Stay at Beachside Garden Cottage

Now booking Summer 2025!

Details at the bottom of this page

The Cottage

Inside—an artist-author’s home and gallery awaits. Nestled below Glen Arbor’s Alligator Hill, facing Lake Michigan’s Manitou Islands and Sleeping Bear Bay, Beachside Garden Cottage is not a condo, not a cabin, and not a guest house. It’s a two story home, 3 BR, 2 BA, surrounded by flowers, complete with a screened-in porch facing the lake, an attached lakeside deck and a lovely lawn in back.

The cottage’s rustic knotty pine kitchen and living room interiors, along with its painted wood floors upstairs and the screened-in porch give it the look and feel of an old-fashioned beachfront cottage, yet it has been updated to fit today’s uses. For instance, a gas fireplace insert keeps the house warm in all weather--romantic, lovely, easy.

Interior Slideshow

This is a family place, a place where tradition is celebrated. It sleeps 6-7, possibly 9. Number of guests on the premesis is limited to 9. My grandfather built this place, and my sister and her family are next door. This is my home in the off-season and off and on throughout the rest of the year. My family dominates the summer.

More amenities: a kayak, traeger grill, gas grill, picnic tables outside in back, hammock, umbrella table on the deck, full kitchen, air conditioned, free wi-fi with firestick tv streaming, full kitchen (microwave, blenders, toaster, etc.), and laundry facilities for stays that are 5 days and longer. (For shorter stays, the laundry room is locked up with my personal things inside.)

Slideshow around the cottage

Outside—Paradise. The beach lies 150 feet in front, just down the board walk and a slight rise; there are no steps to the shoreline, no road between the cottage and the water. The blue and white beautiful Manitou Islands are 8 and 10 miles straight out. The dunes form the left arm of the bay, while the Homestead and Pyramid Point form the east arm, as you look NNW at the lake. Our driveway approach from M-109 is through the wonderful northwoods.

Location

Dead center on Sleeping Bear Bay beach, looking directly out at the Manitou Islands. Off of M-109, between Glen Arbor and Glen Haven in Leelanau County, Michigan.

On Sleeping Bear Bay in Northwestern Lower Michigan's Leelanau County . The Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore is just across the highway behind the back road. Centered at the middle of the bay's beach, you look to the left and see the dunes; to the right is Pyramid Point.

28 Miles from Traverse City and approximately 35 miles from the Cherry Capital Airport.

3 miles west of the Homestead to the east and 3 miles from the dune climb to the west, 1 mile from historic Glen Haven, 5 miles from Camps Leelanau and Kohahna, and minutes from the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail is minutes from the back door, at the base of Alligator Hill.

Day Drives include Petoskey and Harbor Springs, north of Traverse City, and Mackinac Island. Beulah, Frankfort and Benzonia are a fun daytrip. We can furnish you with more information on things to do and see in the area upon request.