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Entire home

August & September availability! Book now to use our new amenities!

Photo gallery for August & September availability! Book now to use our new amenities!

Property grounds
A modern kitchen with wooden cabinets, granite countertops, and a built-in island with bar stools.
Living area
Living area
A house with a brick pathway leading to the front door, surrounded by lush greenery and a tree with red leaves.

Reviews

10 out of 10, Loved by Guests
Top 10% of guest reviews in this area

Highlights

  • Room to spread out
    Enjoy spacious layout that give everyone more room to relax.
  • Garage parking available
    Enjoy the convenience of garage parking - a rare offering in the area.
  • Unmatched views, unforgettable moments
    Guests like the location for the scenic views.
5 bedrooms3+ bathroomsSleeps 18

Popular amenities

  • Spa pool on site
  • Garage parking available
  • Kitchen
  • Washing machine
  • Air-conditioning
  • Barbecue

Explore the area

View map
Empire, MI
  • Place, Polack Lake
    ‪6 min drive‬
  • Place, Glen Lake
    ‪7 min drive‬
  • Place, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
    ‪10 min drive‬
  • Airport, Traverse City, MI (TVC-Cherry Capital)
    ‪34 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

5 bedrooms (sleeps 18)

Bedroom 2

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 3

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 4

2 Queen Beds and 1 Double Sofa Bed

Bedroom 5

1 Queen Bed

Living Room 1

1 Double Sofa Bed

Master

1 King Bed

3 bathrooms, 1 half bathroom

Bathroom 1

Toilet · Shower only · Jetted bathtub

Bathroom 2

Bathtub or shower · Toilet

Bathroom 3

Bathtub or shower · Toilet

Bathroom 4

Toilet

Spaces

Deck or patio
Porch or lanai
Kitchen

About this property

August & September availability! Book now to use our new amenities!

The Timber Lodge is a spacious home located on a 5 acre wooded parcel in the middle of all the action. You're minutes from Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes National Lakeshore; Empire, Glen Arbor and only 20 minutes from Traverse City. This contemporary home includes 5 bedrooms, 3.5 bathroom, spacious 'bonus room' with bunk beds, large kitchen and dining room, multiple living rooms; one including a fieldstone fireplace. The Timber Lodge has a cozy relaxing front porch and large three level rear deck perfect for grilling and entertaining; conveniently decorated with lights for guest to enjoy long into the evening. Guest are close to endless activities; The Platte River or Crystal River for tubing/kayaking/canoeing, local restaurants, wineries, breweries, The Cherry Bowl Drive-In, Beaches, Golf Courses and local trails for hiking and/or biking. Explore what Northern Michigan has to offer during the day then come back to The Timber Lodge to relax, unwind and unplug from the high speed internet. It won't disappoint!

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House Rules

Check in after 4:00 PM
Check out before 10:00 AM
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Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17
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Events

No events allowed
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Pets

No pets allowed
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Smoking

Smoking is not permitted
Smoking is ONLY allowed outside.
NO operating motorized vehicles on lawn.

Important information

You need to know

Property # 2206340vb
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
This property has outdoor spaces, such as balconies, patios and terraces, which may not be suitable for children; if you have any concerns, we recommend contacting the property prior to your arrival to confirm that they can accommodate you in a suitable room

About the area

Empire

Empire is home to this holiday home. The area's natural beauty can be seen at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and Lake Michigan. Burnett Park and Sleeping Bear Point Coast Guard Station Maritime Museum are also worth visiting. Kayaking offers a great chance to get out on the surrounding water, or you can seek out an adventure with hiking/biking trails and cycling nearby.
View more Holiday homes in EmpireOpens in a new window
Map
Empire, MI

What's nearby

  • Polack Lake - 6 min drive - 9.1 km
  • Glen Lake - 7 min drive - 8.3 km
  • Holden Lake - 8 min drive - 12.3 km
  • Bright Lake - 8 min drive - 11.2 km
  • Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore - 10 min drive - 13.8 km

Getting around

  • Traverse City, MI (TVC-Cherry Capital) - 36 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Pegtown Station - ‬9 min drive
  • ‪Trattoria Funistrada - ‬6 min drive
  • ‪La Becasse - ‬6 min drive
  • ‪Broomstack Kitchen And Taphouse - ‬9 min drive
  • ‪Sunset Bar And Grill - ‬15 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is August & September availability! Book now to use our new amenities! pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

How much does it cost to stay at The Timber Lodge: spa pool and sauna?

As of 17 July 2026, prices found for a 1-night stay for 2 adults at The Timber Lodge: spa pool and sauna on 2 Oct 2026 start from AU$4,331, including taxes and fees. This price is based on the lowest nightly price found in the last 24 hours for stays in the next 30 days. Prices are subject to change. Choose your dates for more accurate prices.

How much is parking at August & September availability! Book now to use our new amenities! ?

