'Barefoot' Lake House–Play, Rest & Relax

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Entire home

Overview
Amenities
Policies
Location
Host

Exceptional

4 bedrooms2 bathroomsSleeps 8177 sq m

Popular amenities

Pet-friendly

Fireplace

Kitchen

Barbecue grill

Free WiFi

Air conditioning

Explore the area

Iron Ridge, WI

Sinissippi Lake5 min walk
Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center13 min drive
Erin Hills Golf Course31 min drive
Milwaukee, WI (MKE-General Mitchell Intl.)69 min drive

Rooms & beds

4 bedrooms (sleeps 8)

Bedroom 1

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 2

1 Double Futon and 1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 3

2 Single Bunk Beds

Bedroom 4

1 Single Bunk Bed

2 bathrooms

Bathroom 1

Toilet · Shower only

Bathroom 2

Bathtub or shower · Toilet

Spaces

Deck or patio

Porch or lanai

Kitchen

Outdoor play area

Garden

Dining Area

About this property

Rehabbed lake home with 100' on Sinissippi Lake. Incredible sunsets, water-sports, bon-fires, grilling and relaxing.

Lake Sinissippi is a quiet 2800 acre lake, bordered by Horicon Marsh- National Wildlife Refuge to the North. Plenty of pelicans, Blue Herons and you may be lucky and see a Bald Eagle. We're about 2.5 hours from Chicago, and less than an hour from Milwaukee. It may be the best kept secret in Wisconsin!

Original pine paneled cottage with a recent addition doubling the size is rustic, modern and comfortable. Four bedrooms (3 + private loft) with 2 queen beds and 3 twin bunks. Fully equipped kitchen, sunroom with game table, living room with Lake views and space for game night, reading and lounging. TV (no cable, there is AppleTV you can log into your account or stream content from your phone), Sonos music system and a bluetooth speaker. The dining room off the kitchen seats 6-10, with a sitting area in front of the original stone fireplace.

In the summer months, enjoy the large yard, large fire pit and a brand-new pier for swimming. Sandy bottom, about 3 feet deep, is perfect for everyone. Lounge in the hammock or one of the many adirondaks, or get on the water in a kayak, paddle board and various floats available in the boat house. Many outdoor games like bocce ball, included. Outdoor dining table seats 8-10.

You can bring your own boat or wave runner. There is a boat launch at the end of the street and our lift is available at an additional fee.

Grill-out for dinner, start a camp-fire in the pit, watch an amazing (truly incredible) sunset and roast marshmallows under the stars to end the day.

Nearby, Horicon Marsh is the largest freshwater marsh in the country with year-round outdoor activities. 3-5 golf courses within 20 minutes, including Erin Hills, site of the 2017 US Open. In town are bars and restaurants if you want to get out.

Grocery store and Wal-Mart are about 20-30 mins.

Property manager

John Bellei

Premier Host

Languages

English

Amenities

Kitchen

Washer

Dryer

Pet-friendly

Free WiFi

Air conditioning

Hot tub

Kitchen

Washer

Dryer

House Rules

Check in after 4:00 PM

Minimum age to rent: 26

Check out before 11:00 AM

Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17

Events

No events allowed

Parties and events are not allowed

Pets

Pets allowed: dogs (limit 1 total)

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Up to 3 vistors (not registered) are allowed until 10p. Only registered guests may stay overnight

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

Note from host: Parties and events are not allowed

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

Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher and a deadlock

We should mention

A car is required for transport to and from this property

About the area

Iron Ridge

Located in Iron Ridge, this cottage is on the waterfront. Mayville Historical Society and Wisconsin Automotive Museum are cultural highlights, and some of the area's activities can be experienced at Mayville Golf Course and Old Hickory Golf Club. Travelling with kids? Consider Dodge County Fairgrounds and Holy Hill. Make sure you get close to the area's animals with activities such as game walks and birdwatching.

Iron Ridge, WI

What's nearby

Sinissippi Lake - 5 min walk
Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center - 13 min drive
Beaver Dam Raceway - 23 min drive
Erin Hills Golf Course - 31 min drive
Holy Hill - 36 min drive

Getting around

Fond du Lac, WI (FLD-Fond du Lac County) - 49 min drive

Restaurants

‪1850s Inn - ‬16 min drive
‪Sinissippi Lake Pub - ‬5 min drive
‪Rock River Tap - ‬12 min drive
‪Snapper Vick's - ‬13 min drive
‪Strikes Spares & Spirits - ‬13 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is 'Barefoot' Lake House–Play, Rest & Relax pet-friendly?

