Cottage in Beulah, MI
13 guests · 4 bedrooms · 1 bath
Reasons to book
Guests love it hereGuests give this property a top rating
Great for petsBring all your friends and family, even the furry ones
High-end valueWell priced for this area
About this cottage rental
Lil's on the Lake is a cottage right on Crystal Lake that is rustic, but also very charming and historic. Has been owned by the same family since the 1930's. Very child-friendly and pet-friendly with a huge, fully fenced-in yard. Beautiful view of Crystal Lake from the eastern shore. Firepit, outdoor picnic tables, Wi-Fi, streaming television, and lots of parking space as well! Also just a short walk (2 blocks) from fun & family-friendly downtown Beulah and Beulah Beach on Crystal Lake!
INTERACTION WITH GUESTS:
Our local property manager lives in the area and is available to address any issues as needed.
NEIGHBORHOOD:
The cottage is also located just 2 blocks away from downtown Beulah. Beulah is a cute little northern Michigan town located on the east end of Crystal Lake. The town was founded name iin 1880 by Reverent Charles E. Bailey and its name is actually Biblical in nature. It has a cute little main street (Benzie Blvd.) which has a nice collection of shops, restaurants, cafes, a post office, and a couple of bars. We would particularly recommend Ursa Major Bistro and L'Chayim Delicatessen in terms of places to eat in downtown Beulah. One of the neat surprises in Beulah is that there is a wonderful interactive children's science museum called COGnition right on Benzie Blvd. just a short walk (less than 5 minutes) from the cottage!
The cottage is located in beautiful Benzie County, one of the most pristine and natural environments in all of Michigan, and there are a number of other things to do in the area:
* Probably the most popular attraction in all of northwest Michigan is Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. It is incredibly picturesque collection of natural beauty in terms of Lake Michigan, dunes, forests, wildlife, and inland lakes and rivers. There is a vast collection of hiking trails throughout the park and kayaking, canoeing, and tubing on the rivers and lakes is also very popular. The park starts about 8 miles away from the cottage, just north of the west end of Crystal Lake.
* The cottage is just a 10-minute drive from the lovely beachtown of Frankfort on Lake Michigan. Frankfort and nearby Elberta offer a fun collection of beaches, shops, restaurants, cafes, a movie theater, a microbrewery, and a few bars. Frankfort has a very popular public beach on Lake Michigan and Elberta (just across Betsie Lake from Frankfort) offers a more pristine and much less navigated natural beach. (Dogs are allowed everywhere at Elberta Beach, but are only allowed on certain portions of Frankfort Beach.) The Frankfort Lighthouse is also one of the famous and historical lighthouses on Lake Michigan.
* There is wonderful bike trail nearby. It's called the Betsie Valley Bike Trail and it runs 22 miles from Frankfort to Elberta, then along the Betsie River to Beulah, and then on over to Thompsonville. It is accessible just a few blocks from the cottage.
* The area is widely renowned for fishing! Crystal Lake is excellent for perch as well as rock bass. Ice fishing on Crystal Lake for smelt is a popular activity in the winter. Coho salmon, lake trout, and northern pike are also fished in the lake. Salmon fishing on Lake Michigan, the Betsie River, and the Platte River (just north of Beulah) is definitely the biggest fishing attraction though.
* The cottage is just a 5-minute drive from the Cherry Bowl Drive-In Theater. Although it's one of the last drive-in movie theaters in Michigan, it's thriving quite nicely and is a very popular place for an affordable family or couples outing.
* If a larger city environment is desired with more and trendier shops, restaurants, and nightlife, then Traverse City is just 45 minutes away from the cottage. It is the cultural, entertainment, dining, and shopping hub of northern Michigan and, although still relatively small and very safe, it provides a bit of "big city feel" to tourists and locals.
GUEST ACCESS:
Guests have full access to all of the house as well as the entire yard. Note that there is a boat dock on Crystal Lake in front of the cottage, but it used by the neighbors and is not available to guests. There is also a small storage shed in the yard that is only used for storage and is not accessible by guests.
TRANSIT:
Public transportation in the area is quite limited and having a car is really quite necessary. Cars can park anywhere on the large, fenced-in yard. (There are 2 gates for the fence.)
PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING:
1) HEATING: Note that the cottage does not have a basement or a furnace. We utilize electric space heaters to heat the house in the spring and the fall as needed.
