Dancing Bear Lodge on the Lake, family, friend fun!

4 bedrooms3 bathroomsSleeps 20

Popular amenities

Hot Tub

Fireplace

Free WiFi

Kitchen

Barbecue grill

Outdoor Space

Explore the area

Bitely, MI

Huron-Manistee National Forest1 min walk
Big Star Lake32 min drive
Big Rapids, MI (WBR-Roben-Hood)38 min drive
Ferris State University40 min drive

Rooms & beds

4 bedrooms (sleeps 20)

Bedroom 1

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 2

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 3

+3

2 Twin Beds, 1 Double Murphy Bed, 3 Double Beds and 1 Double Futon

Bedroom 4

1 Queen Bed

3 bathrooms

Bathroom 1

Bathtub or shower · Toilet · Jetted bathtub

Bathroom 2

Toilet · Shower only

Bathroom 3

Toilet · Shower only

Spaces

Deck or patio

Porch or lanai

Kitchen

Balcony

Garden

Dining Area

About this property

Come enjoy Michigan's Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter Wonderland from our 2,416 sq. ft.lakefront vacation home. The Available for weekly vacation rental year round . Not a resort but a bullfrog, pollywog, fish, turtle and sometimes black bear kind of nature encounter!
Located on all sports Pettibone Lake just west of Big rapids (20 miles) and south of Baldwin (12 miles).The Baldwin, Pere Marquette and Pine Rivers make it prime for fishing and hunting ,tubing, canoeing or kayaking and water sports in the summer. Take out our three kayaks, or three paddle boats or the paddle board. We also have an aluminum rowboat. Little splashers will love the shallow swimming area, while tweens may like to paddle or peddle over to snorkel the sandbar and socialize.

Walk or jog, the one mile circuit around the lake with challenging hills or hike off road into the Manistee Forest.
Cozy enough for two or twenty, with four bedrooms and three bathrooms. Perfect for celebrating that special occasion ( NO PARTIES OR EVENTS) or inviting extended family. Although cozy enough for two, It has a spacious feel thanks to the decks and open views of Pettibone Lake from all three floors. Galley style kitchen, and two stall attached garage. Knotty pine throughout with carpet and tile and vinyl plank flooring. Also welcoming base camp in the winter for your snowmobiling,ice fishing, skating, sliding, cross country or downhill skiing enjoyment just 45 minutes from Caberfae Twin Peaks Ski Area. Check our Facebook page “The Dancing Bear Austin Lodge” to view accommodations and see previews of family fun at the lodge. We look forward to you hosting your group. No wild night life but lots of great Wild Life!"

Amenities

Hot Tub

Kitchen

Washer

Dryer

Free WiFi

Air conditioning

Kitchen

Washer

Dryer

Pet friendly

House Rules

Check in after 4:00 PM

Minimum age to rent: 22

Check out before 11:00 AM

Children

Children allowed: ages 0-17

Decks are a fall risk to unsupervised Children.

Events

No events allowed

Pets

No pets allowed

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Life jackets required at all times for water sports and children in and near the lake.

Guests must read "Safety on the Ice” in guest binder at check-in.

Quiet time strictly observed for the benefit of neighboring property owners. Quiet enjoyment of lakefront property privacy must be respected.

Damage and incidentals

You will be responsible for any damage to the rental property caused by you or your party during your stay.

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy

Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges

Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed

Onsite parties or group events are strictly prohibited

Host has indicated there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property

Host has indicated there is a smoke detector on the property

Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a first aid kit, and a deadbolt lock

About the neighborhood

Bitely

Located in Bitely, this chalet is in a rural area and on the beach. The area's natural beauty can be seen at Huron-Manistee National Forest and Pere Marquette River, while Shrine of the Pines and Artworks are cultural highlights. Traveling with kids? Consider Card Wildlife Education Center and Robert L. Ewigleben Ice Arena.

Bitely, MI

What's nearby

Huron-Manistee National Forest - 1 min walk
Balwin Teen Health Center - 21 min drive
Big Star Lake - 32 min drive
Ferris State University - 40 min drive
Silver Lake Sand Dunes Area Chamber of Commerce - 70 min drive

Restaurants

Abner's Restaurant - 15 min drive
Bitely Tavern - 11 min drive
Woodys - 17 min drive
Tiny's Tasty Treats - 16 min drive
Taylor's Chalet - 14 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is Dancing Bear Lodge on the Lake, family, friend fun! pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

What time is check-in at Dancing Bear Lodge on the Lake, family, friend fun!?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Dancing Bear Lodge on the Lake, family, friend fun!?

Check-out is at 11:00 AM.

Where is Dancing Bear Lodge on the Lake, family, friend fun! located?

