Paradise: Gorgeous Les Cheneaux Island Retreat in Michigan's Upper Peninsula

Note: This home is on an island and renters will need a boat to access this property.

Simply put: Paradise.

Located on Marquette Island on Lake Huron's Wilderness Bay, our home faces the water and is set amid a forest of lush cedars and an array of wildlife. This home is the first dock on Wilderness Bay with no neighbors to one side and a full 1/3 of a mile away on the other. Your privacy here is complete.

The home is only a 7 minute ride by boat from the Hessel/Clark Township Marina. Guests can launch their boat and park it in a guest slip. One vehicle parking space will be reserved for you in the marina lot, but ample parking is available very nearby near the marina. Either my brother or I will be on site for your arrival to assimilate you to the docking/parking situation.

Note: Mackinaw Island is about a 25-minute boat ride from our home's dock. Before going make sure the weather is good.

Guests staying here will see the best sunsets of their lives, which they can view from a huge balcony or, better yet, on the dock with a beer. Often the moon will be on one side of the dock as the sun sets on the other. The home has a separate shed in which there are many chairs, tables, and outdoor furniture you can arrange anywhere to your liking. There is also a kayak, fire pit, a hammock, and small charcoal grill on the property that guests are encouraged to use.

The home itself is pine with an abundance of windows that look out to either the bay or the forest. The home was built in 1997 and comfortably sleeps 11. The cottage is filled with bright colors, local art, and just a lot of neat stuff in general. Despite its seclusion, the home has full plumbing, running water, heat, and everything you'd expect in a fully functioning home.

The home features a master bedroom with a queen bed and walk-in closet; a guest bedroom with a full-size bed, closet, and desk. A bunk room—with four twin beds. A loft with two beds, small television/dvd player, and media library. A large common room with two couches, (1 with a pull-out bed) and a wood-burning fire place. A fully equipped kitchen (though no microwave). A dining room with a large pine table. Two bathrooms with showers. A mud room with a washer and dryer. All of the rooms have windows that look out onto either the forest or the lake.

Marquette Island is 6.5 miles long and 3.5 miles wide. The island can be explored by way of the Aldo Leopold trail (s), or simply by walking out the back door of our home. Owls, deer, ducks, partridge, woodpeckers, and all varieties of songbird are common sites.

Things to do: relax, hike, swim, boat, golf, drink, grill, birdwatch, gamble, fish, go to Mackinaw Island.

Pike and perch fishing are both usually pretty good throughout the Les Cheneaux. If you have the correct gear, salmon trolling in both Lake Huron and Lake Michigan is always an option.

Towns and surrounding areas--the nearest town is Hessel--where you will park your boat. Hessel features a slot casino, two golf courses, the famous Islander Bar, fishing charters, and neat little local shops.

Just down the road from Hessel is Cedarville, where there are a couple restaurants, a grocery store, a gas station, and an amazing little shop that sells smoked fish.

30 minutes away respectively are Sault St. Marie (North); St. Ignace (South); Mackinaw City (South). Both Sault St. Marie and St. Ignace feature full casinos with table games, while Mackinaw City features a wide assortment of entertainment options.

Ample photos are included in this profile to give you a lay of the land.