On-site parking is available at the property.

What time is check-in at August & September availability! Book now to use our new amenities! ?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at August & September availability! Book now to use our new amenities! ?

Checkout is at 10:00 AM.

Where is August & September availability! Book now to use our new amenities! located?

Situated in Empire, this holiday home is 2.8 mi (4.5 km) from Armstrong Lake and 3.1 mi (4.9 km) from Glen Lake. Polack Lake and Garey Lake are also within 6 miles (10 km).

Reviews

10

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. 43 out of 45 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 2 out of 45 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 45 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 45 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 45 reviews

10/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

9.8/10

Location

10/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

Verified

10/10 Excellent

Jill W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Great property for a large family. Spotless and very well equipped.Communication excellent.Thank you for sharing your lovely home with us.Would definitely stay again.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2026
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Cris N.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
This place is wonderful! The kitchen is large, well equipped, plus the griddle. So much space. Hot tub and sauna a big plus. We planned to use the fire pit, but ran out of time every day/night because of the convenient location to dunes and lighthouses, etc! Great multi-generational family weekend
Stayed 3 nights in May 2026
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Timothy H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
This house was so well equipped for all our needs and the house was beautiful and set in a peaceful and private setting near to some of our favorite places. We look forward to future stays!
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Linda S.

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

Great place!

Our 3 generation family had a lovely time here - beautiful spacious house, wonderful yard with tables on back deck for dining al fresco, quick responses from owner, very well stocked kitchen with everything needed to cook for a big family, and woods surrounding property made it feel very quiet and secluded! Wouldn’t hesitate to stay here again!
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

judy c.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Fully stocked with everything you need and more. Private location with lots of deck space. Flat top grill was very useful. Hosts were very responsive and accommodating.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Cody A.

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

Wonderful Home!

This house was amazing! Very clean and accommodated our large group perfectly. The property is a lot of fun! Great location!
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Laura J.

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

Michigan vacation

The house is perfect for families-lots of room for everyone-well supplied with everything we needed, and a great yard. The house was close to everything we wanted to do.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Melissa W.

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

Hidden gem very close to Traverse City!

We loved this home! It had plenty of room for our family, & it was very well stocked. Beautiful location - scenic & we could do lots on the Leelanau Peninsula & Traverse City area. Great owners - very responsive. It’s a must stay!
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Kecia W.

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

Wonderful stay at a beautiful home!

We enjoyed a relaxing week in this beautiful, well-furnished home! My parents, siblings, and our kids (aged 1-15) had plenty of space to spread out and be together, and the outdoor space was particularly beautiful! The hosts were attentive and immediately took care of any questions or needs - thank you so much!
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Dave L.

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

Great stay at Timber Lodge

We spent a week at TL, eight adults and four kids. plenty of room, very well located to the many places of interest in Leelanau County. The Lodge is very well equipped. it has everything. Hit three different Lake MI beaches in the area. Good Harbor Bay was our favorite. great stay. would definitely come back.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Cora S.

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

Beautiful and comfy stay with friends - perfect for large groups

The house was the perfect location for groups looking to enjoy a great middle point between Traverse City and the Sleeping Bear Dunes. It was so clean and roomy for all 14 guests. Phone network is limited but new fast stream Wi-Fi worked great!
Stayed 3 nights in May 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Laurie A.

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

Weekend up north

We had an amazing stay! We came north for our boys football game and stayed the weekend and it accommodated our large group (16 teens and adults) very well! Plenty of rooms and beds. Very clean. Communication with owner/manager was very prompt and they were extremely friendly and helpful! Nice quiet neighborhood close to sleeping bear dunes! Would definitely recommend!!
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

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

Gem in Empire

This was our second time staying here and it was a wonderful experience yet again. Family ranging from 3-75 years old! The house is perfect for multiple families coming together- clean, spacious, comfy, amenities in all rooms (kitchen, outdoor, laundry, games, etc.) The location is amazing with many beaches, hikes, towns, farms, shops, etc 10-30 minutes away. Perfect blend of outdoor activities and hanging at the house. This is a gem! Thank you David and Kasey!!
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Ruthann M.

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

Great VRBO

My daughters and their spouses and children plus Gramma all enjoyed our stay. The house is spacious so smaller groups could be in separate locations or we could all be together for dinner and games. The backyard is beautiful with a great fire pit and is surrounded with tall trees and bushes. The location was within easy driving to all our activities. Would certainly recommend to my friends.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Acacia H.

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

Plenty of Room

This house was perfect for our large group! Amazing back deck with plenty of room to enjoy the outdoors as well as a good sized fire pit in the lawn. Everything you could possibly need, they have! Location was great, close to the dunes, Glen Arbor, Lake Ann. Host and owners got answered any questions we had and were great to work with.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2021
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Kevin M.

