Take a break and relax by the lake: KBS offers cabin and cottage rentals

Credit: Maria Newhouse Photography

Summer may be waning, but there’s still plenty of time to book a vacation or retreat at the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station.

The W.K. Kellogg Conference Center and Manor House offers a variety of cabins and cottages for rent, year-round, on KBS’s main campus, located at 3700 East Gull Lake Drive in Hickory Corners. All cabins and cottages are steps away from beautiful Gull Lake. 

Cozy spaces steeped in history

Cabins A, B and C overlook Windmill Island and the century-old windmill that W.K. Kellogg obtained from the Netherlands and was part of the original development of his estate. It is a Gull Lake landmark.

The cabin layouts vary, but all feature cable TV, free Wi-Fi and air conditioning.

Cabin C

Both cottages are historical structures, both built in the mid-1920s. The Caretaker’s Cottage, as the name suggests, once housed W.K. Kellogg’s grounds caretaker. It sleeps up to five people, has a fully stocked kitchen, three bedrooms and a four-season porch.

The Lakeside Cottage is adjacent to the Carriage House and sits near the cabins. It sleeps up to nine people, has a fully stocked kitchen and four bedrooms. Guests also have access to a courtyard for outdoor seating.

‘Beautiful and relaxing’

Credit: Maria Newhouse Photography

A recent guest, Maria, who visited with her family, said of their trip, “The cabin we stayed in is a short walk to Windmill Island, where we spent most of our trip swimming—when we weren’t walking the grounds. We all enjoyed exploring the beautiful property, from the trees and flowers to the paths and shoreline. It was beautiful and relaxing.”

In addition to exploring the grounds, the W.K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary is located about 1.5 miles away, at 12685 East C Avenue. The Sanctuary’s trails are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.

Plenty of open dates remain for summer and fall. Check available options for your dates, and direct questions to conference@kbs.msu.edu.