Notes from the host
Classic A-Frame
Listen to the river as it rolls over rocks and winds around the bend from the two-tier deck, large backyard, or covered loft porch.
Paddle kayaks, float away on tubes, watch eagles fish, or cast your own line in the water from the dock platform. At night, gaze at the stars or spend nights by the fire circle or fireplace. This home has very few neighbors for privacy and peace of mind.
In this classic A Frame, you will feel at home and make “up north” memories!
★THE SPACE★
River’s Edge Retreat is a classic northern A-Frame cottage with tongue and groove wood panels and exposed wood beam construction throughout. Enjoy the comforts of modern heating and cooling, a large sectional coach for movie watching on the large screen tv or late-night beverages in front of the fireplace.
Built right at the river’s edge this riverfront property with 150 foot of frontage sits on 5.5 acres and has gorgeous views and tranquil sounds. With large sliders giving an expansive view of the river, the home feels like it extends beyond the home and up to the river Perfectly designed for year-round, all-season use, whether you find yourself roasting marshmallows by the fire, gazing at the stars, listening to the birds chirp, watching the fish jump or curled up inside watching the snow fall on a winter wonderland.
Envoking a quintessential “up north” experience with modern furnishings so you can relax, rest and refresh with maximum comfort whether you stay inside or create an outdoor adventure. Your stay will be an unforgettable experience where you can reconnect with your significant other, family, kids or lifelong friends. At the end, you’ll find it hard to leave.
Located in Central Michigan, River's Edge Retreat sits in the middle of a small refuge of vacation homes a few minutes from Evart, Michigan and nearby Reed City, Hersey, Big Rapids, Sears, Marion, and Tustin. Central Michigan is the perfect destination at only an hour and a half from Grand Rapids, two and a half hours from Detroit, and three and a half hours from Chicago.
⭐️ 5 STAR HOSTS ⭐️
Forest & Flow Retreats focuses on unique homes and experiences so our guests can build memories for years to come. Over 15% of our bookings come from repeat guests, something we are very proud of. As you may have guessed from our name, we target natural properties with water or forest features that create a calm, peaceful and tranquil environment far removed from the hustle of day to day life.
We are avid outdoor enthusiasts and believe in protecting public lands through conservation efforts and the associated funds raised through hunting, fishing, and orv licenses.
We believe our homes and public lands should be a safe space for people from all walks of life, regardless of age, race, gender or ethnicity.
Each year, we donate a portion of our earnings to public land trusts and / or conservation efforts so that our waters and land can be protected for years to come.
We have hosted tens of thousands of guests over the years across our properties, helping family and friends have a memorable experience!
★KEY FEATURES★
🏠 Entire Private Home
🛌 Premium Beds, Pillows & Linens
🔓 Contactless & Keyless Entry
🔥 Indoor Wood Fireplace
🪵 Outdoor Wood Firepit
❄️ Air Conditioning
🍖 Charcoal Grill
🐶 Dog Friendly
🛶 Kayaks, Tubes & Outdoor Activities
🛜 Highspeed Internet & WiFi
📺 Netflix & Disney+
✨ Starlight Nights
🌲 Hundreds of Acres of National Forest
🏃♀️ Miles of Hiking
🌸 Spring Blossoms
☀️ Summer Sun
🍁 Fall Foliage
❄️ Winter Wonderland
★NATURAL ATTRACTIONS★
The home is located in a perfect area for outdoor enthusiasts and is close to:
🎣 Rivers – The Muskegon River, Hersey River and Manistee Rivers branches
🚤 Lakes – Rose Lake, Big Lake, Indian Lake, Chippewa Lake, Sunrise Lake, and Big Long Lake
🌲 Public Lands – Cadillac State Forest Area, Roscommon State Forest Area, Mark Knee Memorial GEMs, Sugar Boal State Land, Mud Lake Recreation Area, Pere Marquette State Forest, Au Sable State Forest and Haymarsh Lake State Game Area
🚲Bike Trails – Pere Marquette State Trail and White Pine Trail are both part of the rails to trails program.
🏃♀️Hiking trails are abundant in the state forests and at Mud Lake Trail Loop
★OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES★
Being in Central Michigan provides a host of year-round activities:
✔ Exercise – Road Biking, Mountain Biking, Hiking and Backpacking
Water Sports – Swimming, Boating, Canoeing, Kayaking and Tubing
✔ Power Sports – ORV Trails / Side by Side (SXS) Trails, Off Road Motorcycle Trails, Touring Motorcycle Trails
✔ Winter Activities – Snowmobiling, Downhill Skiing, Cross Country Skiing, Snowshoeing
✔ Fall Activities – Color Tours, Leaves Changing, Corn Mazes, Salmon Fishing, Cider / Winery Tours, Apple Picking
✔ Hunting – Whitetail Deer; Bear; Turkey; Predator; Pheasant, Woodcock, Grouse and Upland Bird; Goose, Duck and Other Waterfowl; Small Game Hunting
✔ Fishing – Bass, Lake Perch, Northern Pike, Walleye, Trout, Salmon, Steelhead
✔ Golfing – Rose Golf Course, Birch Valley Golf Course, Spring Valley Golf Course
★FURTHER AWAY★
Located less than an hour away are the cities of Big Rapids, Mt. Pleasant and Cadillac. Big Rapids is home to Ferris State University while Mt. Pleasant is home to Central Michigan University and Soaring Eagle Casino.
