Six Crows House — More than a Lodge
THE TURF
A great night’s sleep away from home is top of the list when it comes to desirable lodging. Whether you are passing through or in West Michigan for a purpose, you won’t find a more comfortable bed than at Six Crows House. But we figure, why stop there?
Perhaps you are coming to explore the majesty of West Michigan! How about a dip in our massaging spa after a day exploring Lake Michigan beaches, parks, and lighthouses; or splashing and teeth gnashing at Michigan’s Adventure Water and Amusement Park; or perhaps riding the luge or zip lines at Muskegon Adventure Sports Park — all 15-25 minutes down the road from Six Crows House.
Perhaps you want an escape more than a layover. In addition to our year-round spa, we have 6 watercraft, a children’s playground and tree fort, and assorted yard games for summer fun! Enjoy campfire gatherings, and respectfully explore our authentic Medicine Wheel. For rainy days or anytime in The Suite, we have table top games, movies, and books galore.
SLEEP, EAT, LOUNGE, PLAY, EXPLORE
We welcomed our first guests in May, 2017 with 2 bedrooms, a bathroom, and a breakfast nook. Over the years we have added more accommodations and amenities, and have fine-tuned our services as we learn what guests want.
We welcomed more than 300 groups of travelers and vacationers in 2021. We have hosted guests from dozens of countries around the world, and from at least 1/2 of these United States in our Suite, Glamp, and Bubble.
The Suite sleeps a group of up to 8 guests in 4 lovely bedrooms: 1 king, 3 queens; OR 2 guests per private bedroom booked individually, with shared common areas and amenities. Each bedroom is uniquely themed with beds designed and dressed for comfort. We keep traffic light among housemates during individual bookings by leaving one bedroom unoccupied.
The Glamp is a step up from camping, with real beds, hot running water, and electricity, right at the edge of the lake. The cabin sleeps 4 in a double Murphy bed and a set of twin bunks. Additionally, we can provide single guest tent cots for up to 2 more Glamp guests. The site includes a small, fully equipped camp kitchen building that is tagged at the back with a spacious and private outdoor shower. There is a gas grill, a dining area, and a fire pit equipped with a fire grill.
The Bubble includes The Suite and The Glamp, and sleeps 12+ for a truly exclusive family or group gathering.
Our Glamp and lakeside amenities shut down off season. The Suite and outdoor spa are open year-round. See our TURF AND SURF sub pages for detailed descriptions of all our accommodations.
PLAYGROUND AND TREE FORT
For the younger crowd and the young at heart, we have a sandbox with toys, a swing set, and a tree fort. Children under 10 years old must be supervised and spotted when climbing up into the tree fort.
Absolutely no toddlers in the tree fort, and no rough housing up there. Parents, please use common sense and stress the rules to your children.
For more ambitious parents, and generally during a longer stay, we have a 6’x10′ splashing pool that can be set up in the playground area. It is up to guests to set it up as well as empty and put it away when done.
Returning guests, stay tuned. 🙂 In spring 2022, we launch our next Six Crows House project, a sitting garden adjacent the playground. In the meantime, there are camp chairs nearby for parents’ comfort.
AUTHENTIC NATIVE AMERICAN MEDICINE WHEEL
The Medicine Wheel represents a prayer of oneness and harmony with all forms of life in the seen and unseen worlds — people, animals, birds, insects, trees and plants, rocks, waters, and winds, the ancestors, and in general, Great Spirit of which all are a part. It recognizes our interconnectedness, and reinforces that everyone and everything has a purpose, is worthy of respect and caring, and has a place in the grand scheme of life. The concept is summed up in this simple Lakota “prayer”: Mitakuye Oyasin (tr. All My Relations).
Medicine Wheels can take many forms, from simple rocks arranged like spokes on a wheel to elaborate rock gardens. The Six Crows Wheel is a garden that spans about 50 feet in diameter and is defined by a low border fence. Its rocks and other features symbolically represent our complex universe.
The Wheel is located on the road side of our property, east of the path through the front yard toward the house and lake. Guests are welcome to visit the Wheel with the understanding that you are entering sacred space where prayer and ceremony occur, much like at a conventional church. Do not step over the border fence. Enter correctly on the far east side, which you will find open.
Enjoy the energies of the wheel while respecting it, please. Please, no small children unattended or running roughshod in the Medicine Wheel. If you are interested on a deeper level, Linda is happy to provide a printed diagram with suggested uses of a Medicine Wheel. Ask her.
SORRY, VEGGIE GARDEN IS OFF LIMITS
NB: You will have noticed the greenhouse and veggie garden to the right as you drove in. They are south of the Medicine Wheel, with the pole barn between them. Sorry, this is the one area that is off limits to guests. Please do not venture past the grape vines on the south side or the white pine between the Medicine Wheel and the garden. Thank you for this respect.
THE SURF
OK, so the “surf” header is admittedly an exaggeration. In fact, most days, Hart Lake is more like a still or maybe gently waving mirror.
TURTLE COVE PROMISES NATURAL BEAUTY AND WILDLIFE
Hart Lake is a 50-acre sportsman’s lake with a natural shoreline at our waterfront, which the locals dub Turtle Cove.
Given our natural setting, wildlife is abundant and includes our resident swans, green and blue herons, cranes, and loons. Ducks and geese come and go. Watch for our resident muskrat swimming across the cove.
If you visit at the right time, you might well see a mama turtle plod up the hill, dig a hole, and lay her eggs. She may be a painted or a snapper. Please respect her and her brood either way. She will slowly make her way where she needs to go.
There is also a good chance you will spy a visiting hawk or eagle stopping by for a bite to eat.
FISH, STROLL, PEDAL, PADDLE, OR ROW
Hobby fishermen are thrilled to learn that Hart Lake is populated with blue gills, speckled bass, walleye, even perch. One long weekend, we had a grampa with 2 young grandsons throw back a bunch and take home 13!
Take out one of our boats or fish from the end of the dock. The lake gets plenty of fishing activity in winter as well. Our fishing guests are not disappointed summer or winter.
As noted, our waterfront is natural, which attracts the wildlife. The cove is clear in spring, then depending on the year and water level, gradually populates with water lilies by late summer. It’s very pretty and guests love paddling through them. As the season wears on, we keep a “canal” cleared for our varied non-motorized watercraft.
No worries about sharing watercraft. We have enough boats for 12+ guests to stroll the lake at the same time if everyone wanted to: two 2-person kayaks; three 2-person pedal boats, and a 10-foot flat bottom row boat. We also provide a bin full of life vests and seat cushions for guests’ safety and comfort.
Like many others, our lake has been in flux in recent years due to the changing climate. In the extremes, the lake might be so high that the ground is spongy in spring, or the shoreline might be receding 10 feet! Last spring we doubled the length of our dock and rafts to compensate.
May 11 
September 22
BEACH LOVERS’ HIDDEN GEM RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER
Do not expect a beach area at Six Crows. With a natural lake edge comes a mucky lake bottom, completely unsuitable for beach swimming. Guests sometimes row out beyond the cove and jump in there for a swim.
Despair not, beach lovers! Twin Lake County Park just 3 miles down the road has a beautiful white sandy beach with a warm sandy inland lake. For a bonus, the park is out of the way for the area’s larger populations, so it’s a bit of a hidden gem and rarely very packed. See details on our Attractions Page.