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Private lakeside retreat, swim, boat, fish! Perfect for family events

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December 2024
January 2025

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Fridge, microwave, oven, stovetop
Property grounds
Unclassified image, 3 of 43, button
Exterior
Interior detail

Reviews

9.6 out of 10

Exceptional

Entire home

3 bedrooms2 bathroomsSleeps 18223 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Barbecue grill
  • Parking available
  • Pet-friendly
  • Washer
  • Outdoor space
  • Kitchen

Explore the area

Map
Wautoma, WI
  • Nordic Mountain
    11 min drive
  • Green Lake
    47 min drive
  • Golf Courses of Lawsonia
    48 min drive

Room options

Similar properties

Exterior

Delightful 4-bedroom house in Wautoma on Silver Lake

Washer
Dryer
Pet-friendly
Air conditioning
5.0 out of 5, Exceptional, (2)
The price is €923
for 1 home
includes taxes & fees
4 Jan - 5 Jan
Delightful 4-bedroom house in Wautoma on Silver Lake

About this property

Entire place

You'll have the entire home to yourself and will only share it with other guests in your party.

Private lakeside retreat, swim, boat, fish! Perfect for family events

1.1 acres with 213 feet of lakefront, a native wildflower garden, and a large lawn perfect for lawn games, picnics, weddings, and reunions.

Our family cabin on John’s Lake, in central Wisconsin, has been the site of many happy memories, and lots of summer fun. Now we are sharing this special place with others.

Birch Bay Retreat is family-friendly and is an excellent location for a family reunion, a small casual outdoor wedding, a retreat for a small group or club, or similar events, or a quiet weekend getaway or writing retreat.

Enjoy fishing and swimming from our pier, or take our canoes or pontoon boat out for a spin! BBQ on our wraparound porch with views of the lake and wildflower garden, and then gather around the campfire at our private lakeside fire pit in the evening. For summer guests, the first night's firewood is on us as our welcome to the lake! Please note that the Boat and Pier are only guaranteed in from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Please inquire if you are planning on staying outside of those times, if the Pier or Boat will be available for use.

Two televisions (one on each floor). Roku TV's , (bring your own Netflix/Hulu subscription) along with WiFi are included in the rental fee.

Lawn games and other outdoor activities are available for summer guests. On rainy days, enjoy the basement game room with ping-pong, a foosball table and carpet bowling.

The house has a large kitchen and a family-sized dining room that opens out onto a balcony, with views towards the lake. We have beds, sleeper sofas, and futons to sleep 14, and there is space to squeeze in more if you have a bigger gathering.

We do our best to make sure you can bring the whole family:

For families with young children, a Graco Pack-N'-Play is available for infants as well as a Chico caddy hook-on chair and washable silicone placemat to use at the table. Cots are available for young children. The house is partially child-proofed (a stair gate is available, cleaning supplies are placed out of reach of children, and most unused outlets are covered with safety plugs).

To accommodate older family members, the master bath has a walk-in shower with a handhold installed, showerhead with hose, and a shower bench is available upon request.

We understand that pets are part of the family, so your dogs and other pets are welcome to join you in enjoying a stay at Birch Bay Retreat. We do require an additional fee to help cover wear and tear from pets.

A second refrigerator in the basement will allow you to chill all your food and drinks for a large gathering, and a laundry room (washer / dryer / iron and ironing board / drying racks) is available.

We continue to improve the family accessibility based on feedback from our guests.

Birch Bay Retreat is near several charming small towns such as Redgranite, Berlin, and Wild Rose, as well as wineries, golfing and antiquing. Grocery stores, restaurants, and other shops are a short distance away in Wautoma.

The cabin is also close to the Mt Morris ski resort, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling trails, so there are lots of winter recreation opportunities! It's heated and comfortable for winter guests.

Our family has cherished the memories and traditions we have created here over the years and we know you will, too. Come stay and relax at the lake!

Check in: 4:00 PM - the Property Manager will send you your code for a keyless entry into the home. Directions for use are posted on the door. There will be a house key and boat key on the counter. The necessary paperwork for your stay will be available on the counter with instructions on filling out and where to place them after signing. The Proerty Manager will be available if you have and questions or need futher assistance.

