Entire home

Secluded Northwoods Lake House Retreat Near Nicolet National Forest

Photo gallery for Secluded Northwoods Lake House Retreat Near Nicolet National Forest

Welcome to the Elk Inn!
View of home and pier from lake
View of kitchen
View of great room facing lake with 65-inch TV & fireplace
alternate view of great room & foyer

Reviews

10 out of 10
Exceptional
5 bedrooms3+ bathroomsSleeps 16371.6 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Parking available
  • Dryer
  • Washer
  • Fireplace
  • Air conditioning
  • Kitchen

Explore the area

Map
Pickerel, WI
  • Lily Lake
    ‪1 min walk‬
  • Pickerel Lake
    ‪22 min drive‬
  • Mole Lake Casino
    ‪36 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

5 bedrooms (sleeps 16)

Bedroom 1

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 2

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 3

1 Queen Bed and 1 Single Bunk Bed

Bedroom 4

1 Queen Bed and 2 Single Beds

Bedroom 5

4 Single Beds

3 bathrooms, 1 half bathroom

Bathroom 1

Bathtub or shower · Toilet

Bathroom 1

Toilet

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

Secluded Northwoods Lake House Retreat Near Nicolet National Forest

Looking for a place big enough for your extended family or someplace you can share with friends? Come stay at The Elk Inn and let our lake home be the place where you create wonderful memories year after year. Our year-round 4000 square foot home on 212 acre full recreation Lily Lake offers ample living space with incredible lake views, abundant land and water activities, and the peace and solitude of the great Northwoods. Listen to the loons and whippoorwills, watch our resident eagle take flight, enjoy the beautiful sunsets, or just relax by the fire with family and friends. Our property consists of 3 wooded acres with 220 feet of lake frontage and beautiful unspoiled views.
Our clean, 2009 home is fully-furnished and has warm, inviting decor that gives you the comforts of home with nature at your doorstep. On the main floor you will find the great room complete with a large, beautiful slate fireplace, cathedral ceiling, and abundant windows with lake views – a favorite gathering place. Adjacent to the great room is a generous sized kitchen which boasts a large hand-chiseled family-size table which seats 8-10, an eat-at kitchen island with seating for 5, and an additional corner breakfast nook that seats up to 5. This well-stocked kitchen also offers a full line of appliances and more beautiful lake views. A powder room and separate laundry room complete with full size washer and dryer are located off the kitchen. Also off the kitchen is an oversized deck complete with a gas grill and deck furniture -- a perfect place for eating, taking in sunsets, or stargazing. On the main level you will also find two master suites complete with queen sized beds and full baths in each. The hallway adjoining the two masters has a ship’s ladder going to an upper private bedroom with four twin size beds. On the lower walk-out level of the home, you find two additional private bedrooms with queen sized beds as well as bunk beds or a trundle bed. You will also find another full bath, a large family room for adults and/or children to gather (more lake views!), and a mudroom with access to the oversized attached garage. Outside the garage is an outdoor firepit and a large covered lower concrete patio with an additional seating area to gather.
Our lake front has a pier for swimming and fishing and is well-suited for rental guests to bring a boat. If you do not have your own boat, we have a canoe and 3 recreational kayaks available to all of our guests as well as the option of renting our 24 ft. pontoon boat (14 person or 2200 lb. capacity). Our 32 ft. pier extends from a natural, rocky shoreline and is complete with a swim ladder and an excellent area for swimming. Our swim area has a hard sand/cobble bottom and no weeds. The water is 2-3 ft. deep near shore and 5-6 ft. deep near the end of the pier. We also have an Otter Island swim raft for your family to enjoy. Our property also offers an additional outdoor camping area with firepit, an outdoor swing facing the lake, a large hammock, and easy access to the Nicolet National Forest and other public lands with recreation trails for mountain biking, hiking, ATV, snowmobiling, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Nearby you will also find beaches, whitewater kayaking/rafting/tubing on the Wolf River, golf, downhill skiing, and numerous family activities including a brand new state of the art Potawatomi indoor recreation facility located in Crandon - a family favorite! Whether you choose to spend your time on the water or on land, we guarantee you will be able to create many wonderful memories you and your loved ones will cherish for many years to come. Come see and experience our Northwoods lakehouse retreat for yourself!

Property manager

John and Traci Elkin

Languages

English

Add dates for prices

Amenities

Kitchen
Washer
Dryer
Air conditioning
Outdoor space
Parking available

Have a question?

AI iconBeta

Get instant answers with AI powered search of property information and reviews.