2) BONFIRES: There is a bonfire ring at the property. Bonfires must be attended at all times and must be fully extinguished using water.
3) REGISTRATION: This property is officially registered with the Village of Beulah, Michigan, as a short-term rental (STR) property. The registration number is 22031.
4) PET POLICY: Up to 3 dogs are permitted at the property. If bringing 1 to 3 dogs, please make certain that they are included on the reservation and that the pet fee is appropriately paid. More than 3 dogs is strictly prohibited and any pets other than dogs are also strictly prohibited.
5) AIR CONDITIONING: Please note that the property does NOT have air conditioning. As such, it may get warm in the house during the summer if it is warm outside.
6) NUMBER OF GUESTS: Please note that our pricing is based upon the number of guests, with pricing being higher with each additional guest that is included on the reservation. Please make certain that the correct number of guests is specified on the reservation so that the pricing is correct.
7) EARLY CHECK-IN: Our policy is to allow early check-in on the day of arrival if the property is available for check-in. We will not know until the day before arrival whether or not the property will be available for early check-in or not. You can check with our local property manager the day before arrival or on your arrival day to see if the property will be available for early check-in or not.
8) LATE CHECK-OUT: We maintain a very strict and structured cleaning schedule. As such, late check-outs are strictly prohibited.
INTERACTION WITH GUESTS:
Our local property manager lives in the area and is available to address any issues as needed.
NEIGHBORHOOD:
The cottage is also located just 2 blocks away from downtown Beulah. Beulah is a cute little northern Michigan town located on the east end of Crystal Lake. The town was founded name iin 1880 by Reverent Charles E. Bailey and its name is actually Biblical in nature. It has a cute little main street (Benzie Blvd.) which has a nice collection of shops, restaurants, cafes, a post office, and a couple of bars. We would particularly recommend Ursa Major Bistro and L'Chayim Delicatessen in terms of places to eat in downtown Beulah. One of the neat surprises in Beulah is that there is a wonderful interactive children's science museum called COGnition right on Benzie Blvd. just a short walk (less than 5 minutes) from the cottage!
The cottage is located in beautiful Benzie County, one of the most pristine and natural environments in all of Michigan, and there are a number of other things to do in the area:
* Probably the most popular attraction in all of northwest Michigan is Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. It is incredibly picturesque collection of natural beauty in terms of Lake Michigan, dunes, forests, wildlife, and inland lakes and rivers. There is a vast collection of hiking trails throughout the park and kayaking, canoeing, and tubing on the rivers and lakes is also very popular. The park starts about 8 miles away from the cottage, just north of the west end of Crystal Lake.
* The cottage is just a 10-minute drive from the lovely beachtown of Frankfort on Lake Michigan. Frankfort and nearby Elberta offer a fun collection of beaches, shops, restaurants, cafes, a movie theater, a microbrewery, and a few bars. Frankfort has a very popular public beach on Lake Michigan and Elberta (just across Betsie Lake from Frankfort) offers a more pristine and much less navigated natural beach. (Dogs are allowed everywhere at Elberta Beach, but are only allowed on certain portions of Frankfort Beach.) The Frankfort Lighthouse is also one of the famous and historical lighthouses on Lake Michigan.
* There is wonderful bike trail nearby. It's called the Betsie Valley Bike Trail and it runs 22 miles from Frankfort to Elberta, then along the Betsie River to Beulah, and then on over to Thompsonville. It is accessible just a few blocks from the cottage.
* The area is widely renowned for fishing! Crystal Lake is excellent for perch as well as rock bass. Ice fishing on Crystal Lake for smelt is a popular activity in the winter. Coho salmon, lake trout, and northern pike are also fished in the lake. Salmon fishing on Lake Michigan, the Betsie River, and the Platte River (just north of Beulah) is definitely the biggest fishing attraction though.
* The cottage is just a 5-minute drive from the Cherry Bowl Drive-In Theater. Although it's one of the last drive-in movie theaters in Michigan, it's thriving quite nicely and is a very popular place for an affordable family or couples outing.
* If a larger city environment is desired with more and trendier shops, restaurants, and nightlife, then Traverse City is just 45 minutes away from the cottage. It is the cultural, entertainment, dining, and shopping hub of northern Michigan and, although still relatively small and very safe, it provides a bit of "big city feel" to tourists and locals.
