Apartment

The Family Getaway on beautiful Potato Lake - Park Rapids, MN

Photo gallery for The Family Getaway on beautiful Potato Lake - Park Rapids, MN

A park with picnic tables, a wooden bench, and a house in the background.
Property video
A small, single-story building with a dark exterior and white trim, featuring a porch with a bench and a small table.
A bedroom with a bed, wooden dresser, and a desk with a mirror.
A bedroom with a wooden paneled wall, a bed with a quilt, a window, a lamp, and a framed picture on the wall.

Reviews

9.4 out of 10
Exceptional
3 bedrooms1+ bathroomSleeps 8

Popular amenities

  • Patio
  • Barbecue grill
  • Air-conditioning
  • Refrigerator
  • Pet-friendly
  • Internet

Explore the area

View in a map
Park Rapids, MN
  • Place, Blue Lake
    ‪3 min drive‬
  • Place, Character Challenge Course
    ‪5 min drive‬
  • Place, Eagle Lake
    ‪6 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

3 bedrooms (sleeps 8)

Bedroom 2

1 Single Bed

Bedroom 3

1 Single Bed

Living Room 1

1 Single Sofa Bed

Master

2 Single Beds

1 bathroom, 1 half bathroom

Bathroom 1

Bathtub · Toilet · Shower only

Bathroom 2

Toilet

Spaces

Deck or patio
Kitchen
Number of living rooms
Outdoor play area
Dining area

About this property

The Family Getaway on beautiful Potato Lake - Park Rapids, MN

The Family Getaway is a gorgeous first floor unit with a private deck overlooking one of the best beach on arguably one of the most sought-after lakes in the area. The previous Blue Heron Lodge is now privately owned and this peaceful spot offers a perfect blend of incredible beach and on-site fun only minutes from Park Rapids, one the most desired vacation spots in northern Minnesota. Completely redone, "The Family Getaway" has three bedrooms with the master being an oversized room, a full kitchen, high-speed internet, cable TV and your own deck less than 100' from the water. With only 3 units in the Lodge..."The Family Getaway" has privacy yet community at the same time. Perfect sunsets, light southernly breezes all within a protected bay. Including 300' of unmatched private sugar-sand beach (perhaps the best on the lake), on-site horseshoe pits, on-site washer/dryer, volleyball nets, kid's playground, fire pits, tetherball and more. Small fishing boats and a pontoon available for rent. FREE high speed WIFI and cable TV included. Potato Lake has amazing fishing as well as recreation and is also only minutes from numerous spectacular golf courses for all skill levels. Plus, there's always weekly fun activities in Park Rapids. It doesn't get any better than "The Family Getaway" on Potato!
Our prices include all fees. No hidden fees.

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House Rules

Check in after 3:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 18
Check out before 10:00 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 453 kg per pet (limit 3 pets total)
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Smoking

Smoking allowed: in designated areas
Outside please :)

Important information

You need to know

Property # 699642vb
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
This property has outdoor spaces, such as balconies, patios and terraces, which may not be suitable for children; if you have any concerns, we recommend contacting the property prior to your arrival to confirm that they can accommodate you in a suitable room

About the area

Park Rapids

Located in Park Rapids, this apartment is on the waterfront. Character Challenge Course and Headwaters Golf Club are worth checking out if an activity is on the agenda, while those wishing to experience the area's natural beauty can explore Itasca State Park and Blue Lake. Spend some time exploring the area's activities, including golfing.
View more Apartments in Park RapidsOpens in a new window
Map
Park Rapids, MN

What's nearby

  • Blue Lake - 3 min drive - 2.9 km
  • Character Challenge Course - 5 min drive - 6.2 km
  • Big Sand Lake - 6 min drive - 6.5 km
  • Eagle Lake - 6 min drive - 5.8 km
  • Evergreen Gifts & Fun Park - 12 min drive - 15.5 km

Getting around

  • Bemidji, MN (BJI-Bemidji Regional) - 56 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Zorbaz - ‬17 min drive
  • ‪Foxy's Bar & Grill - ‬12 min drive
  • ‪Companeros - ‬17 min drive
  • ‪Dorset House Restaurant - ‬17 min drive
  • ‪Y Steak House - ‬17 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is The Family Getaway on beautiful Potato Lake - Park Rapids, MN pet-friendly?

Yes, this property allows cats and dogs (limit 3 total) with a maximum weight of up to 453 kg per pet.

How much is parking at The Family Getaway on beautiful Potato Lake - Park Rapids, MN?

On-site parking is available at the property.

What time is check-in at The Family Getaway on beautiful Potato Lake - Park Rapids, MN?

Check-in begins at 3:00 PM.

What time is check-out at The Family Getaway on beautiful Potato Lake - Park Rapids, MN?

Checkout is at 10:00 AM.

Where is The Family Getaway on beautiful Potato Lake - Park Rapids, MN located?

Situated on the waterfront, this apartment building is 1.9 mi (3.1 km) from Blue Lake and within 6 miles (10 km) of Eagle Lake and Character Challenge Course. Big Sand Lake and Lower Bottle Lake are also within 6 miles (10 km).

