Escape to a lakehouse retreat with 4 seasons of fun right outside your back door. Enjoy swimming, boating, fishing and snowmobiling on Houghton Lake or cozy up by the fire pit in the furnished patio. With free WiFi and central A/C you'll feel at home in this spacious 2,100 Sq Ft vacation rental.
Reviews
9.49.4 out of 10
Exceptional
Entire home
4 bedrooms2 bathroomsSleeps 10195 sq m
Popular amenities
Pool
Kitchen
Washing machine
Dryer
Air-conditioning
Outdoor space
Add dates for prices
About this property
Houghton Lake Family Getaway w/ Fire Pit!
2 Mi to Snowmobile Trails | Waterfront Location | 2,100 Sq Ft
Four seasons of Pure Michigan fun await right outside your door at this lake house. Boasting 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, a screened porch, and an open interior with a spacious kitchen, this vacation rental is perfect for family vacations, holiday getaways, or fishing trips! Stay at home to enjoy lazy lake days and family game nights, or venture out for excitement at Tip-Up Town USA Winter Festival or Missaukee Ski Mountain.
-- THE PROPERTY --
SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS - Bedroom 1: 1 king bed - Bedroom 2: 1 queen bed - Bedroom 3: 1 full bed - Bedroom 4: 2 twin beds, 1 twin bunk bed, 1 sleeper sofa - Living Room: 1 sleeper sofa
OUTDOOR LIVING - Furnished deck, outdoor dining - Gas grill, lounge chairs - Waterfront fire pit - Spacious yard, lake access - Private dock
INDOOR LIVING - Screened-in porch w/ lake views - Flat-screen TVs - Dining table, board games - Stone fireplace (decorative only) - Open interior, hardwood floors - En-suite bathroom w/ soaking tub
PARKING - Driveway (6 vehicles) - Snowmobile/ATV parking available
-- THE LOCATION --
- On-site access to Houghton Lake for swimming, boating, fishing, jet skiing, tubing & ice fishing - 2-3 miles to Houghton Lake Marina & Power, HLM Boat Rentals, & Brians Lakeside Marina - 3 miles to Houghton Lake State Forest Park - 7 miles to DNR Boat Launch, Lakeview Park (Tip-Up Town USA Winter Festival) - 27 miles to Missaukee Ski Mountain & 31 miles to Snow Snake Ski & Golf - 61 miles to Cherry Capital Airport & 84 miles to MBS International Airport
-- REST EASY WITH US --
Evolve makes it easy to find and book properties you'll never want to leave. You can relax knowing that our properties will always be ready for you and that we'll answer the phone 24/7. Even better, if anything is off about your stay, we'll make it right. You can count on our homes and our people to make you feel welcome — because we know what vacation means to you.
-- POLICIES --
- No smoking - No pets allowed - No events, parties or large gatherings - Additional fees and taxes may apply - Photo ID may be required upon check-in
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION - Guests staying longer than 2 weeks can enjoy a complimentary housekeeping visit during their stay - The fireplace is for decorative purposes only; it is not available for guest use - This single-story home requires 1 step for access
Property amenities
Pool/Spa
Pool
Internet
Available in the house: Internet access
Parking and transport
Street parking available
Limited on-site parking (max 6 spaces)
Onsite parking includes off-street options
Kitchen
Coffee/tea maker
Cookware, dishware, and utensils
Dishwasher
Hob
Microwave
Refrigerator
Toaster
Dining
Dining table
Bedrooms
4 bedrooms
Bedsheets provided
Sofa bed
Bathroom
2 bathrooms
Towels provided
Living spaces
Dining table
Entertainment
Games
TV with cable/satellite channels
Outdoor areas
Barbecue grill
Firepit
Furnished patio
Garden
Laundry
Laundry facilities
Washer/dryer
Work spaces
Desk
Comfort
Air conditioning
Ceiling fan
Heating
Pets
No pets allowed
Suitability/Accessibility
Smoke-free property
Location highlights
Near the bay
On a lake
On the waterfront
Things to do
Hunting nearby
Motor boating nearby
Safety features
Carbon monoxide detector (host has indicated there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property)
Smoke detector (host has indicated there is a smoke detector on the property)
You will receive an email from the host with check-in and check-out instructions
Information provided by the property may be translated using automated translation tools
