Entire home

Private Gated Water Front Home on American Lake. Private beach and dock.

Photo gallery for Private Gated Water Front Home on American Lake. Private beach and dock.

A spacious living area with a kitchen, a sofa, a television, and a fireplace.
A two-story house with a balcony, a large white flowering tree in front, and a well-maintained lawn.
A two-story house with a front porch, a garage, and a driveway.
A living room with a fireplace, a television, a sofa, and a kitchen area with a refrigerator and microwave.
A bedroom with a wooden bed frame, a nightstand with a lamp, a dresser, and a potted plant.

Reviews

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

Highlights

  • On the beach
    A rare beachfront property in the area - enjoy direct access to the beach and sea.
  • Centrally-located
    You're never far from where you need to be with this convenient location.

Popular amenities

  • On beach
  • Balcony
  • Toys
  • Barbecue
  • Air-conditioning
  • Washer/dryer

Explore the area

View map
Lakewood, WA
  • Place, American Lake
    ‪2 min walk‬
  • Place, Joint Base Lewis-McChord Visitor Center
    ‪5 min drive‬
  • Place, Tacoma Dome
    ‪17 min drive‬
  • Airport, Seattle, WA (SEA-Seattle - Tacoma Intl.)
    ‪45 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

3 bedrooms (sleeps 9)

Bedroom 1

1 King Bed

Bedroom 2

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 3

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 4

1 Queen Bed

2 bathrooms

Bathroom 1

Bathtub · Toilet · Shower only · Jetted bathtub

Bathroom 2

Toilet · Shower only

Spaces

Deck or patio
Porch or lanai
Kitchen
Balcony
Outdoor play area
Garden
Dining area

Add dates for prices

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  • Free Wi-Fi
  • Air-conditioning
  • Parking available
10.0 out of 10, Exceptional, (173 reviews)
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About the area

Lakewood

Located in Lakewood, this holiday home is near theme parks and on the beach. Fort Lewis Museum and Freighthouse Square are local landmarks, and the area's natural beauty can be seen at Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Area and Tacoma Nature Center. Check out an event or a game at Tacoma Dome, and consider making time for Washington State Fair Events Center, a top attraction not to be missed. Take in the nearby slopes with skiing, or try out other outdoor activities such as ice skating and sledging.
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Map
Lakewood, WA

What's nearby

  • American Lake - 2 min walk - 0.2 km
  • Joint Base Lewis-McChord Visitor Center - 5 min drive - 6.7 km
  • Tacoma Mall - 13 min drive - 15.3 km
  • Tacoma Dome - 17 min drive - 20.0 km
  • Washington State Fair Events Center - 24 min drive - 27.4 km

Getting around

  • Lakewood Station - 8 min drive
  • Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) - 40 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪McDonald's - ‬6 min drive
  • ‪McDonald's - ‬16 min walk
  • ‪Taco Bell - ‬19 min walk
  • ‪Jack in the Box - ‬19 min walk
  • ‪Starbucks - ‬20 min walk

Frequently asked questions

Is Private Gated Water Front Home on American Lake. Private beach and dock. pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

How much is parking at Private Gated Water Front Home on American Lake. Private beach and dock.?

On-site parking is available at the property.

What time is check-in at Private Gated Water Front Home on American Lake. Private beach and dock.?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Private Gated Water Front Home on American Lake. Private beach and dock.?

Checkout is at 10:30 AM.

Where is Private Gated Water Front Home on American Lake. Private beach and dock. located?

Nestled on the beach, this Lakewood holiday home is 0.2 mi (0.3 km) from American Lake and 2.3 mi (3.7 km) from Gravelly Lake. Lakewold Gardens and Lake Steilacoom 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. 35 out of 36 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 1 out of 36 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 36 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 36 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 36 reviews

10/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

10/10

Location

9.8/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Great stay, thank you. Enjoyed the private beach and attention to drtails
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2026
Response from VrboOwner on 10 Aug 2026
Thank You Rebecca, Safe travels and happiness to you and your family.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

Great location for our family

Wonderful home and host.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2024
Response from VrboOwner on 11 Sept 2024
Glad you enjoyed your stay. Safe travels and look forward to your return.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Too many lovely things about this experience to list. I came to have time to write and the surroundings were more than conducive to my mind's need to expand and relax into a creative flow. I spent most of my time on the balcony and sunset views were joyful. Every attribute is just as stated, and cleanliness is wondrous. The beach and dock are private and inviting. You will be very happy here.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2026
Response from VrboOwner on 19 Aug 2026
Evelyn, thank you for the incredibly kind words and choosing to stay. We’re happy you enjoyed the surroundings end. We hope that you will choose to stay again soon. Kindly Randy.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

Lake cottage serenity

Wonderful host, beautiful lake views, Resident Bald Eagles and Osprey. A perfect location to relax and enjoy all Washington has to offer.
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 7 July 2025
Thank you so much for choosing TWCottage. It was a pleasure meeting you and glad you enjoyed the beautiful location. We appreciate how clean you left the home. Please keep us in mind for future travel to Tacoma. Sincerely, Randy
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Family of five comfortably enjoyed the beautiful view!