For outdoor enthusiasts who will be going on day time adventures, Manistee National Forest and Roscommon's Au Sable State Forest are also under an hour's drive.
★SLEEP SPACES★
MASTER BEDROOM: A comfortably appointed full size, log timber bed.
LOFT BEDROOM: Two matching twin log beds and a full size antique frame bed create a loft sleeping area to comfortably sleep up to 6 more guests.
All beds have two pillows per guest, one premium down fill and one down alternative fiber fill. Extra pillows and linens are available, and heavy wool blankets are stocked for chilly nights.
A premium blow-up mattress is available upon request for additional sleeping space.
★COMMON AREAS★
LIVING ROOM / GREAT ROOM: An oversized and overstuffed large sectional couch surrounds the indoor wood burning fireplace. Huge windows overlook the river providing a relaxing view all year round.. A high definition, wall mounted TV with Nexflix and Disney plus provide entertainment for the kids or a late-night movie.
KITCHEN: The kitchen is equipped with all the appliances and every pot, pan, plate, utensil, cup or glass you would need for holiday cooking, baking & serving. A large island centers the room.
DINING: Unfortunately, A Frames have tight space constraints and we have temporarily removed the dining table while we await a remodel to more efficiently use the space.
BATHROOM 1: Modern shower with lots of hot water in this large bathroom
FIREPLACE: A wood fired brick fireplace is at the heart of the home.
★OUTDOOR LIVING AREAS★
HAMMOCKS: Four parachute style nylon hammocks are available for guests to use and relax outside.
FIRE PIT: A river stone construction firepit nestled between the trees and just far away enough from the home that the kids can sleep inside while the parents can enjoy some peace and quiet.
GRILL: A traditional charcoal grill is provided with space to feed the whole family
TRAILS: A hiking path to the river has been cut for easy riverfront access
KAYAKS: We provide 4 premium kayaks for our guests use.
TUBES: We provide 4 river tubes for our guests use.
RIVER: The Muskegon River winds through the backyard with tall banks and a dock over the water’s edge.
★GUEST ACCESS★
As a remotely located, rural home we manage travel times between our properties for turnovers between guests based on expected arrival times and the most efficient routes. Often, we can accommodate an earlier check in, just ask us in the days before your reservation and we will do our best to help!
🏠 Entire Private Home
🌲 Private (Not Shared) Outdoor Spaces
🅿️ Ample Parking
📞 24 / 7 / 365 Phone & SMS Support
🔓 Contactless & Keyless Entry
🛡️ Professionally Monitored Security by Ring Alarm Pro
★LOCATION DESCRIPTION★
Neighborhood? What neighbors. In all seriousness, there are very few surrounding neighbors and really... that's kind of the point of this place, isn't it?
If you want seclusion from neighbors and freedom to enjoy yourself, this is the place. The city surrounding cities and towns provide plenty of dining options and we make recommendations in our guidebooks.
★NEARBY CITIES & TOWNS★
➡️ Sears, MI; 6 Miles / 9 Minutes
➡️ Evart, MI; 9 Miles / 12 Minutes
➡️ Marion, MI; 11 Miles / 16 Minutes
➡️ Barryton, MI; 14 Miles / 18 Minutes
➡️ Hersey, MI; 20 Miles / 26 Minutes
➡️ Chippewa Lake, MI; 21 Miles / 28 Minutes
➡️ Reed City, MI; 23 Miles / 28 Minutes
➡️ Clare, MI; 24 Miles / 30 Minutes
★FURTHER AWAY★
➡️ Cadillac, MI; 28 Miles / 34 Minutes
➡️ Chase, MI; 29 Miles / 35 Minutes
➡️ Big Rapids, MI; 35 Miles / 43 Minutes
➡️ Mt. Pleasant, MI; 43 Miles / 44 Minutes
➡️ Baldwin, MI; 40 Miles / 46 Minutes
➡️ Grand Rapids, MI; 93 Miles / 89 Minutes
➡️ Detroit, MI; 186 Miles / 2 Hours 45 Minutes
➡️ Chicago, IL; 269 Miles / 3 Hours 56 Minutes
★EVENTS & USAGE★
We get frequent requests from guests to use our homes for weddings, family reunions, camping, or other large gatherings. Many of these types of events are high-impact and can affect future guest stays, so we carefully manage them.
If this is something you are looking for, we can discuss details and whether any additional fees would apply.
In the event your preferred dates are already taken, or you are traveling with a larger group, please view our other listings or reach out to us as we provide numerous rental options in the region.
★ADDITIONAL SERVICES★
For an additional fee, we can provide concierge tailored services for anniversaries, birthdays, holidays or weddings.
🔨 A handyma
Hosted by Robert M. Shindorf
