Entire home

The Mint on Huffman Lake-summer lakefront awaits!

Photo gallery for The Mint on Huffman Lake-summer lakefront awaits!

Terrace/patio
Exterior
Property grounds
Exterior
Huffman Lake

Reviews

9.0 out of 10
Wonderful
2 bedrooms1+ bathroomSleeps 6111.5 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Parking available
  • Barbecue grill
  • Kitchen
  • Outdoor space
  • Lake view

Explore the area

Map
Elmira, MI
  • Boyne Mountain
    ‪29 min drive‬
  • Avalanche Bay Indoor Waterpark
    ‪29 min drive‬
  • SkyBridge Michigan
    ‪37 min drive‬
  • Gaylord, MI (GLR-Gaylord Regional)
    ‪21 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

2 bedrooms (sleeps 6)

Main floor bedroom

1 Queen Bed

Upstairs

1 Single Bed and 1 Queen Bed

1 bathroom, 1 half bathroom

Main floor

Bathtub or shower · Toilet

Upstairs

Toilet

Spaces

Deck or patio
Kitchen
Balcony
Dining Area

About this property

The Mint on Huffman Lake-summer lakefront awaits!

THE MINT

SLEEPS: 6 (10 absolute max, including guests)
BEDROOMS: 2 + additional sleeping area
BATHROOMS: 1 full bath (shower, toilet, sink)+ 1/2 bathroom (toilet and sink only)
*LAKEFRONT (Huffman Lake)
*ROW BOAT INCLUDED (with a boat dock) (Memorial Day to Labor Day)
*SWIMMING ON PROPERTY

This charming cottage on the inland Huffman Lake is perfect for a family looking for the classic cottage experience in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. Located halfway between Gaylord and Boyne Mountain, enjoy 50 feet of lakefront with a tiny sandy area on Huffman Lake.

Don't worry, we also provide beach chairs. This cottage has an open- concept kitchen and living room, ideal for entertaining. In addition, enjoy the main floor bedroom and bathroom. You can get to the upstairs loft bedroom and bathroom either via the lovely spiral staircase inside or the outside standard stairway. Plus, upstairs hosts its own 1/2 bathroom with a toilet and sink. Enjoy the beautiful wrap-around deck, with a spectacular view of Huffman Lake, a beautiful 99 acre peaceful, slow-pace lake.

Huffman Lake is an inland lake, so the sand is only on the bottom of the lake. It is murky in some areas and the shoreline is natural. Yes, you may be able to find frogs and the leeches they love to eat, depending on the weather and sand. Bass- both large & small, pike, pan fish, walleye are often caught here. The cottage comes with 1 rowboat for you to enjoy during your stay.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Air Conditioning: There is no air conditioning, there are fans provided.

ATVs: Best to leave those home.

Animals: Yes, there are all kinds of animals that like to roam around in Northern Michigan. While you don't see most of them, you have to be someone who is comfortable in that true outdoorsy environment. Guests have reported seeing and hearing, both a mouse and squirrels at times. We do our absolute best to keep all the critters away and out of the cabin. We do not use Decon within the cabin due to children being part of our family of guests. Fall is the biggest challenge as the little critters, including mice, are looking for a warm place to stay the winter months. We are vigilant about keeping critters at bay, and are always open to suggestions.

Bathroom:

Main floor: Full bath
Upstairs: ½ bath (toilet & sink)

Beach: 50 feet of lakefront with a small sandy area on Hoffman Lake. We also provide beach chairs. The beach area starts off shallow, then progressively drops off about 10-15 feet off the natural shoreline. This is not Disney World. The shoreline natural. There are the standard lakefront bugs, including mosquitos at dusk.

Bedrooms:

Main floor:
Bedroom #1: 1 Queen Bed
Additional sleeping: There is a pull out couch (Queen) on the main floor as well.
Upstairs:
Bedroom #2: 1 Queen Bed
2 Twin Beds
Walk-out Ground floor:
Additional sleeping area: 1 pull out couch (Full) + breakfast area (microwave and coffee pot)

Boats: 1 aluminum rowboat for you to enjoy! Also 3 stand up paddle boards. We do have some life jackets there-but it's always best to bring your own. (Memorial Day to Labor Day)

Books/Board Games/Radio: We have all three of these for your enjoyment and entertainment!

