After losing our family cabin a few years ago, our family looked for an alternative for our summer…read moregetaways. One sibling found this cabin resort and last year was the first year the family went up. I didn't go last year, but I was able to make it this year! I don't think I'll be returning with the family, however.
First, the cost of the cabins was out of my price range. I don't know what is a typical cost, but for us to rent out 7 cabins, plus a pontoon for one week was nearly $10,000. I personally think that money could have been better spent. Cabin prices for the week ranged from $665-2,000 depending on size.
The cabins themselves were fairly nice. I fortunately stayed in the most updated cabin which included air conditioning, a dishwasher, and a bathroom with a shower - not every cabin does. There is a large communal bathroom house with showers if you don't have one. These were actually nicer than I expected (I didn't check out the showers). I know the family that owns the resort are constantly renovating and updating cabins, so I'm sure others will be updated in the next year.
Check-in time is at 3pm the day of your first rental. Checkout time is 9am the day of your last rental. Trying to get up early, packed, and out of there by 9am was too difficult for my family so almost everyone opted to leave the day before - meaning we paid for a day we didn't use. A more reasonable checkout time might be 10am or 11am.
A frustrating thing throughout our stay was the wild inconsistency with kitchen utensils, pots/pans, and towels provided. We were constantly texting other cabins to see if they had XYZ pot/pan or hand towel. Cabins should all come with a basic set of kitchen items. Also, the cabin I was staying in did not have walls up to the ceiling. Which meant there was no barrier between my bedroom and the others - a large gap between the top of the wall and the ceiling. Unfortunately one of my cabin mates was a snorer.
Every car that arrived was loaded with "household essentials" because very little is provided. I understand bring your own bath towel and shower supplies, but things like hand soap and hand/kitchen towels would have been nice to not have to lug around. I do think some cabins had hand/kitchen towels, but we, again, were texting other cabins to get some.
There are laundry machines located in the women's' half of the communal shower/bathroom house so hopefully you have a female with you to access those. I believe it was about $4 per load.
Additional amenities included a fish house where you can gut and clean any fish you catch, a game house with some board games and a table, and a small gift shop with some branded sweatshirts, t-shirts, hats, candles, fishing bait, etc., grills, and fire pits. Many people indulged in the gift shop because they were not prepared for the cold nights! Payment for items is made easy by Venmo.
Several canoes and kayaks were available for use for free. Finding a life jacket that fit and a paddle for whatever you were taking out was a bit difficult, however. Most kayaks were pretty small for adults. On the "beach" (used very loosely) there are lounge chairs and anchored floating platforms. The water is so shallow even at the end of the dock (and beyond) that it was more like a giant wading pool for any adult. Not necessarily a bad thing! The anchored platforms were constantly covered in goose poop, so we didn't touch them. The bottom of the lake is covered in leeches, mud, rocks, and seaweed. I had a rash almost immediately when I got in the water - same with everyone else. If you're going in, make sure you bolt for the shower right after. The "beach" was pretty gross and not picturesque at all. I do know the owners are working on fixing the land part of this for next year.
There are several walking trails nearby which were beautiful to stroll through - just watch out for the plentiful poison ivy and ticks! If you're lucky you'll spot some deer drinking at the side of the lake. The loons on this lake are LOUD, which I thought was pretty neat. I'd never heard so many loons calling. There was also a bald eagle that lived nearby and would frequently swoop over the cabins looking for a fish.
The lake is very small so you won't see any boating activities like skiing or tubing - and is actually not allowed if you're using a rental boat. It's full of people fishing!
One very big pro was the wifi. Every cabin had excellent wifi! Not that any of us wanted to be working while enjoying a vacation, but at least the option was there. The cabins also had screened-in front porches which made for lovely mornings overlooking the lake and sipping some coffee.
Overall, I'd say the resort is good but hopefully will become better in the years to come. If enough things improve, I'd be happy to return. I'm being mindful that these owners only took over a couple years ago and I know they have a lot of ideas for the future!
