Entire home

Private retreat! 20 acre 1908 Farmhouse on Private Lake.

Photo gallery for Private retreat! 20 acre 1908 Farmhouse on Private Lake.

A two-story house with a covered porch and a chimney.
A dining room with a wooden table, chairs, and a chandelier. There is a sofa and a window with curtains.
A house with a covered porch, steps leading to the entrance, and a bench.
A bedroom with a large bed, a dresser, a window with curtains, and a nightstand with a lamp.
A kitchen with wooden cabinets, a marble countertop, a sink, a dishwasher, and a refrigerator. There are two wooden chairs and a small island with a black countertop.

Reviews

10 out of 10
Exceptional

Highlights

  • A quiet escape

    Guests like the location for the peace and quiet.
3 bedrooms1+ bathroomSleeps 5

Popular amenities

  • Hot tub on site
  • Patio
  • Barbecue grill
  • Air-conditioning
  • Garage parking available
  • Refrigerator

Explore the area

View in a map
Iola, WI
  • Place, Hatch Lake
    ‪7 min drive‬
  • Place, Lake Iola
    ‪10 min drive‬
  • Place, Sunset Lake
    ‪24 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

3 bedrooms (sleeps 5)

Bedroom 1

1 King Bed

Bedroom 2

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 3

1 Double Bed

1 bathroom, 1 half bathroom

Bathroom 1

Towels provided · Bathtub or shower · Toilet

Bathroom 2

Towels provided · Toilet

Spaces

Deck or patio
Porch or lanai
Kitchen
Separate dining area
Outdoor play area
Garden

About this property

Private retreat! 20 acre 1908 Farmhouse on Private Lake.

Located on 20 acres in the Helvetia Township, this vintage hobby farm provides wooded land, marsh, fields, and 650 feet of lake frontage for every type of activity. Relax by the wood fireplace on the main floor, sit outside and watch the stars, or enjoy a stroll throughout the wooded trails trimmed for your enjoyment. One guest shared, "I didn't know places like this existed anymore."

With 3 bedrooms, 1.5 bathrooms and just under 2,000 square feet of space there is plenty of room for the whole family, or a spacious retreat for a couple.

Centrally Located:
- Just outside of Iola, WI. Approximately 4 miles to the Iola Old Car Show Grounds; convenience of a nearby grocery store.
- 18 miles to downtown Waupaca, WI, or 20 miles to the Chain of Lakes.
- 27 miles to downtown Stevens Point, WI

Special Note: In order to maintain this special and well kept 1908 farmhouse we kindly ask that pets stay outdoors, guests smoke outside, and everyone removes their shoes while indoors (thank you in advance!). We love this home, and think you will too - all floors are hand washed and the place is spotless on arrival ensuring you have a cozy and comfortable stay with all the amenities you could need.

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House Rules

Check in after 3:00 PM

Minimum age to rent: 25

Check out before 11:00 AM

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Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17

Bassinet and pack n' play available at property.

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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

Please no wearing shoes inside the house.

Please no smoking inside the house.

Important information

You need to know

Property # 417487vb
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

Iola

Located in Iola, this holiday home is in a rural area and on a lake. While the natural beauty of Nelsonvile Community Sanctuary and Lake Iola can be enjoyed by anyone, those looking for an activity can head to Central Waters Brewing Company. Take in the nearby slopes with cross-country skiing, or try out other outdoor activities such as snowmobiling.
View more Holiday homes in IolaOpens in a new window
Map
Iola, WI

What's nearby

  • Hatch Lake - 7 min drive - 5.1 km
  • Lake Iola - 10 min drive - 8.6 km
  • Sunset Lake - 24 min drive - 25.9 km
  • Central Waters Brewing Company - 30 min drive - 34.7 km
  • University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point - 39 min drive - 55.2 km

Restaurants

  • ‪Crystal Cafe - ‬11 min drive
  • ‪Schmidt's Corner - ‬16 min drive
  • ‪Ev & Dot’s Shinehaus - ‬17 min drive
  • ‪Little Falls Resort - ‬18 min drive
  • ‪Taste of Norway - ‬16 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is Private retreat! 20 acre 1908 Farmhouse on Private Lake. pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

How much is parking at Private retreat! 20 acre 1908 Farmhouse on Private Lake. ?

On-site parking is available at the property.

What time is check-in at Private retreat! 20 acre 1908 Farmhouse on Private Lake. ?

Check-in begins at 3:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Private retreat! 20 acre 1908 Farmhouse on Private Lake. ?

Checkout is at 11:00 AM.

Where is Private retreat! 20 acre 1908 Farmhouse on Private Lake. located?

Situated on a lake, this holiday home is 3.8 mi (6.2 km) from Lake Iola and within 12 miles (20 km) of Hatch Lake and Brekke Lake. Rollofson Lake and Johnson Lake are also within 12 miles (20 km).

