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White Birch Lodge

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Traveller (37)
Pool & Beach (22)
Dining (6)

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About

#1 of 1 resort in Elk Rapids
Location
Cleanliness
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Value
Nestled on crystal-clear blue Elk Lake in Elk Rapids, Michigan, White Birch Lodge is a family-friendly, all-inclusive resort. Family-owned and operated since 1958, vacations at White Birch Lodge are a tradition. Guests return generation after generation to enjoy affordable, care-free vacations in a gorgeous waterfront setting. We feature an incredible watersports program including waterskiing, wakeboarding, and more in a private, safe lakefront setting. Our enthusiastic, energetic college-age staff does ALL the work while you and your family enjoy all that Northern Michigan and Elk Lake have to offer!
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Property amenities
Free parking
Free internet
Free breakfast
Beach
Tennis court
Children Activities (Kid / Family Friendly)
Kids club
Business Centre with Internet Access
Wifi
Non-smoking hotel
Laundry service
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Room features
Air conditioning
Kitchenette
Microwave
Refrigerator
Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Suites
Family rooms
49Reviews5Q+A9Room tips

Reviews
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Ana wrote a review Sept 2020
1 contribution1 helpful vote
My family and our friends families visited White Birtch Lodge in August . It’s is very nice camping place , clean , staff very nice and helpful. The only thing couple of our friends had very old rooms, not updated at all , style 1930’s. Not all units have air conditioning, very disappointed. No one notified us about those things ,we found out at the arrival day. AC is needed because of the humidity and the rooms are getting hot . Other then that very nice place to relax at the camping style . Access to beach , spot and parking to keep your boat which is great.
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Date of stay: August 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Mike Conrad, General Manager at White Birch Lodge
Responded 30 Oct 2020
We apologize that your experience didn't exactly match your expectations. We do our best to represent our accommodations accurately on our website and via correspondence. We offer a large variety of rooms at our unique property. Our main lodge is a historical building originally constructed in the 1890s. All rooms have been updated frequently through the years with an intention to maintain the classic character that most of our guests find very charming. Accommodations range from rustic simplicity to modern luxury. Northern Michigan summers are typically very pleasant and cool enough that air conditioning is not a necessity. A cool evening breeze off beautiful Elk Lake usually provides comfortable sleeping weather. During hotter times, we offer air conditioning as an additional amenity that can be added upon request. Our condominiums all feature permanent air conditioning. Availability of air conditioning was clearly communicated and is documented in extensive email correspondence with this guest. Unfortunately there was still some confusion. Rooms with more amenities were available and were offered as well. Photos of all rooms are displayed clearly on our lodging web page. White Birch Lodge has 5-star ratings across all online travel review platforms, as well as a 62-year history of highly satisfied customers. We are a small family owned business that strives endlessly to provide a unique, relaxing, and fun experience.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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JohnG wrote a review Aug 2020
1 contribution
White Birch Lodge was fantastic! The resort is the definition of relaxation with beautiful sand beaches surrounded by trees and the crystal clear waters of Elk Lake. The lodge offers many different rooms options to accommodate any guest. The staff are very helpful and the grounds are very well maintained. They even provide free bikes to cruise into town! Very close to excellent restaurants and area activities. They revamped the classic all inclusive experience to ala carte and we stayed for 3 nights. Perfect spot for families, couples, or just getting away for the weekend. Highly recommend!
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Date of stay: July 2020
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Room Tip: Get a lakeview room or upgrade to a condo!
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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BeenthereChicago_IL wrote a review Oct 2019
Chicago, IL13 contributions7 helpful votes
Fantastic location on beautiful Elk Lake. Classic family oriented northwoods resort. I was there for a retreat in late September and enjoyed the rustic setting, great accommodations, and friendly staff. Would love to come back in the summer. Great restaurants in town of Elk Rapids and surrounding area.
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Date of stay: October 2019Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
1 Helpful vote
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D E S wrote a review July 2018
3 contributions5 helpful votes
2017 was our 11 straight year we have taken our extended family of children and grandchildren to vacation at White Birch Lodge ( not counting the years a long time ago when our children were small). WBL is a truly wonderful family resort. No cooking required! There is a wide assortment of housing from rooms to cabins to townhouses to condos and they are all right on the beach. Water sports for everyone and a daily kids camp for the little ones helps mom and dad have some down time. Staffed mainly by college students who are almost all former campers, the entire staff treat you like family.
