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Serene Cabin Retreat with Stunning Views, Fishing, and Private Lake Access.

Photo gallery for Serene Cabin Retreat with Stunning Views, Fishing, and Private Lake Access.

Front porch with elevated views of Big Pine Lake
fire pit
Firewood available. Please tip my kids in the jar in kitchen. They cut it
Fishing dock. And a floating raft. Big Pine Lake
Volleyball and lots of space to run in the back yard

Reviews

9.6 out of 10
Exceptional
3 bedrooms2 bathroomsSleeps 6139.4 sq m

Popular amenities

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

Explore the area

Map
Aitkin, MN
  • Big Pine Lake
    ‪2 min walk‬
  • Mille Lacs Lake
    ‪5 min drive‬
  • Farm Island Lake
    ‪9 min drive‬
  • Brainerd, MN (BRD-Brainerd Lakes Regional)
    ‪46 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

3 bedrooms (sleeps 6)

Bedroom 1

1 King Bed and 1 Child Bed

Bedroom 2

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 3

1 Queen Bed and 1 Single Bunk Bed

2 bathrooms

Bathroom 1

Soap · Towels provided · Toilet · Shower only · Jetted bathtub · Shampoo · Hair dryer

Bathroom 2

Soap · Towels provided · Bathtub or shower · Toilet · Shampoo

Spaces

Deck or patio
Kitchen
Garden
Dining area

About this property

Serene Cabin Retreat with Stunning Views, Fishing, and Private Lake Access.

Unwind in this charming cabin, nestled in nature’s beauty, complete with a large deck offering breathtaking views. Spend your days fishing or swimming in the pristine waters, or enjoy the tranquility of the small, private lake adorned with peaceful lily pads. Whether you’re seeking adventure or relaxation, this secluded escape provides the perfect setting to reconnect with nature and recharge. This cabin get away is set on Big Pine Lake with amazing views of the water and sunsets from the large, lofted deck. There is also a small private lake behind property which is wonderful for private canoeing and fishing. It's only 2 hours north of the twin cities near Brainerd. The fishing is great right off either dock. We have 2 docks: one on the Big Pine Lake and one on the small lake. You can catch Sun fish, Crappies, small mouth Bass, and Northern Pike on both lakes. On Big Pine Lake water is about 2 feet at entry and is nice and clear for swimming. You can bring your own boat; public access is down the road. A Rowboat, canoe, and paddle board are available to use on the lakes. In addition to the lakes, there is lots of wilderness to explore (30 acres). The Master Bedroom has a king size bed new flat screen TV. Master bathroom has a shower and separate jetted tub. Bedroom 2 has a queen bed. Bedroom 3 has a queen and bunkbeds. Fire pit yes! Our son cut firewood for all and accepts donations. And the kitchen is stocked with all the cooking essentials. Propane Grill on the deck. Amazing views and memories to be made.

Property manager

John W Shirley

Add dates for prices

Amenities

Kitchen
Washer
Dryer
Pet-friendly
Free WiFi
Air conditioning

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House Rules

Check in after 4:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 21
Check out before 11:00 AM
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Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17
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Events

No events allowed
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Pets

Pets allowed: dogs (limit 2 total)
2 max. leash outside. Mild tempered. no barking
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Smoking

Smoking allowed: in designated areas
Outside ONLY!!!

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, a first aid kit and a deadlock

About the area

Aitkin

Located in Aitkin, this cabin is on a lake. The Lakes and Traditions at Cuyuna Falls Mini Golf are worth checking out if an activity is on the agenda, while those wishing to experience the area's natural beauty can explore Mississippi River and Farm Island Lake Wildlife Management Area. Travelling with kids? Consider Northern Pacific Depot and Aitkin County Fairgrounds. Take in the nearby slopes with cross-country skiing, or try out other outdoor activities such as snowmobiling.
Map
Aitkin, MN

What's nearby

  • Big Pine Lake - 2 min walk - 0.2 km
  • Mille Lacs Lake - 5 min drive - 4.8 km
  • Farm Island Lake - 9 min drive - 8.1 km
  • Grand Casino Mille Lacs - 23 min drive - 26.6 km
  • Paul Bunyan Land - 30 min drive - 30.8 km

Getting around

  • Brainerd, MN (BRD-Brainerd Lakes Regional) - 46 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪McDonald's - ‬11 min drive
  • ‪Bird's Nest - ‬12 min drive
  • ‪Lonesome Pine Restaurant and Bar - ‬22 min drive
  • ‪Waypoint Cafe - ‬10 min drive
  • ‪Garrison VFW - ‬11 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is Serene Cabin Retreat with Stunning Views, Fishing, and Private Lake Access. pet-friendly?

Yes, this property allows dogs (limit 2 total).

What time is check-in at Serene Cabin Retreat with Stunning Views, Fishing, and Private Lake Access.?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Serene Cabin Retreat with Stunning Views, Fishing, and Private Lake Access.?

Checkout is at 11:00 AM.

Where is Serene Cabin Retreat with Stunning Views, Fishing, and Private Lake Access. located?