Reviews

9.4

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. 11 out of 18 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 7 out of 18 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 18 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 18 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 18 reviews

8.6/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

9.6/10

Location

9.2/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Awesome location on Potato Lake. It was a the perfect spot for a weekend getaway for a group of four friends. The cabin had plenty of room for four adults. It was clean and had everything we need to make our own meals. We enjoyed the fire pit, the back deck, and the sun porch. All of which had great views of the lake. The living space was comfortable and we took advantage of the tv and cable. This is a great option for an adult getaway but would definitely work for a family with kids. We would definitely stay here again in the future.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2026
Response from VrboOwner on 19 Oct 2026
Thanks so much for your kind words and your review John. Really appreciate you and your friends hanging out for the weekend, so happy you were pleased and had a good time! Look forward to seeing you again.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

Wonderful stay in every way

This is an absolute gem of a place. It's comfortable, well stocked and the location on the lake is ideal. Shawn is fantastic and gets you settled in and is there if you need anything. We already have amazing memories from the trip. Will definitely be back! Note the listing says single beds in all rooms but there are actually double beds (with the master bedroom having two double beds).
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 8 Jul 2025
Thank you Traci and Hunter for your kind words! It was such a pleasure meeting you and your family. Thank you for taking such wonderful care of our place, you went above and beyond with your consideration! Appreciate the heads up on the listing. Wishing you a great remainder of the summer and look forward to seeing you next time!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
My husband and I had a great time staying at this property. It was more room than we needed, with 3 bedrooms and several sitting areas to relax in. The kitchen and bathrooms were fully stocked with everything we needed. We would definitely stay here again. The property is beautiful, with a driveway through the woods, lovely grounds and a wonderful sandy beach. The property has three rental units but the unit we stayed in is the only short-term rental, the sides next to and above us are rented long-term. The couple next door were so quiet, we hardly knew they were there. But they were a most friendly and nice couple. No one was staying upstairs during our stay. The host, Shawn was so attentive to our needs, before and during our stay. We highly recommend this beautiful cabin.
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2026
Response from VrboOwner on 30 Sept 2026
Hi Teri, thank you so much for your kind words and great review! Love the chance to communicate and connect with you and Pete. I'm so happy that the Family Getaway and your time on Potato Lake was valuable. You were wonderful and we loved having you at our place! Hope we get the chance to do so again, wishing you a great fall!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Shawn was readily available to answer any questions we had. He was very generous with the use of other amenities on the property.We will definitely return next year.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2026
Response from VrboOwner on 7 Aug 2026
Thanks so much Laurie - loved having you all at the lake! Looking forward to next summer!
Verified review

8/10 Good

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

Excellent Getaway

We had a great time on our vacation! Shawn and Carmen were excellent hosts! The grill wasn't working the best the first night, and the next afternoon a new one was delivered! We had 6 adults, 3 yo and 2 mo old and we all slept great with plenty of space! The extra family room in the back was a great place for the baby to sleep. We brought a pontoon and a boat and had enough room on the dock for both of them as well. Beach was very sandy and a great place for the little one to play. The only down fall we had was the swimming area was weedy, but we are people who love to be in the water swimming, but floating worked ok! He did have a weed thing to try and get some of the weeds out, which did work a little. There are a few areas on the lake that are sand bars we ventured to that are sandy and no weeds, so that worked ok for us. Overall we had a great vacation!
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2021
Verified review

8/10 Good

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

Family vacation

We had a fun time on Potato Lake! Cabin was nice and accommodating. Fishing was good. We would stay again.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2021
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

Great Cabin and Beach

We had a wonderful stay. Cabin was spacious and updated. We particularly enjoyed the large yard and large, almost private beach. Although the cabin is a three plex, there was more privacy than a resort. The owner Shawn was a helpful and gracious host.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2020
Verified review

8/10 Good

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

Good Week

It was a nice property and we enjoyed our stay here. I would consider coming here again.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2020
Verified review

8/10 Good

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

family Getaway

This property on Potato lake is set on a very large lot and has a variety of items included. There is a gym set up for kids, a shuffleboard area, volleyball net and a large area for optional activities. We enjoyed the large sandy beach for water activities. There is adequate shade available, and very pleasant surroundings for peaceful visits with family and friends. The main apartment is an old resort lodge that is dated, but nice. The unit set up provides for privacy and overall is quite comfortable.. Our family did enjoy our week stay at this property !!!
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2019
Verified review

8/10 Good

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

Beautiful Spot!

This was our 2nd stay at the Family Getaway, Shawn and his family are very accommodating and made sure we had everything we needed. The check in was easy and we love the location. The house is a little dated, specifically the bathrooms, but they are making improvements as they go. We loved the location and the beach. There is so much to do in the Park Rapids area, we love it!
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2019
Verified review

8/10 Good

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

Nice people! Great Outdoor Activities.