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

The perfect house

This is such a great place to stay. It was well maintained and had everything you need to enjoy the area. Plenty of space to accommodate everyone. The amenities within the house are above and beyond. Everything you need to be comfortable is available for you. The kitchen contained everything needed to cook every meal at the house. Will be staying again in the future.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Kimberly T.

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

Timber Lodge stay

Our family stayed at the Timber Lodge for a long weekend and had a great time. The house was EXTREMELY clean and had everything we needed and more. Every detail has been thought out by the owners of this very nice home. It is very comfortable and has multiple areas where you can enjoy your stay. The flat top grill was great to feed the family. There was a lot of family games for indoor and outdoor to enjoy. I would highly recommend.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Trevor L.

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

Great property, fully stocked!

This property was perfect for our multi-generational family vacation. The house was roomy and in great shape and has a FULLY stocked kitchen with lots of high quality pots and pans and utensils and appliances and just about anything you’d need. The house also has lots of games we all enjoyed playing and even a wii and a dvd library! The location was perfect too. The house feels remote and secluded but you’re super close to traverse and sleeping bear. One of the best VRBO experiences I’ve ever had!
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Rich S.

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

Great place for a large family

Our group consisted of six adults and five small kids. The house easily accommodated us and is very well equipped throughout. Everyone loved it. The wooded surroundings are quite nice, the large grassy backyard offered plenty of room for games, and a couple of great Lake Michigan beached are only a short drive away. If you are bringing toddlers, be sure to bring a baby gate for the back hall stairway. We all highly recommended this VRBO property!
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Marcae P.

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

Fantastic experience

This house had everything we needed and wanted plus more! The house was beautiful, clean, and fully stocked! We really appreciated the details big and small that the hosts offered us. We had the best VRBO experience staying here. Thank you so much for the amenities and for providing a safe and comfortable place for us to vacation. We loved the patio and back yard and were so thankful for use of the grill, the extra wood for the campfire, the extra refrigerator in the garage and the abundance of towels. We had a fantastic time at this property. It felt like a home away from home.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2022
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Jean F.

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

10/10!

There is nothing negative to say about this property. We have a large family and it was perfect for us! The house was clean and spacious. The kitchen was well equipped for a large family cooking experience. The host was very responsive to questions. The property was beautiful, with a large yard for the kids to run around in and a nice fire pit for gathering around after a busy day of activities nearby. Very private and ample parking for several vehicles. I highly recommend this property for your group!
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Heather S.

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

Spacious and relaxing!

We had a mother/daughter getaway with my mom and her 4 sisters and all the daughters. The house was absolutely beautiful and so spacious and relaxing. One of my aunt's actually left her Bluetooth speaker and phone charger and the hosts reached out to us very shortly after we had checked out! Thankfully we were still in town and they allowed us to come back and get our things! We were very appreciative as we all live 3 hours away. If we ever do a family trip in this area again we will definitely keep this house and hosts in mind!
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Carol G.

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

This place is amazing!

We stayed at the house for a ladies trip with family and friends to celebrate my daughter’s upcoming nuptials. There were 15 of us and the house was perfect. The pictures don’t do it justice. There was plenty of room for everyone and it never felt crowded. It’s a quiet, peaceful property. The house itself was quiet even with that many people. If you were upstairs sleeping or watching a movie downstairs you couldn’t hear the people in the rest of the house. The location is perfect and close to several great places to visit. I would definitely stay there again with a large group!
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Ed M.

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

Relaxing and beautiful

Our party of 15 had a wonderful time! The house was very clean, spacious and well appointed. The hosts were very responsive and answered the few questions we had promptly. The backyard was also very spacious with a nice fire pit and a large deck that easily accommodated our family. The house is in close proximity to Empire, Glen Arbor and Lake Ann, all within a very short driving distance. Spend a day in Traverse City (also a short drive) enjoying Lake Michigan and all Traverse has to offer. The property comes highly recommended on VRBO. After our stay, we concur with the aforenoted recommendations and we also highly recommend the property for your group’s enjoyment.
Stayed 6 nights in Jul 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Judith W.

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

Grandma's 80th Birthday

My family had a great stay at Timber Lodge! This beautiful property is in a fantastic location, and we were so happy to have found this rental. Our favorite parts were the decor, the welcoming vibe, and the outdoor games for the kiddos... so thoughtful! Unfortunately, the weather did not allow us to enjoy the spacious outdoor decks and excellent lawn fully, but we had plenty of room inside for the kids to play and the parents to relax. My one "opportunity for improvement" suggestion would be a different coffee maker. The provided ten-cup BUN was a bit small for my family, and it brews very slowly, but we managed. I highly recommend this property and look forward to booking another stay soon!
Stayed 3 nights in May 2024

About the host

Hosted by Kasey Therrien

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Languages:

English

Premier Host

They consistently provide great experiences for their guests
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