The Caboose Summary:

Empire, Michigan
$232 avg/night Minimum Stay 1 Nights
Bed 1

Bed

Bath 1

Bath

Home Apartment

Property Type

Sleep 2

Max Sleeps

Night 1 nights

Min Stay

Summary:
Historic, updated caboose with a fire pit, central air conditioning, and grill. With public access to Little Glen Lake nearby, this unique and historic abode offers all the conveniences of home. Inside, the space includes a convenient queen bed, bathroom with shower, a sitting area, and a well-equipped kitchenette that features a fridge, microwave, toaster, Keurig, and an electric percolator.

The Space:
With public access to Little Glen Lake nearby, this unique and historic abode offers all the conveniences of home with all the adventure of vacation. Surrounded by trees, the renovated caboose features a picnic area, grill, firepit, and beautiful nature views. Inside, the space includes a convenient Murphy bed, a sitting area, and a well-equipped kitchenette that features a fridge, microwave, toaster, Keurig, and an electric percolator. Access to the Sleeping Bear Dunes is just steps away from the Caboose!

Guest Access:
A key will be provided

The Neighborhood:
Forest/ Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Getting Around:
Driving or walking to the beach or to hike the trails and dunes.

Interaction with Guests:
We are available if guests need any assistance, but we prefer to give everyone their privacy.

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  • Feature Features
  • Map Map
  • School District Rates & Availability
  • Review Review

Feature Features

  • PETS

    No Pets Allowed
  • SAFETY

    Carbon Monoxide Detector Not Reported (host Has Not Indicated Whether There Is A Carbon Monoxide Detector On The Property; Consider Bringing A Portable Detector) Fire Extinguisher Smoke Detector Not Reported (host Has Not Indicated Whether There Is A Smoke Detector On The Property)
  • BEDROOM

    1 Bedroom Bed Sheets Provided
  • GENERAL

    Property Does Not Allow Children Unit Size: 260 Sq Ft (24 Sq M)
  • KITCHEN

    Coffee/tea Maker Cookware/dishes/utensils Microwave Refrigerator Toaster
  • PARKING

    Onsite Parking
  • INTERNET

    WiFi Available
  • OUTDOORS

    Barbecue Grill Firepit
  • BATHROOMS

    1 Bathroom Shower Towels Provided
  • LANGS SPOKEN

    English
  • ENTERTAINMENT

    TV With Cable/satellite Service
  • CLIMATE CONTROL

    Air Conditioning Heating
  • LOCATION HIGHLIGHTS

    In A Rural Location
  • SUITABILITY/ACCESSIBILITY

    Smoke-free Property

CheckIn Check-in : 04:00 PM CheckOut Check-out : 10:00 AM
No Wheelchair No smoking No pets Children allowed
Occupancy Max occupancy : 2

Map Map

School District Rates & Availability

Review Review

  • Diane L.

    Submitted Sep 21, 2025

    Stayed Sep 5, 2025

    Perfect location. Bike trail and Dune Climb walking distance. Just 10 minute drive to both the town of Glen Arbor and also the scenic Sleeping Bear Dunes drive. Bonfires at night, visits from deer & wild turkeys. What a unique place to stay. We enjoyed the Caboose !!

  • Erik V.

    Submitted Sep 15, 2025

    Stayed Aug 28, 2025

    Great as always! Perfect for glamping to hike Sleeping Bear Dunes NP.

  • Queyonna H.

    Submitted Aug 25, 2025

    Stayed Aug 8, 2025

    Very cute and unique experience. The set-up was so fun and we had a wonderful time.Could just be the time of the year but the bugs were very rampant but thankfully went away when the lights were turned off. Had a bit of an unpleasant smell we figured it was from whatever is used to prevent rust.The sound of the summer rain was soothing, a perfect way to spend a weekend celebrating my partners birthday. Highly recommended.

  • Victoria P.

    Submitted Jul 16, 2025

    Stayed Jul 13, 2025

    Was a very pleasant stay. Thought the add reflected what you got. Internet connection wasn’t the best for our phones.

  • Cherie P.

    Submitted Jul 9, 2025

    Stayed Jul 6, 2025

    What a gift it was to stay here...thank you! Can't imagine the logistics & process it took to get a caboose stationed on this lovely property, refurbished & functioning as rentable accommodations. Loved the historic memorabilia found within. It was clean, well-stocked with accoutrements & soft linens. Perfect for 2 people for a few nights in beautiful northern.MI.

  • Erik V.

    Submitted Jun 4, 2025

    Stayed May 29, 2025

    Fantastic location for hiking through Sleeping Bear Dunes! We love the Caboose itself and the history behind it. It’s always great staying here.

  • Bruce L.

    Submitted May 27, 2025

    Stayed May 23, 2025

    We had a lovely time staying in the caboose. Very nostalgic and perfect for the train enthusiasts! Right in the middle of nature and abutting to the national park. Beautiful!