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Date of stay: August 2017Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
2 Helpful votes
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Ann R wrote a review Oct 2017
Sydney, Australia83 contributions48 helpful votes
A wonderful destination on the gorgeous lake at Elk Rapids. The accommodation is varied and I am certain all budgets and needs can be catered for here Great restaurants nearby and plenary of shopping A perfect spot halfway between Traverse City and Charlevoix
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Date of stay: September 2017Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
1 Helpful vote
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Mary K wrote a review July 2017
Yarrawonga, Australia28 contributions7 helpful votes
+1
Do you ever get jealous of your kids going away to camp and wish there was a place for YOU to go do fun things!? Do you ever get home from your family vacation and need a vacation from lugging your kids' stuff around? Well, White Birch Lodge is a little like camp and a LOT like a relaxing vacation! WBL is the perfect family destination! Our kids LOVE it so much that they would choose a week at WBL over Disney or a week at the ocean or a week pretty much ANYWHERE else. We use this week as a family reunion (4 families) where everyone has their own cabin or accommodation, but we meet for meals together in the dining hall and can go off on our own or see each other as much as we like. All inclusive means more than your 3 square meals a day (which a professional cook provides so you don't have to shop, cook, or clean!). Also included are water sports (ski, tube, wakeboard, paddle board, kayak, sail boats), sports (tennis courts, bocce courts, a basketball court, a soccer field, beach volleyball), and a rec hall for indoor table tennis and foosball. The staff is comprised of college students who do your dishes, drive your ski boat, entertain you with a ski show, provide a nightly bonfire for s'mores, and make your week as easy on YOU as possible. AND... the staff will care for young children at "kid's camp" where they can spend 2 hours each morning and/or afternoon doing crafts, activities, sandcastle competitions, and play at the park. Parents can take a ski run knowing that their children are having fun while safely being entertained! Monday night there is a friendly "sports night" where the staff take on the guests in various sporting events! Tuesday there is an old fashioned square dance (including some line dancing just for kicks). Wednesday night is an adult buffet (so you can have a date night) while the kids have a party on the basketball court, and Thursday there is a ski show full of tricks and laughter. Staff (with the help of your kids) ring a bell and it's meal time! Meals are delicious with plenty of choices for young and old and everyone in between! You can choose accommodation from a cozy condo with amenities to a rustic cabin. We stay in a cabin (#14) which has 2 separate rooms, 1 full bath (including a tub), and 3 queen beds. EVERY room is within 50 ft of Elk Lake and the beach area! This is our 12th year vacationing here! (My husband's family has been coming up for 25+ years!) The Lodge provides it all. They have the skis, the lifejackets to fit all sizes, the picnic tables, the beach chairs, the beach toys.... The setting is picture-perfect with stunning, crystal clear water. Most people say the water is as beautiful as the caribbean! It may be a lake, but it is clean and clear. Don't know how to ski? That's ok. They will teach you! (Recommended age is 7 for kids to begin.) Don't know how to sail? They will teach you! Forget how to sit on a beach chair and read a book? It will come back to you! I promise! Give this place a try! You will love it! It is only a 9 week season so be sure to book in! We have made lasting friendships because we go back the same week each year.
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Date of stay: July 2017
Location
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Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip: Vary from condos (air con and tvs) to cabins with screened in porches to dormitories with shared...
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
1 Helpful vote
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Mark P wrote a review Aug 2016
Novelty, Ohio7 contributions10 helpful votes
My wife and I and our two 7 year olds had to decide between Disney, Myrtle Beach, the Bahamas, and a little known all inclusive resort in Northern Michigan. Based solely on Trip Advisor reviews we chose White Birch Lodge for something completely different. Let me assure you, it was. The ladies that handle reservations were very friendly and patient during booking ( I had a ton of questions). Many current staff members are college young men and women that have been guests at the lodge since they were children. They were the friendliest, most positive, kid loving group that you can imagine. Every staff member truly "gets it". White Birch Lodge is the exact opposite of a commercialized crowded vacation destination. Families truly come together at this resort and many long term friendships are made. My kids loved tubing, shuffle board, water skiing, camp fires, playing ghost in the grave yard, etc, etc. My wife and are we're very satisfied with the quality of all of the meals. Accommodations were perfect for the surroundings (keep in mind this is a rustic, old school type family vacation, not the Ritz). We asked the kids before we left where they want to go on vacation next year and without hesitation they said "White Birch Lodge". Many families, including us, have coordinated their schedules so we can get back together next year same time, same place. That says a lot considering we didn't know one person there just 8 days ago. Take a chance, you will not regret it!!!
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Date of stay: August 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
1 Helpful vote
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Marie H wrote a review July 2016
6 contributions1 helpful vote
This was our first year at White Birch Lodge. We were looking for an all inclusive vacation in the states. We have a 9 year old son and liked the idea that they have a kids camp and many activities to keep him occupied so that my husband and I could have relaxation time. Our experience was amazing. When you show up, all you do is unpack your clothes and you are on instant vacation. You don't have to think about where you are going to eat or what your are going to do. The amenities were fantastic. They had paddle boards, kayaks, canoes, skiing, tubing, swimming, sunbathing, sailing, bike riding, sports, yoga, golf nearby and I believe other things I am forgetting. The location is absolutely beautiful. The staff are so friendly and helpful. If you want to hire a babysitter, the college kids that work there are available for hire. All of your meals (food is great) and entertainment are provided. It was all very clean and the beach and lake are so pristine. Don't pass up a chance to go to White Birch Lodge, you will not regret it.
