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Entire home·Private host

Shadow Lake Retreat House ~ Waterfront ~ Includes kayaks, paddle boards, bikes..

Lakefront holiday home with kitchen and balcony

Photo gallery for Shadow Lake Retreat House ~ Waterfront ~ Includes kayaks, paddle boards, bikes..

Fridge, microwave, oven, stovetop
Smart TV, fireplace, DVD player, books
Smart TV, fireplace, DVD player, books
Property grounds
Property grounds
Bethany's Retreat House, on the shores of Shadow Lake in Waupaca, WI offers a serene getaway with plenty of space and amenities. Enjoy three large common rooms with seating for your group and great views through large windows. Relax outdoors by the lake or unwind indoors at the pool table or watching movies.

Reviews

9.8 out of 10
Exceptional

Entire home

6 bedrooms3 bathroomsSleeps 20260 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Parking available
  • Dryer
  • Washer
  • Fireplace
  • Kitchen
  • Barbecue grill

Add dates for prices

About this property

Entire place

You'll have the entire home to yourself and will only share it with other guests in your party.

Shadow Lake Retreat House ~ Waterfront ~ Includes kayaks, paddle boards, bikes..

Enjoy Bethany’s Retreat House for a relaxing vacation on the shores of beautiful Shadow Lake, in Waupaca, WI. Whether you are here for a fun vacation, to refresh your spirit or on a business trip, our lake side lodge is the perfect home away from home.

Our lodge retreat is located right on the lake and is fully furnished with plenty of space and amenities for everyone. There are plenty of activities on-site and within a short distance of the Retreat House. Conveniently close to downtown Waupaca but has the camping experience you need to getaway.

There are three large common rooms throughout the house that have available seating for your whole group with a great view of Shadow Lake seen clearly through large windows.

Outdoor seating and chairs are also at the Retreat House for you to use throughout your stay; with options to relax in the sun or the shade. Go out on the lake with your favorite watercraft to soak up the sun.

Enjoy the pool table, dartboard, movies and other indoor games on a rainy day. Make dinner on the grill, over a fire, use the kitchen or even walk over to one of Bethany’s restaurants to pick up some food. Downtown also has a variety of unique dining choices for you to try out. The Retreat House has everything you’ll need to truly unwind.

Bethany’s Retreat House is located right on Shadow Lake, which is a prime location to see Waupaca’s annual 4th of July fireworks.

The house is close to a city park which has a playground, picnic area, two shelters, bath house, fishing pier, boat launch, and museum. The sandy swimming beach has a raft, slide and diving board. Lifeguards are on duty Memorial Day through Labor Day.

Close to the Retreat House is Bethany’s Crystal River Walking Trail with rest stops and boardwalks that extend to oversee the Crystal River.





Property amenities

Beach

  • Beach nearby

Internet

  • Available in the house: Free WiFi

Parking and transport

  • Onsite parking options include a garage

Kitchen

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Cookware, dishware, and utensils
  • Dishwasher
  • Hob
  • Microwave
  • Oven
  • Refrigerator
  • Toaster

Dining

  • Dining table

Bedrooms

  • 6 bedrooms
  • Bedsheets provided
  • Sofa bed

Bathroom

  • 3 bathrooms
  • Bathtub or shower
  • Hair dryer
  • Shower
  • Towels provided

Living spaces

  • Dining table
  • Fireplace
  • Living room

Entertainment

  • Books
  • DVD player
  • Games
  • Smart TV with cable/satellite channels
  • Video library

Outdoor areas

  • Balcony
  • Barbecue grill
  • Firepit
  • Garden
  • Outdoor furniture
  • Picnic area

Laundry

  • Laundry facilities
  • Washing machine

Comfort

  • Air conditioning
  • Heating

Pets

  • No pets allowed

Suitability/Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • Upper floors accessible by stairs only
  • Wheelchair-accessible path of travel
  • Smoke-free property
  • Note from host: May smoke outside, dispose materials safely

Location highlights

  • In a rural location
  • Near a hospital
  • On a lake
  • On the waterfront

Things to do

  • Arcade/game room
  • Bicycles
  • Billiards/pool table
  • Kayak
  • Cycling nearby
  • Fishing nearby
  • Jet skiing nearby
  • Swimming nearby

Safety features

  • Carbon monoxide detector (host has indicated there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property)
  • Smoke detector (host has indicated there is a smoke detector on the property)
  • Fire extinguisher
  • Deadbolt lock

General

  • Bicycles
  • Garden
  • Unit size: 2,801 square feet

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Policies

Check-in

Check-in time starts at 4:00 PM
Contactless check-in and check-out are available
Minimum check-in age - 25

Check-out

Check-out before 11:00 AM

Special check-in instructions

You will receive an email from the host with check-in and check-out instructions

Rules

Absolutely NO fireworks allowed on the property.