Reviews

10

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. 73 out of 74 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 1 out of 74 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 74 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 74 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 74 reviews

10/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

10/10

Location

10/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
This is our go-to rental when we visit family & friends in the area. Hosts are great! So much to love—sooo quiet, well-stocked kitchen, fishing pond, nice walking trails on property, nice restaurants, Ice Age trail nearby,… feels homey. We will be back!
Stayed 8 nights in Jul 2026
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Absolutely our favorite place to stay...love it every time.
Stayed 13 nights in Jul 2025
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

A great stay once again!

We absolutely love this place!
Stayed 9 nights in Sep 2024
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
We love this place and try to stay multiple times per year. Very charming old farmhouse with lots of privacy and a nice little lake.
Stayed 14 nights in Sep 2025
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

We loved it again!

We've been coming here for a few years now and absolutely love it every time. Can't wait to come stay again!!
Stayed 6 nights in Aug 2023
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

Beautiful Home, wonderful stay!

The home was clean and the pictures don’t do justice to how beautiful it is! Hosts were very accommodating, great stay!
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2024
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

Third time is a charm!

This was our third time staying at this property. As has always been the case, we absolutely loved it and will be coming back for a fourth time very soon.
Stayed 8 nights in Jul 2022
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

Quiet Quaint Rural Immersion

Highly recommend! Nicely updated farmhouse w well-stocked kitchen, very quiet, abundant rural wildlife—sandhill cranes, wild turkeys, rabbits, deer— neighborhood pond, and quality local attractions, such as Crystal Cafe, Ice Age Trail (hiking) accessed at Iola Winter Spots Club, plentiful grocery store…
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2024
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

Beautiful setting, clean, comfortable and convenient

We loved our stay at this home. Fishing was a lot of fun, the hot tub was a great feature, and the home was more spacious and relaxing than we had even anticipated. The owners put a lot of thought into making sure it is stocked with all the essentials and more. Probably managing the encroaching poison sumac growth in the dock area is the only thing we had a concern about. We would definitely stay again!
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 30 Jul, 2023
Thank you for the nice review Laura! Last weekend we bundled up and cleared the poison sumac... next spring we plan to bring goats on the farm to do the same thing in a eco-friendly way and hopefully eliminate it permanently :) Hope you have a great rest of your summer!
Archival

10/10 Excellent

Rest and Relaxation

The farmhouse and grounds are absolutely charming. From the hot tub to the bedding - everything was nicer than we expected. We loved going for walks on the trails and enjoying all of the wildlife. The property was beautifully maintained and clean as can be. It is very secluded and quiet. We loved waking up with a cup of coffee and watching the loons. This was the perfect getaway for our family! Can't wait to visit again!
Response from VrboOwner on 3 Apr, 2020
Thank you for the lovely review! It's fun for us to share our property with people that enjoy it as much as we do. We are so happy that you could relax and know that you are more than welcome to come again! The very best to your family, Dan and Kathy
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

Lovely farm house

Had a relaxing time at the farm house. Very clean and charming. Brought back memories of being at our grandparents’ farm growing up. Had the lake all to ourselves and enjoyed seeing the sand hill cranes fly in and out each day. Kathy was so kind and helpful, and quick to communicate throughout our stay. Thanks for a lovely time!
Stayed 6 nights in Jul 2023
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

Peaceful

Property and grounds were nicely kept. House was well stocked. Plenty of blankets, pillows, towels. Kitchen had plenty of dishes and a dishwasher. Communication was great with the Property Owner. She gave us some locations to check out. Property was also nicely located to neighboring towns. The Iola area was beautiful and we enjoyed driving around looking at the many farms and beautiful houses. Was very surprised at all the lakes and rivers in the area. Great Stay! Lovely Hostess!
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2024
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

None like it

This place was awesome! I want to tell everyone about it, but then again I don't because we don't want it booked solid when we want to return :) We met Kathy at arrival and she gave us the tour--the pictures don't do it justice. Peace and quiet, not much traffic on the road; we heard a loon calling the first morning, and had sandhill cranes in the yard our last day. Serenity... Kathy was a fantastic host, offering suggestions for places to see and do, etc. We hope to visit your beautiful haven again soon--thank you for sharing it with us!
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2024
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Entire house was clean and comfy. Really enjoyed fishing on the private lake with provided canoe and boat. Everyone had a great relaxing time. Perfect place for any family getaway.
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2026
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
We absolutely LOVE this place. The hosts are some of the nicest people you will ever meet. Highly recommend!!
Stayed 8 nights in Jun 2026
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

Awesome as always!

We've stayed here many times now and every time we hate to leave. We will be back again next year!
Stayed 7 nights in Sep 2022
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

Exceptional Quality & Quiet

Quality—updated tastefully decorated farmhouse w very good quality cookware, table settings, etc. Large backyard w occasional sandhill cranes, rabbits, and…an otter(?), plus a nice 1/2 mile hiking trail. Quiet—no hum of freeway traffic, just an occasional car; no airplanes, … I’ve never stayed anywhere so quiet. Will be returning—highly recommend!
Stayed 6 nights in Aug 2022
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

Peaceful Retreat

The property was beautiful and peaceful . . . exactly what we were looking for. Kathy and Dan were great and they have a great place to stay if you want to get away for a bit to relax and unwind. We highly recommend it. Thanks!
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2022
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

