Pet-Friendly, Betsie River Retreat - Sleeps 10 - Ski, Fish, and More!

Thompsonville, Michigan
$324 avg/night Minimum Stay 2 Nights
Bed 4

Bed

Bath 2

Bath

Home Cabin

Property Type

Sleep 10

Max Sleeps

Night 2 nights

Min Stay

This cozy cottage in a secluded, wooded setting has easy access to many of northwestern Michigan’s favorite attractions. Life is Better North offers a true “up north” getaway for groups of 6-12 people. Accommodations include:

• over 1600 square feet of comfortable, roomy living space
• master bedroom with king sized bed
• 2nd bedroom with full-sized bunk bed and 3rd full-size trundle bed
• 3rd bunk room style bedroom with twin over full bunk bed
• porch area is furnished with a queen-sized futon couch, converting to a fourth, private, sleeping area for 2
• additional sleeping accommodations include a full-sized sleeper sofa in the living room, as well as twin-sized sleeper sofa in the sitting area.
• NEW FOR 2022 - 10x25 bonus room with XL sectional couch, smart TV, & games
• 2 full-sized baths
• fully furnished kitchen with refrigerator, stove, and microwave.
• wood burning fireplace
• satellite television
• high-speed internet
• DVD player
• washer and dryer
• ample parking (outdoor, hardwired outlets are available for additional RV parking for large groups. Please inquire with owner.)
• pets considered

There is a security camera located in the parking area. This camera is inactive while the property is occupied.

Winter activities:
Life is Better North is located just 4 1/2 miles from Crystal Mountain ski resort, offering 39 trails and 5 state-of-the-art lifts. Groomed snowmobile trail system access is less than a mile away. Snowmobile rentals are available just 4 miles away at Crystal Adventures. And with over an acre lot, there is plenty of room for sleds, trailers, and vehicle parking.

Iron Fish Distillery is located just over a mile up the road.

Local lakes and trail systems also offer snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, ice-fishing, and more for the winter sports enthusiast.

Spring, Summer, and Fall Fun:
Enjoy world-class salmon and fly fishing with 120 ft of river frontage at one of the deepest bends of the river! Or relax and enjoy the serene beauty of the Betsie with a kayak or tube trip. In the fall, experience the gorgeous foliage and fabulous winery tours on Leelanau or Old Mission Peninsula, and the quaint shops and restaurants of nearby Traverse City. Incredible hiking and biking is available nearby with the Betsie Valley Trail, Betsie River Pathway, Manistee National Forest trailheads, and many more local trail systems.


Local attractions include:
Crystal Mountain ski and golf resort & spa – 4.5 miles
Iron Fish Distillery - 1.5 miles
Arcadia Bluffs golf resort – 18 miles
Lake Michigan beaches – 15 miles
Empire Beach (an awesome beach for families) - 22 miles
Beulah: brewery, groceries, and shopping - 15 miles
Frankfort: quaint town with great restaurants, shopping, beach - 22 miles
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park – 25 miles
Traverse City shopping, restaurants – 37 miles
Winery tours – 40 miles
Casino- 25 miles
Interlochen Fine Arts Center – 19 miles
Betsie Valley Trail system – 5 miles

Read More Expand
  • Feature Features
  • Map Map
  • School District Availability
  • Review Review

Feature Features

  • SKI

    Snowboarding And Cross-country Skiing Nearby
  • PETS

    Pet Friendly
  • DINING

    Dining Table
  • SAFETY

    Carbon Monoxide Detector Installed (host Has Indicated There Is A Carbon Monoxide Detector On The Property) Deadbolt Lock Smoke Detector Not Reported (host Has Not Indicated Whether There Is A Smoke Detector On The Property)
  • BEDROOM

    4 Bedrooms Bed Sheets Provided
  • GENERAL

    Unit Size: 1600 Sq Ft (149 Sq M)
  • KITCHEN

    Blender Coffee/tea Maker Cookware/dishes/utensils Microwave Oven Refrigerator Spices Stovetop Toaster
  • LAUNDRY

    Laundry Facilities Washing Machine And Dryer
  • PARKING

    Car Required Onsite Parking
  • INTERNET

    Free WiFi
  • OUTDOORS

    Barbecue Grill Firepit Patio
  • BATHROOMS

    2 Bathrooms Bathtub Or Shower Hair Dryer Towels Provided
  • WORKSPACES

    Computer Monitor Desk Desk Chair
  • LANGS SPOKEN

    English
  • THINGS TO DO

    Birdwatching Nearby Casino Nearby Fishing Nearby Golf Nearby Hiking Nearby Ice Skating Nearby Kayaking Nearby Sledding Nearby Wildlife And Game Walks Nearby
  • ENTERTAINMENT

    DVD Player Games Smart TV With Cable/satellite Service
  • LIVING SPACES

    Fireplace Living Room
  • CLIMATE CONTROL

    Air Conditioning Heating
  • FAMILY FRIENDLY

    Children's Books
  • LOCATION HIGHLIGHTS

    Near A Health Or Beauty Spa On The River On The Waterfront
  • 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 : 10

Map Map

School District Availability

Review Review

  • Amanda S.