Cell phone coverage: Very spotty. To the best of our knowledge, only Verizon customers seem to get the best connection. AT&T service does not seem to work at all at The Mint.

Deck: There is a deck, along with a patio set and beach chairs.

Distance:

Northern Michigan Speedway-- right down the street from the cottage
Up North Blueberry Farm: U-pick blueberries! Located in Gaylord, approximately 10 miles from the cottage.
Call of the Wild Museum & Gift Shop:
Gaylord's City Elk Park: The city of Gaylord maintains an elk herd and provides viewing areas for the public to stop and watch the impressive herd. Under the city's care the roughly 70 elk can be viewed from near the Elk's Lodge off Grandview at Elk View Park. The herd is contained on 108 acres. City staff feed the animals corn, hay and sugar beets, plus vitamins. The herd started with three elk 14 years ago, when a local nature center closed. Currently, a few of the bulls weigh well over 800 pounds and stand roughly 6' tall. The bulls will don their massive horns during the fall and winter, dropping them in the spring.
* 15 minutes from Gaylord
* 20 minutes from Boyne
* 25 minutes from Petoskey
* 40 minutes from Charlevoix
* 1 hr. from the Mackinac Bridge
* 4 hrs. from Detroit

Dock: dock where guests can tie their own boat to as well as the rowboat provided

Fire pit/Firewood: We have firewood provided at the cottage for your use. There is a fire pit near the water's edge. There are lawn chairs underneath the cottage for you to pull out and use as you'd like around the fire. It's always helpful when the chairs are returned upon use. Thank you!

Fishing: Bass- both large & small, pike, pan fish, walleye are often caught here. Minnows, crayfish and frogs are regularly spotted near the shore. Please bring your fishing poles.

Grill: Yes-there is a propane grill and a charcoal.(charcoal and fluid not provided)

Grocery Store: In Vanderbilt, MI there are options.

Handicap accessible: Everything is accessible on main floor for a wheelchair

Internet: Yes, Truestream wifi

Landline: There is no landline phone, so we recommend bringing a cell phone. Verizon is the service provider that works best at The Mint. AT&T is virtually nonexistent.

Pets: Sorry, we can not accept pets at this time.

Septic: Please be advised that the septic system works well with 6 people or less at the cottage. If you have guests, you will need to be extra conservative with the septic, this rural system can get clogged with more than 6 people using it regularly. Please be conservative.

Swimming: The swimming has been reported to be very good at the cottage.

Towels/Linens: Yes, basic linens and towels are provided. Please bring your own beach towels.

TV/standard DVD player: We have Direct TV. There is a TV with a standard DVD player and a VHS player for you to use in the living room. Also, there is another TV upstairs that will play DVD's and has Direct TV.

Property manager

Freshwater Vacation Rentals
Premier Host

Languages

English, Spanish

Add dates for prices

Amenities

Kitchen
Outdoor space
Parking available
Lake view
Barbecue grill

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House Rules

Check in after 4:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 25
Check out before 11:00 AM
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Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17
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Events

No events allowed
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Pets

No pets allowed
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Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

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
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has indicated that there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property

About the area

Elmira

Located in Elmira, this cottage is on the beach. Eva and Vern Hanel Jr. Nature Preserve and Marvin Memorial Nature Preserve reflect the area's natural beauty and area attractions include Avalanche Bay Indoor Waterpark and Bavarian Falls Park. Otsego County Sportsplex and Gaylord Discovery Center are also worth visiting. Make sure you get close to the area's animals with activities such as game walks and birdwatching.
Map
Elmira, MI

What's nearby

  • Lake Thumb - 16 min drive - 7.4 km
  • Gaylord Country Club - 24 min drive - 15.5 km
  • Boyne Mountain - 29 min drive - 17.7 km
  • Avalanche Bay Indoor Waterpark - 29 min drive - 18.3 km
  • SkyBridge Michigan - 37 min drive - 23.3 km

Getting around

  • Pellston, MI (PLN-Pellston Regional) - 53 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪The Elkhorn Grill - ‬24 min drive
  • ‪Mill Street Pizza - ‬23 min drive
  • ‪The Railside Bar & Grill - ‬22 min drive
  • ‪Trail Town Tavern - ‬25 min drive
  • ‪Cafe 32 - ‬23 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is The Mint on Huffman Lake-summer lakefront awaits! pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

What time is check-in at The Mint on Huffman Lake-summer lakefront awaits!?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at The Mint on Huffman Lake-summer lakefront awaits!?