Similar properties

House Rules

Check in after 4:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 25
Check out before 10:00 AM
default

Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17
Provide most child/baby items; inquire for details
default

Events

No events allowed
default

Pets

No pets allowed
default

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted
Strict no smoking policy in or on property
Hot tub and paddleboards are for owner use only and are not included in rental. Failure to respect this rule will result in forfeiture of deposit.
Tenants are expected to follow check-in/check-out procedures and times.
Strict no smoking, no pets and no fireworks policy on or in property.

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

We should mention

A car is required for transport to and from this property

About the area

Pickerel

Located in Pickerel, this holiday home is on a lake. Quig's Maplewood Golf Course and Kettlebowl Ski Area are worth checking out if an activity is on the agenda, while those looking for area attractions can visit Forest County Fairground and Lumberjack Steam Train. Make sure you get close to the area's animals with activities such as game walks and birdwatching.
Map
Pickerel, WI

What's nearby

  • Lily Lake - 1 min walk - 0.2 km
  • Pickerel Lake - 22 min drive - 12.5 km
  • Crane Lake - 24 min drive - 13.2 km
  • Mole Lake Casino - 36 min drive - 18.6 km
  • Crandon International Off-Road Raceway - 36 min drive - 26.1 km

Restaurants

  • ‪Wild Rose Pub & Grill - ‬15 min drive
  • ‪Final Lap - ‬23 min drive
  • ‪Windfall Inn - ‬21 min drive
  • ‪Pickerel Point Resort - ‬30 min drive
  • ‪Debi's Northern Firelite Supper Club - ‬26 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is Secluded Northwoods Lake House Retreat Near Nicolet National Forest pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

What time is check-in at Secluded Northwoods Lake House Retreat Near Nicolet National Forest?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Secluded Northwoods Lake House Retreat Near Nicolet National Forest?

Checkout is at 10:00 AM.

Where is Secluded Northwoods Lake House Retreat Near Nicolet National Forest located?

This family-friendly Pickerel holiday home is located on a lake, within 3 mi (5 km) of Lily Lake and Jungle Lake. Bog Brook State Wildlife Area and Spring Lake are also within 6 miles (10 km).

Reviews

10

Exceptional

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. 75 out of 81 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 6 out of 81 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 81 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 81 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 81 reviews

10/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

9.4/10

Location

9.8/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

8/10 Good

Bob R.

Liked: Cleanliness, communication, location, listing accuracy

Annual Family Trip

The house was very nice for our large family.
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

ceanne s.

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

Perfect northwoods getaway

Absolutely wonderful in every way!
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2023

8/10 Good

molly d.

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

Great size for multiple families

We stayed with our family of 7 (kids ages 3 months - 9 years) and another family of 7 (kids age 1 - 11 years) and we all had space to sleep and play and eat. It is a bit of a hike down to the water but such a beautiful spot. Thanks for opening your home to us!
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

Peggy N.

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

Beautiful lake home

Property is very well kept and provided a fun vacation for our whole family. Even though our stay was short, we swam, fished, kayaked, had fires every evening, and enjoyed our family time together. A wonderful time was had by all.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Sharyl B.

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

Beautiful Lake House!

This was a fantastic house! We have rented several lake houses with another family and this was by far our favorite house. It was very clean and had everything we needed. The lake was beautiful and enjoyed by everyone.
Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Keith or Ruth H.

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

Family vacation

We had a wonderful week, sunny days-to enjoy all the outdoor beauty, swimming, canoeing, kayaking, hiking and Rainy days-enjoyed the wonderful inside accommodations, curl up with a book, watch a movie, take a nap. Such a peaceful and beautiful place to enjoy.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2021

10/10 Excellent

Jennifer L.

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

Huge Pickerel cabin

The cabin is absolutely beautiful!! Lots of space for family get aways. It was 11 of us. The views are amazing!! It takes a little bit to get down to the lake and shoreline has many rocks. Fishing was ok. If you need anything its a 20 minute drive. We went to vetrans memorial park. Huge sand beach area. Theres lots of wildlife. Owners are very responsive.
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

Daniel K.

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

At the Lake

We all had a great time! Everything we needed was there and had no issues. Thank you
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

Keith or Ruth H.

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

Up North Gem

This house was great for our family vacation. Having the many extras such as Kayaks, PFD's, outside chairs made it even more enjoyable. While we would like to keep this Gem to ourselves, we also want to share how nice it was.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2020

10/10 Excellent

Joanne G.

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

Wonderful lakefront property

Great space and amenities for the entire family. Kitchen well stocked with kitchenware and plenty of indoor and outdoor toys for the kids. Enjoyed pontoon rides and exploring with the kayaks. The whole family enjoyed playing the interactive games on the Wii on rainy days. We would definitely come back.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2021

10/10 Excellent

Janel K.