Check In: 4:00 PM (or later)
Check Out: 11:00 AM

A friendly reminder as listed under our house rules: Quiet hours begin at 10:00pm. This includes our wonderful game of carpet ball. While it is a ton of fun, it echo's throughout the lake and can be very loud for all guest and neighbors. Please be sure to continue to make the lake a great place for all!

Because we have a rapid turnaround between guests, early check-in and late check-out is not available during peak summer months (June-August). During non-peak times, early check-in and late check-out may be available upon request for a small fee, on a case-by-case basis -- please ask during the booking process!

Birch Bay Retreat does not allow smoking in the house, on any decks or area attached to the home. There is no smoking on the pier and no
smoking/no pets on the pontoon boat. We do provide portable ashtrays that can be used on the lawn or at the fire pit.

During your stay at this vacation home, you'll be close to Nordic Mountain. An arcade/game room is available. The vacation home includes amenities such as free WiFi and a kitchen.
  • Air-conditioned home with kitchen, washing machine, and 2 bathrooms
  • Free WiFi
  • 5.4 mi (8.7 km) from Nordic Mountain and 11.1 mi (17.8 km) from ThedaCare Medical Center - Wild Rose
This vacation home offers its guests barbecue grills, an arcade/game room, and a garden. The front desk is open around the clock.

Property manager

Michelle & Maddie

Languages

English

Property amenities

Beach

  • Beach towels

Ski

  • Cross-country skiing and snowboarding nearby

Internet

  • Free WiFi

Parking and transport

  • On-site parking
  • Car required

Kitchen

  • Fridge
  • Stovetop
  • Microwave
  • Oven
  • Dishwasher
  • Coffee grinder
  • Toaster
  • Ice maker
  • Cookware/dishes/utensils

Dining

  • Dining table

Bedrooms

  • 3 bedrooms
  • Bed sheets provided

Bathrooms

  • 2 bathrooms
  • Bath or shower
  • Hairdryer
  • Towels provided
  • Toilet paper

Living spaces

  • Living room
  • Dining room

Entertainment

  • Smart TV with cable/satellite service
  • Table football
  • Ping pong table
  • Games room
  • DVD player
  • Books
  • Games

Outdoor areas

  • Balcony
  • Barbecue
  • Garden
  • Outdoor furniture
  • Firepit

Laundry

  • Washing machine and dryer
  • Near a laundromat

Comfort

  • Air conditioning
  • Heating

Pets

  • Pet friendly
  • 3 total pets
  • Welcoming dogs only

Suitability/Accessibility

  • Smoke-free property
  • Note from host: Smoking not allowed home, porche, decks or boats.

Services and conveniences

  • Iron/ironing board
  • Phone

Location highlights

  • On the lake
  • On the waterfront
  • In a rural location
  • Near a hospital
  • Near outlet shopping

Things to do

  • Fitness facilities nearby
  • Snow sports gear
  • Water sports equipment
  • Golf on site
  • Boating on site
  • Kayaking on site
  • Jet skiing nearby
  • Hunting nearby
  • Basketball nearby
  • Cycling nearby
  • Swimming nearby
  • Golf nearby
  • Sledging nearby
  • Snorkelling nearby
  • Sailing nearby

Safety features

  • Carbon monoxide detector installed (host has indicated that there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property)
  • Smoke detector installed (host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property)
  • Fire extinguisher
  • First aid kit

General

  • Unit size: 2400 sq ft (223 sq m)

Policies

Check-in

Check-in time starts at 4:00 PM
Minimum check-in age: 21

Check-out

Check-out before 11:00 AM

Special check-in instructions

You will receive an email from the host with check-in and check-out instructions

Pets

  • Pets are welcome
  • Only dogs are allowed
  • Maximum 3 pets
  • Restrictions apply
  • For more information, you can reach out to the property at the number on the booking confirmation
  • Service animals are exempt from fees
  • Note from host: $50.00 per pet/per stay. Breed limitations apply.

Children and extra beds

  • Children are welcome.
  • Note from host: Playpen and infant table seat available on request

Important information

You need to know

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
Parties and events (including family gatherings and birthday parties) are allowed on site; maximum attendees: 30
Note from host: Parties/events allowed up to a max. of 30 people.
Host has indicated there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher and a first aid kit
This property is managed through our partner, Vrbo. You will receive an email from Vrbo with a link to a Vrbo account, where you can change or cancel your reservation
You will receive an email from the host with check-in and check-out instructions. You will also receive an email from Vrbo with a link to a Vrbo account which will enable you to manage your booking.

