View, private lakefront, deck & dock, quiet forest. Beautiful cottage and lake

Exquisite old cottage, modern fit-up, no cooking, views! Private dock, deck, and waterfront for this cottage.

Please note: participation in the dining plan, not included in rent, is REQUIRED until the last Sunday in August. We can't waive the required Dining Hall fees in season, so don't please don't try to book a stay and then request an exception. Instead, book in early June or late August or September.

The Cottage:
This beautiful, old, renovated, stick-style cottage is at the end of a long, private driveway off a one-lane, private dirt-road winding through old-growth forest with monarch trees. There's nothing but woods and private paths behind it. It overlooks clear and sandy Higgins Lake, previously rated 'the Sixth Most Beautiful Lake in the World'. Google aerialgraphics tenbest list to see photos; it's illuminating.

The cottage's 82 feet of lake-frontage includes a private dock and lido on the lake, down some stairs from an overlooking private deck, steps away from the large front-porch. The cottage's deck, dock, lido, side-yard, and lakefront are not shared with anyone but you and your guests while you're staying here.

Life on the Lake:
The cottage is part of a private Association of twenty cottages, each with its own dock, so waterfront features are NOT shared. The Association provides meals at a private table, reserved for your family, in a common Dining Hall --a five-minute walk through the woods. It's perfect for families, as all cooking [except Weds. dinners] and clean-up is provided from late June to late August, so staying here is a true vacation for everyone in the family. [Note: This is a separate bill, paid directly to the Dining Hall after your stay [not included rent]. Rates are ~$37/day for adults, less for kids under 13, and free under 5. There are NO exceptions in-season, so consider booking out of season if you are not interested in the Dining Hall.

The lake is clear and, on this side, shallow with great water for swimming, kayaking, sailing and all water sports. Features of Higgins Lake include an island, drop-offs, springs and sunken islands. Not far around the shore is B & B marina, where you can rent motorboats, tubes, kayaks, and all sorts of water toys.

Life in the Cottage:
The cottage features a beautiful, two-story Living Room [the heart of the cottage] with a lakestone-lined fireplace and large Screen Porch, both facing the lake.

The view is even better from a large, two-level Private Deck right over the lake on a bluff, a few steps from the Screen Porch. A stairway down from the deck leads to a private sunbathing area [the Lido] and a private dock, exclusive to this cottage, where you can swim and relax.

A private yard next to the cottage has a many Adirondack chairs and a pad for the outdoor ping-pong table.

An updated kitchen with granite counters, dishes, coffee-equipment, kitchen-tools, and appliances including a dishwasher is open to one side of the Living Room. However, you won't cook much, as you'll enjoy the great food in the Dining Hall [from June through August].

Three Bedrooms are on the first floor: [1] a Master Suite with king-size bed and a private Bath with shower and two sinks in granite counters; [2] a back Bedroom with two queen beds and a sink [can sleep four in a pinch]; and [3] a small Bedroom with a queen bed and a separate entrance to the Porch. A second Bathroom with a claw-foot tub, a shower and two sinks in granite is off the first floor hall, as is a laundry closet with a new washer and dryer.

The second floor is reached from an indoor balcony overlooking the Living Room [and the lake] leading to a knotty-pine Bunk Room with four built-in bunks, which appeal to smaller teenagers and kids [but are short for all but the smallest adults]. The Bunk Room has its own half-bath.

This cottage does not have a TV or a land-line phone. Free, password-protected WIFI is provided. Many guests bring laptops, and some use them to stream their favorite shows and teams.

More to do Outside:
The cottage Association has a tennis court you can use for free and extensive bird-watching and single-track walking trails, which you can explore.

Nearby activities off the lake include fishing, canoeing and tubing on the calm and beautiful Au Sable River and golf at Forest Dunes. Guided bird-watching tours leave regularly from Grayling and almost always spot the very rare Kirtland's Warbler, rarely seen [except by those in the know, in this part of Michigan].

Google an aerial photograph to see Higgins Lake in its splendor. The cottage is on the north shore, the least developed and most secluded part of the lake.

Unfortunately, we do not allow pets. We all have dogs and cats in our families, [including small, well-behaved, clean ones] so we understand it's hard to leave them behind. Please don't make a reservation and then ask us to make an exception for your pets.