑friendly and includes a fenced yard, giving your four‑legged family members space to roam. There’s room to play, relax, and enjoy the fresh air right alongside you.

Your stay includes everything you need—linens, towels, starter supplies, a fully equipped kitchen, outdoor seating, and lake activity gear and if desired you can add the Pontoon service for your enjoyment.

Whether you’re looking for a quiet retreat, a family adventure, or a true Up North lakefront experience, this home offers the perfect setting for your next getaway. We can’t wait to welcome you to the lake.
Our prices include all fees. No hidden fees.

Add dates for prices

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House Rules

Check in after 4:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 25
Check out before 11:00 AM
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Children

Children allowed: ages 0-17
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Events

No events allowed
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Pets

Pets allowed: dogs and cats less than 50 lbs per pet (limit 2 pets total)
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Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Important information

You need to know

Property # 3861963
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
Onsite parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has indicated there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a first aid kit, and a deadbolt lock

About the neighborhood

Pinckney

Located in Pinckney, this vacation home is on the waterfront. The Encore Theatre and Purple Rose Theatre are cultural highlights, and some of the area's activities can be experienced at Whispering Pines and Timber Trace Golf Club. Discover the area's water adventures with jet skiing and kayaking nearby, or enjoy the great outdoors with hiking and mountain biking.
View more Vacation Homes in PinckneyOpens in a new window
Map
Pinckney, MI

What's nearby

  • Pinckney State Recreation Area - 2 min walk - 0.2 km
  • Patterson Lake - 5 min walk - 0.5 km
  • Halfmoon Lake - 3 min drive - 1.5 km
  • University of Michigan - 41 min drive - 51.8 km
  • Michigan Stadium - 42 min drive - 49.3 km

Getting around

  • Ann Arbor Station - 43 min drive
  • Ann Arbor, MI (ARB-Ann Arbor Municipal) - 49 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪McDonald's - ‬14 min drive
  • ‪Taqueria Los Dos Potralos - ‬13 min drive
  • ‪Hell Saloon - ‬8 min drive
  • ‪Country Pub - ‬13 min drive
  • ‪Taco Bell - ‬15 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is Up North Lake Getaway—Kayaks, Pontoon, Bunk Room, Trails & Pet Friendly. pet-friendly?

Yes, this property allows cats and dogs (limit 2 total) with a maximum weight of up to 50 lbs per pet.

How much does it cost to stay at Up North Lake Getaway—Kayaks, Pontoon, Bunk Room, Trails & Pet Friendly.?

As of Jul 25, 2026, prices found for a 1-night stay for 2 adults at Up North Lake Getaway—Kayaks, Pontoon, Bunk Room, Trails & Pet Friendly. on Aug 10, 2026 start from $463, including taxes and fees. This price is based on the lowest nightly price found in the last 24 hours for stays in the next 30 days. Prices are subject to change. Choose your dates for more accurate prices.

How much is parking?

Onsite parking is available at the property.

What time is check-in at Up North Lake Getaway—Kayaks, Pontoon, Bunk Room, Trails & Pet Friendly.?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Up North Lake Getaway—Kayaks, Pontoon, Bunk Room, Trails & Pet Friendly.?

Check-out is at 11:00 AM.

Where is Up North Lake Getaway—Kayaks, Pontoon, Bunk Room, Trails & Pet Friendly. located?

Situated on the waterfront, this vacation home is within a 5-minute walk of Pinckney State Recreation Area and Patterson Lake. Halfmoon Lake and Bruin Lake are also within 3 mi (5 km).

