Empire, Michigan
NOW TAKING SUMMER 2024 - 2025 RESERVATIONS.
Welcome to our Tree House in the Sleeping Bear National Park. The Tree House is a carriage house in the forest approximately 3 miles from the Village of Empire and 3 miles from Glen Arbor. Twenty to 30 minutes to Traverse City.
. You may rely upon the accuracy of the calendar that appears on VRBO.
>Minimum stay during peak season (Memorial Day - Labor Day) is 7 nights. (Saturday-Saturday)
>Check in on Saturday, and check out on Saturday. Sorry, we do not break up weeks.
>Maximum fire law occupancy is 4
>We are pet friendly, within reason. There is a pet fee to consider and crates are required for a pet left alone on the property. We have purchased a crate that you may rent if you cannot bring one. We no longer allow cats.
>All guests are required to purchase VRBO rental insurance and we also participate in the refundable deposit program.
National Geographic
2012 TOP 10 BEST SUMMER VACATION PLACES.
The Tree House is located in the heart of Good Morning America's Most Beautiful Place in America...Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore.
This completely furnished carriage apartment was built by the owners. The house is situated on 30 acres, on a secluded road with minimal traffic, directly across from the Sleeping Bear National Forest. Comfortably sleeps 2 adults but can sleep 4. The apartment is upstairs, essentially a tree house in the woods and separate from the main house. Exactly half way between Glen Arbor and Empire. Less than a mile from the beautiful Glen Lakes; swimming, jet ski rental, boat rental and fishing. Empire and Glen Arbor restaurants, shopping, art galleries and more within a 10 minute drive. Golf, horseback riding, hiking, less than a mile and only 20-25 minutes from Traverse City.
There is also an art studio on the property and a large garden. Down the hill from the apartment is a large natural pond and from the apartment balcony deck you can observe the wildlife at the pond. Anytime you might see cranes, deer, foxes and even an occasional coyote. There is also a small pond off the garden, near the main house.
Please check the calendar for available dates during your intended stay. During Peak Season (May - September ) check in day is ONLY on Saturday and check out the following Saturday. In the upper right side of the main page there is a link to the reservation calendar. You can view the available dates there. Check in Saturday, 5:00 pm - Check out Saturday 10 am.
The property is closed to rentals from October 15 until Memorial Day weekend.
PLEASE: when you inquire about reservations, please email me back and let me know your decision ! Thank you.
Keywords: Sleeping Bear, house, apartment, upstairs, gay friendly, pets, Empire, Glen Arbor, Traverse City.
We have been coming to Sleeping Bear Dunes for years and this was our first stay at the Tree House. The location is great. It is nestled in the woods on a quiet lane which was perfect for an evening stroll with our dogs. The unit itself was very clean and nicely decorated. The kitchen had everything needed to make all our meals and the furniture was comfortable. The bathroom was up to date with a beautiful shower but the bedroom was my favorite. I loved all the wood and large windows. It was nice to meet the owner. Norm was available for questions and super nice person. There are a few steps to go up so unless you have issues with those we would recommend the Tree House to anyone without hesitation and will be back ourselves.
Very peaceful and quiet
I want to preface this review with the fact that my husband owns & operates short-term/vacation rentals for a living & has been doing so for years. We have stayed at numerous properties in Northern MI with our dogs + around the country & have never had any issues or complaints. PROS: Great location, very clean, upgraded bathroom. CONS: While Norm seems like a nice guy, in our professional opinion, he holds his rental property a little too close to home, literally & figuratively, which caused us to not enjoy our stay to its fullest potential. #1: The “tree house” is located right next to his house. This is not accurately described in the description. #2: There is no key to the property. We were not aware of this until 48 before check-in when we received the instructions that said “There is no key, there hasn’t been for 15 years.” This is something that needs to be properly communicated in the description of the listing as some may not be comfortable with this. #3: While this property accepts dogs, our dogs seemed to be an issue for him. On our first morning, we woke up to a text message that said “I’m not angry but…” followed by a long paragraph of things Norm was not happy about (ie: barking, not crating our dogs, having them off-leash, etc.). We had so much anxiety about leaving our dogs at the property and upsetting Norm that we ended up taking them with us everywhere we went and left them in the car with the AC on when needed. Overall would not stay at this property again.
