Cozy lake cottage on Whalen lake with a relaxing hot tub right outside Manistee National Forest. Close to miles and miles of ORV, bicycle and hiking trails. The house sits on just under an acre of land on Whalen Lake. With easy access right off of US 10 on a paved road, the lake offers a tranquil atmosphere for any type of vacation. You can utilize the paddle boat or kayak that are provided to get out on the lake or you can fish right off of the dock. Located less than five minutes from town, where you'll find Jones' homemade ice cream, the world's largest brown trout sculpture, shops and restaurants. If you prefer a home cooked meal, the full kitchen has everything you'd need, or you can make something on the grill with a beautiful view of the lake. There are two bedrooms on the first floor and a large loft area with a full bathroom on each floor. Take advantage of the relaxing outdoors, either on the back porch at the patio table, in the screened gazebo, or out by the bonfire pit. This is a great starting point to take advantage of all that Northern Michigan has to offer. Some of our favorite day trips are to Traverse City for awesome wineries, breweries, and shopping; Ludington for great restaurants, and the beautiful beach on Lake Michigan; or to the dunes at Silver Lake. Full access to the house, bonfire pit, paddle boat and four kayaks. The kayaks and paddle boat are available from May 1st to Sept 30th. I can be contacted by text, email or phone during your stay but will not be on site. We have a ring doorbell on the house.
Property manager
Nina Graham
Premier Host
Add dates for prices
Amenities
Hot tub
Kitchen
Washer
Dryer
Pet-friendly
Air conditioning
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Black Bear Cabin-Hot tub, Pet friendly, Riverfront
Black Bear Cabin-Hot tub, Pet friendly, Riverfront
Pets allowed: dogs less than 23 kg per pet (limit one pet total)
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
Baldwin
Baldwin is home to this holiday home. The area's natural beauty can be seen at Huron-Manistee National Forest and Pere Marquette Floodplain Plant Preserve, while Idlewild Historic and Cultural Center and Shrine of the Pines are cultural highlights.
Baldwin, MI
What's nearby
Whalen Lake - 1 min walk - 0.1 km
Balwin Teen Health Center - 3 min drive - 2.8 km
Little Star Lake - 4 min drive - 2.7 km
Shrine of the Pines - 7 min drive - 7.2 km
Big Star Lake - 22 min drive - 15.4 km
Restaurants
Dairy Queen - 4 min drive
Northern Exposure Cafe - 4 min drive
Barski - 5 min drive
Jones Homemade Ice Cream - 3 min drive
Pompeii's - 4 min drive
Frequently asked questions
Is Black Bear Cottage-Hot Tub, Pet Friendly! pet-friendly?
Yes, this property allows dogs (limit 1 total) with a maximum weight of up to 23 kg per pet.
What time is check-in at Black Bear Cottage-Hot Tub, Pet Friendly!?
Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.
What time is check-out at Black Bear Cottage-Hot Tub, Pet Friendly!?
Checkout is at 11:00 AM.
Where is Black Bear Cottage-Hot Tub, Pet Friendly! located?
Situated in Baldwin, this holiday home is steps away from Huron-Manistee National Forest and Whalen Lake. Leverentz Lake and Bush Lake are also within 1 mile (2 km).
Reviews
10
Exceptional
Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Another wonderful stay at one of Nina’s Black Bear Cottage rentals! You can always count on her properties to be clean, cozy, and well-maintained. This property in particular was darling! Will definitely be booking again in the future!
Our second year staying here! It's a peaceful getaway with everything you need for a relaxing vacation on the lake. Convenient location for many different day trips as well. We will be coming back. :)
Very clean and with small touches to help us feel right at home. Dog treats and lake and fishing signs In The cabin. Nicely located close to North Country Trail trailheads. Right on Whalen lake. We enjoyed several beautiful sunrises.
We could not have been happier with our stay at this cabin. Property was very clean, warm and welcoming. Beds were comfortable, and kitchen well stocked. We loved getting up and drinking our coffee on the deck looking at the lake watching the swans. The fall colors were incredible. Property manager was great at checking in and readily available whether by email or texting. You are close to many wonderful destinations, Ludington 40 minutes and Traverse City 90 minutes.
This place was clean, well stocked & very comfortable! Everything was so thoughtful and made for a relaxing week. We loved staying with our 2 small pups--the yard is fenced, making for a very dog-friendly experience. The location is central to a number of things, and we found lots to do & explore. Would definitely book again!
This is just what we were looking for. The host, Nina, was very nice and responded quickly with any questions we had. I highly recommend this property for a fun get away.
This was our groups 3rd year in a row renting a VRBO in the Baldwin area for Labor Day Weekend and this one was by far our favorite! Beautiful home with full kitchen, large refrigerator, big TV to watch the Michigan game, nice deck with patio furniture for outdoor dining and a good size hot tub, on a small quiet lake with kayaks and padel boat, fire pit with plenty of chairs to use on our stay. Log beds with comfortable mattresses, plenty of towels, cute cabin decor. Close to downtown Baldwin for necessities but secluded enough to escape for the weekend! We would all recommend this location and this host for future stays!
The house was excellent, clean and stocked with everything we needed. The lake had a lot of Lilly Pads not so great for swimming. Overall stay was good.
The the place was beautiful and had everything we needed to be away but still the feelings of being home. Nina was great with communication and responding when needed. 10/10 would definitely stay again!
Black Bear Cottage is a wonderful retreat on Whalen Lake. The furnishings were very comfortable and the cottage was well equipped. We were not able to take advantage of the kayaks due to the cool and windy weather. The fall colors were beautiful around the lake and throughout the Manistee National Forest. It is centrally located for day trips to Ludington and Traverse City.
My parents, my sons and I had a relaxing and fun several nights! We had everything we needed and more. My boys loved the kid friendly loft and arcade games! They also spent lots of time casting for fish and while they didn’t catch anything the enjoyed being out by the water! I just loved the decor and the open main floor made it so nice to hang out all together to eat, drink and play games! Highly recommend for a fun place to go and stay in!
I was able to bring my two young adult kids for a quick weekend trip. The house was easy to find. Beautiful and peaceful. The game room was a hit with the kids. The hot tub was also a hit!
We were able to find a little grocery store and enjoyed a lovely kitchen with everything we needed to prepare meals.
I stepped outside to catch the sunrise and saw a beautiful eagle. We saw little fish, snails and a turtle in the lake.
Everyone slept well in the beds. We had the perfect weight blankets and enough pillows. Bonus each room had a fan. Didn’t even think about my daughter’s love of her fan so what a relief!
Bathrooms had basic necessities as well.
The house had very thoughtful setup outside as well. Fire pit. Seating. We loved see the lake from the little paddle boat pontoon and kayaks.
I would recommend Jones ice cream - just a short drive.
And lastly the cabin had a wonderful living room for family movie night.
We look forward to returning again.
The home is beautiful, clean and as described. Only disappointments were not being able to use the indoor fireplace, no working DVD player (although lots of options on the tv for finding free movies) and the neighborhood. Not really much of an area to walk around. Nice little get away.