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

Beautiful home with amazing views

This home surpassed my expectations. It was so clean and there was plenty of space. The beds were very comfortable. The deck had a beautiful view of the lake. The area surrounding the home is very private, with lots and trees and foliage. The walk down to the lake is steep but worth every step. The water is very clean and calm. Our children loved the raft in the water. If you are looking for some quiet time in nature, this is the place to stay. We absolutely loved our stay.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Tom G.

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

Great Family Getaway

This 5 bedroom lake house is perfect for family size gatherings. We had four families which included 7 adults and 5 children that fit perfectly. The home has every amenity you could need and is very clean. The large kitchen had an adult and child size table which was great during meal times. The large deck with two tables enhanced our family time as well as the fire pit area. The lake was great for water sports with our boat however we did not have much success with fishing. The home is secluded but is within 25 minutes of Crandon which has a great beach, shopping, and restaurants. Our family is repeat users and love the place!
Stayed 10 nights in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

Julie S., Berlin

Pictures do not do the house Justice. It is beautiful and spacious inside and out.

We greatly appreciated how well-furnished and supplied the house was. As stated previously do not plan on seeing any of your family or party members down by the water from up at the house. They have provided chairs and seating area down by the pier so you don't have to worry about hauling anything down or carrying things up other than your own refreshments. We enjoyed using the tandem kayak. Actually we liked it better than our own tandem kayak. Which we were thankful we didn't have to bring.
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2018
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

JUST AMAZING!!!!

We just got back from a stay at your AMAZING house and WOW is all we can say!!! We were blown away by how you managed to have just about EVERYTHING anybody could need for a vacation to the northwoods!!! We had 13 people in our group and there were many times we were thinking people were outside but nope we were all in the nice open concept house!! We had so much fun utilziing all the things the house comes equiped with like the canoe!! We did also use the pontoon and that was wonderful cruising around the lake taking in all the beautiful scenery and we even anchored it just to jump in and swim!! The BIG deck and fire pit were wonderful too!! We had a wonderful family vacation and look forward to staying again!! Thanks again Traci and John for opening up your wonderful Lily Lake House!!!

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Wonderful, beautiful setting to enjoy a week with three generations of family!

We were very much looking forward to spending a week with our married children and their families. This home is perfect! The pictures don't do it justice! So very spacious, we never felt like we were crowded on top of each other. The kitchen is huge - stocked with every kind of appliance and utensil we could think of. It was so much fun to share the cooking responsibilities with our grown kids! We enjoyed sitting on the deck and enjoying the quiet beautiful views. The kayaks and canoe were so much fun - our 9 year old grandkids were able to master the kayaks, and because of the quietness of the lake, were able to go out and explore a bit on their own! We also decided to rent the pontoon boat which even has a stereo to make the teenagers happy! The walk down to the lake is a bit steep at times, but we considered it great exercise so we didn't feel guilty about the great food we were consuming! All this to say that we had a wonderful week and are thankful for the opportunity to rent this beautiful home.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2018
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Amy A.

Beautiful house, well maintained and perfect for a large group.

We all really enjoyed our vacation at the Elk Inn. The house was amazing, very spacious and clean. The owners were gracious and very helpful, even giving us a boat driving lesson on the first day of our stay. Our kids loved the room with the bunk beds and everyone enjoyed swimming off the pier and swimming raft and off the pontoon boat. The lake is beautiful and remote, with two loons that are almost always in evidence and a bald eagle. It's a quiet lake without a lot of boat traffic, particularly during the weekdays. We met some DNR workers who told us that the lake has a lot of walleye, but we didn't have a lot of success at fishing. Apparently the lake was too warm by the time we were there and the large fish weren't biting. The closest town is Crandon, and there's not a lot to do there, but we did take a day trip to Minocqua which was about an hour and 15 minutes away. We also attended the waterski show on Lake Lucerne: call early to get reservations at the restaurant if you want to get a good spot! My parents and brother and his family drove 11 hours from Ohio for our vacation, and every one of them voted to do it again. We highly recommend this place.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2016
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Kelly A.

Family reunion / anniversary celebration

This home was very clean, very spacious, and very beautiful for 14 people to gather for a week. The central living area was a great place to read, relax, and talk. The large kitchen island displayed our snacks, and the long table held two board games at once. There was space for all of us to sleep in beds or to put out air mattresses as needed. The closets and drawers and just plain space in entryways and hallways held all of our clothes and boating items sufficiently. We had a 2 year old running around and an 8 week old with all of her gear, and I never felt cramped. The deck was a great place to hang out; unfortunately the Mosquitos were pretty bad when we were there. However, they were tame on the water, and the pontoon boat was well kept and large. The lake was pretty and private. The only negative was the fluctuation in temperature throughout the house; the loft was pretty toasty while the basement was pretty cold. I'm not sure much can be done about that though. Due to the large number of people we had and the enormous amount of food we brought, a second refrigerator and freezer would have been nice, but there was plenty of room in the garage for all of our coolers. Overall this house is highly recommended.