Gorgeous sunsets and everything you need for cooking and relaxing. The property is so quiet but so close to shopping. For us it was a good midpoint for Oregon or Seattle visits.
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2018
Response from VrboOwner on 28 Mar 2020
Caroline, Thank you so much for the kind words. We’re glad your family thoroughly enjoyed stay at Thornewood Cottage on American Lake. Please come back and visit soon Sincerely Randy
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
What an amazing place! On American lake on a gorgeous property with a dock. It’s even next to an eloquent castle. The host was so responsive and kind. The home was beautiful, clean, and perfect, with an amazing view.
Stayed 18 nights in Oct 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 29 Oct 2025
Thank you Scott, We are so happy you and your family enjoyed your stay, the lake, and the wonderful grounds. Safe Travels and hopefully our paths cross again. Randy
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

Fun At The Lake

Clean, well equipped, great location with many amenities located nearby. The property owner provided a significant number of water toys along with a friendly dog to greet you on the beach most mornings.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2021
Response from VrboOwner on 1 Sept 2021
Thank you Robert! So glad your family enjoyed your stay. Hope you have the chance to return. Sincerely, Randy
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

Amazing property!

What a place, it's a great house and a beautiful little neighborhood. Communication with the owner was great, he actually called me the day of check-in to make sure everything was OK. Everything you might need such as a grocery store is close by. Rent this place if you are in Lakewood
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2024
Response from VrboOwner on 10 July 2024
Thank you for the kind review. Safe travels and please keep us in mind for future stays.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

Jblm

We came up to see my son who just got stationed at JBLM. The house had everything we needed, all necessary kitchen things too. Beds were really comfy. The area is real secure and close to the base. Everything was super clean in the house, no issues at all. Thanks so much, we will be back
Stayed 4 nights in Nov 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 9 Nov 2023
Thank you Stacy! Glad you enjoyed your stay in TWCottage and you were able to reunite with your son. Safe travels and we look forward to your return. Sincerely, Randy
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

Beautiful lake view home

This home is set in a very quiet and beautiful gated neighborhood. This home has a fantastic Lake view with direct access to the lake and a private beach / dock to use. You could almost call this lake frontage with the exception of having 60’ of grass between you and the lake. The Owner Randy was fantastic to work with and had great communication. I would absolutely VRBO with Randy again. Great property, location and owners. Highly recommend this property
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 26 Sept 2022
Thank You Alex for the kind words. We’re glad you enjoyed your stay and hope that our paths will cross again.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

Great house - great location!

Randy was VERY responsive. House is great, very clean. And you can’t beat the view of the lake. Kitchen has everything you need, plenty of towels/linens too. The Thornewood Estates area is eclectic for sure, and the Thornewood cottage is perfect for a family or friends to spend a few nights. Close to I5 and Lakewood. Two hours to Mt St Helens, 90 min to Olympic National Forest! Or just stay at the house and enjoy the sunset over the lake.
Stayed 5 nights in Apr 2021
Response from VrboOwner on 12 Apr 2021
Thank you Mandy For the kind words. We’d love to have you back anytime.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

Amazing Lake-Cation!!

We needed a local get away and found our new annual tradition!! Randy was a great host! Home had great views of the lake with bald eagles regularly flying overhead, very nice interior for the home, and most importantly we were able to launch our boat at the property and had our own dock for the week! It was a short walk out the door and maybe 30 yards to our own dock on the lake!! Whether the kids were swimming at the dock, out on the boat, or laying out in the lounge chairs at the beach, the entire family had an amazing time. Thanks for everything! See you again soon!
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 8 Aug 2022
Thank you Tim! We are so glad your family enjoyed their stay and we look forward to your return and helping create more memories. Sincerely, Randy
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

Lakeside Oasis in the middle of Tacoma!