GUEST ACCESS:
Guests have full access to all of the house as well as the entire yard. Note that there is a boat dock on Crystal Lake in front of the cottage, but it used by the neighbors and is not available to guests. There is also a small storage shed in the yard that is only used for storage and is not accessible by guests.
TRANSIT:
Public transportation in the area is quite limited and having a car is really quite necessary. Cars can park anywhere on the large, fenced-in yard. (There are 2 gates for the fence.)
PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING:
1) HEATING: Note that the cottage does not have a basement or a furnace. We utilize electric space heaters to heat the house in the spring and the fall as needed.
2) BONFIRES: There is a bonfire ring at the property. Bonfires must be attended at all times and must be fully extinguished using water.
3) REGISTRATION: This property is officially registered with the Village of Beulah, Michigan, as a short-term rental (STR) property. The registration number is 22031.
4) PET POLICY: Up to 3 dogs are permitted at the property. If bringing 1 to 3 dogs, please make certain that they are included on the reservation and that the pet fee is appropriately paid. More than 3 dogs is strictly prohibited and any pets other than dogs are also strictly prohibited.
5) AIR CONDITIONING: Please note that the property does NOT have air conditioning. As such, it may get warm in the house during the summer if it is warm outside.
6) NUMBER OF GUESTS: Please note that our pricing is based upon the number of guests, with pricing being higher with each additional guest that is included on the reservation. Please make certain that the correct number of guests is specified on the reservation so that the pricing is correct.
7) EARLY CHECK-IN: Our policy is to allow early check-in on the day of arrival if the property is available for check-in. We will not know until the day before arrival whether or not the property will be available for early check-in or not. You can check with our local property manager the day before arrival or on your arrival day to see if the property will be available for early check-in or not.
8) LATE CHECK-OUT: We maintain a very strict and structured cleaning schedule. As such, late check-outs are strictly prohibited.
Amenities at Lil's on the Lake - Vintage Cottage On Crystal Lake, Dog-Friendly, and Short Walk to Downtown Beulah!
Non-smoking
Pets allowed
Map of Beulah, MI
Ratings and reviews
10 / 10Outstanding·Jul 2026
Comfortable house with a beautiful view! The kitchen was well organized and stocked. The front porch had an amazing breeze and view. It was close to fun activities.
8 / 10Excellent·May 2026
Great location in Beulah. Great view, sunsets, water, etc. The yard is large and fenced.
The house itself is old and threadbare. Some of the kitchen cabinets and drawers don't open due to settling of the foundation. The stairs to the two bedrooms up stairs are steep. In spite of its age, the house is serviceable. The single bathroom is a little limiting if there are many folks staying there.
The grill needs replacement.
This is our fourth stay at Lil's.
10 / 10Outstanding·Nov 2025
yes its old but great location large lot great access to the lake comfortable beds. nice kitchen with all accessories to make food and affordable great summer rent many restaurants near by nice beach boat launch very close Frankfort 10 miles to the west great beach
6 / 10Average·Jun 2026
The location was perfect and why we booked this place.However, the place needs significant work to make it functional. The property listed itself as sleeping 13 people, which is accurate however it was difficult to accommodate 5. The kitchen had no counter space for food preparation or storage and the counter was at a mid-thigh level. The cabinets were over full with dishes and pots and pans so there was no place to put food and many of the cabinet doors and drawers stuck so could not be used.The bathroom plumbing did not work. We had 5 people staying there - two adults and 3 elementary age kids - and the toilet blocked multiple times and required us to plunge it to make it workable. If 13 people were staying there, the system would fail.The porch was lovely, however, there were no shades for the windows. When we were there the weather was cool - two sunny days with the hottest day being 73. If the weather was hotter and sunnier the porch temperatures would have made it unusable and heated the entire house to an unbearable temperature since there is no central HVAC system. We had cool days, and the we were expected to use space heaters, except if you ran the space heaters at the same time or with other electrics, you blew the fuse.
$$$$
Top rated by guests
9.4Outstanding
(58 Ratings)
"Comfortable house with a beautiful view! The kitchen was well organized and stocked. The front porch had an amazing breeze and view. It was close to fun activities."
Jenny p.Don't miss out! Price and availability may change