8/10 Good

Paula O.

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

Lily Lake

Beautiful home, plenty of room for everyone, we appreciate the use of the kayaks and canoe, overall a great stay. A few things that could be improved: when we arrived there were hand prints all over the windows & patio doors facing the lake. Such a beautiful view, but spoiled by the handprints. No worries, I found the windex & cleaned them. The property advertised Wii for the kids, but none of the remotes in the basement had batteries that worked. We contacted owner to see if there were spare batteries anywhere & received a no answer. Not a huge deal, but if it’s offered, it should be available to use. The dishwasher didn’t work well. Dishes we took out of cupboard were greasy/dirty, we had to wash most before using. When we ran the dishwasher on the power scrub cycle as suggested, the soap pod didn’t dissolve, it was still whole at the end of the cycle. Also a small amount of water leaked out into the floor so we put a towel down to absorb. We therefore ended up doing dishes by hand. It may need to be replaced? We’re not trying to complain and we were happy with our stay, we’re just letting you know of a few small things that could be improved to make the stay perfect for your next guests.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2019

10/10 Excellent

Bonnie K.

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

Best Place

6 of us have been VRBO'ing x 12 years, and this is by far the cleanest, best stocked, place we have been at. There is so much space inside to move about. Absolutely no complaints!! The sitting areas by the lake are exceptionally peaceful. (Now, this is not a complaint, but just a warning, the first part of the decent down to the lake is steep, and a couple of our ladies were not able to make the journey due to physical ailments - it's just a word of warning). Will Definitely Consider This Place Again in the Future.
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2022

10/10 Excellent

Keith or Ruth H.

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

Relax, Unwind, Refresh

Beautiful home, on peaceful lake. Large and comfortable. Many amenities inside and out. We have enjoyed our stay each time we have been there and look forward to coming back again. Thank you for sharing such a treasure.
Stayed 8 nights in Aug 2022

10/10 Excellent

Catherine K.

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

relaxing

property , was just what we expected. Very cozy, in great condition. Secluded, many family games to enjoy. Outdoors , there were kayaks , great swimming lake. We all just unplugged and enjoyed each other ,
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2022

10/10 Excellent

Leilah K.

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

Great Lake house!

Our group of 9 adults and 1 infant had a great time at the house- it was big enough for all of us to be comfortable and had everything we needed. One thing to note - the house is on a hill, and there is a steep path down to the lake. We had one person with mobility issues and a baby in the group, so it was not the best set up for us. We made it work, but just in case anyone else with accessibility needs is looking I thought I’d mention it. Besides that it was honestly perfect! The lake is gorgeous and we rented the pontoon boat and had so much fun out on the water!
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Tom G.

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

An up north experience that meets all expectations

This property has all the features and amenities for a wonderful family vacation. It’s a pristine vacation home that meets or exceeds all expectations. The kitchen is fully stocked with everything you could possibly need for food prep. 5 bedrooms provided plenty of sleeping accommodations. The kids loved sleeping in the loft area. There were a lot of thoughtful perks to keep them occupied - board games, puzzles, a Wii game system, and even bikes in the garage. Lily lake was great for boating and the floating raft off the pier was nice for swimming. For a day at the beach, we’d highly recommend the city beach in Cranston - only a 20 minute drive away. There also a great restaurant/bar for Friday fish only 10 minutes away called Burgt’s. There’s a binder with info on local restaurants and attractions which came in handy. The only minor issues to be aware of are the downhill walk to the pier and the spotty WiFi coverage which is to be expected. The owners were very responsive to all questions. We thank them for sharing their place.
Stayed 10 nights in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Joanne C.

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

Great long weekend in a serene setting

The home was spacious, gorgeous and well equipped with a beautiful view. Plenty of room for everyone in the family.
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2022

10/10 Excellent

ceanne s.

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

Perfect in every way

Everything was absolutely wonderful. We look forward to staying again next year.
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2022

About the host

Hosted by John and Traci Elkin

Host profile image
Our family has always had a passion for the outdoors. We purchased the land our property is on in 2000 and camped on it for 9 years before building our lake house. Over the past decade, we have created many wonderful memories here and now we hope to offer others the same opportunity.

Why they chose this property

We built this home with the idea of having several families stay together at the same time. We both have large families and we love having a place for multiple generations of family to gather or just getting a group of friends together to catch up and relax.

What makes this property unique

We fell in love with this property because of the breathtaking unspoiled views, the bountiful pine, birch and maple trees, and the peacefulness of this lake. We enjoy all seasons here doing everything from mountain biking, hiking, swimming and boating in the summer to snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, downhill skiing, snowmobiling and ice fishing in the winter.

Languages:

English