Yes, this property allows dogs (limit 1 total).

What time is check-in at 'Barefoot' Lake House–Play, Rest & Relax?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at 'Barefoot' Lake House–Play, Rest & Relax?

Checkout is at 11:00 AM.

Where is 'Barefoot' Lake House–Play, Rest & Relax located?

This family-friendly Iron Ridge cottage is located on the waterfront, 0.3 mi (0.4 km) from Sinissippi Lake, and within 9 mi (15 km) of Ledge Park and Horicon Marsh. Mayville Golf Course and Mayville Historical Society are also within 12 miles (20 km).

Exceptional

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

Learn more

9.4/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

10/10

Location

10/10

Listing accuracy

10/10 Excellent

Jake J.

27 June 2024

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

nice stay

Nice house, pretty lake

Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

Erin F.

25 Aug 2023

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

Our Tradition

It was our third annual long weekend at Barefoot! A trip we look forward to all summer! The space works well for us, five adults, one 5 year old, and dogs. We enjoyed playing the games and doing one of the puzzles provided. My daughter loved all the kids books they have. The lake is murky but totally fine for swimming and great for kayaking! The hammock and swings were also a hit. Thank you again for a wonderful weekend!

Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2023

8/10 Good

Loz, Chicago

7 Aug 2023

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

Sinissippi Fun

Beautiful lake home, enough room for everyone! The neighbors were friendly (although “Savanna” the yellow lab likes to poop in the yard… lol). The lake is really shallow and filled with algae but that didn’t stop us from boating, paddle boarding, swimming and fishing. We only caught nasty catfish. The home had lots of lake toys to use, and a great poker table for card games!! The PacMan video game was a big hit!! Lots of towels provided. The oven was weird because the burners have to stay lit and on all the time. Water pressure is awful but usually on the lake that’s the norm. The pelicans were amazing to watch, the chipmunks kept us company while playing “bags” in the spacious yard. The sunsets were absolutely beautiful. We rented a pontoon from OxBow marina, service and boat was perfect. We highly recommend this lake home for a family fun vacation…. We hope to be back next year! Our hosts were wonderful!! Thanks so much for everything! (Bring own broom or vacuum for clean up)

Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Jessica M.

7 Aug 2023

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

Amazing sunsets!

This was the perfect place for a family vacation! The house was so nice and the lake was even more amazing! The views were spectacular. We enjoyed all the lake amenities and the property.

Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Vicky V.

23 June 2023

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

Memories…

We owned a home on this lake while my daughters were growing up…we celebrated one of their milestone birthdays on this trip and it brought back such great memories! The property was absolutely the perfect size and location for our needs…it was clean and clearly cherished by the owners…I would love to stay again someday.

Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

Dana M.

5 Nov 2022

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

McDaniel Family

We LOVED staying at this property! The house is so cute and comfortable. The lake is BEAUTIFUL. We had everything we needed at this property. We had a question about the gas stove and the owners messaged us back very timely. We will be coming back at the end of January and are hoping to be able to stay here again!!! Loved it!!

Stayed 5 nights in Oct 2022

10/10 Excellent

Mary Beth H.

25 Sept 2022

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

Girls' Weekend Retreat

The goal was to kick back, tell stories and cook together. The weather and scenery were amazing. The only glitch was the lack of kitchen utensils and 2 dull knives -- we begged Jim next door for a spatula and we had to get creative in cleaning shrimp with the knife off of the wine opener!

Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2022

10/10 Excellent

Anita K., Wilmette, IL

22 Aug 2022

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

Wonderful!

Home was lovely and accurately described. Spacious and everything worked well. Only major problem was the abundance of spider webs encompassing the exterior of the property and dock. So spent a considerable amount of time cleaning them up. Apparently there is a season for this and it came early:) We managed by cleaning everything when we got there and daily afterwards, a necessary thing. But otherwise everything was lovely. Backyard to waterfront space is large and spacious.

Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Lora C., Castle Rock, CO

20 July 2022

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

Relaxing lake house

This was perfect For a couple days of total R&R. We hung on the dock and on the pad in the lake During the days and played games at night after a fire and the great sunsets. It is a bit isolated so 3 lake days was about right!

Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Stacy C.