Pets
Pets not allowed
Children and extra beds
Children are welcome
Events
No events allowed
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
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
About the area
Located in Houghton Lake, this holiday home is on the waterfront. Houghton Lake Marina and Brian's Lakeside Marina are worth checking out if an activity is on the agenda, while those wishing to experience the area's natural beauty can explore Houghton Lake Flats Flooding State Wildlife Management Area and Houghton Lake Wildlife Research Area. Power boating offers a great chance to get out on the surrounding water, or you can seek out an adventure with hunting nearby. Visit our Houghton Lake travel guide
Houghton Lake Flats Flooding State Wildlife Management Area
2 min walk - 0.2 km
Au Sable River
19 min drive - 43.2 km
Fife Lake
59 min drive - 83.9 km
Getting around
Traverse City, MI (TVC-Cherry Capital)
81 min drive
Restaurants
McDonald's
6 min drive
MJ's Eatery
7 min drive
Little Boots Country Diner
8 min drive
The backdoor saloon
10 min drive
Subway
6 min drive
Frequently asked questions
Does Houghton Lake Family Getaway w/ Fire Pit! have a pool?
Yes, this property has a pool.
Is Houghton Lake Family Getaway w/ Fire Pit! pet-friendly?
No, pets are not allowed at this property.
How much is parking at Houghton Lake Family Getaway w/ Fire Pit!?
On-site parking is available at the property.
What time is check-in at Houghton Lake Family Getaway w/ Fire Pit!?
Check-in begins at 2:00 PM.
What time is check-out at Houghton Lake Family Getaway w/ Fire Pit!?
Checkout is at 10:00 AM.
Where is Houghton Lake Family Getaway w/ Fire Pit! located?
Situated on the waterfront, this holiday home is within a 10-minute walk of Houghton Lake and Houghton Lake Flats Flooding State Wildlife Management Area. Houghton Lake Marina is 1.9 mi (3 km) away.
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Houghton Lake Family Getaway w/ Fire Pit! Reviews
Reviews
Exceptional
All reviews shown are from real guest experiences. Only travellers who have booked a stay with us can submit a review. We verify reviews according to our guidelines and publish all reviews, positive or negative.
This is our 3rd time staying here. Clean, pleanty of beds 7-8, plus we like the open layout with the kitchen, living room and dining room.We stay up here in January for TUT.
Our expectations were happily exceeded!! The house was absolutely perfect! Clean, well stocked kitchen and towels. Our family of 9 were so comfortable there, the kids room was awesome!! The large kitchen table was so nice, we played games and had great family dinners together. The backyard and the view were fabulous, peaceful and beautiful. The kids loved swimming off the dock, it was shallow and clean. Thank you for a week of making great memories!!
We go yearly on a Mom’s weekend away with the mother’s of our old daycare when our kids were younger. It’s always a good time with the group but this is definitely the best location we’ve ever had. It was just nice to be on the water and be able to spread out. The only thing that we could have used was the screened in porch to be ready, but not that big of a deal, we realized we are not “in season” yet. The rest was perfect.
This place is exactly as it seems. Very well maintained, provided everything you need and more! Excellent communication from the owner and extremely friendly!! They even provided us with a high chair for our baby. Cannot stress enough how easy it was for us to get checked in and out. 10/10 experience and will return again!
We had a lovely 5 night stay at Marianne’s Houghton Lake House. There were 8 adults and one 8 year old. This was the start of what I hope will be an annual family getaway tradition! The Lake House was perfect. The kitchen was well stocked with dishes, utensils, and all the pots and pans you would need. We cooked all but 1 of our meals at the house! The home was so comfortable and fit all of us perfectly! We were able to go in the lake the last 2 days and had a blast! Don’t hesitate if you are looking for a large home to accommodate your group, you won’t be disappointed!!