We should mention

  • To make arrangements for your pet, contact the property directly using the information on your booking confirmation.

Property is also known as

Private Lakeside Retreat Swim Boat Fish Perfect Family Events
Private Lakeside Retreat Swim Boat Fish Perfect Family Events

Private lakeside retreat, swim, boat, fish! Perfect for family events Reviews

Reviews

9.6

Exceptional

Rating 10 - Excellent. 77 out of 98 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 16 out of 98 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 5 out of 98 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 98 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 98 reviews" "

9.4/10

Cleanliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Edgar H.

Liked: Cleanliness
Overall
Great stay. Had everything we needed games supplies
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2024

10/10 Excellent

Carmin E.

Liked: Cleanliness
Plenty of room for 18 of us
Beautiful lake view and everything you need and lots to do.v. We got lucky the whole time was 70's in late September! The check in process got a 4 because code didn't work but response from host were spot on and fixed quickly.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2024

10/10 Excellent

Piotr F.

Liked: Cleanliness
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2024

8/10 Good

Toni P.

Liked: Cleanliness
Wonderful Week
The cabin was spacious and clean. Had everything you needed in kitchen plus lots of extra little things. Our family of 17 enjoyed the carpet ball, pontoon rides and swimming. A little disappointed that the swimming area for the children was weedy and mucky. We made the best of it and enjoyed the week.Thanks for the great memories.
Stayed 6 nights in Aug 2024

8/10 Good

pat v.

Liked: Cleanliness
Very spacious accommodating home.
Great for our family of 18. All us adults and kids loved the open levels, great kitchen, dining room, and big deck. We were floating everydayand on the sanbar and great pontoon. 2 bedrooms upstairs were comfy but the 3 hydabeds need a think foam and the 2 twin beds could really use new mattresses. Our grandchildren said they loved it there.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2024

6/10 Okay

Sheila K.

Disliked: Cleanliness
Ok place
The internet service was terrible. No reception at all. Couldn’t watch tv. Ran out of hot water after 2 showers and even had no water at all. Could have been a cleaner house. Had hair in bathrooms and cobwebs. Had broken chairs on deck The pontoon boat was nice to have. The landscaping would of looked really nice with wild flowers if the weeds would of been kept under control
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Tony & Dawn R., United States

Liked: Cleanliness
Labor day Family Get Together
Great for the size of our family and plenty to do!
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2023

8/10 Good

Lisa and Gary S.

Liked: Cleanliness
Johns Lake Rental
Everything was good except the Wifi was terrible. The last two days, I couldn't even log into the Wifi. And with a weak cell phone signal, good Wifi would have improved the experience a lot.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Joanne P.

Liked: Cleanliness
Three generations.
Th cottage was very clean. Dishes were clean and we felt comfortable climbing into bed. The water was great for boating, swimming, and kayaking. I personally like the slow boat ride around the lake. The family time was wonderful. We even had fun playing games. The carpet ball game was played the most. We put all the puzzles together. Our daughter came with items for us to paint. The grandchildren spend hours painting. All were very creative. The weather was great. The kitchen had everything we needed. I liked the size of the kitchen. We did find one chair, on the deck, that was broken. The outside door's handle fell off. We did snap off a corner of the boat, when we came to the dock. I was very pleased someone came to check on the gas supply on the boat. Thanks for sharing your cottage.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Loretta M.

Liked: Cleanliness
Relaxcation
Needed to get away
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2023

8/10 Good

Lisa A.

Liked: Cleanliness
nice lake
We used the cottage to allow for additional family to come for a Memorial service for my mother who passed away during covid. We own a cottage on John's Lake but needed more sleeping accommodations. It worked out great and gave everyone some private space. We enjoyed having the use of the pontoon boat for evening cruising.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Michelle A., Waukesha, WI

Liked: Cleanliness
Girls Weekend
We had a great girls weekend! The house was very accommodating and there was plenty of room for all! The lake was beautiful and relaxing. Unfortunately the boat was not in service, however, we still had a great weekend! Would recommend!
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

Jen B., Lake Geneva, WI

Liked: Cleanliness
Nice Getaway
We chose this location due to it's proximity to surrounding lakes for our company ice fishing trip. Everything was perfect and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2023

6/10 Okay

Stephanie R.