Pets

Pets not allowed

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome

Events

No events allowed
Please be respectful of neighbors

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted
May smoke outside, dispose materials safely

Important information

You need to know

This property is managed by a private host (a party not acting within their trade, business or profession). EU consumer law, including the right of withdrawal, will not apply to your booking. The cancellation policy set by the private host will cover your booking.
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
Note from host: Please be respectful of neighbors
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 and a deadlock
This property is managed through our partner, Vrbo. You will receive an email from Vrbo with a link to a Vrbo account, where you can change or cancel your reservation

We should mention

This property does not have any lifts

Property is also known as

House
Shadow Lake Retreat House ~ Waterfront ~ Includes Kayaks!

About the area

Map
Waupaca, WI

What's nearby

  • ThedaCare Medical Center-Waupaca - 8 min walk - 0.7 km
  • Peoples Park - 3 min drive - 2.5 km
  • Waupaca Woods Shopping Mall - 3 min drive - 3.6 km
  • Brainerd Bridge Park - 4 min drive - 3.6 km
  • Crystal River - 9 min drive - 11.1 km

Getting around

  • Appleton, WI (ATW-Appleton Intl.) - 42 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪McDonald's - ‬5 min drive
  • ‪Dairy Queen - ‬20 min walk
  • ‪Schueller's Great exSPECHTations - ‬4 min drive
  • ‪H.H. Hinder Brewing Co. - ‬18 min walk
  • ‪Taco Bell - ‬5 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is Shadow Lake Retreat House ~ Waterfront ~ Includes kayaks, paddle boards, bikes.. pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

What time is check-in at Shadow Lake Retreat House ~ Waterfront ~ Includes kayaks, paddle boards, bikes..?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Shadow Lake Retreat House ~ Waterfront ~ Includes kayaks, paddle boards, bikes..?

Checkout is at 11:00 AM.

Where is Shadow Lake Retreat House ~ Waterfront ~ Includes kayaks, paddle boards, bikes.. located?

This family-friendly Waupaca holiday home is located on the waterfront, within 1 mi (2 km) of ThedaCare Medical Center-Waupaca and Hutchinson Historical House. South Park and Peoples Park are also within 2 miles (3 km).

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Reviews

Shadow Lake Retreat House ~ Waterfront ~ Includes kayaks, paddle boards, bikes.. Reviews

9.8

Exceptional

10

Cleanliness

9.8

Location
Rating 10 - Excellent. 177 out of 193 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 14 out of 193 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 1 out of 193 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 193 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 1 out of 193 reviews

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Angelia A.

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

Relaxing and spacious

Lots of room to spread out a larger party. Beautiful views and fun activities/ rec equip included.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Hilary A.

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

Amazing Getaway with Friends

We had a great weekend kayaking, roasting marshmallows, and playing games. The house was the perfect setting. It was large enough that everyone had their own area when needed. This house was amazing!
Stayed 3 nights in May 2025

10/10 Excellent

Anna W.

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

Winter Get-away

We enjoyed our stay very much! Wonderful and charming property.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2023

10/10 Excellent

raul p.

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

I love this house

Everything is perfect
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2024

10/10 Excellent

Roger S.

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

Roger's 60 Birthday Bash

Great location for all of my family with plenty of rooms, 17 of us in all stayed there. Had lots of laughts there with my siblings and spouses. Would stay there again. Great place!!!
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2023

10/10 Excellent

Jen S.

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

Great spot, super private, tons of space!

The Shadow Retreat house was exactly as the pictures look: a serene, private, older home with lots of character. Our group enjoyed kayaking to the nearby sandy beach to swim and the lake is pretty good for fishing, too. There's lots of spots to gather and dine inside and out. The game room is a super fun bonus.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Stormie D.

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

Great Space

The accommodation were amazing. The kitchen was a pleasure to cook in. Plenty of space for games and laughter!
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2024

10/10 Excellent

April S., Brookfield, USA

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

Family Gathering

We had a great time at the property with three generations while visiting family and enjoying triathlon weekend!
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2022

10/10 Excellent

Carrie K.

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

Great for large groups!

The house was so perfect for our family gathering of 17 people. We enjoyed the spacious home and location was just minutes from quaint downtown Waupaca as well!
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2022

10/10 Excellent

Julia C.

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

Wonderful weekend up north

The house and property are absolutely beautiful and have everything you could want/need for a trip to the lake. We will definitely be coming back!
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2020

10/10 Excellent

Robert G.

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

Awesome for my moms 90th birthday party!

Great place. Well equipped with water toys, kitchen supplies, high chair etc.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Karen R.

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

Great family time!

Wonderful home for our family get-together. The kids loved the swimming beach and the bunk beds! We had plenty of room for 14 of us. The kitchen is well stocked and everything was spotless!
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Tamara S.

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

Awesome Lake House!

