Entire home

Cathead Bay Sandcastle, Northport, Lake Michigan(Direct Beach Access).

Cathead Bay Sandcastle, Northport, Lake Michigan(Direct Beach Access).

Photo gallery for Cathead Bay Sandcastle, Northport, Lake Michigan(Direct Beach Access).

Terrace/patio
Unclassified image, 2 of 40, button
Living area
Living area
Private kitchen

Overview of Cathead Bay Sandcastle, Northport, Lake Michigan(Direct Beach Access).

Reviews
10 out of 10 Exceptional
4 bedrooms2 bathroomsSleeps 10139 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Pet-friendlyPet-friendlyPet-friendly
  • WasherWasherWasher
  • DryerDryerDryer
  • Free WiFiFree WiFiFree WiFi
  • KitchenKitchenKitchen
  • Barbecue grillBarbecue grillBarbecue grill

Check out the area

Map
Northport, MI
  • Popular LocationLeelanau State Park1 min walk
  • Popular LocationGrand Traverse Lighthouse4 min drive
  • Popular LocationChristmas Cove Beach21 min drive
  • AirportTraverse City, MI (TVC-Cherry Capital)65 min drive

Rooms & beds

4 bedrooms (sleeps 10)

Blue Bedroom

Bunkhouse

Master Bedroom

Orange Bedroom

2 bathrooms

Hall Bathroom

Toilet · Shower only

Master Bath

Bathtub or shower · Toilet

Spaces

Deck or patio
Kitchen
Outdoor play area

About this property

Cathead Bay Sandcastle, Northport, Lake Michigan(Direct Beach Access).

Cathead Bay Sand Castle sits on the shore of Lake Michigan and is in a private community on Cathead Bay. It is one of the best kept secrets of Northern Michigan. We are literally on the tip of the Leelanau Peninsula! The light house is five minutes away.

The house is surrounded by a nature preserve and sits at the foot of the Leelanau State Park Dunes. You can cross the road and take a hike up the dunes and usually you will have them all to your self, because the public has to park miles away and hike in to get to them.

The beach is pristine with fine, sugary sand and not rocky like the Grand Traverse Bay side can be and it is sandy as far out into the lake as you can walk. This beach seems almost tropical and you can walk the shore for miles, depending on how high the lake is. The lake height can vary greatly from year to year. If you head south you will end up, after the last house, in an area of protected lake shore that is also part of Leelanau State Park.

This house feels more like a colorful ocean beach house than a lake house and it is very cleverly designed. Closing the huge pocket doors between the Kitchen and Living Room creates a giant Master Suite, since the master bedroom w/full bath is off of the living room. At night there is great privacy from the other bedrooms which are towards the front of the house near the front sitting room.

There is another full bathroom in the hall near the two bedrooms that has a walk in tiled shower. The master bathroom has a large tub with shower.

The Bunkhouse next to the house has 1 bunk bed and a twin size bed, so this area can sleep 3. There is also a large sectional couch and TV in the bunkhouse. It is a big a hit with kids and also allows parents to get some quiet time. The Bunk house does NOT have a bathroom.
The bed sizes are as follows:

1st Bedroom in the main house MASTER -King bed, sleeps 2

2nd Bedroom-Queen bed, sleeps 2

3rd Bedroom-1 Twin size Bunk bed, sleeps 2 and 1 Twin bed, sleeps 1.

Total of 7 can sleep in the main house in beds.

Bunkhouse(Separate from house)
1 Bunk bed and one twin sleeps 3.

Bath #1: Full with walk in shower

Bath #2: Full with large tub/shower

All of the bedrooms look out to the dunes and the sitting room, kitchen and living room all have a great view of the lake. Every bedroom has a mirror.

The house has wifi and cable, with a tv in the living room of main house and one in the bunk house.

The town of Northport is about 15 minutes down the road and it has a great grocery store(Tom’s) and some restaurants and bars. You can be in Leland with the quaint shops of Fishtown and Suttons Bay with all of it’s shops and restaurants in 25-30 minutes. If gambling is your thing, there is the Leelanau Sands Casino in Peshawbestown, which is a little north of Sutton’s Bay. The “Big Town” of Traverse City is about forty five minutes south and so is Glen Arbor, home of our favorite coffee, Leelanau Coffee Roasters and for everything cherry there is Cherry Republic. The Leelanau Peninsula is home to several wineries that have tours.

The house faces west, so you will see some of the most amazing sunsets you have ever seen. At night there is no city light pollution so the sky is loaded with stars.

Whether you want to sit and relax all day by the beach, swim, go off exploring the many hiking trails in the area, check out the nearby towns, take a bike ride, hit the casino, plus so much more, we think you will be glad you chose Cathead Bay Sand Castle.

