Gateway to Pictured Rocks is currently under renovation! Check back in 2025!

3 bedrooms1 bathroomSleeps 101850 sq ft

Popular amenities

Free WiFi

Outdoor Space

Kitchen

Barbecue grill

Washer

Dryer

Explore the area

Germfask, MI

Seney National Wildlife Refuge8 min walk
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore39 min drive
Oswald's Bear Ranch51 min drive
Escanaba, MI (ESC-Delta County)87 min drive

Rooms & beds

3 bedrooms (sleeps 10)

Birder's Bedroom

1 Queen Bed and 1 Twin Bed

Master bedroom

1 Twin Bed and 1 Queen Bed

Miners Bedroom

2 Twin Beds

Studio Bedroom / Dining Room

2 Double Futons

1 bathroom

Master bathroom

Toilet · Shower only

Miners & Birders Bath

Bathtub or shower · Toilet

Spaces

Deck or patio

Kitchen

Separate dining area

Garden

Dining Area

About this property

You'll be staying in the longest-standing and largest building in Germfask!

We are currently renovating the property and we plan to re-launch in 2025. Our business model will cater to a neglected user group that is challenged with lodging options that suit their activity and lifestyle. We will not only offer creative lodging options, but we will provide services to this user group as well. Stay tuned!

We are centrally located less than an hour's drive to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore! Centrally located in the Eastern Upper Peninsula. Lower level apartment in longest standing building in historic Germfask is less than an hour from Pictured Rocks, minutes from Seney National Wildlife Refuge, and overlooks the Manistique River! Three bedrooms, two baths, spacious apartment with large kitchen, living and dining. Grill out on the deck, fish for trout, or paddle the Manistique, this is the perfect location for those exploring the eastern half of the Upper Peninsula! You are 90 minutes or less to the Soo Locks, Tahquamenon Falls, Kitchi iti kippi, Escanaba, Marquette, and Mackinaw City!

Owner is Tom Funke, Author of 50 Hikes in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and 50 Hikes on the North Country Trail. Property managers are his brother and his wife, Tim and Shelly Funke. Tim recently retired from the Marines and they split there time between the UP and the lower. Feel free to tap into our knowledge of the area when planning your trip.

Even though the Lodge looks huge the rental is on the bottom floor only with access through either side entry door. The top floor is unfinished (hopefully not forever) and the garage can be used (usually only for snowmobiles) by asking as it does not come automatically with the rental.

The Jolly Inn (Restaurant and Bar) is across the street and Kersh's Market (groceries and package liquor) is a few blocks North within walking distance.

Germfask is the starting point for Snowmobile Trail #43 linking you to Grand Marais, Tahquamenon, and more. It starts 100 yards from our front door at the blinker light.

Sorry, no pets

Property manager

Timothy & Shelly Funke

Amenities

Kitchen

Washer

Dryer

Free WiFi

Outdoor Space

Water view

Kitchen

Washer

Dryer

Air conditioning

House Rules

Check in after 4:00 PM

Minimum age to rent: 25

Check out before 10:00 AM

Children

Children allowed: ages 0-17

We have extra twin beds/cots

Events

No events allowed

We allow small conferences & outdoor events.

Pets

No pets allowed

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

It is a violation of Michigan State law to smoke.

Addendum to Refund Policy: If you cancel less than 60 days before your stay, we will pro-rate or refund in full if we find someone to take your place.

This is a multi-unit property. Please be mindful of the other guests. Please reference the parking maps, if one was attached.

Sorry no pets

Damage and incidentals

You will be responsible for any damage to the rental property caused by you or your party during your stay.

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

Onsite parties or group events are strictly prohibited

Note from host: We allow small conferences & outdoor events.

Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip

Host has indicated there is a smoke detector on the property

Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher

We should mention

A car is required for transportation to and from this property

About the neighborhood

Germfask

Located in Germfask, this vacation home is in a rural area and on the waterfront. The area's natural beauty can be seen at Seney National Wildlife Refuge and Milakokia Lake. Be sure to check out the area's animals with activities such as game walks and birdwatching.

Germfask, MI

What's nearby

Seney National Wildlife Refuge - 8 min walk
Manistique Boardwalk - 29 min drive
Milakokia Lake - 29 min drive
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore - 39 min drive
Oswald's Bear Ranch - 51 min drive

Restaurants

Jolly Inn - 1 min walk
Eagles Nest - 1 min walk
Toveys Jolly Inn - 4 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is Gateway to Pictured Rocks is currently under renovation! Check back in 2025! pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

What time is check-in at Gateway to Pictured Rocks is currently under renovation! Check back in 2025! ?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Gateway to Pictured Rocks is currently under renovation! Check back in 2025! ?

Check-out is at 10:00 AM.

Where is Gateway to Pictured Rocks is currently under renovation! Check back in 2025! located?

Situated on the waterfront, this vacation home is 0.4 mi (0.6 km) from Seney National Wildlife Refuge and within 32 mi (52 km) of Lake Michigan and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Milakokia Lake and Newberry Country Club are also within 32 mi (52 km).