We go up to Tip Up Town every year and we always rent a cabin.
This is the second time we stayed here and enjoyed it both times.
Plenty of beds, right on the water, clean and an open layout to gather.
There is a bar and grill about a half mile down the street that had decent food as well.
This house and the owner was wonderful! They made sure all was well. The communication was great and the house was very nice! We enjoyed our stay. 🏁❤🏁❤
This place was perfect for a family getaway! We had five adults and four children all under 5 years old. The owner was so communicative and helpful - she even offered a high chair and pack and play which was so appreciated! The location is wonderful and we docked our pontoon boat right outside with no issues. It was so nice to be able to just leave right from the house for a day on the water instead of having to drive to a marina. The kitchen had everything we needed to prep food and grocery/convenience stores were only a short drive away. Beds were comfortable, the only thing is to make sure you have fans going if you sleep in the back room because it can get a little stuffy--but not a big deal at all, there are plenty of fans available! The porch was a big hit with all of us as well. Overall highly recommended!
We had a wonderful week as a family staying in this home. The location was perfect being on the North end of Houghton Lake. Not as busy as South and it was perfect to dock there and relax as we rented a boat for the week. Although we thought there was a slight beach it was a slanted cement seawall. Since we had no children with us it was not an issue. The accommodations fit well with the amount of people we had with us(6). We did not need the bunk room but it would accomodate kids, not sure about adults as they were twin beds. Had an area with couchs but we did not use that. The screened in porch was nice on mornings you wanted to sit out with your coffee and store all your shoes and swim toys for the night. I usually do not enjoy writing negatives on rentals but there were a couple, although not severe. Just a little TLC needed to the place. Foremost, the kitchen was in desperate need of organization. Many open bags of flour, sugar, etc..that made me squeemish especially in view of bugs at a lake! The cupboards & pantry are in desperate need of "cleaning out". The coffee pot needed a cleaning! Couldn't find vinegar to do it. We couldn't find any Zemo filter replacements for the bugs that were an issue at dusk as they entered through the screened porch and infested the living area. Two of the beds could be an issue for someone if they do not like very hard mattresses. All in all was a great place to relax on a great lake.
Laurie J.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2025
Verified
4/10 Poor
Sue D.
17 July 2022
Liked: Check-in, location
Disliked: Listing accuracy
Not our best experience…
My extended family been going on vacation together for 7 years now. We’ve stayed in multiple locations, and have enjoyed every year. We know renting a property from someone can have its quirks. I’m a go-with-the-flow kinda guy, and don’t like to make waves. That being said, this experience was not great.
The house:
There isn’t a single smoke detector in the entire place. I found a smoke detector on a shelf in the laundry room, but it wasn’t functional. The mount (and only smoke detector location) was in the hallway with the wires stuffed into the wall.
The kitchen completely lacked organization. The sharp knives were intermingled with other utensils in an overcrowded drawer; points and blades in all directions, resulting in a few close calls.
We had to do laundry in the sink because the washer was broken, and were asked to leave the house unlocked with all of our things inside for a repairman to come twice during the week.
The full bed mattress was almost unbearable. I’ve slept on firm mattresses before, but I was sore every single day. The queen bed is the exact opposite, rolling both its occupants toward the center in a sort of weird bed taco.
The porch was decent, but was overcrowded with furniture, decorations, and shelves full of what can best be described as piles of garage clutter.
The grill provided was completely out of propane when we tried to use it. When we inquired about being reimbursed for the tank we purchased, we were told that they “provide the grill, not the gas.” For as much as we were charged a week, that feels off.