Checkout is at 11:00 AM.

Where is The Mint on Huffman Lake-summer lakefront awaits! located?

Situated on the beach, this cottage is within 9 miles (15 km) of Lake Thumb, Lake Eighteen and Standard Lake. Village Park and Vanderbilt Library are also within 9 miles (15 km).

Reviews

9.0

Wonderful

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 16 out of 24 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 4 out of 24 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 3 out of 24 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 1 out of 24 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 24 reviews

8.4/10

Cleanliness

8.0/10

Amenities

10/10

Property conditions & facilities

10/10

Eco-friendliness

10/10

Check-in

9.4/10

Communication

9.6/10

Location

9.2/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Terence M.

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

Fall colors

Well maintained, clean, and comfortable.
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2024

6/10 Okay

Kelly C.

Liked: Check-in, communication, location
Disliked: Cleanliness

Beautiful property, was not clean

First of all the property itself is beautiful the water is wonderful. But unfortunately it was not very clean. My husband pulled the bed sheets down to check if they were clean. The listing for the property says smoke free. there was an ashtray full of cigarettes buds on the deck and we dont smoke, can't stand it! Not enough towels said to bring your own beach towels but should bring extra bath towels. Dirty sponge was left on the kitchen sink and I opened the cupbard to get a pan out for breakfast,the cupboard looked like someone just threw all the pans in it. So I am not sure who is doing the cleaning but I would say that it really needs to improve alot. I took pictures of everything if you need them. I am sorry I wanted to leave a better review but we unfortunately will not be back.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2024

8/10 Good

Rachael M.

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

Relaxing cabin

This place was so very chill and quiet. The lake is also very peaceful with minimal boats on it! Only negative is that the beds are a bit hard.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2024

10/10 Excellent

Chloe W.

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

Lake time!

Wonderful time on the water. House sits right in the waterfront and we loved taking the row boat out. Would stay again!
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

adam d.

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

Family trip 2024

Great location near a number of excellent Lake Michigan beaches that we visited during our stay. Hoffman lake was clean, calm, warm, and the fish were biting all week. The home had everything we needed to make the most of our stay! Thank you, and perhaps we will visit again in the coming years.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Dave R.

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

Excellent home for “The Guys” annual fishing trip.

The Mint was an excellent home with plenty of room for four guys to relax and enjoy! The views of the lake were outstanding and having lakefront access was key to enjoying the water. Fishing was good…..only had a few bites and caught one 14” bass……but we had an awesome time! We will definitely be returning next summer for our 2nd annual fishing trip!
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2024

4/10 Poor

Robb P.

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Disliked: Cleanliness

Very unsatisfactory

We arrived on Monday night and everything seemed to be ok. In Tuesday morning we discovered ants on countertops and near sink. I texted property manager and he replied promptly that he would have caretaker address. Caretaker showed up with ant spray and ant buttons neither of which helped at all. Wednesday night we were sitting in the living room and heard a noise in kitchen area. Within minutes we saw a mouse near and then on the microwave! This was late evening and I immediately sent text to property manager. The next morning I received a text back to call him. By this time I called him back and explained situation and told him we were not staying another day as we could still hear the mouse. He understood and refunded 2 days rent which was fair. We also had earwigs in the house. I truly believe an entire extermination was needed. Also had problem with coffee maker-I purchased a cheap one and TV. Overall not a satisfactory rental to say the least! Have stayed at other properties thru VRBO in the past without any problems!
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2024

6/10 Okay

Stephen C.

Liked: Check-in, location
Disliked: Cleanliness, communication

Average at best

Super Hot!! No a/c and only 2 box fans. Miserable! We had a nightly visitor who left droppings on the counter and in the cupboards. Ants freely roamed the kitchen at will. Having a washer or at least a dryer would have made a big difference. Definitely dated inside with a mild musty smell. Would not stay again. Great Location, beautiful lake! No fish
Stayed 6 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

Sage B.

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

The Mint was Mint

Just a Blast. Did not seem real at first when first arrived. Greeted by a beautiful view and quite nature around you. Lake was GREAT for fishing. Have not pulled that many pike in awhile. Great Spot and will be back!
Stayed 6 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

William

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities, communication
Such a pleasant place to stay. Roomy for three of us. The lake is beautiful.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Joseph I.