The treehouse was comfortable, quiet and a great base from which to explore Sleeping Bear Dunes and the western shore of western Michigan. Beautiful setting in the woods and our host, Norm, was most responsive to our questions and requests.
Our stay was cozy, comfortable, and serene. It was wonderful to be surrounded by trees. It also was close to everything we needed. Thank you for a wonderful time!
This rental was in the perfect location for those wanting to explore the Sleeping Bear Dunes Lakeshore and Traverse City. The property feels like a cozy cottage up in the trees and I loved the surrounding nature. My only qualms were that we chose the property for the pool, but the pool was broken (and it will be until about August). I didn't notice the fine print that indicated the pool was broken upon booking and felt mislead because the pool was still listed in the amenities and in the description at the time we booked our stay. So we were disappointed about that, but we still had plenty to do in the area. There is no key to the property which some renters might not like, but that wasn't a big deal for us since we kept our valuables on hand. Check-in was very easy, and the host was easy to communicate with.
Enjoyed the location and 'treehouse' - perfect for two. Very quiet place to relax and nearby everything you may want to do. The unit was as described, check-in/out simple. Would definitely stay again when visiting in the future - thank you!
Located close to everything we wanted to see. Very quiet and very comfortable stay. Enjoyed our time at the dunes!
Pleasant stay. Few minor items could be repaired or upgraded.
Tree house because you are enveloped in lovely tall leafy woods. The place is a little larger than the pictures might lead you to suspect. It is well appointed and well thought out. Everything you can think of is provided; it's quite comfortable. Would go again.
We loved our stay at the Tree House! The location is perfect being convenient to our favorite beaches in Glen Haven and Empire, the golf courses, and the Leelanau peninsula. The property is located in a peaceful forest. The unit is comfortable, clean, and well-equipped. Norm was easy to reach and responsive while respecting our privacy. We will definitely be back.
This was our second visit to the Tree House and it was a wonderful week. The flat is very well appointed: the kitchen is fully stocked with cookware and easy to cook in, the dining area is convenient, the living area is comfortable (2 chairs and a couch/futon), well lit, and well stocked with screen and dvd player & an assortment of dvds. The bedroom is very nice (double bed, single bed/couch, loveseat) although access to one side of the bed is quite limited.
This is close to the sand dunes, especially Empire Bluff as well as near Glen Arbor. We biked the Heritage Trail and Leelanau Trail and this was a great location to stay for biking. Also paddle boarded many areas around and kayaked down Platte River. Cooked a lot of meals on the grill (salmon, corn, etc) and made nachos in the toaster oven. Quiet nights and loved the dark nights with the tree covering. Norm also was great when we had questions or concerns.
Location was excellent. A LOT to do and a very historic and beautiful area. We had a lot of fun. The property is really an apartment above a garage with a balcony surrounded by trees. It Is NOT a tree house as listed. Bathroom floor was NOT clean. Needs maintenance.
What a great place! Close to the lake but secluded and quiet! Wonderful property and great hosts!
I thoroughly enjoyed my stay in the Tree House. It was nestled near the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park and centrally located. It was a short trip in to Empire to the SBDNP Visitor's Center and Empire's Beach. I was able to hike several place north and south of Empire, bike the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail, and shop/visit numerous towns off of M-22 throughout Leelanau Peninsula area. The Tree House was comfortable for one adult, but would be great for up to 4 adults, or 2 adults and 2 children. It was the perfect size and the owner was terrific!
Clean, comfortable, well stocked kitchen, a comfortable bed, and a location convenient to Empire, Glen Arbor, and Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore. The property description is accurate.
Your dates are Available!
Total
Includes taxes and fees