  • Connie K.

    Submitted Oct 3, 2024

    Stayed Sep 28, 2024

    Stayed here for a solo birthday trip to explore sleeping bear dunes and the surrounding areas. Brooke and Robin were amazing hosts, great communication. The Caboose was so charming, well equipped with anything I may have needed. Waking up and having breakfast and coffee here was a great start to the day before going sightseeing. Returning after a long day and relaxing was peaceful. The location is second to none, minutes walk from the dune climb or Glen lake access. Within a 40 minute drive of all the key spots to see in that area, which seems endless. Who wouldn't want to stay in a train caboose? It was amazing!

  • Michael M.

    Submitted Aug 27, 2024

    Stayed Aug 13, 2024

    The caboose was very well laid out and clean, with many modern amenities at our disposal. The location is superb: back from the road and fairly secluded, but very close to Glen Arbor and right next to the dune climb. It was so much fun to enjoy morning coffee in the cupola of the caboose!

  • Stephen M F.

    Submitted Aug 26, 2024

    Stayed Aug 23, 2024

    We loved our weekend in the Caboose. This beautifully refitted and comfortable railcar had everything one needs. Close to the beach and hikes. Privacy. Peace and quiet. And the magic of staying in a slice of railroad history. Excellent hosts, easy communication. Everything was perfect.

  • Aaron R.

    Submitted Aug 12, 2024

    Stayed Aug 4, 2024

    This caboose is right where you want to be if you have come to this area to enjoy the outdoors. A few miles from Empire, Glen Arbor and Glen Haven and walking distance to the Dunes hike. My partner and I had the most amazing time here and the caboose is super cool and well appointed. The grill is really nice and there is a nice kitchen set-up so we were able to prepare some pretty great meals and didn't feel cramped. I can't express enough how good of a location this is. Immediately off the bike path, sandwiched in between everything, it's just awesome. There are two houses on the sides of you, but some woods in-between to give you decent privacy. It made it really easy to enjoy the stars on the dunes too since it was either a very short drive or a short walk to the dune hike.

  • Rob F.

    Submitted Aug 12, 2024

    Stayed Jul 25, 2024

    This was a perfect stay for my wife and I. The first day we walked down to the Dune Climb from The Caboose. Easy walk on the rail trail from there. The rest of the weekend we visited Glen Arbor, Suttons Bay, Leland, and all points in-between. It was nice after to get back to The Caboose, have a fire and enjoy the night. We would stay here again.

  • Hillary J.

    Submitted Jul 30, 2024

    Stayed Jul 22, 2024

    This is a fantastic cozy stay! The owners have kept most of the caboose in its original state. The location is perfect for a dune climb. I have family in Glen Arbor and it was an easy drive to their place. I would definitely recommend this to anyone. The owners are very accommodating and friendly as well. Thank you very much

  • Kris S.

    Submitted Jul 17, 2024

    Stayed Jul 15, 2024

    What an awesome experience, staying in an authentic, restored train caboose on our vacation! Very clean, all amenities we might need were there, nice shower, cool air, fluffy towels even! Perfect location. Highly recommend!

  • David B.

    Submitted Jul 16, 2024

    Stayed Jul 11, 2024

    We enjoyed a fabulous time in the caboose. It’s very clean and a well organized space. All appliances work as they should and we had no issues what so ever. Great communication with our hosts. Highly recommended!!

  • Krista K.

    Submitted Jul 10, 2024

    Stayed Jul 4, 2024

    Location was perfect for what we wanted to do and where we wanted to go. Also, was in between Empire and Glen Arbor. Close to the dune climb and pierce stocking scenic drive.The historical caboose looked really cool in the woods.

  • Michael

    Submitted Jul 1, 2024

    Stayed Jun 28, 2024

    Very unique cozy cottage in the woods. The cottage aka Train Caboose is situated in a perfect spot in the woods at the foot of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Shoreline adjacent to the 20 mile Sleeping Bear Heritage bike trail. The cottage is very clean, has everything you need. A great place to read a book are the upper deck seats of the caboose. The hosts had great communication and ensured we had everything we need.

  • Carol P.

    Submitted Jun 23, 2024

    Stayed Jun 21, 2024

    Unique and cozy stay, just what we were looking for.

  • lambia

    Submitted Jun 3, 2024

    Stayed May 31, 2024

    My wife and I had the privilege of staying here for a weekend to celebrate our anniversary. If you are looking for somewhere quaint, beautiful, secluded and surrounded by nature, this is the place. The Dunes are within walking distance. Downtown Empire and downtown Glen Arbor are both only a ten minutes' drive; while these towns are both small, there's no shortage of good food and wine.

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Total

Includes taxes and fees
$232+
View details