    Submitted Feb 10, 2026

    Stayed Feb 7, 2026

    Clean, great amenities and location!

  • Peter T.

    Submitted Feb 1, 2026

    Stayed Jan 29, 2026

    House was great! Had a good time and everything was prepared well and and easy in and out process.

  • Ginger C.

    Submitted Jan 2, 2026

    Stayed Dec 29, 2025

    This was the perfect place for a short ski get away! The house is very clean and charming. The property is beautiful, being on the river. We were so happy to be able to have our dog with us and we were all very comfortable.

  • Michael C.

    Submitted Oct 7, 2025

    Stayed Sep 18, 2025

    Great cabin, with lots of stuff to make the stay like home.

  • Barbara W.

    Submitted Sep 14, 2025

    Stayed Sep 11, 2025

    Very pet and family friendly. Beds were comfy very clean. Loved sitting around the fire ring making somores. Had a great long weekend.

  • Christine M.

    Submitted Aug 23, 2025

    Stayed Aug 16, 2025

    Large home for family to spread out in. Fire pit was fantastic.

  • George Y.

    Submitted Aug 13, 2025

    Stayed Jul 26, 2025

    Very good. The house accommodates my family just right. I especially like my early morning coffees on the riverside deck, and the easy and shallow access to the water for the kids. Also, given my familiarity of the area already, we are able to plan multiple activities in NW Michigan and stay busy every day.

  • Trish M.

    Submitted Jul 13, 2025

    Stayed Jul 6, 2025

    We had a wonderful time with beautiful accommodations! 10 out of 10 for sure!

  • Michelle K.

    Submitted Jul 6, 2025

    Stayed Jun 28, 2025

    Great location to all we want to do.

  • Submitted Jun 25, 2025

    Stayed Jun 12, 2025

    This property is clean and well maintained. We have stayed here twice and loved it both times. Lots of room for our whole family. Plenty of towels and sheets to use. We love having access to the river also. It's peaceful and wonderful to sit on the edge of the river and enjoy the day.

  • vincent d.

    Submitted Apr 6, 2025

    Stayed Apr 2, 2025

    Annual steel head fishing trip was a success. Thank you for the accommodations

  • Rodney M.

    Submitted Mar 28, 2025

    Stayed Mar 24, 2025

    Winter was in full effect and the Betsie River was Spectacular! The property was wonderful and cozy!!

  • T H.

    Submitted Sep 30, 2024

    Stayed Sep 24, 2024

    Place was awesome, we'll be looking forward to coming back ?

  • Karl J.

    Submitted Sep 24, 2024

    Stayed Sep 20, 2024

    Had a great time. Clean cottage lots of salmon, caught a few, great location!

  • Shaun L.

    Submitted Sep 20, 2024

    Stayed Sep 15, 2024

    Good time, good friends and great cabin to spend time at. Everything that you need is here!

  • Ted L.

    Submitted Sep 3, 2024

    Stayed Aug 30, 2024

    Undersold and overdelivered. Beautiful North woods setting! Loved the clear, cold water of the fast moving, shallow river. Bald eagle swooped down to 20 feet for a closer look. Kids caught dozens of crayfish and played in the calmer spots. Humble exterior belies the spacious, clean and very well equipped interior. We had perfect weather but there are so many games to play and places to curl up with a book that it wouldn’t have mattered. Multiple TVs and entertainment options. Ample linens, towels, and supplies. Only need to bring food! Crystal Mountain very close and short, pretty drive to Lake Michigan and many hiking trails. Iron Fish Distillery is a must visit … it’s not even 5 min away. Perfect family cabin. Responsive hosts that made us feel welcome. We all just loved it!

  • Greg W.

    Submitted Aug 19, 2024

    Stayed Aug 16, 2024

    Love everything about being up north this location is perfect for all of it!!

  • Dan P.

    Submitted Aug 8, 2024

    Stayed Aug 4, 2024

    Great time as usual

  • George Y.

    Submitted Aug 3, 2024

    Stayed Jul 27, 2024

    The property itself was an exceptional indoor/outdoor experience. The children took advantage of the river. The house was a comfortable arrangement for all. Downside: noisy neighbors next door downstream, first a group of women, then several families playing loud ethnic music and setting off firecrackers. The acoustics in the woods is too good.

  • Chris P.

    Submitted Jul 21, 2024

    Stayed Jul 13, 2024

    Clean, chill, accomodating location for our family and furry friend. Right next to Iron Fish distiller, which was lots of fun!

  • Michelle K.

    Submitted Jul 7, 2024

    Stayed Jul 1, 2024

    This is our third stay at this property. It is always clean and well stocked for all our needs. The amount of sleeping options fit all the needs of our group. We look forward to staying here again in the future.

  • Joshua B.

    Submitted Jul 1, 2024

    Stayed May 30, 2024

    Overall great location, nice home, pleanty of room. I had no issues cooking food for over 100 people for a graduation party due to the well stocked kitchen. Only thing we missed was bandaids, shampoo, but close enough to make a quick purchase. The property is nice but neighbors who also appear to rent had a large frat party two of our nights.

Your dates are Available!

Total

Includes taxes and fees
$324+
View details