Entire home

Private waterfront minutes from downtown Traverse City.

Photo gallery for Private waterfront minutes from downtown Traverse City.

A lakeside deck with Adirondack chairs, a fire pit, and a view of the lake and forest.
A bedroom with a bed, a nightstand, a lamp, a window, and a painting on the wall.
A compact kitchen with a microwave, stove, and dining area with chairs.
A kitchen with white appliances, a wooden countertop, and two white stools.
A house with a stone pathway leading to the front door, a lawn, and a lake in the background.

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.
  • On the beach
    A rare beachfront property in the area - enjoy direct access to the beach and sea.
  • By the lake
    Guests love the beautiful lakefront location.
  • Discover nearby landmarks
    Walk to Bass Lake
2 bedrooms1 bathroomSleeps 4

Popular amenities

  • On beach
  • Patio
  • Toys
  • Barbecue grill
  • Air-conditioning
  • Refrigerator

Explore the area

View in a map
Traverse City, MI
  • Place, Bass Lake
    ‪1 min walk‬
  • Place, Front Street
    ‪15 min drive‬
  • Place, Traverse City Beach
    ‪21 min drive‬
  • Airport, Traverse City, MI (TVC-Cherry Capital)
    ‪19 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

2 bedrooms (sleeps 4)

Bedroom 1

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 2

2 Single Beds

1 bathroom

Bathroom 1

Soap · Towels provided · Toilet · Shower only · Shampoo · Hair dryer

Spaces

Deck or patio
Kitchen
Outdoor play area

About this property

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 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!
Our prices include all fees. No hidden fees.

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Exterior
Bass Lake waterfront! Close to Traverse City and the Sleeping Bear Dunes!
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  • Kitchen
  • Washing machine
  • Dryer
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9.8 out of 10, Exceptional, (65 reviews)
Bass Lake waterfront! Close to Traverse City and the Sleeping Bear Dunes!

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

No pets allowed
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Smoking

Smoking is not permitted
No tents are allowed on the property.
Person booking must be staying at the property.

Important information

You need to know

Property # 3728159vb
This property is managed by a private host (a party not acting within their trade, business or profession). EU consumer law, including the right of withdrawal, will not apply to your booking. The cancellation policy set by the private host will cover your booking.
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 indicated that there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
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

About the area

Traverse City

Located in Traverse City, this cottage is next to a golf course and on the beach. Lake Michigan and Fisher's Run reflect the area's natural beauty and area attractions include Great Wolf Lodge Water Park and Jacob's Corn Maze. Travelling with kids? Consider Interlochen Center for the Arts and Great Lakes Children's Museum. Take in the nearby slopes with snowboarding and skiing, or try out other outdoor activities such as sledging and ice skating.
View more Cottages in Traverse CityOpens in a new window
Map
Traverse City, MI

What's nearby

  • Bass Lake - 1 min walk - 0.0 km
  • Great Wolf Lodge Water Park - 12 min drive - 11.9 km
  • Turtle Creek Stadium - 13 min drive - 15.1 km
  • Front Street - 15 min drive - 16.2 km
  • Traverse City Beach - 21 min drive - 22.4 km

Getting around

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

Restaurants

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

Frequently asked questions

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

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

How much does it cost to stay at Private waterfront minutes from downtown Traverse City.?

As of 14 Oct 2026, prices found for a 1-night stay for 2 adults at Private waterfront minutes from downtown Traverse City. on 13 Dec 2026 start from £728, 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 at Private waterfront minutes from downtown Traverse City.?

On-site parking is available at the property.

What time is check-in at Private waterfront minutes from downtown Traverse City.?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Private waterfront minutes from downtown Traverse City.?

Checkout is at 11:00 AM.

Where is Private waterfront minutes from downtown Traverse City. located?