Reviews

9.8

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labeled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 23 out of 26 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 3 out of 26 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 26 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 26 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 26 reviews

10/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

9.6/10

Location

9.8/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

Verified

10/10 Excellent

J W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
We had a wonderful stay, and enjoyed watching the water, the birds, and the bunnies. Definitely a nice location
Stayed 28 nights in May 2026
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Cindy Z.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
This property was BEAUTIFUL! Perfect for a dog that loves to swim and a daughter who loves to paddle board. We could open the door and the dog was completely fenced in with access to take a dip in the lake. Beautiful wildlife - swans that swam around all day long, a blue heron was fishing a couple of times, just gorgeous! Beds were very comfortable and clean - laundry was great. Some people commented they never left because it took too long to get out of the lake community - I think that's nonsense - we left and went shopping often. The whole home was so well stocked - no need to bring towels or even shampoo or conditioner, even paper towels and toilet paper were provided. It made traveling there so easy! But - I do recommend you bring your own coffee maker - the one they provide took 45 minutes to brew 1/2 pot (I'm totally serious - I ordered a coffee maker from Amazon), and bring a non-stick skillet if you want to make eggs and not use a ton of oil or butter to get them not to stick. Other than those two MINOR inconveniences, the place was SPECTACULAR!
Stayed 8 nights in Jun 2026
Response from VrboOwner on Jul 7, 2026
We are so happy you enjoyed your stay. We did not realize the coffeemaker was taking that long. We have already replaced it and I will be getting some nonstick pans as well.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Andrea A.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Enjoyable stay

Loved our stay here. Hope we get to do so again.
Stayed 14 nights in Oct 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Leigh H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Peaceful paradise

Great stay! We enjoyed the sandy beach area and saw plenty of wildlife. Very clean and has all the necessities. We would definitely stay again.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2025
Response from VrboOwner on Jul 16, 2025
So glad you enjoyed your stay!
Verified

10/10 Excellent

DOUGLAS K.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Loved watching boats cruise the channel from the deck. Great place to kyack , fish, swim and relax
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Ryan H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great location on the lake

Great stay overall. Perfect location on the lake with plenty of room for family. Pet friendly which was a huge plus. Optional boat rental gave us access to the chain of lakes for swimming and fishing. Great fishing from the property itself as well. Hope to return
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Sarah F.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Mom/Daughter weekend

Perfect get away place!!!
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2024
Response from VrboOwner on Jul 24, 2024
Glad you enjoyed.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Katherine O.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
The house was beautifully maintained and had everything our lake loving family needed!! The beds were very comfortable with great duvets and the washer and dryer were industrialized sized and so convenient. The hosts were gracious when contacted and wete so kind. We would definitely stay again.
Stayed 6 nights in Jul 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Ashley C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful house

Beautiful house and property; would stay again.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2024
Response from VrboOwner on Jul 24, 2024
Super glad you enjoyed, hope to see you again.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Dawnb W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Awesome Location

Wow, such a great view. Everything except the rain was perfect. Thank you!
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2025
Verified

8/10 Good

Absolute A.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

vacation

excellent area view was great wish i had more time
Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2024
Verified

8/10 Good

Nicole P.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great House

We loved our stay. We were very comfortable at the house. The only thing we found a bit unfortunate was getting to the house on the dirt narrow road and it was all the way at the end. We didn't leave as much as we would have liked due to this. Overall it was beautiful.
Stayed 6 nights in Jun 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Megan S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Family vacation at Willows on Watson

Perfect lake house for enjoying nature. Close to the hiking trails, great for fishing or having fun on the chain of lakes, or just relaxing on the deck watching the swans and beautiful views of the canal and lake. House had everything we needed to be comfortable during our stay with kids and dogs, very spacious and clean!
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Thomas H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Quiet up-north feeling

Great view of waterway with fishing opportunities and lots of wildlife sightings.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2024
Response from VrboOwner on Jul 24, 2024
Glad you enjoyed the views as the weekdays life does slow down and more nature activities occurring.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Andrea A.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

A very special place

The home and property are lovely. Beautiful area, comfy bed, nice well-appointed kitchen. Got in the lake almost every day. The paddle boat and kayaks were a treat. Great hikes nearby. Loved soaking in the bathtub. Feeling very fortunate we got to stay here, and hope to do so again.
Stayed 11 nights in Sep 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Christopher K.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Relaxing

Had a great time. Fishing, kayaking, swimming. Thank you again!
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

nancy p.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great spot for my event