This family-friendly Aitkin cabin is located on a lake, within 3 mi (5 km) of Big Pine Lake, Birch Lake and Mille Lacs Lake. Farm Island Lake is 3 mi (4.9 km) away.

Reviews

9.6

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 81 out of 95 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 9 out of 95 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 3 out of 95 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 1 out of 95 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 1 out of 95 reviews

9.4/10

Cleanliness

9.8/10

Check-in

9.8/10

Communication

10/10

Location

9.8/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Brittany M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fabulous fall get away

This property was fantastic. It had beautiful views and had everything we needed for our weekend getaway
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2024

8/10 Good

Shania H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fun Family Get Away

This house was perfect for a long weekend get away with the family! I absolutely loved the lay out of the main area, you have a view of the living room, dinning room, deck, and lake all from the peninsula in the kitchen. Which was great for us having 2 kids under 2yr old with us! Our toddler loved the swing out front, it was by far her favorite part of the rental property. We did a little bobber fishing off the dock and had luck, that was our daughter’s first time fishing, and she had a blast! It was so nice to have a washer/dryer, and all the linens we could have possibly needed for the weekend. My only big gripe was that there wasn’t a high chair even though it was listed, so if you have a young child needing that I would double check when booking in case you need to bring your own. Overall, this was a great stay and would definitely book again.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2024

8/10 Good

Kelly V.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Overall a good stay

We were happy to find a dog friendly cabin in a beautiful setting. It was very clean, well stocked and easy to access. We enjoyed the fishing boat, paddle board, kayaks, and games. The canoe was not usable, it’s missing seats. The layout of the house is great. We loved the big covered porch! We used the grill daily. Did not use the basement. Cons: the place is dated. TVs are older, but living room worked fine. Took awhile to get the burners on the stove to light. Mattresses are not comfortable. Loft beds would be tricky for younger kids to access. The water is rusty smelling/tasting. The family that owns the house is right next door about 15ft away. We appreciated the help getting the boat going and met all their dogs as they ran through the yard. It’s not noted in the listing how close the house is, so just mentioning it. Overall we had a good stay and enjoyed the break as summer ended.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2024

8/10 Good

Jennifer B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Ladies vacation

Ages 42-73. When at the cabin we spent most of the time on the deck visiting and playing cards. Great deck! Nice huge lot, in the pictures they don’t show any neighbors, which there is a neighbor about 10 feet away, no one was there during our week long stay so we didn’t annoy anyone with our laughter. The swimming raft was tied up to dock, the fishing boat was pulled ashore which we had to pull out to use and pull back onto land which was a tad heavy. Lots of games, had planned on playing badminton but didn’t get around to it. Lots of things near by, hospital, golf, casino, gas stations. Would stay again.
Stayed 6 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Stacey P.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great Place!

Great place, lots of beds / rooms, super fun swim pontoon. The place is a tad dated, but was still very comfortable.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

terry t.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wonderful property for family gathering

There's a lot to like about the property. The 6 of us (and 2 dogs) enjoyed dinners on the deck overlooking lake and lighting up fire table afterwards. Eventually, the mosquitos chased us indoors - where there's plenty of room around the dining table for games. The kitchen is large and well-equipped for preparing your own meals. The living room is smaller and includes an older CRT rear-projection TV, but it works just fine and includes access to the the property owner's Netflix and Amazon Prime accounts. The wifi was strong and supported all our devices. The 3 bedrooms on the main floor were convenient. The mattress in our lower bunk was a bit spongy, but it was okay for our short stay. There are tons of activities included with the property. My daughter and son-in-law used the paddle board and one of the two kayaks. My son and I used the fishing boat on Big Pine Lake. My 2 year-old granddaughter loved the tree swing but was too small for the zip line. She also played with the supplied puzzles and toys.There were a few games of cornhole and badminton played over the weekend. We never made use of the pond - there was plenty to do elsewhere. The location is very convenient - just 2 hours from the southwestern Twin Cities. Garrisson is nearby. Aitkin too. The Joint restaurant and bar is minutes away. John and Michelle, the owners, are quick to reply to any questions and were very helpful. Overall, a great VRBO experience.
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Kathy G.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Our 4th or 5th stay

4 friend and I have been coming here in August for the last several years. The home is very clean and well appointed. The large porch on the lake side is covered so many, many hours are spent out there, We're already checking our calendars for next August.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Martin B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Another Great weekend Getaway

This was our second visit to this property and just like last year, we love the property, the lakes and all they both offer. We will be back again next year.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2024

6/10 Okay

Richard M.

Liked: Communication, location, listing accuracy
Disliked: Cleanliness

Cabin at the lake

VRBO never sent us the necessary information to get into the rental but was more than happy to send me an email for my money at this rental. Host did a great job answering my questions and getting us into the rental. Clearly they are struggling with their cleaning service and are working on it. We had to clean when we got there. No toilet paper due to cleaning service. Overall, the cabin and amenities have potential but over priced for other options in the area.
Stayed 6 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Shannon B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great visit despite the weather

We enjoyed a few days with our boys and Daughter-in-Laws which we haven't done together in a few years. It was such a special time for us! My husband and I then spent a few days together fishing and relaxing! We enjoyed our stay! Thank you!!
Stayed 5 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

Shelley B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

The Golden Bunch

It was so nice. The deck was our favorite hangout. The guys enjoyed fishing off the dock. Weather was perfect. Would recommend to anyone.
Stayed 5 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

Kevin O.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Weekend stay

Classic Northern Minnesota lake cabin. Great place - I plan on going back!
Stayed 3 nights in May 2024

2/10 Terrible

Josh R.