Disliked: Cleanliness
Beautiful view
Beautiful lake views. Lots of space inside for a sizable group to cohabitate for a weekend. Several sleeping quarters but if you have more than 2 couples looking for a private bedroom, you might want to consider other options. Fun indoor activities for kids if weather is uncooperative.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2022

10/10 Excellent

Rich Q.

Liked: Cleanliness
Great location. Nice layout.
Fantastic
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2022

10/10 Excellent

Tyler S.

Liked: Cleanliness
Huge place with great lake
Great place for a large group! Plenty of house and yard space for activities. Plus the lake is very clean and great for swimming.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2022

10/10 Excellent

Tony & Dawn R., United States

Liked: Cleanliness
Annual Labor Day Family Gathering
Looks are deceiving from the outside but very nice & spacious inside. All the amenities you could ask for. Nice bog outdoor yard for games, and the pontoon boat is a big plus! Definitely will try to return to this place!
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2022

10/10 Excellent

Carl S.

Liked: Cleanliness
Perfect Getaway
Beautiful cabin on serene lake!
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2022

8/10 Good

Danielle W.

Liked: Cleanliness
Family getaway
The place was bigger than expected, the yard is huge and the lake is beautiful! Nice location, quiet and a nice little sandbar for the kiddos to play at. Tons of games and books inside for the littles which was awesome. The neighbor/caretaker was very nice, brought extra wood for fire and gas for pontoon towards the end of the week. Some things to point out: - multiple different checkout lists, nothing was consistent across the board as to what should be done. -listing was changed after booking and around the time our stay started regarding the switch from propane provided to charcoal grill available- not a huge deal but not what was expected. -couches except for one were very worn and uncomfortable, our intent was not to be inside often but it rained a number of days.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Lisa and Gary S.

Liked: Cleanliness
Fun with swimming and campfires.
The cottage is very nice and has no steps from the bottom of the cottage to the lake, which was important this year because my wife was on crutches. Having a pontoon boat for cruising and some limited fishing was a nice benefit as well. This was our second year with the same cottage and same week of the year. Overall, we were very pleased.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2022

10/10 Excellent

Laura L., Wisconsin, USA

Liked: Cleanliness
Great large family lake house
A beautiful location, large yard, many activities, and multiple boat options were just some of the things our family loved about this lake home. It contained everything we needed, and some things we didn’t even know we needed: agenerator (after a HUGE storm and 2 day power outage), large living spaces, a tandem bike, and we can’t forget carpet bowling. The managers were great with any issues we encountered and checked up on us after the storm. It was the perfect place for our family gathering of 9.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2022

10/10 Excellent

Cassander G.

Liked: Cleanliness
Hidden Gem
Beautiful lake house in central Wisconsin. The pictures do not do justice to the property. Being on a lake with the ability to enjoy the beauties of John’s Lake, spacious yard, fire pit and indoor creature comforts., I highly recommend.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2022

10/10 Excellent

Maria A.

Liked: Cleanliness
Super fun weekend!
Many activities to do with family and friends, very organized and welcoming. You feel right at home here and fall in love with it.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2022

6/10 Okay

Rebecca D.

Liked: Cleanliness
A birthday weekend
We were notified 1 hour before arrival that there would be no dock or pontoon boat. We were too far from home to turn around and get kayaks. We had planned on fishing and boating. It was out of the owners hands, but also disappointing. We were refunded the boat rental fee, but we did not plan on finding alternatives for entertainment. The cabin was spacious and well stocked. It suited our group size very well. It was a peaceful cabin.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2022

10/10 Excellent

Mariah G.

Liked: Cleanliness
The best place for our mini wedding!
Cannot say enough about how beautiful this place is! The pictures don't do it justice, we were blown away when we arrived! We had a small gathering for my wedding and it was just the right size! The weather was perfect and the large yard was great for an outdoor wedding! Definitely would stay here again just for a getaway with loved ones! (My only complaint is the ticks but that's just life in Wisconsin!)
Stayed 2 nights in May 2022