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Walk to River! 'It's A Wonderful Life' Cottage

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Bellevue Vacation Rental Cottage | 2BR | 1BA | 800 Sq Ft | 1 Step to Enter
Covered Patio
Interior
Living Area | TV w/ Blu-Ray DVD Player | Free WiFi
Interior

Reviews

9.6 out of 10
Exceptional
2 bedrooms1 bathroomSleeps 100800 sq ft

Popular amenities

  • Swimming pool
  • Onsite parking available
  • Kitchen
  • Air-conditioning
  • Outdoor barbecue
  • Balcony or patio

Explore the area

View in a map
Bellevue, IA
  • Place, Spruce Creek Park
    ‪1 min walk‬
  • Place, Spruce Harbor
    ‪2 min walk‬
  • Place, Aqua Park
    ‪16 min walk‬
  • Airport, Dubuque, IA (DBQ-Dubuque Regional)
    ‪27 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

2 bedrooms (sleeps 100)

Bedroom 1

2 Single Beds and 1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 2

1 Double Bed

1 bathroom

Full Bathroom

Spaces

Deck or patio
Porch or lanai
Kitchen
Outdoor play area

About this property

Walk to River! 'It's A Wonderful Life' Cottage

Seasonal Community Pool | Boat Ramp Access | Mississippi River Views

Seeking a quiet riverside getaway to fish, boat, or relax? Look no further! This 2-bedroom, 1-bathroom vacation is the perfect home base for exploring the hidden gem of Bellevue, Iowa. Check out nearby attractions like Bellevue State Park, Crystal Lake Cave, or the charming town of Dubuque. Then, after a day of fun, enjoy peaceful summer evenings on the screened patio or gather around the fire pit to stargaze.

-- THE PROPERTY --

SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS
- Bedroom 1: 1 queen bed, 1 twin bunk bed
- Bedroom 2: 1 full bed

STEP OUTSIDE
- Covered porch, screened-in patio
- Outdoor dining & seating
- Private yard, gas grill
- Wood-burning fire pit (wood not provided)
- River views, walk to water

INDOOR LIVING
- Flat-screen TV, Blu-ray DVD player
- Fireplace (decorative only)
- Dining table, dishes & flatware
- Board games, CD player, music collection

KITCHEN
- Electric stove, oven, microwave, toaster
- Drip coffee maker, griddle, blender
- Breakfast bar, spices

GENERAL
- Free WiFi
- Complimentary toiletries
- Central heating & air conditioning
- Linens

FAQ
- Towels not provided

ACCESSIBILITY
- 1 step required for access, single-story home

PARKING
- Carport (1 vehicle)
- Driveway (3 vehicles)

-- THE LOCATION --

- Walk to Spruce Creek Park, Mississippi River & community boat ramp
- 4 miles to Bellevue State Park
- 16-18 miles to Crystal Lake Cave & Mines of Spain
- 21 miles to National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium
- 29-31 miles to Maquoketa Caves State Park & Mississippi Palisades State Park
- 20 miles to Dubuque Regional Airport & 160 miles to O'Hare International Airport

-- REST EASY WITH US --

Evolve makes it easy to find and book properties you'll never want to leave. You can relax knowing that our properties will always be ready for you and that we'll answer the phone 24/7. Even better, if anything is off about your stay, we'll make it right. You can count on our homes and our people to make you feel welcome — because we know what vacation means to you.

