Hidden River Cabin



Locally Owned & Operated

Central West Coast Michigan
Casago Franchise Owner
What our guests are saying...
Hidden River Cabin is described as a beautiful, peaceful getaway that feels relaxing, private, and well suited for a stress-free stay. Guests appreciated the comfortable cabin, pleasant sleeping conditions, comfortable beds, efficient layout, and inviting spaces such as the deck and large yard. Cleanliness was frequently praised, with many guests highlighting how clean, pleasant, and well kept the cabin felt upon arrival. The setting was consistently valued for being quiet, secluded, and surrounded by beautiful woods, while still offering convenient access to town and nearby points of interest. Guests also enjoyed the river access and private dock, along with the scenic woodland atmosphere and fresh air. Hidden River Cabin was further appreciated for its thoughtful recreation setup, with guests enjoying the available outdoor gear and family-friendly play equipment.
Overview
Get away from it all at Hidden River Cabin, a family retreat tucked away on 2.5 acres of quiet forest along the banks of the Betsie River. Here at the end of a private road and surrounded by the Betsie River State Game Refuge, you'll have 330 feet of natural river frontage and a private dock all to yourself. The Betsie is a protected Natural River, which limits development and preserves natural beauty. It's shallow (averaging 2-4 feet deep) and gentle with a sandy bottom, making it great for big kids to play in and deep enough for leisurely trips in the provided tandem and single kayaks (two of each). The river will take you to the east end of Betsie Bay, Frankfort, and Elberta (roughly a two-hour float or a one-hour paddle), or all the way to Lake Michigan for the more ambitious paddlers. For anglers, fall heralds the arrival of the king salmon run (starting as early as mid-August) with winter and spring bringing the steelhead trout. Use the portable fish-cleaning table and the grill/smoker to cook your catch for dinner, or take them to the Port City Smokehouse for the best smoked fish or pate you've ever had. This home was seemingly designed for those who love to be outdoors. Enjoy a volleyball and badminton set, a bocce set, stomp rockets, and an outdoor firepit where you can roast s'mores nightly. Explore the forest, play in the river, or just curl up with a good book! Hidden River Cabin is about five miles from the pristine beaches at Frankfort and Crystal Lake, and just 26 miles from Sleeping Bear Dunes. There's a family-size folding shade tent, lots of sand toys, and plenty of folding chairs that you can take along on your beach outings. Or, take out the provided bikes to explore the adjacent 22-mile Betsie Valley Trail, which connects Frankfort, Beulah, and Thompsonville, passing by some of the most beautiful scenery in the area. Things to know Two dogs are welcome for a nightly fee Two single kayaks and two tandem kayaks provided (each tandem kayak seats two adults and one child); life vests are available for toddlers through adults Inflatable stand-up paddleboard provided A variety of adult- and kid-size bikes are provided (five adult, one teen, two child); please bring your own helmets. Please note that this property does not have A/C. This property is managed by VueStay Vacations. Michigan Real Estate license #6505433797.
You must be 21 years or older to rent this property.Amenities
Sleeping Arrangements
Bedroom 1
sleeps 2
Bedroom 2
sleeps 2
Bedroom 3
sleeps 4
Common Space 1
sleeps 2
Rating
We absolutely loved the location of this cabin. It is tucked away off the road and truly in the woods. The small path from the woods to the meadow/marshland trail to get to the river is extravagant! There are no signs of invasive plant species and the ecosystem seems to be very healthy. The cabin is older, retro, and rustic but is accommodating enough to inhabit comfortably. We would love to go back!
The entire yard was covered in leaves like they had not been raked or blown since last fall. The yard did not look like the picture at all. The shed was full of trash bags with trash in them. The driveway was littered with cigarette butts. There was loose trash in the yard and around the picnic table. The floor inside was soaking wet when we got there, there was legitimate puddles of water on the floor. So after driving five hours to get there, I was on my hands and knees scrubbing the floor for 45 minutes before I could bring my dog or my kids in because then it would have turned to mud. And it wasn't clean soapy water, it was gross dirty water. There was an acrylic nail stuck to the floor. There was a used moldy towel on the bathroom shelf upstairs. There were dead mice and mouse poop in the stairway. Mold and dust in the closets. Spider webs everywhere. One of my kids got a rusty fishing hook stuck in his foot from the carpet in the bunk room. The house stunk like mold and mildew, like it was just opened for the first time for the year that day. All of the things people complained about on the past reviews had not been resolved. There was still windows without screens, the upstairs window that does have a screen has to be propped open with a piece of wood because the springs are bad. The screen door of the sliding glass door on the porch was busted and couldn't be used to let in air. The sliding glass door does not lock. All of the bike tires were flat. The stake for the volleyball net was in the middle of the walkway to the porch. There was a random braided steel wire sticking out of the ground and was a definite hazard for tripping over, looked like an electrical wire. We had no blankets, the beds had sheets and pillows but there was no blankets. We had 40 degree nights while we were there, we needed blankets. There is a half inch gap underneath the front door, letting in bugs and mice. One of the floor fans was broken and not useable. The doors were unlocked when we got there. The coat hook in the bunk room was broken and laying on the floor. I tried calling the 1-800 number in the email and when I pressed "2" because we had checked in already, the line disconnected... yes I had enough cell service, that option 2 did not work. Our issues were not resolved in a timely manner, we had to go down to the local store to buy blankets at 9:30pm at night because their customer service still had not answered us about their local team bringing us blankets.
Great location! Quiet and secluded. Very relaxing.
Extremely quiet and peaceful. We loved sitting out by the river in the mornings. There are plenty of activities for the kids to do (kayaking, swimming, exploring, biking, volleyball, badminton). Just some precautions…there are not enough silverware and dishes for a full group of people. Luckily we brought paper products and plastic ware. There are only enough towels for one per person which is not enough for a week stay with no way to wash and dry them properly. There were only 7 bikes, not 8 as advertised. There was a lot of garbage left behind by the cleaning crew (both garbage cans in the shed were overflowing). It’s a great home base for exploring the area.
Clean, no frills cabin in quiet area. 15-30 minutes from most hiking/water activities but 1 hour drive to ferry in Leland to visit South Manitou Island. We didn't have a chance to use them but the property did have bikes and kayaks available-- just make sure you get combination to shed as it wasn't provide up front. We had a few issues with the property but the management company was pretty quick in responding to resolve them.
Very peaceful and quiet. Beautiful surrounding areas to explore.
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