Our grand daughter took our friend from Germany to a UOfM student game. Decided to make an event out of this, perfect place for all of us to get together.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2024
Response from VrboOwner on Sep 28, 2024
Great to hear you had a great time and great weather.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Jennifer C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
We had an amazing stay. The home is absolutely beautiful and comfortable, and the outdoor space is huge with water views on all sides. We brought our boat and enjoyed exploring all of the lakes. Our boat is small (16ft) and there was just enough room to tie off to the dock. The kids loved the bunk beds, and the king size bed in the master was very comfortable. The kitchen had everything we needed and more to make most of our meals at home. The best place we found to swim with a sandy bottom was blind lake, easy to get to with a boat or kayak. We hope to be back next summer!
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Donnie S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Serene

We had a relaxing week and our adult children came for the weekend . It was amazing. We kayaked to Hell which was a great adventure.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Amy G.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
The house is wonderful & the yard is even better, with awesome views. Very clean & comfortable! We had a great time. We learned that we needed to have more people sit in the back of the pontoon so the engine didn't struggle as much but it was very enjoyable overall! Russ is going to see why the water pressure was so slow for the bath tub. Owners are very accessible for any questions or assistance if needed & very kind....& thank you Russ & Marla for the welcome card & s'mores kit!
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2025
Response from VrboOwner on Jul 25, 2025
So glad you had a great time. Tub faucet is fixed, sorry you had issues with low water pressure
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Mary W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Sister getaway

My sisters and I had such a nice relaxing time here. The house was very clean and we enjoyed the open floorplan. We took out the kayaks multiple times and had so much fun exploreimg the water right outside the property. The lake is beautiful and full of nature. We also adventured out to some nearby beaches that provided nice places to swim, picnic and hike. We would definitely come back :)
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Kristie R.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great weekend getaway!

We had a great weekend getaway took my son, brother, nephew and my childhood best friends. The place was as described, clean, well stocked - the owners thought of everything. We were right on the water and had easy access to use the kayaks and paddle boards. We also rented the pontoon boat so we were able to cruise around the water. Great fishing, great company and great memories. Would definitely recommend and would definitely rebook. Thanks for everything!
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2024
Response from VrboOwner on Jul 24, 2024
Glad you had a great time as it sounds like you covered a lot which is awesome. Hope to see you again.
Verified

8/10 Good

Donna M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, listing accuracy
Loved the back deck. Loved the updated home, the kitchen and main bath were awesome. I also loved the king mattress, it slept very well. The lake view was very nice, but the entrance to the canal was right next to us and boats came and went at all hours. The home was pet friendly, I didn’t think about that when I booked our stay, you can tell that dogs are very welcome. That would have been great if I had one! It was in the description though, my bad. The 10 minute drive on a dirt road was ok during the day, but dicey at night for us old folks. Communication with the owners was the best I have experienced with VRBO. Thank you for opening your home to us.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Rachel M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
The house was perfect for our family of four. I could not have planned a better location for a vacation. Quiet on a dead end path within a drive of all the conveniences.The large uncovered lakeside windows let in bright sunlight to bask. We spent mornings doing our schoolwork at the large family style dining table. The view was unspoiled open water. The telescope was a great perk to watch the swam family that lives on the lake and the night sky stars. There is a well used channel on the side of the house. The watercraft operators were small town type friendly (I think our girls greeted every single one they saw) and they followed the no wake zone rules. We took the kayaks out often and saw otters, blue heron, frogs, turtles, a swan family nest, and tons of fish visible from the surface. Our girls swam from the beach area daily- shallow enough to feel confident but stretched out deep enough to jump from the platform. We had a hot dog and s'mores night at the fire ring, listening to the frogs and watching the stars. Enjoyable days and nights. Inside felt like a real home. The beds were comfortable and everything cleaned immaculately. The household items supplied were abundant- towels, dishes, life vests, etc. about everything I could think to look for was available. We contacted the hosts after some property damage to their platform by the annual lake swim race and Russ and his son came right over to check it out and fixed it up. Will be back.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Christal

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Our vacation to celebrate my daughter's graduation was wonderful! Such a peaceful and beautiful setting. We loved birdwatching, kayaking, bonfires & smores. The house had just about anything we needed to feel right at home and we loved watching the boats go by as well.
Stayed 5 nights in Jun 2026

About the host

Hosted by Russ Doersch

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Premier Host

They consistently provide great experiences for their guests
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