-- POLICIES --

- No smoking
- No pets allowed
- No events, parties, or large gatherings
- No tents or RVs permitted on-site
- Additional fees and taxes may apply
- Photo ID may be required upon check-in

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
- The single-story property requires 1 step to access
- Towels are not provided at the property. It is recommended that you supply your own
- The fireplace is for decorative purposes only; it is not available for guest use

Add dates for prices

Amenities

Pool
Kitchen
Air conditioning
Outdoor space
Parking available
Water view

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9.6 out of 10, Exceptional, (20 reviews)
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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

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
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

Bellevue

Located in Bellevue, this cottage is on a river. Belvedere Mansion and Washburne House Historic Site are local landmarks, and some of the area's activities can be experienced at Spruce Harbor and Bellevue Golf Club. Aqua Park and Labyrinth are also worth visiting. Discover the area's water adventures with nearby power boating, or enjoy the great outdoors with hiking/biking trails and hunting.
View more Cottages in BellevueOpens in a new window
Map
Bellevue, IA

What's nearby

  • Spruce Creek Park - 1 min walk - 0.1 km
  • Spruce Harbor - 2 min walk - 0.2 km
  • Aqua Park - 16 min walk - 1.4 km
  • Belvedere Mansion - 48 min drive - 72.1 km
  • Eagle Ridge Resort Golf - 58 min drive - 84.8 km

Getting around

  • Dubuque, IA (DBQ-Dubuque Regional) - 29 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Casey's General Store - ‬4 min drive
  • ‪The Summit Food & Spirits - ‬64 min drive
  • ‪Sunset Grille - ‬64 min drive
  • ‪River Ridge Brewing - ‬6 min drive
  • ‪riverview hotel - ‬6 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Does Walk to River! 'It's A Wonderful Life' Cottage have a pool?

Yes, this property has a pool.

How much does it cost to stay at Walk to River! 'It's A Wonderful Life' Cottage?

As of 16 Apr, 2026, prices found for a 1-night stay for 2 adults at Walk to River! 'It's A Wonderful Life' Cottage on 30 Jun, 2026 start from S$228, 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.

Is Walk to River! 'It's A Wonderful Life' Cottage pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

How much is parking at Walk to River! 'It's A Wonderful Life' Cottage?

On-site parking is available at the property.

What time is check-in at Walk to River! 'It's A Wonderful Life' Cottage?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Walk to River! 'It's A Wonderful Life' Cottage?

Checkout is at 11:00 AM.

Where is Walk to River! 'It's A Wonderful Life' Cottage located?

Situated on a river, this cottage is within a 10-minute walk of Spruce Creek Park and Mississippi River. Spruce Harbor and Aqua Park are also within 1 mile (2 km).

Reviews

9.6

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. 21 out of 26 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 3 out of 26 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 2 out of 26 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 26 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 26 reviews

9.8/10

Cleanliness

8.0/10

Amenities

8.0/10

Property conditions & facilities

10/10

Check-in

9.8/10

Communication

9.4/10

Location

9.4/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

Verified

10/10 Excellent

Melissa H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Great cottage with easy access to the boat ramp. Clean and adorable. Everything you could need. A great screened in porch to relax with family and enjoy a morning coffee or evening cocktail. Wonderful place to stay! Highly recommend!
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 3 Aug, 2025
Melissa, we are so glad you enjoyed your stay as much as we do at the cottage.Thank you for coming and being excellent guests.
From a partner site

10/10 Excellent

Matthew

Cozy cottage!

My family and I had a great stay at Spruce Haven and would gladly stay again!!
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Beverly P.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location

Galena

Wonderful
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 12 Jul, 2025
From the owner: "Thanks, Bev, for being great guests."
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Meredith A.

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

One of our favorite places to stay!

Charming little cottage in a great location. A true time capsule with tons to do in walking/biking distance. A good place to stay if traveling with a boat because of parking.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2024
From a partner site

8/10 Good

Micheal

Excellent

Excellent A+
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

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

Great place on the Mississippi

Wonderful stay in a very relaxing, extremely clean cabin. Would not hesitate to return!!
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2020
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

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

Anniversary

Amazing little place wish had more time to explore the area. Beautiful area. ❤️
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Meredith A.

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

A Happy Little Cottage

We couldn’t have been happier with our choice to stay here. Janae is so kind and made our stay comfortable and easy. Location was stellar and the cottage was clean and homey. We’ll definitely return!
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

gerard v.