The deck has a table with seating for 8, two lounge chairs and a couple of other chairs..

Linens and towels provided. Please bring your own beach towels.

Their are extra blankets, but if you plan to stay in the bunkhouse during the cooler days at the beginning and end of summer, we recommend bringing sleeping bags or whatever you think you'd need.

Rates vary with the seasons. Summer weeks from late June to the end of August are Sat to Sat only. Plus Pet Fee, Cleaning Fee and Tax.

NO RVs ALLOWED ON THE PROPERTY.
PLEASE REPLACE ALL MOVED FURNITURE.
PLEASE CLEAN UP SAND IN THE HOUSE.




PLEASE READ OUR RULES AND POLICIES AND INFORM ALL MEMBERS OF YOUR GROUP. THEY WILL BE ENFORCED.

Property manager

Mike Guerin
Premier Host
Premier Host

Amenities

Kitchen
Washer
Dryer
Pet-friendly
Free WiFi
Beach view

House Rules

Check in after 3:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 25
Check out before 10:00 AM

Children

Children allowed: ages 0-17

Events

No events allowed
Groups found having parties will be charged $700.

Pets

Pets allowed: dogs less than 50 lbs per pet (limit 2 pets total)
2 dogs max.No cats.$300 unreported pet fee.

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted
Smoking in house = $700 fee. Butts anywhere=$300
All dog droppings, cigarette butts, litter of any kind must be picked up outside. Failure to do so will incur a $200 fee.
Dishes must be placed in the dishwasher and washer turned on before leaving. Failure to do so will incur a $50 fee.
All garbage must be placed in the garbage cans outside(Not left inside) before leaving. Failure to do so will incur a $100 charge.

Damage and incidentals

You will be responsible for any damage to the rental property caused by you or your party during your stay.

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
Onsite parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Note from host: Groups found having parties will be charged $700.
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 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

We should mention

A car is required for transportation to and from this property

About the area

Northport

Located in Northport, this vacation home is on the beach. Grand Traverse Lighthouse and Mission Point Lighthouse are local landmarks, and some of the area's activities can be experienced at Good Neighbor Organic Vineyard and Winery and Aurora Cellars. Ready for a night out? Consider Willowbrook Mill and Castle Farms. Discover the area's water adventures with swimming nearby, or enjoy the great outdoors with hiking.
Map
Northport, MI

What's nearby

  • Leelanau State Park - 1 min walk
  • Grand Traverse Lighthouse - 4 min drive
  • Christmas Cove Farms - 14 min drive
  • Peterson Park - 20 min drive
  • Christmas Cove Beach - 21 min drive

Restaurants

  • Northport Brewing - 16 min drive
  • Northport Pub & Grille - 16 min drive
  • The Tribune Ice-cream & Eatery - 16 min drive
  • Garage Bar and Grill - 16 min drive
  • Barb's Bakery - 16 min drive

Reviews

10

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
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Rating 10 - Excellent. 57 out of 62 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 5 out of 62 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 62 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 62 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 62 reviews" "

9.8/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

10/10

Location

10/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Linda K.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Beach Vacation
A lovely, well kept home in a nice quiet area.
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Anne H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
A Little Slice of Heaven
Always a fabulous trip! Enjoyed new additions (runner to beach, air conditioner in Man Cave, stick vacuum and new location of fire pit). Kitchen is always well equipped. Beds are all comfy! We look forward to coming back every year! Anne
Stayed 7 nights in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Thomas L.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Fun at Cathead Bay
A remarkable place on this planet. Sugar sand, child friendly slope into Lake Mi, sandbars, etc. The house is most pleasant and the entire ezperience was terrific. This was our third time renting this property.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Jeanne C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Perfect
Sunsets are picture perfect, beautiful beach, couldn't ask for more!
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Ella B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
The best stay
We had the most amazing stay at this house. The location is stunning and the house is cozy and has anything you could need. The beach is pristine and peaceful! We can’t wait to come back.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2023

About the host

Hosted by Mike Guerin

Host profile image

Why they chose this property

We instantly fell in love with this house, which is smack dab in the middle of a dune on the shore of Lake Michigan! It doesn't get much better than this. Being surrounded by a State Park is also a big bonus. This remote location is one of a kind. Beautiful sunsets and excellent star gazing(If you own a telescope bring it). There is virtually no light pollution. We hope that you will stay with us and see it for yourselves.

What makes this property unique

Private community. Leelanau State Park sand dunes on one side and beautiful Cathead Bay, Lake Michigan on the other.

Premier Host

Premier Host
They consistently provide great experiences for their guests
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