Disliked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great Property

Had a great stay. Nice big lot and large cabin. Loved the lake side porch with an amazing lake view.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2024

10/10 Excellent

Tom H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Boys trip

Had an awesome weekend getting together with some old friends. Cabin was exactly as described. Beautiful setting and extremely quiet in the winter. Host had awesome communication through the whole process. Would definitely come back again
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2024

10/10 Excellent

Derek M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Friendly Get Together

The place was absolutely perfect between the location and the house itself these last few days were quite fun. I’m sure during a more typical Minnesota winter you could have quite a lot of fun doing winter activities between the lakes and the wooded region itself. The house was in a very good state when arriving and checking in was extremely easy.
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2023

8/10 Good

Walter a.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, location, listing accuracy

This place is fantastic

This place is fantastic in terms of location and things to do on the property and in the area, so many ways to play games and sports! The kitchen is large and well-appointed, and the place overall was wonderfully clean. Sheets and towels are high quality and plentiful. Communication with owner was slower and less outgoing than expected, but …oh well. We left a note about problems with the hall toilet, a table lamp with exposed wiring and a few other more minor fixables. We’d come again and recommend to all.
Stayed 8 nights in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Sandy D.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Review

Was just as described. Our family really enjoyed our stay! Nice to be able to bring our dog and she had plenty of room to run! Thank you!
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Jill S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful property

Long weekend getaway. We enjoyed both the large lake and the small lake. My son especially enjoyed the calm, quiet waters of the small lake to catch and release. The large lake had lots of activities for us all-caught lots of fish using the boat and even caught some nice fish from the dock. A nice, peaceful property perfectly located - and yet never a reason for anyone to be bored-there was plenty of activities to do thanks to the owners thoughtfulness. Thanks for sharing this property with us.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Emily C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Perfect spot on the lake!

We loved the convenience of the location and the entire area is beautiful. Everything we needed was there. We did leave coffee for the next guests but don’t forget to bring coffee, we arrived late at night and had to make an emergency run in the morning for coffee! Be sure that you are prepared as it’s 10 minutes to get to a store.
Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Martin B., Shakopee USA

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Just what we were looking for!

This was the perfect location to get our 2 adult children and their significant others together for a long weekend vacation. The property is large with lots of activities available to keep everyone as busy as they would like to be, with a great porch to sit and look out over the lake when not in the mood to do anything. We will definitely book again.
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Kathy V.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Vacation

Had a great time fishing and relaxing. Great weather too. Cabin was clean . great view of lake. Would come back.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Lori S., Albany

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wonderful

Very clean, very well maintained, perfect location!
Stayed 13 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Giles L., Mendota Heights, MN

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful view of Big Pine lake

Everything listed was as promised and everything was in fine working order. The view of Big Pine lake from the very large deck is spectacular and because the deck is completely covered you can enjoy the view in nearly any summer weather ( we watched a couple impressive storms pass over on evening). The location is ideal for exploring the Brainerd lakes area, we biked the Paul Bunyan trail and Cuyuna trail and visited many of the great restaurants in the area.
Stayed 14 nights in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

Colleen W., Twin Cities, MN

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fun weekend cabin stay

Spent the weekend here as a group of 6. Plenty of space for everyone and space to park our boat and trailer. Caught a couple fish off both docks but mainly fished other lakes in the area. Deck had a great view of the lake. Appreciated the nightlights in all the rooms and hallways and the fun ping pong table downstairs. Fish cleaning table was nice to have as well. Owner's son has a cabin next door so he did check in on us to see how we were doing. Kids loved the swing and zipline. Mosquitoes were definitely thick but hard to control that aspect. Would stay again if in the area.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2023

10/10 Excellent

Robin H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Would stay again

Very nice location and accommodations.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2022

About the host

Hosted by John W Shirley

Host profile image
We bought this property in 2015 and it has been quite the project getting is renter ready. The first thing we did for safety was tear down the old partially burnt down cabin in front. You can probably see where it was from the deck. We have been thru 7 dumpsters cleaning up that land. We are a family of 6. The kids have really helped us a lot. We have another property on Big Pine Lake close by in case you need anything or there are major concerns. But that being said we also respect our renters privacy.

-The Shirleys

Why they chose this property

This is just a really beautiful lot that we plan on building more on later as our family grows. And we have been coming to Big Pine Lake since we were children. It is our second home.

What makes this property unique

I think the most unique thing we have to offer is that small lake/pond that we call black lake. It is very deep and we have caught some dinosaur looking fish. That being said it is catch and release only!!!
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