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

The Mint is great

Excellent location. Small, quiet lake with decent fishing. The kids enjoyed the spiral staircase and big deck. The wife enjoyed the awesome lake view. I thoroughly enjoyed the quiet area and fish. Awesome place, we will definitely be staying here again!
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

Kyle C.

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

WEDDING ON THE LAKE

Exactly what we needed. Close to the wedding festivities.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2019

8/10 Good

Barry G.

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

Very nice!

Me and my family had a wonderful at Captain Frans. Clean and in good order.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2019

10/10 Excellent

Daniel H.

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

Great Get Away Property

The house was as described on line. It was neat, tidy and was great to have everyone together. The view of the lake was nice and don't forget the retractable awning. Checking in and out was easy and the owners were great to work with. They provided local info and worked with us when we called. There is a rowboat but no other water craft. Overall a very nice experience.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2019

10/10 Excellent

Chris A.

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

Lake house

Great Lake cabin for our trip. Extremely quite. Had everything we needed. Thanks again!
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2019

8/10 Good

Theresa L., Saint Charles, Illinois

Wonderful location

The lake was quiet and lovely and the home was clean and comfortable. We enjoyed our stay very much. This is a beautiful location, central to many attractions in northern Michigan. We will stay here again.
Stayed 5 nights in Oct 2018

10/10 Excellent

Angel P.

Great

We had a wonderful time.
Stayed 5 nights in Sep 2018

8/10 Good

Bonnie E., Michigan

Clean,well represented, WIFI good on weekends,Murky bottom lake w a good public beach. Nice rowboat.

Cottage clean, well kept up. Very good water, nice stainless steel cookwear. No mosquitos, amazing! WIFI and beach not so much ... WIFI worked best on weekends mucky lake bottom in shallows; but nice public beach acrossed lake. Cottage discruption well represented. Bonnie
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2018

10/10 Excellent

David G.

Exactly as advertised

Exactly as advertised. Comfortable. Lake had decent fishing. Deck is wonderful. Just a great place to chill for a week. Remote enough so you feel away from it all, but close enough to Gaylord or Petoskey if you need supplies or want to hit the Big Lake. We had a lot of fun!
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2018

6/10 Okay

Mike T.

Clean and big house

The 75' of sand beach only extended about four feet into the lake. After that, you sink over your ankles in the muck. Most of our swimming took place off our boat or at the township park on the south side of the lake. Kitchen needs more spoons. The power awning was nice for early parts of the day to get out of the sun on the deck.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2018
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Lauren G.

Great family get away!

Had a great time! We had plenty to do at the cabin and we were close enough to hiking trails, big water, Petosky and Mackinaw to get out and explore! We will definitely be back next year!
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2017
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Bernadette S.

Captain Frans

Love this Cottage!!! I have been here many times and enjoy the peaceful and tranquil location. We always like riding bikes the 3 miles around the lake and sitting on deck reading a great book. Great location, close to Boyne City, Harbor Springs, "The tunnel of trees" Petoskey and Mackinaw Island. I hope to be back in the fall for long weekend. Thank You , The SAVAGES
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Art S.

Very quite, lots of fun!

Enjoyed a long weekend here with some friends. The cabin is well maintained and clean. I will be booking this again in the future!
Stayed 4 nights in May 2016
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Bernadette S.

Loved the serenity, the lake and the party!

It was clean and well Maintained. Had a Great time swimming, fishing, boating and tubing. Enjoyed the Camp fires! Beautiful Lake! We'll be back!

About the host

Hosted by Freshwater Vacation Rentals

Host profile image
Freshwater Vacation Rentals
• Established in 2005

If you are looking for a vacation rental, you have come to the right spot! We specialize in vacation rentals throughout Michigan. From your own private island to a lodge big enough to host your family reunion or a relaxing getaway on one of the Great Lakes. If you feel like a social vacation where you have neighbors to enjoy the evening fires together, to remote places where you won't see another soul, give us a call and we'll find the right place for you.
Our philosophy
We work hard so you don't have to. Our goal is for guests have a wonderful vacation experience and assist our owners in maximizing their investment. We started this business 13 years ago, with the purchase of Republic Island, and added the Rapid River Lodge. We have a unique perspective, as we are both owners and property managers. We love the business and are enjoying it as it grows.

Languages:

English, Spanish

Premier Host

They consistently provide great experiences for their guests