This Bitely chalet is on the beach, 0.1 mi (0.1 km) from Huron-Manistee National Forest, and within 9 mi (15 km) of Pere Marquette River and Shrine of the Pines. Big Star Lake and Balwin Teen Health Center are also within 12 mi (20 km).

9.8

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labeled.

Learn more

10/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

10/10

Location

9.8/10

Listing accuracy

10/10 Excellent

Joseph W.

Feb 19, 2024

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

Great Place

We went up to ice fish which did not happen due to poor ice conditions. We still had a great time. The place was awesome. Very spacious and clean.

Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2024

10/10 Excellent

SAHAR S.

Oct 19, 2023

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

Will return!

Amazing cabin. We had a great time and will return.

Stayed 5 nights in Oct 2023

8/10 Good

Rebecca L.

Aug 2, 2022

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

Fun little beach house with great lake views

Great hosts, good communication. Lots of available sleep surfaces, but only 4 private areas as listed, and all of the additional sleep areas are open areas…so don't expect to put small kids down ahead of the adults. We hoped to put our small kids to sleep in the basement, but 1 of the 4 bedrooms is down there which we hadn’t realized, so we had to change plans. Luckily one of our family groups didn’t end up coming so that ended up fine. Great parts of the house were the two patios with absolutely gorgeous views (one private off one of the bedrooms), private little beach, the large garage being available for parking/storage, and the tons of extra linens/towels and even extra soaps, etc. It was also very nice that paddle boats, kayaks, and beach toys were offered. Things that may need updating: the sandy beach area definitely needs some TLC. The black tarp was showing through throughout, pieces ripping off and strewn about the sand. It was very tough to keep the kids and babies away from it. The ping pong table had water damage on the whole thing so wasn’t really playable, and the foosball table was so warped from water damage that the whole middle was bowed and the players can’t even move/kick. The paddle boats were a bit the worse for wear as well…one of them was flooded when we got there but the steering was goofy anyway, another barely moved (so much paddling for nothing lol), and the best one had a wood dowel rod pieced together in the steering thing (obviously from a previous break and repair) that broke on our first trip out due to being old or rotted through I guess, and my husband replaced it himself after trying the other two boats and not being happy lol. There was a pontoon boat with the keys in the ignition but battery was dead…we weren’t sure if that was even part of the rental but it was a disappointment for the kids. No AC besides the “dorm” room so we had to keep windows open day and night, which was fine with the weather we had and breeze was nice, but the neighbor on one side is building something so the noise was an issue with open windows, and another neighbor a few houses down was blowing off quarter sticks at 10:30p. Overall a pleasant stay, but there were disappointments upon arrival based on photos and amenities listed. Also I wouldn’t say this has space for more than 4 couples with maybe a few small children each. Lots of extra couches but not a big house, and nothing for teens to do there anyway.

Stayed 6 nights in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Robin B.

Sep 15, 2021

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

Family vacation

The property and home were amazing. Big enough so we could all gather together or split off for alone time.

Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2021

10/10 Excellent

Sarah I.

Aug 10, 2021

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

Wonderful, spacious home

We had a wonderful stay and vacation, thank you! Thankful for the kid's room ac unit, so they could get a good night's sleep. We (the adults) had a couple of warm nights though. Luckily there were fans in every room. We wished there was a window ac unit on the main floor. We had such a fun trip overall, thank you!

Stayed 6 nights in Jul 2021

About the host

Your host

Having great childhood memories of visiting other friends cottages, Rob and I wanted to provide our nine children, sixteen grandchildren with their own Pollywog, bullfrog, fish and tadpole kind of encounter. Fun thing is, we found we enjoyed sharing the cottage with other families as the former owners had done and continued renting out Dancing Bear Lodge. We love hearing the accounts of that first catch, the birthdays celebrated, or holidays shared. As the family continues to grow, we look for ways to expand the shared spaces knowing that the improvements that are beneficial to our large family will be a blessing to other guests as well. We look forward to sharing the lodge with our great guests for many years to come.

Why they chose this property

Cooling on shore breezes find you on the upper deck. Pettibone is a quiet, lake community. With seven year round homes and the rest seasonal..it's everyone's favorite happy place to get away and enjoy nature. Whether listening to the call of the Loons or watching an eagle soaring overhead, petting a visiting fawn or watching the juvenile black bear check out the bird feeders, wildlife abounds. You're UP North ..it's the place you go to unwind a place of pine trees cabins and lakes. Where do the northwoods start? When you're UP NORTH.... you'll know in your heart.

What makes this property unique

Cozy enough for two or twenty, the lodge has nooks and crannies to get away read a book, You're isolated from the cares of life, sheltered in the Manistee National Forest, yet in the good company of friends and family for rest and relaxation all under one roof. The paddle boats and kayaks are complimentary, and the best way to engage with the quiet all sports Pettibone Lake Community. No wild night life ...but lots of nature and wildlife!

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