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Birch Shores Resort - The Aspen Cottage - Lakefront with Water Toys!

Photo gallery for Birch Shores Resort - The Aspen Cottage - Lakefront with Water Toys!

A lakeside deck with a fire pit, chairs, and a dock with boats.
A cozy living room with a fireplace, a television mounted above it, and a comfortable seating area with a sofa and armchairs.
A room with a view of a lake, a wooden bench, a chair, and a small table with a lamp.
A wooden cabin bedroom with a bed covered in a patterned quilt, two wall-mounted lamps, and a window with curtains.
A compact kitchen with wooden cabinets, a microwave, a sink, and a window with a view of a body of water.

Reviews

8.8 out of 10
Excellent

Highlights

  • Made for relaxation
    Top-rated for comfort — guests feel right at home here.
  • Unmatched views, unforgettable moments
    Guests like the location for the scenic views.
  • Discover nearby landmarks
    Walk to Glen Lake

Popular amenities

  • Patio
  • Barbecue grill
  • Refrigerator
  • Internet
  • Onsite parking available
  • Fireplace

Explore the area

View in a map
Empire, MI
  • Place, Little Glen Lake
    ‪1 min walk‬
  • Place, Glen Lake
    ‪8 min walk‬
  • Place, Crystal River
    ‪5 min drive‬
  • Airport, Traverse City, MI (TVC-Cherry Capital)
    ‪43 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

3 bedrooms (sleeps 8)

Bedroom 1

2 Double Beds

Bedroom 2

1 Double Bed

Bedroom 3

2 Single Beds

1 bathroom

Bathroom 1

Spaces

Deck or patio
Kitchen
Garden
Dining area

Add dates for prices

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9.8 out of 10, Exceptional, (167 reviews)
Waterfront Cottage and Guest House on Big Platte Lake Near Sleeping Bear Dunes!

About the area

Empire

Located in Empire, this cottage is on the waterfront. The area's natural beauty can be seen at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and Lake Michigan.
View more Cottages in EmpireOpens in a new window
Map
Empire, MI

What's nearby

  • Little Glen Lake - 1 min walk - 0.1 km
  • Glen Lake - 8 min walk - 0.7 km
  • Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore - 3 min drive - 2.9 km
  • Crystal River - 5 min drive - 5.8 km
  • Sleeping Bear Point Coast Guard Station Maritime Museum - 11 min drive - 10.5 km

Getting around

  • Traverse City, MI (TVC-Cherry Capital) - 44 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Cherry Republic - ‬5 min drive
  • ‪Art's Tavern - ‬5 min drive
  • ‪Boonedocks - ‬5 min drive
  • ‪River Club Glen Arbor - ‬5 min drive
  • ‪Leelanau Coffee Roasting Co. - ‬5 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is Birch Shores Resort - The Aspen Cottage - Lakefront with Water Toys! pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

How much is parking at Birch Shores Resort - The Aspen Cottage - Lakefront with Water Toys!?

On-site parking is available at the property.

What time is check-in at Birch Shores Resort - The Aspen Cottage - Lakefront with Water Toys!?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Birch Shores Resort - The Aspen Cottage - Lakefront with Water Toys!?

Checkout is at 11:00 AM.

Where is Birch Shores Resort - The Aspen Cottage - Lakefront with Water Toys! located?

Situated on the waterfront, this cottage is within a 10-minute walk of Little Glen Lake and Glen Lake. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive are also within 3 miles (5 km).

Reviews

8.8

Excellent

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
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Rating 10 - Excellent. 5 out of 9 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 2 out of 9 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 2 out of 9 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 9 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 9 reviews

8.0/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

10/10

Location

10/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

From a partner site

10/10 Excellent

Perfect spot on Little Glen!

Love Glen Lake and Scott and Gail are wonderful hosts!
From a partner site

10/10 Excellent

Birch Shores Resort

We had a wonderful stay in Aspen cottage on Little Glen Lake. So peaceful and quiet. Comfortable and cozy! I highly recommend it!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

Little Glen cottage

Very clean. Loved having the kayaks available for use. Would stay here again.
Stayed 7 nights in Sep 2024
Response from VrboOwner on 21 Sept 2024
Thanks, Betsy! We are very glad that you enjoyed your stay and we hope to see you again! Best wishes and God bless! :-)
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

Peaceful and comfortable!

My husband and I really enjoyed our weekend here! The location is peaceful right on the beautiful water and the cottage is a perfect size for a quiet getaway as a couple or for a family of different ages. This was a really great experience, no difficulties, perfect for a relaxing weekend!
Stayed 2 nights in May 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 28 May 2025
Thanks, Taylor! We are very glad that you enjoyed your stay and we hope to see you again! Best wishes and God bless! :-)
From a partner site

10/10 Excellent

Birch Shores Resort - Aspen

This summer marked over 50 years of our family staying at Birch Shores Resort. Little Glen is a beautiful lake and the cottage, while rustic, is comfortable and very close to the lake. We practically live on the recently added deck. The surrounding area is a blend of breathtakingly beautiful nature and amazing galleries, adorable shops, and fun restaurants.
From a partner site

6/10 Okay

Nice place

Our second year at Birch Shore. A modest but very comfortable cottage. Had a great time. We will return. The cottage wasn’t as clean as we recalled last year. The property is rather tired. But it’s still a good vacation choice. Agape Vacation and Julia are exceptional.
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great place on lake

Really enjoyed our time here. The rooms were adequate for our family of 6. Nothing fancy but great location for us since we were exploring Sleeping Bear Dunes. The owner even brought out some kayaks for our kids which was a really nice touch. The lake was quiet and very shallow, my kids enjoyed wading out there. Only reason this is 4 instead of 5 stars is the place was a little dirty. The shower especially did not appear to be clean, there were spiderwebs and evidence of bugs in several places. Overall, I would definitely stay here again.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2024
Response from VrboOwner on 2 Oct 2024
Thanks, Dewey! We are glad that you and your family enjoyed your stay and we appreciate the feedback on the cleanliness issues! We will look into these issues. Hope to see you again! Best wishes and God bless! :-)
From a partner site

8/10 Good

Week at Aspen

Positives: view worth a million bucks, super equipped kitchen, great appliances and a great area of MI. Also appreciated use of kayaks. Negatives: Carpenter ants in bathroom ceiling, leaving sawdust in shower. Also hot water had not been turned on but we were able to do that. Suggest property manager be more thorough. All in all, a good week.
From a partner site

6/10 Okay

Aspen Cottage Week of August 24

We absolutely love coming to the Glen Arbor, Glen Lake are over the past 20 years. This was our 2nd time staying at Birch Shores Resort. Scotty and his family are so friendly. We love the dogs and how they play in the lake. Having immediate lake access and the use of kayaks is always a highlight. We did experience some negative situations though. The humidity was much higher than we ever experienced before, which made the cottage very warm. The kitchen sink drain was leaking , which created water on the floor and cabinet under the sink . Kelly was called and had her maintenance guy out there the next day. He did a great job, very friendly and repaired the pipes. With today's use of electronics, there are not enough electrical outlets to use. We had to make a trip to hardware store to pick up adapters since all the outlets were 2 prong vs 3. A lot of bugs in the cottage, some of it is due to the storm doors not closing properly . There is a large gap at the top of storm door facing the lake. Lastly, on our last full day, we did see a mushroom growing along the baseboard between the toilet and Tub.
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