We had an amazing time! The host was very gracious and communicated effectively. I have a 7 year old Autistic son and I was worried about being so close to the lake, but I bought some door sensors from Amazon to ensure he didn’t elope. Every thing worked out we really enjoyed our stay!
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2024

8/10 Good

Sandra P.

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

Great place to stay

The only down side was that we had children who wanted to be at the beach and park and we assumed it was closer, like walking distance but it was on the other side of the lake, way to far to walk. Great house, we all had an awesome family vacation.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2019

10/10 Excellent

Hasan Ali U.

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

Everything was allright

Everything was allright
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

BARB B.

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

Awesome Rental and Great Location

Our family had a wonderful stay. The home was very clean as well as the yard. Property owner was responsive to any questions prior to our arrival. Home was well equipped and the lake was enjoyed by all with the great facility at South Park in the City of Waupaca. Highly recommend for anyone traveling with family. Thanks for the great stay.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2022

10/10 Excellent

Mark L.

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

Waupaca lake house

We had a nice time at this house. The location was great by Shadow Lake. It rained every day so we did not get to go canoeing or kayaking, but having that equipment available was a selling point for this property. It was just a very nice, spacious relaxing place to have our family reunion.
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Katie M.

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

Perfect for a bonspiel weekend

Plenty of room for a group of adults in town for a curling event. Enough beds to sleep everyone and gathering spaces for a larger group to play board games (plenty available in a closet) or cards. Views of the lake were a nice bonus at sunset and sunrise. Multiple people mentioned coming back in the summer
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2023

10/10 Excellent

Regina W.

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

Girls Getaway

We loved everything!!! Everyone who came were so happy that there was room for all 9 of us - never felt like we were on top of each other. We never left the house - it had everything we needed!! Thanks again!
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2023

10/10 Excellent

Sue and Rick L., Neenah, Wisconsin

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

Our Third stay😍

We love to stay at Shadow Lake retreat! It’s our 10 girls weekend. So much space for all of us. Everything you need is supplied. Great walk to town for some shopping then back for food and games! The morning coffee in the living room is so cozy! And watching the ice fishing is fun too. Some year we want to stay in the summer to enjoy the lake. Thank you for sharing this beautiful home!
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2024

10/10 Excellent

Stoyan M.

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

Great Place to Get Together with Friends/Family

We were very impressed with our stay here and everyone enjoyed their weekend. The house was as described and offered a very relaxing experience starting with a fully equipped kitchen with quality supplies enough for 20 people, nice common rooms, great bathrooms, a lot of space outdoors to sit and take in the great view, and enough recreational activities around the house (pool table, games, kayaks, etc.) to keep us all busy. In addition, communication with the property manager was great and they were very responsive and understanding with any questions we had. Overall, we would all gladly come back to stay again and would recommend it to others.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2019

10/10 Excellent

Jessica K.

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

Annual Family Holiday

This was our second year to stay at the Shadow Lake Retreat House. Once again, we had a wonderful time. Our group was large, but there was plenty of space to spread out. We never felt like we were crammed into the house. The outdoor space was wonderful for the kids to head out and burn some energy. The property manager is very responsive. She was quick to answer a couple of questions and requests we had. We have already booked the house for next years' get together!
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2020

10/10 Excellent

Christine S.

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

Great for large families

All 17 of us had a great time! The space was perfect for cooking, eating, and hanging out. We also liked the separate areas for sleeping. The house fit our needs well. They also had almost everything there you would need for little ones such as a pack n play, high chair, and even the half door to block off the basement stairs was a good idea. They had all sizes of life jackets for the canoe, kayaks, and paddle boards, too. There are also folding chairs for inside as well as lawn chairs for outside. We liked having the washer and dryer available to us. The lake had clear water, but was a bit too weedy for swimming. We spent a lot of time on the back patio areas looking at the lake. We enjoyed the pool/dart room since the weather wasn't the best for swimming. We enjoyed our yearly trip!
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Anthony M., TEMPE

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

Reunion

Excellent property. Accommodated our group of 12 adults over 30 and 2 school aged children easily. Large well equipped, eat-in kitchen, spacious living room overlooking the lake, well equipped game room on lower level. Everything well maintained. We were there during a cold spell in April so didn’t spend much time outside. Looking over a small lake it feels very private as few other homes are visible. In reality you are in a town of 6,000 people. Anything we needed was just a few minutes away.. This was a great place for our small family reunion. Only thing others might consider is that two of the beds are pull out couches. in an area that can be made private and one in the lower level family room. Both would be ok for kids to sleep on but adults would likely find them uncomfortable. We will definitely recommend this property to others and would stay there ourselves in the future.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2022

10/10 Excellent

Elizabeth

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, communication
We had a lovely time, despite a pretty crazy storm coming through! The host was excellent, and available when needed. Someone also stopped by after the storm to check on us, and let us know they had flashlights, etc. if needed.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2025