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Date of stay: July 2016
Value
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Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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hjhglobal wrote a review Feb 2016
Detroit, MI5 contributions7 helpful votes
White Birch Lodge is the perfect place for our family vacation. Elk Lake is beautiful, the accommodations are very comfortable, the food is great, water sports so much fun, and both the staff & other families are very friendly. What a wonderful place to spend a week, we can't wait to return!
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Date of stay: July 2015
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Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
1 Helpful vote
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Delyn S wrote a review Aug 2015
Des Moines26 contributions27 helpful votes
+1
When I Googled "Top 10 Family Lake Vacations", I was debating between Minnesota and Michigan (we've never visited or vacationed in either state). I was reminiscing about a roadtrip to visit family in Iowa and Chicago when I was between my 10yo daughter and 7yo son's ages and wanted to recreate the great American Heartland roadtrip for my kids. Plus, my husband is English and the closest he's ever been to a good, old-fashioned roadtrip was watching National Lampoon's Vacation (the original) as a kid. I saw the review for WBL on Trip Advisor that said it was like vacationing on the set of Dirty Dancing (throwback to the 1950s, family-style dining, screened in porches, daytime water sports, evening activities), and I knew I wanted to try it. This was going to be great for all of us. After my first trip there, I am hooked and already made reservations to bring back three generations of my family next year. Plenty of other resorts have water activities on turquoise lakes, delicious food, and kids programs with fancier accommodation. We're coming back to WBL because it is on the right side of the Haimish Line. The Haimish Line is a fantastic piece David Brooks from the NY Times wrote in his column about his families' recent vacation, depicting the various places they had visited that summer. His family found that they connected more with other guests and had more fun at the simpler camps than the did at the more private luxury camps: "I know only one word to describe what the simpler camps had and the more luxurious camps lacked: haimish. It’s a Yiddish word that suggests warmth, domesticity and unpretentious conviviality." Brooks went on to describe how his family began avoiding camps that crossed the invisible "Haimish Line" into more posh, stuffy camps that they could afford so they would have more fun at the unpretentious, convivial camps. WBL is the most haimish resort where I have ever spent a week. Maybe it because WBL is a 3-generation family-owned business since 1958. Maybe it is because the owners have always made their profession out of teaching or instructing sports and a number of their loyal returning guests also seem to have education in common. Maybe it is because the 20-something college kids that run around and staff your visit are without exception the most polite, well-trained, friendly, welcoming staff I have encountered. It's the Midwest turned up to Eleven. Thank you Conrad Family and WBL Staff. You gave this West Coast family everything I knew we needed, but also something I didn't know we needed in this age of connected devices and high-tech: good old-fashioned, face-to-face connection with wonderful people. "When we’re shopping for a vacation we’re primarily thinking about Where. The travel companies offer brochures showing private beaches and phenomenal sights. But when you come back from vacation, you primarily treasure the memories of Who — the people you met from faraway places, and the lives you came in contact with."
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Date of stay: August 2015Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
1 Helpful vote
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PRICE RANGE
AU$719 - AU$785 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
white birch hotel elk rapids
LOCATION
United StatesMichiganAntrim CountyElk Rapids
NUMBER OF ROOMS
43
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WHITE BIRCH LODGE: 2024 Prices & Reviews (Elk Rapids, MI) - Photos of Resort - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about White Birch Lodge
Which popular attractions are close to White Birch Lodge?
Nearby attractions include Walk Of Art At The Elk Rapids Day Park (1.9 km), Guntzviller's Spirit of the Woods Museum (2.5 km), and Rennie Orchards (4.4 km).
What are some of the property amenities at White Birch Lodge?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free breakfast, free parking, and a business centre.
Which room amenities are available at White Birch Lodge?
Top room amenities include a kitchenette, air conditioning, and a refrigerator.
What food & drink options are available at White Birch Lodge?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast during their stay.
Is parking available at White Birch Lodge?
Yes, free parking is available to guests.
What are some restaurants close to White Birch Lodge?
Conveniently located restaurants include Pearl's New Orleans Kitchen, Cellar 152 Gourmet Market & Wine, and Chef Chucks.
Are there any historical sites close to White Birch Lodge?
Many travellers enjoy visiting Dougherty Mission House (10.6 km).
Is White Birch Lodge accessible?
Yes, it offers reduced mobility rooms. For specific enquiries, we recommend calling ahead to confirm.