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

layover

good place for us
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023
From a partner site

10/10 Excellent

Dawn

Wonderful Retreat

Perfect cottage by the Mississippi River with a wonderful view from the screened in sunporch. Spent mornings there with my coffee and watched the sun rise and listened the birds sing their greetings. Could not ask for a better place to unwind.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Shannon

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities, communication
This was a cute little place to stay. Was really nice to have all the necessities there. The screen room was my favorite. We also enjoyed the location since the river is right there. The train is very loud sometimes and runs often. Needs a few updates such as toilet guts/handle and some extra curtains throughout the home but overall was a great stop. Very beautiful location.
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2022
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Dawn H.

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

So Relaxing

Wonderful location with a spectacular screened in porch. Both mornings sat out there with my coffee and watched the sun rise over the Mississippi River while listening to a chorus of bird songs. Perfection!
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2023
Verified

6/10 Okay

Chris G.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in

Location is everything

Yes! You can see the Mississippi River from this property. And YES this property is adorable. It truly is like stepping back in time to the mid-twentieth century & it is neat as a pin. However, the way that this property was situated-- overlooking a busy parking lot next to the boat launch & public restrooms -- was not what we expected. Still, we enjoyed our stay. C & J from Chicago
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 28 Sept, 2022
Hi Chris, thanks for taking the time to leave a review. After reading your feedback, the homeowner wanted to share the following: We're sorry to hear the location was not what you expected. The area is busy for only a few daytime hours during the weekends, and since the hot weather boating season is short, the rest of the year is quite laid back. We do show photos of the areas mentioned in your review, so our future guests are aware. Thanks again for sharing your feedback!
Verified

8/10 Good

tom m.

LIke stepping back in time

The pictures do a great job of showing what the property looks like; like stepping back in time to the 1970's. While dated, the property was clean, well maintained and still kept with the modern conveniences of today (wifi, video streaming, newer appliances). And for it's cuteness of old, the property could use some ventilation to help it not smell like a cabin that hasn't been closed up for a while. We bought some Febreeze to help, but it honestly didn't do much. Beds were good, despite the bunks actually being in a closet, everything worked well, and Janae, the host, was great. It just could use some updates; including the air in the house. For a stay on the river near Dubuque or Bellevue, this is a great place. Spruce Harbor restaurant was great too and we had a great time venturing across the river to the alpine slide at Chestnut.
Response from VrboOwner on 1 Apr, 2020
Tom, we're so glad you enjoyed this quaint waterfront home! We're also glad you found the beds comfortable. In our listing photos, we do show the configuration of the bunk beds ('Hansel & Gretel' bunk beds), but we're sorry if that caught you off guard. The home is equipped with air-conditioning, but the homeowner had learned you changed the thermostat in a way that paused the fresh air circulation mode. They wish you would have reached out while you were in residence with this concern so they could have resolved the matter ensuring your maximum comfort. We truly appreciate you taking the time to review this home, and hope to host you again soon! Best, the Evolve Team
From a partner site