This is a real find for folks visiting the Tacoma area. A bit pricey but worth paying a bit more for the excellent lodging and beautiful setting. It's true that the house is not technically lakefront but the view is nonetheless wonderful, and there is direct access to the lake with a small dock and beach "reserved" for guests. There is a nice large deck facing the lake which offered a lovely view and opportunities to observe a variety of birds, including bald eagles and geese flocks. The property owners do also live just in front of the rental and, although we have never stayed in this type of arrangement, we found Randy and his wife to be delightful and helpful but at the same time completely unobtrusive. We definitely intend to stay again when we return to Tacoma for family visits!
Stayed 6 nights in Jun 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 17 July 2023
Thank you Linda for the kind words. We are glad you enjoyed your stay and look forward to your return. Safe travels and lots of memories. Kindly, Jen and Randy Foley
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
The host was very gracious and was very responsive to inquiries. Even texted several times to see if we needed anything.
Stayed 9 nights in Jun 2026
Response from VrboOwner on 25 June 2026
Donald, We are so happy you enjoyed your stay and time with family on the beach. We look forward to your return to Thornewood Cottage on American Lake. Kindly, Randy
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

Great place, exactly as advertised

Everything was perfect, the gated community was a nice addition and made me feel safe especially leaving early and coming back late every day. Very quiet, very clean and very updated. No complaints at all. I hope I need to travel there more frequently and i would make this my go-to spot!
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 19 Apr 2023
Thank you for choosing to stay. Hope you return soon.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

Lakeside family reunion

We rented home near our relatives in Lakewood. We used lake house to gather for dinner, lunch and lake activities. Hosts welcomed us and provided extra chairs for our larger group. Wonderful experience. Thank you.
Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2022
Verified review

8/10 Good

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

Very nice place

Clean, good location and very friendly host. The house sits back off the lake with an obstructed view. The only issue I had with the rental is that the pictures left that part out. There is a dock but you have to cross through the other property to get there.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2022
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

Peaceful work trip

Lot of stairs walking into the house. Other than that the house has a great view of the lake and is well stocked and maintained. Communication with Randy was easy and painless. I would recommend this house for anyone(other then those who have difficulty with stairs). We will definitely be back if he had availability on our future trips to the area.
Stayed 13 nights in Jun 2022
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

Family celebration

A family of 7 in Seattle to attend the college graduation of a granddaughter/niece. The family was thrilled with the location and the house
Stayed 3 nights in May 2022
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

Great family house we stayed for Xmas. It is comfortable and homey. Randy was very attentive. I

It needs some updates but very clean and has many amenities.
Stayed 5 nights in Dec 2021
Response from VrboOwner on 13 Jan 2022
Hello Faith, We appreciate your review. In the coming months we are doing a complete refresh and updates so we are hopeful you will return soon. Thank you again for choosing Thornewood Cottage vacation on American Lake. Kindly, Randy Foley
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

Family gathering

This “cottage” home was just beautiful and perfect for our family. The location was close to everything in the Tacoma/Seattle area. We loved the design, the view, American lake access and all the little extras the owner provided.
Stayed 8 nights in Sep 2021
Response from VrboOwner on 19 Oct 2021
Hi Kerri. We’re so happy you and your family chose to stay at Thornewood Cottage. You were wonderful guests I truly appreciate how are you took care of the home I’m glad your time. Sincerely Randy
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

Exactly what we needed

My family was in the area for a week dealing with a difficult and unpleasant situation. We needed a comfortable place to stay that would allow us to feel safe and able to relax at the end of the day. Thornewood Cottage was absolutely perfect for us. Convenient location in a lovely gated community, plenty of space for 5, the house had everything we needed, comfy beds, nice showers and tub, a beautiful view of American Lake with lake access, including a small beach and dock. We were all very grateful to have such a lovely place to stay, it helped us survive a challenging week.
Stayed 6 nights in Sep 2021
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

Great memories

This place was amazing! Randy was so helpful and responsive if I had a question. My family definitely wants to go back. There was one item that threw me off when we first got there and that was the owner’s home is next door to the house. So there really isn’t a fine division between the properties, but Randy made sure his guests parked on the other side of his home. So we had privacy. My family is social so we didn’t mind meeting new people.
Stayed 6 nights in Jul 2021
Response from VrboOwner on 4 Aug 2021
Thank you so much Kelly for choosing Thornewood Cottage on American Lake. It was a pleasure meeting you and look forward to your return. Sincerely, Randy
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

Great Stay

Great property and would definitely stay here again. Fantastic view of the water and eagles flying nearby. Randy was very helpful and responsive.
Stayed 5 nights in Jan 2021
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

Clean, beautiful home, right on the water and lovely owners!

We had a wonderful stay! There was a good amount of space for all of us, and it definitely felt like a vacation having our own dock to the lake. Randy and his wife checked in with us multiple times asking if there was anything they could do to make our stay even better! I would totally recommend this rental to anyone looking for a nice getaway!
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