Arbutus Lakeside Stay-Pontoon Rentals-Near TC!

Sun-dappled, pine-shaded, and genuinely right on the water — this Traverse City cottage rental on Arbutus Lake is the kind of place where the lake is the first thing you see and the last thing you hear. The white clapboard cottage sits low among tall pines, its teal door and metal roof giving it a tidy, freshly kept look, with a gravel path leading straight down to a generous lakeside deck where an octagonal picnic table faces a mirror-still bay ringed by forest-green hills.

Step through the door

Inside, the open living area keeps things smart and simple, warm-toned hardwood floors, a walnut dining table with teal upholstered chairs, a wall-mounted flat-screen, and a compact kitchen with sage-green cabinetry and a black refrigerator. The whole space is fresh and uncluttered, with the kind of clean-lined cottage feel that lets the outdoors do the decorating through the windows.

Room to rest

Both bedrooms offer queen beds dressed in deep navy with matching throw pillows and individual mini-split AC units. Wood-framed windows look out into the pine canopy, keeping the rooms quiet and cool. One full bath serves the cottage.

Outside your door

The lakefront deck is the real reward, an octagonal picnic table, a charcoal grill off to the side, and an open railing view straight across Arbutus Lake to the forested far shore. The water is genuinely steps away, ideal for morning coffee or evening wine as pontoon boats drift past.

What's Nearby

Arbutus Lake sits just south of town, making it an easy drive to the wineries of Old Mission Peninsula and the beaches of West Grand Traverse Bay. For more cabins and cottages in the area, browse all Traverse City vacation rentals on this lake and beyond.

Perfect For

Couples or a small group of four who want a genuine lakefront perch near Traverse City, swim off the deck by day, grill in the evening, and wake up to pines and still water with no commute required.