6/10 Okay

Robert

Clean

Both good and not so good. It was clean and near the water. The area is very pretty nearby.I had googled Galena cottages and this cottage came up. I saw that it was 9 minutes away but I later found out that that is by boat. In a car this is 45 minutes from Galena. Upsetting if Galena is why you came and you don't know the area. Also this is in a sort of campground. Finding the driveway in the dark was quite difficult. The season probably makes a difference...we came in the fall. Everything inside is very old. This can be charming to certain people but I wish I had known that a lot of the outlets where made for only 2 prongs. There isn't very many outlets and the bedroom with the bunk beds doesn't have any near the head of the bed. The bunk beds by the way has a shower curtain rod as the railing for the top bunk and is in the closet and the dresser drawers are full so other than a few hooks on the wall don't expect to hang or put away clothes. The mattress in this room was very difficult to sleep on because it has a big dent in the middle and we could not get comfortable and had achy backs in the morning. There is a lot of signs around like no hot plates on the table. Nothing mean but a lot of them it made me feel like I couldn't relax. If you are wanting to sit around the fire outside you should know to bring your own chairs.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 20 Nov, 2023
Hi Robert, we take guest feedback seriously and passed your comments on to the homeowner who would like to share the following: - We strive to provide our guests with a great guest experience, so we were disappointed to hear your feedback and want to take a moment to address your concerns. - In regard to your concerns with the location of the property, we include a map on our listing so guests can see the approximate location of our home prior to booking. We have found Google Maps very accurate with directions that will take you directly to the cottage. Parking access is available on both north and south roadways. - We would like to clarify that our cottage is a charming 1960s property. Regarding the outlets, in the kitchen peninsula, there are noticeable grounded outlets as well as near the microwave. Additionally, outlets are located in the wall at the top and side of each of the queen/double beds. - The top bunk bed is labeled, making it clear that it is recommended for guests aged 12 and above to sleep there. We provide adequate storage options for luggage, including dressers with spare bedding, a hanging rod under the top bunk, and additional hanging space near the bathroom. - While we try to accommodate all guests' comfort, we're sorry the mattress didn't meet your preferences. - It was never our intention to make you feel you could not relax. For our guest's convenience, we have placed instructional signs strategically throughout the cottage to provide guidance for the optimal use of amenities. We have also ensured that there are ample campfire chairs available in various locations around the property, including the carport and screen porch, for our guests' enjoyment. The pictures and descriptions in our listing aim to depict the unique charm and features of our cottage accurately. We do all we can to make the best possible stay, and we look forward to this property hosting many satisfied guests.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Laura B.

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

Mom and daughters weekend

This was a super clean and cozy cottage and we enjoyed our stay very much! The host made sure the home was equipped with anything we could have needed. She happened to be at the cottage upon our arrival so it was great to meet her and get a quick run down of the property. The screen porch and fire pit where we spent a great deal of time! A perfect place to relax, catch up and connect!!
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2022
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Julia W.

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

Great

Charming spot near good hiking, and a pretty drive to Galena
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2021
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Jo F.

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

Quiet getaway

Nice, clean cottage close to the Mississippi River. We enjoyed our stay.
Stayed 5 nights in Sep 2021
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Tracy S.

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

Great getaway

Spent most of our time outdoors. Location was good. Enjoyed the screened in porch and the fire pit. Loved the area for hiking and biking
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2021
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Alex P.

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

Great get away!

Very cozy, clean and perfect location if your a fisherman.
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2021
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Adam B.

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

Nice cabin in a quiet setting with access

The Spruce Haven cabin is very well maintained and clean. We spent a weekend there and the cabin is stocked with everything that you need. We didn't spend a lot of time there as we were out fishing and exploring the area, but while we were there we had plenty of room and were very comfortable. It's in a great location as you have access to downtown Bellevue that has dining options and the brewery and you aren't far from Dubuque which has other entertainment and dining options. I'd recommend the property to anyone interested in staying in the area.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2021
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Jesse T.

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

cozy cottage

Our stay was great. The host was so nice and so easy to work with. She answered promptly and politely to all of our questions. The place was perfect for our family with a small child and an infant. The screened in porch was AMAZING. Our 5 year old lived outside from the time he woke up to the time he went to bed. The park down the hill was great for him and the short walk to the river was so convenient and beautiful. Basically exactly what we wanted!
Stayed 5 nights in Apr 2021
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Dan F.

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

Nice Quiet Get Away

We enjoyed our anniversary stay at Spruce Haven. Very clean and cozy. Nice quiet location and I have to stay it was the best equipped Vacation Rental we have ever stayed at.
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2020
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

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

Getaway

Nice clean cabin. Very accomodating.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

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

A Cozy Cottage Celebration

We were looking for a place to celebrate our 47th anniversary during the pandemic while isolating ourselves due to underlying health conditions. Daily walks along the Mississippi, exploring a nearby state park, watching river traffic going through the Lock and Dam No. 12, and eating all our meals in the screened in porch while listening to birds was wonderful.

About the host

Hosted by Evolve

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