8.8

Excellent

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

Learn more

8.6/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Staff & service

9.0/10

Amenities

9.0/10

Property conditions & facilities

9.6/10

Check-in

9.4/10

Communication

9.0/10

Location

9.2/10

Listing accuracy

10/10 Excellent

Holly P.

Oct 10, 2023

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

Exactly what we needed

This is our second time staying at this property. We love the size of the home and 2 bathrooms! I have teenagers so it’s enough space for Us all to relax after a busy day of hiking and seeing the sites. The host is always easy to communicate with. The Jolly Inn is always a treat for dinner. One great thing about this home is it’s location. It’s in the middle of everything to see this side of the UP. Since we do a lot of hiking, we get dirty and the washer and dryer is a huge help after a fun filled day. We are a family of woman and all feel very safe in this home. We will always stay here when we travel up north! Thanks for a wonderful, safe home for Us to stay and enjoy nature.

Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023

4/10 Poor

Ellen C., Whiteland IN, USA

Aug 29, 2023

Liked: Check-in, location

Disliked: Cleanliness, communication, listing accuracy

Not what we expected at all

I'm unsure where to start but want to give an honest review so others know what to expect. We weren't expecting perfection but we were pretty shocked to find how dirty/run down it was. Starting with the good: Great location. Jolly Inn had great food! Seney Natl. Wildlife Preserve is just down the road and is awesome. Living room furniture and beds pretty comfortable; showers pretty good. Now for the need-to-know: This place was filthy dirty. Had to buy some cleaner and do it ourselves to stay. Fridge/freezer had old, part-used foods & leftovers- some moldy. Towels in linen closet were damp and stunk! Had to wash and dry them again. Stiff, wadded up used cloths found on dryer and in the linen closet. Broken stuff everywhere- windows, cabinets, doors, blinds, lampshades etc. Floors so dirty around edges & corners- sooo many dead bugs and cobwebs and dirt. Front bedroom infested with spiders!!! I killed at least 15 spiders in there! Dead, dried up smashed bugs were all over the walls in that room also. The "breezeway" into the house was dirty like an old garage- step into house very unsafe/unsteady and tipped if you didn't step on it right. I tried contacting the host twice but got no reply. I know he got the message because he had answered a previous message before we got there. I did contact VRBO and did not request my money back for the stay as we chose to stay, but I did request the "housekeeping fee" back as we had to clean our place to stay there!

Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2023

8/10 Good

brigid a.

Aug 16, 2023

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

Fit our needs

First impression was a little dreary, but the place grew on us. Mostly used as a good spot for all-day trips to pictured rocks, Tahquamenon Falls and then rafting on menominee river on the way home. Easy to find since on a main road, but that made it kind of noisy (for the UP). Beds, kitchen, 2 bathrooms were all functional for a 3 night stay. Enjoyed fire pit, watched shooting stars at night. Internet did not work for us, calls/texts very spotty and DVD collection was limited/damaged. A place to go and make your own fun. Which is what we were looking for. Overall good value for the $.

Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2023

6/10 Okay

Denise C.

Jul 9, 2023

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

Review

Needs to be cleaner and updated.

Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2023

2/10 Terrible

Jason P., Quincy

Jul 2, 2023

Liked: Check-in

Disliked: Cleanliness, communication, location, listing accuracy

Renter beware

No pictures posted, keeping it classy. Not often is there time to write reviews. Always challenging to not be too wordy or not wordy enough. Not too witty but not too boring. However, the responses from this homeowner practically wrote the review so poignantly it made the review process effortless. We made a request for all or a partial refund in response to the countless dead bugs, live spiders and dirty floors encountered in this home; we left 2 hrs after arrival, painstakingly rearranging our entire vacation to accommodate. “That's why it's so cheap because folks know that sometimes it's not going to be perfect.“ “I have a very strict refund policy because my home is sometimes not what people expect from a VRBO even though I try to be very transparent in my home description.”

Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2023

About the host

Hosted by Timothy & Shelly Funke

Hello! My name is Tom Funke. I am the author of 50 Hikes in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, 50 Hikes on the North Country Trail, and the owner of Upper Peninsula Outfitters. I hold a Biology Degree from Western Michigan University (Go Broncos!) and I've recently retired from a 25 year career working in the non-profit world.

I was born in Muskegon, Michigan but grew up in Bangor, Michigan, and have lived in Cadillac, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, and most recently Hastings, Michigan.

Why they chose this property

Inspired by the building in Grand Marais which is home to Grand Marais Outfitters, I knew this would be the building which would be home to my outfitting business. It has a ton of history, two apartments, and a large garage. Best of all, access to the Manistique River.

Most of my life I've lived in old farmhouses, having learned that there is a lot of work that goes into remodeling and upgrading facilities.

What makes this property unique

This house has been many things over the year: a township hall, train station, dance hall, salon (as in hair salon), general store, canoe livery, and a private residence.

We utilize solar energy for part of our electricity needs with the future goal of being totally self sufficient on renewable energy. There is an artisan well (currently capped) on the property, if uncapped, would provide unlimited energy through the use of a Pelton Wheel.

We are at the trailhead for snowmobile trail #43, and, just minutes from the Seney National Wildlife refuge. We are also surrounded by state and national forests. It is truly a wildlife lover's dream to be here.

Tell us how we can improve our siteShare feedback