The lake:
We were told by the owners that the lake was good for swimming. It’s knee deep at the end of the dock, and it struggles to get much deeper than 5 ft anywhere in the northern bay. If you like STANDING in a lake, this is the property for you…or if your kids are small and can navigate slippery stairs (the only water entry). We specifically asked if we could SWIM, and were told it was deep enough to place our lily pad in the water to jump off of. We could not. We felt misled by the owners of the property on this.
They also said that it was deep enough to tie our boat up at the dock. It is not. We were forced to place sand anchors beyond the dock in “deeper” water to avoid risking the boat running aground.
Again, not trying to be “Negative Nancy,” but for these reasons and a few others there aren’t room for here, we will not be returning.
Sue D.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2022
From a partner site
10/10 Excellent
Madeline
14 Oct 2022
Family fun at the lake
We have rented for years and this house is like being at home. I reported an issue with the outside lights being broke due to a storm and it was fixed within days. Some of the cabinets are in a disarray but that's expected when you have renters in weekly. We love the lake and the location. We rented on 2021, 2022 and have our reservation for 2023.
Rooms were exactly as described, exactly what we were expecting and hoping for. Owners were very available for communication - we didn't have any issues, but they were available for questions. It was great to have everything we needed at the home - linens, bathroom products, etc. Kitchen was fully stocked. Lake was beautiful, many outside items available to make our stay extra confortable.
Janell K.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2022
From a partner site
10/10 Excellent
Alestra
24 May 2022
Rented for 10 days with 9 people
House was GREAT! We loved the location and the lake is sandy and shallow. The screened in porch was perfect for relaxing with no bugs.
Great Location away from the busy downtown area, plenty of parking for 6 trucks and a couple trailers. The house had everything you need, plus sleeping space for the 8 people we had. The property owner was very pleasant to work with and you could tell she just wanted her guest to enjoy themselves. We were there in the winter time with ice fishing as our main activity, but we saw the fire ring and closed in back porch which would be perfect for enjoying a summer night.
Seven women stayed for “girl’s weekend “. The house was spacious and comfortable, the views were spectacular, and the host was friendly and welcoming. Great memories were made!
Teresa A.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2021
Verified
6/10 Okay
Melissa K.
22 Oct 2021
Liked: Check-in, communication, location
Overall had an enjoyable trip
Let me start off by saying I had a great girls trip with my friend but we were sadly disappointed with things about the house. First I’m from Texas and what attracted me to this house was the fireplace (I do not like to be cold) I thought it would be great to get cozy in front of the fireplace. In the description of the home it only states that there’s a fireplace not that it was gas or wood burning, so we brought firewood for it only to find out it’s a gas fireplace and that the gas isn’t on till December. Great disappointment! No pride was taken in the cleaning of the home, dust everywhere, small bugs in the corners of the kitchen, the kitchen floor was sticky, the dining table had leftover crumbs and something sticky on it and hair in the master shower. The check in process was easy but when she texts you the check in process she doesn’t mention that there is further instructions on the fridge for checking in. One of the big items on the list that you find on the fridge is that you have to turn on the hot water heater, I thought it had the same instructions that she texted me so I didn’t think I needed to read it. Also wasn’t thrilled with the long list of must do’s upon checking out on top of an early check out time (don’t worry though if your not out at exactly 10 because you are trying to do said list you will receive a text reminding you of the check out time). On a positive note the location is great, the kitchen is well stocked although no organization to it, communication with property manager was good, very responsive.
Melissa K.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2021
From a partner site
10/10 Excellent
Janet Grondin
16 Oct 2021
No Worries Vacay
We had everything we needed at this lakeside getaway. The host was very attentive and all the comforts of home present. We enjoyed the fall colors while hiking at Lake Marl and on our day trips to Sault St Marie and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Discovered the Little Boots restaurant and would drive back from Virginia to eat there again...great home cooking and lovely staff.
Nice place to stay and plenty of beds for a large group.
It was clean, the living room, dinning room and kitchen had a nice open layout.
We stayed in the middle of winter but I’m sure it’s even better in the summer being right on the lake.
Andy S.