Located in Traverse City, this beachfront cottage is next to a golf course, steps from Bass Lake and within 6 mi (10 km) of The Crown Golf Club and Fisher's Run. Lake Michigan and West End Beach are also within 9 miles (15 km).

Reviews

9.8

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 33 out of 37 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 1 out of 37 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 3 out of 37 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 37 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 37 reviews

9.8/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

10/10

Location

9.8/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Very clean, beautiful view, and a very nice and attentive host. Definitely recommend if looking for a nice lakeside getaway.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2026
Response from VrboOwner on 12 Oct 2026
So glad you enjoyed your stay! Thank you for the kind review.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Fantastic cottage right outside of Traverse City, the location was great. Nice quiet area, and a very clean house.
Stayed 5 nights in Sep 2026
Response from VrboOwner on 12 Oct 2026
Thank you for the kind review. We're so glad you enjoyed your stay!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
We went the week after Labor Day. The lake was so peaceful and beautiful. We really enjoyed our stay at the lake and exploring the surrounding areas
Stayed 6 nights in Sep 2026
Response from VrboOwner on 12 Oct 2026
So glad you enjoyed your stay!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Beautiful home on a clean lake, 2 kayaks provided was a bonus! Would stay here again.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2026
Response from VrboOwner on 3 Sept 2026
We would love to have you back! Thank you for visiting. :)
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
The property was nicely situated on the lake and provided for a small private dock area and fire pit. It was lovely kayaking on the small lake and listening to the loons. Our host was efficient and responsive to a few minor needs with the property. I would stay here again!
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2026
Response from VrboOwner on 12 Oct 2026
We would love to have you back! So glad you enjoyed your time here.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
This is a lovely cottage, well-appointed, filled with artwork, in a beautiful setting. The patio overlooks a calm lake and there is a small sandy beach and dock all your own. This was definitely a cut above many places.
Stayed 13 nights in Aug 2026
Response from VrboOwner on 3 Sept 2026
Thank you for the kind review. We are so glad you enjoyed your stay!
Verified review

6/10 Okay

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
The beds and bedding were very clean. The kitchen and dishes were not very clean at all upon arrival. The cooking pans/pots were almost impossible to cook with. But the view was beautiful and the hosts left all the info needed for check in/check out.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2026
Response from VrboOwner on 12 Oct 2026
We are sorry to hear you had a poor experience with the kitchen. We would have loved to accommodate your needs had you reached out.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Cabin was perfect for what we needed. My son enjoyed fishing off the dock. My daughter loved swimming in the lake. Great location and cabin had everything we needed for the week.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2026
Response from VrboOwner on 3 Sept 2026
We are so glad you enjoyed your time on the lake!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Would definitely stay again.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2025
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

Great stay!

This was a perfect location, quiet and secluded yet close to town!
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2024
Response from VrboOwner on 7 Sept 2024
Thank you for the kind review!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

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
Response from VrboOwner on 26 Jun 2025
Thank you for the kind review!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

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
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

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
Response from VrboOwner on 10 Aug 2024
Aren’t the loons just magical? Love Bass Lake ❤️
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

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
Response from VrboOwner on 8 Jul 2024
Thank you!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

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
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

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
Response from VrboOwner on 29 Aug 2024
Thank you!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

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
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

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
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

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
Response from VrboOwner on 27 Jun 2025
Thank you for the kind review!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

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
Response from VrboOwner on 30 Jun 2025
Thank you for the kind review! We’re so glad you enjoyed yourselves.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
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
Response from VrboOwner on 15 Sept 2025
Thank you for the kind review! We are so glad you enjoyed your stay. :)
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

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
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

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
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

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
Response from VrboOwner on 8 Nov 2024
Next time I will introduce you to Ben!!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

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
Response from VrboOwner on 10 Aug 2025
Thank you for the kind review! We’re so glad you enjoyed yourselves. :)

About the host

Hosted by Halle Funk

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Languages:

English

Premier Host

They consistently provide great experiences for their guests
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