14 July 2022

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

Lazy days at the lake make you want to stay forever

Barefoot was better than the description. So much to do with more indoor and outdoor games and activities than we expected. Lake is very peaceful - and the few people we saw were friendly with a casual wave from their boats. My teenagers loved the sound system and being able to play music throughout the house and backyard as they played washers and yard Yahtzee and enjoyed the fire pit. Only note - besides remember your beach towels - is that there is ample kitchenware but not necessarily sized for a larger group. So we used more dishes when we cooked indoors. I took it as a sign that we should take better advantage of the grill! Final shoutout to the Stand in Iron Ridge. Delicious pizza and custard with great service.

Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Bridget P.

11 July 2022

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

Perfect week

The house and grounds were beautiful. We so appreciated all the little touches, books, games, the guitar was especially fun since none of us have a clue how to play. We love cooking indoors and out. Truly a forever family memory. Thank you so much!

Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2022

10/10 Excellent

Erin F.

20 June 2022

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

Another Amazing Stay at Barefoot

This was our second annual long weekend at Barefoot. It never fails to impress. We had five adults and one 4 yr old. We all had a blast! Lake is great for swimming with littles, fishing, and kayaking. So many activities are provided that even on the day it was too windy to enjoy the lake we were never bored. We went out to eat one evening to Sinnissippi Lake Pub. Food was great. We hope to return to Barefoot next year!

Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2022

10/10 Excellent

EMILY T.

9 Oct 2021

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

Worth the drive

The house accommodated our group well. We received advance notice that work was being done on the shoreline, but we had no inconvenience. The drive through rural Wisconsin was well worth the time. The lake is beautiful and we had a nice campfire. We golfed at a nearby course. Kayaks were available but the wind kept us ashore. I would definitely book again.

Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2021

6/10 Okay

Megan D.

6 Aug 2021

Liked: Check-in, communication, listing accuracy

Disliked: Cleanliness

Simple Midwest Lake Getaway

We were 2 families, 4 adults and 4 kids 5-9 years old. The house and lake are very secluded and relaxing, yet not much to do in the surrounding areas if you are looking to get out. The kids loved the amenities such as basketball hoop, trampoline, swings and the adults enjoyed the SUP and kayaks. The kids spent hours a day fishing off the dock and swimming and we all enjoyed hanging out by the fire at night. The kitchen was well equipped for us to cook family meals, and the Blacktop grill was a nice addition outside. The best room in the house is the family room, but with the way the house is laid out we spent very little time in there all together. While we enjoyed our time there, the house needs some decluttering and refreshers. The instructions ask that all food be removed from the fridge when checking out, but we arrived to a dirty fridge filled with food, so we spent the first hour cleaning that out. The room with the 2 sets of bunk beds has an old small dresser tucked into a closet. It needs some new liner to freshen it up a bit. The small bathroom has very little cabinet space and the bottom drawer is filled with other stuff. The small closet in the master had no hangers and a bunch of linens just shoved into it and no dresser, so we never unpacked our stuff. New linens and a fresh coat of paint would help freshen things up a lot. I appreciate having “extras” but it seemed that this place has a lot of extras and has started to gather other peoples extras, it needs a good purge and cleaning. Overall we enjoyed our stay, and had great weather so we were able to utilize the outside a lot which was the main goal!

Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2021

10/10 Excellent

Erin F.

2 Aug 2021

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

Perfect for a group and kids!

We had a wonderful long weekend on Lake Sinissippi! This property was perfect for our group of 5 adults, a 3 yr old, and a dog. The owner was good at communicating. I had to contact him right when we walked in the door and smelled gas. He responded in a matter of minutes, assured us the smell had been looked into, and sent the neighbor over just to be sure. There are so many things we enjoyed about this house. It is big enough (bigger than it even looked in the pics I think) that we didn't feel like we were on top of each other. Open kitchen for cooking our meals. Toys and books that entertained my daughter. Games for inside and outside. A cool, eclectic decor. Also, a kind of random thing we appreciated, were the many tables. We had a game table, a puzzle table, and big dining tables both inside and outside. The fire pit, hammock, and trampoline in the yard were big hits with everyone. Having a bonfire overlooking the lake at sunset was a definite highlight for me! Lake Sinissippi is murky but very swimmable. It is shallow so it was warm and a good depth for helping my 3yr old. The bottom by the pier is sandy with some rocks. We enjoyed kayaking at sunset, floating on rafts in the sun, the water swing (!), and fishing (catfish and bullheads. Nothing you'd want to keep but plentiful). We would definitely be interested in another stay at Barefoot!

Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2021

10/10 Excellent

Anne P.

2 Aug 2021

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

Quiet, Secluded gem

Remarkably well-appointed lakehouse on a very quiet lake only one hour from Milwaukee and one hour from Madison. Very few speedboats during the week (our stay was Monday-Thursday). Shallow lake. Great swimming and kayaking.