Perfect Getaway

This farmhouse and the entire property are wonderful. I can't say enough good things. The best part about all of it is that you can tell the owners love it and have enjoyed restoring and decorating the house and maintaining the property. Kathy met us there and she was so welcoming and kind. The house is charming; it still feels like an old farmhouse, but cozy and with modern amenities, like central air and a hot tub. We caught lots of fish, enjoyed kayaking the lake, went hiking, biking and thoroughly enjoyed our stay. We would go back in a heartbeat!
Stayed 6 nights in Aug 2021
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

The Perfect Peaceful and Relaxing Getaway

The property is just as described and includes virtually anything you may need or want including grill, bikes with helmets and chairs to sit and relax and enjoy the views. There are mowed paths the owners made around the property for short little hikes and plenty of back roads to walk and bike. The fire pit and hot tub add to a wonderful evening star gazing and the lake and beauty of the property make for wonder days just sitting on the porches or in the yard relaxing. The 1908 house is very modernized and is very comfortable. Kathy and Dan are excellent hosts and were very flexible in response to some special requests we had. There are several excellent restaurants not far from the property and a grocery store nearby. Would definitely recommend this property.
Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2021
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

Authentic farmhouse in a beautiful setting

What a great place. This farmhouse has been updated but still holds that old-time charm that homes like this should have. From the creaky floors to the sloped upstairs ceilings, this home shines in authenticity while at the same time providing much appreciated upgrades like air conditioning and modern appliances. The lake out the back door was a favorite of our stay. The water is clear and the fishing is great. I spent many mornings on the lake just listening to the birds and frogs. We can't wait to come back again...this time for longer!
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2021
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

Gorgeous house and property

Our family very much enjoyed our stay at Helvetia Hideaway. They have every amenity you may need, and Kathy is helpful and responsive. The house and property are impeccable, and the setting is so peaceful. We will definitely go back!
Stayed 5 nights in May 2021
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

Just what we needed!

What a wonderful place to get away! This farm house has everything you need for a nice relaxing getaway. The kids had such a good time exploring the trails and swimming in the private lake. You will need to row out a short distance to swim. The yard is nice and big for any yard game you want and the hot tub hits the spot in the evenings. We made all our meals here and had everything we needed to cook our meals. The house and beds are comfortable and relaxing! Our only regret was not booking for a longer stay. There's a golf course and groceries 10 minutes away. Dan and Kathy are fantastic hosts and make themselves available for whatever you need!
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2020
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

Picturesque home and location!

This rental can be relaxing like a retreat or a place to keep busy with activities, and both if you like! We had a lot of down time to recharge and re-group as a family on our get away, but also took advantage of the outdoors and amenities. Plenty of room for our family of 5 (3 teens). We fished and swam in the lake. Brought some of our own floaties and rowed out to jump in; lake is spring-fed and clear in the middle. There's a 4 mile route on back roads that we biked and some days walked. We had fun evenings relaxing around the fire pit and also in the hot tub or playing games that were provided. great sunsets! Home has everything you need including central A/C, all your kitchen needs, crock pot, nice appliances and newer washer and dryer. Wifi works great, TV took our Roku and also has DVD/VCR unit. We enjoyed a couple meals out: At Wheelhouse in Waupaca- outdoor patio available., then once we had delicious take out from Crystal Cafe in Iola (amazing rhubarb pie), and in Scandanavia there's a cafe Scandi haus for drive up coffee , and we had their tasty crepes. Highly recommend this lake side farm home and owners Kathy and Dan were friendly and attentive with many great suggestions for a comfortable and fun stay.
Stayed 6 nights in Jul 2020
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

Perfect fishing getaway

This was the perfect getaway and our first VRBO experience. Dan and Kathy were communicative, honest, and easy. The fish were biting non-stop (your mileage may vary, but live bait was getting us serious pan fish). The house is tasteful and relaxing, while the property was large and private. It was comfortable, easy, and just what we were looking for. We were looking to take our family out of the city for a week of privacy, fishing, and no stress. We found it. It reminded me of childhood fishing trips, but with a hottub and wifi. I'd be happy to go back, and I definitely recommend this place to others.

About the host

Hosted by Dan and Kathy

Host profile image

We fell in love with this century old farm at first sight, with no intention other than returning the property to its original glory. After several years of cleaning, refinishing, and painting the property, we decided we wanted to share it with others. We enjoyed going to our little retreat (only 11 miles away from our own old farmhouse), but contemplated selling it. Our daughter and her husband bought the property from us in 2016. We tackle the management of this property together and enjoy sharing these special spaces and meeting all our neat renters!

Why they chose this property

We have a love for century old farms, history, and antiques. We needed to keep this home from falling into more disrepair. Like with most older farmsteads, it's an ongoing project!

What makes this property unique

This home has such a special feel, the minute you drive in. We loved the quiet lakefront and peaceful setting. You truly feel "away from it all" yet, you are close enough to the basic amenities (e.g., a grocery store!). From the nice little kitchen, the pretty sunroom (with a view of the lake), to the fireplace in the living room, and the wooded views, we fell in love with the property right away!

Languages:

English

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