Shawn was very friendly. Outdoor grounds are well kept with lots of available activities like horseshoes, paddleboats, canoes and swimming, etc. if you are interested. We were not aware that the Family Getaway was part of an old House/Lodge split into 3 individual living spaces when we booked it. That was a little misleading from the website and not what we expected when we wanted a "Family Getaway" as presented. The units are not individual, but part of one building. For a "getaway" we personally prefer more privacy. (I can now see that the post implies this but I misunderstood the "units" to be individual cabins as a typical lodge and cabins, not one lodge divided.) That is not to say that anyone was unpleasant to be around, everyone we interacted with was great and friendly. Indoor accomodations are typical for "cabin style", older decor and appliances with updates desirable, but not required for short stays. It was nice to have all items such as the linens, towels and most kitchen equipment supplied as well as soaps, etc. This is a great place to take family, especially if you like community around you and want access for activities for the kids. It also provides nice easy access to Park Rapids and Walker and other area destinations as well as access to locally excellent fishing. These are good people and they really want for you to enjoy your time on Potato Lake.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

We loved the deck with a beautiful view of the lake.

Our stay at the lake was restful and fun! Shawn was very helpful and I especially enjoyed having laundry facilities. Potato lake is a favorite of ours and we appreciated having a nice place to stay while we were there. Thank you Shawn!
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2018
Response from VrboOwner on 27 Mar 2020
Thanks so much for your kind words Chris! We loved having you and your family at our place, you are wonderful people....looking forward to next time! Best, Shawn
Archival

10/10 Excellent

Excellent Accomodations

We enjoyed the roominess of our cabin; and especially the proximity to the lake, the abundance of towels and linens, and the laundry. New carpet has also been installed.
Stayed 30 nights in Aug 2017
Archival

10/10 Excellent

Friendly and Relaxing

This was a great place for a large family or extended family retreat. Close to the lake and great lake views. Extremely friendly and helpful owners who go to the extreme to make sure your stay is wonderful. The cabin is rustic and is has a history which goes back to the 1930's. Would recommend staying here. Terri Y
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2017
Archival

8/10 Good

A beautiful location on the lake with many amenities.

We had a great time. It is a work in progress as they are updating the place. Great place for adults and kids, many outdoor games and activities. The owners, Shawn & Carmen were very accommodating and responsive. There is so much to do at the property, fishing, swimming, games, canoeing, paddle boarding, and much to do in the surrounding area, golf, river fishing & canoeing, theater, great restaurants. We rented the pontoon boat for a couple of days and had some great fishing. We caught fish right from the dock also. Every night we were serenaded by the many loons that make their home on the lake, it was so peaceful. Had a great time!
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2017
Archival

10/10 Excellent

Great stay!

Shawn was very helpful prior to arrival answering questions. We rented the Getaway and the loft together and it was perfect for our family group of 16! There was something for everyone to do from the toddlers to the teens. We would definitely rent again. The place had everything we needed and much more. Great sand beach and old school merry go round toped it off!
Stayed 3 nights in May 2017
Response from VrboOwner on 27 Mar 2020
Thanks so much Cheri! So glad your family enjoyed the Family Getaway and would love to have you back any time. We are proud of the fact that we've got all the "summer fun" things on the property that can make a stay with us memorable. Thanks for leaving the place in such great shape....I would highly recommend you as guests to anyone - hope to see you here again!
Archival

10/10 Excellent

Fabulous beach property!

Another jewel found on VRBO! We rented the ‘Getaway and the Loft’ from Shawn and Carmen for seven days this summer and had a fabulous vacation at a beautiful property. We slept 19 people comfortable the first three nights until some of the unfortunate ones had to return to work. The property is exactly as advertised. The beach, yard and lake exceeded our expectations. You will not find a better person or family to rent from! Very easy to work with and responsive to all of our needs! Shawn had great insights for us regarding local activities around Park Rapids and some good fishing tips. You can rent the Loft and Getaway together or separate, depending on the size of your group. Our group really enjoyed the yard games, canoes, swimming deck, fishing off the dock and at night the fire pit located lakeside! There was plenty of room at the dock for my 18’ Lund Tyee and we also rented the Pontoon for a couple days! If you’re looking for marble top counters and a massage parlor you’ll need to go somewhere else and pay a bunch more money. But if you want to have fun in a nice place and give a fair price to a good person, better call Shawn.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 29 Aug 2025
We LOVED having your family at the lake Jeremy! Thanks for staying with us, would really look forward to seeing you again!

About the host

Hosted by Shawn Gray

Host profile image
We're Shawn & Carmen Gray - we purchased the old "Blue Heron Lodge" on Potato lake in 2014. We travel and do a bit of living/working overseas but also have our summer home on the property. We'd love to share this beautiful spot with you!

Why they chose this property

It's a 10 acre lot that is some of the best lakeshore on one of the most desirable lakes in northern MN. After growing up in the Park Rapids area we have spent the last 10 years traveling all over Asia. This area is "home" and we found the perfect spot in our hometown.

Languages:

English
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