10/10 Excellent

Elizabeth S.

5 July 2021

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

Lovely Home

We had a wonderful stay at Barefoot! The house has tons of extras. They have kayaks, a paddle board, large raft, towable, and plenty of indoor games too. There’s a trampoline and swings in the front for the kids. We brought our boat & jet ski. The lake is large, but surprisingly quiet. We had an amazing time!

Stayed 6 nights in Jun 2021

10/10 Excellent

Corey D., Hartland, WI

6 June 2021

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

Plenty of space for 8 adults

It's always hard to find a place that has large group seating available (not to mention enough beds). Place was plenty big and we had no issues.

Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2021

10/10 Excellent

Susan P.

14 Sept 2020

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

Great getaway!

Despite the weather not cooperating, we had a wonderful time at barefoot! There were plenty of games and activities available for indoor entertainment. We had ample linen for all beds and kitchen supplies for big dinners with the family. Our young kids (5, 2 and 1) loved running around the open floor plan, very kid friendly. We hope to visit barefoot again when the weather is warm and sunny so we can enjoy the lake!

Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2020

10/10 Excellent

Cynthia F.

17 Aug 2020

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

Summer family tradition

We love our annual long summer weekend at Barefoot! It’s the perfect location to enjoy the lake and relax with family.

Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2020

10/10 Excellent

Sue B.

4 Aug 2020

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

Beautiful location, well equipped

Our family stayed at Barefoot for a weekend getaway and really enjoyed ourselves. The accommodations were really nice, clean and there were plenty of things for our family to do, both inside and outside. Thank you for having us!

Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2020

10/10 Excellent

Marilyn M., Florida, USA

23 July 2020

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

Beautiful views for maximum relaxation

Beautifully maintained home right on the lake with all the amenities you need for a relaxing vacation. Photos of the home and the sunsets don’t do it justice. We very much enjoyed the kayaks, sitting near the fire and the kiddos loved the trampoline.

Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2020

10/10 Excellent

Lisa L.

17 June 2020

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

Ladies weekend

Had a girl’s weekend away, and we absolutely loved the place! The neighbors were great also. Beautiful view and the house was very nice. We would stay again, and recommend it.

Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2020

10/10 Excellent

liz f.

23 Aug 2019

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

House fantastic, lake, not so much

We spent a couples weekend here with a group of friends. We had a lovely time and the house was great and very clean. Wish it had more bed and not so many bunk beds (6 of of the 8 beds are bunk beds) but we knew that signing up. The outdoor area was great but I couldn’t believe how many spiders were outside and around the outside of the house and patio furniture. I think we must have seen 200. Communication with the owner was excellent and his yard and dock was right on the deck. Unfortunately I can not give rave reviews for the lake. Despite being big, it is a man made like and it was filled with green algae. Just going in for a quick dip for 5 min would leave you with tons of green and black muck when you got out. To say the least, we spent very little time in the water (some not any). Long story short, house was fantastic but next time I will do research to find a nice lake that we can go swimming it

Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2019

8/10 Good

Cynthia F.

21 Aug 2019

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

Family Getaway

This was our second summer at Barefoot and we loved it! Perfect layout for a group of 10 with separate living and sleeping areas to relax and spend time together. Days filled with relaxing & swimming! So many floaties and games included with the house. Loved the addition of the outdoor lights near the fire. Only thing that would make this hands down the best place would be a sand beach with gradual entry in to the water, but the pier makes it easy to get in and out via the ladder. The owner is very quick to respond whenever we needed anything. We plan to return!

Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2019

About the host

Hosted by John Bellei

Meg & John
Meg and I live in Chicago with our 2 kids. Meg grew up in Wisconsin and I grew up in the suburbs of Illinois. We met at work, started our own design and marketing agency in 2001 and got married in 2004.

When we first got married, we often travelled back and forth to Wisconsin to visit family on weekends. We rented a home on Lake Sininnippi in 2008 and began looking for our own house soon after. Once we saw 'Barefoot' we knew it was the one for us.

Why they chose this property

We traveled to Wisconsin so often to visit family that we talked about having our own get away. After renting a house on Lake Sinissippi in 2008, we fell in love with the area and began our search. We found 'Barefoot' and the rest is history.

We named it Barefoot because of the casual feel and the fact that we take our shoes off when we get there and rarely have them on until we leave.

There is so much to do, but we spend our time slowing down. Quiet coffee in morning on the deck, active days on the water then grilling and a camp-fire to end the evening.