This 1925 beach cottage was the first cottage to be built on beautiful Cecil Bay. The sand beach directly in front of it has no stones or weeds, only sand stretching over a mile in length. It faces due west, so cool breezes and full sunsets are the norm. The cottage is very well preserved for that quintessential Northern Michigan experience.
Walk out your back door down the sandy path to swim in the warm water that pools in Cecil Bay. The sand extends out two hundred yards and at 50 yards is only 2 feet deep, perfect for sandcastles and the little ones who build them.
A four minute drive puts you at the ferry dock to Mackinac Island. Wilderness State Park, the Headlands Preserve, French Farm Lake Wildlife Refuge, Fort Michilimackinac, waterparks, golfcourses and the auto-free 'Crossings' retail development are within 3 miles.
This beach has warm water blown in by the prevailing winds. It is crescent shaped and captures the warmed surface water. It is not uncommon for this water to be 10-15 degrees above that of the open lake. The prevailing winds also bring cool breezes off the lake on hot days.
The 30 foot long front porch is screened, but also has one 12 foot screen panel hinged at the top to hook the screen out of sight. This is where the hanging dual seat and a small couch are located. On most days you will not have to lower this screen because the breeze keeps bugs from entering. The porch is relatively high up from the ground (higher than what is commonly built today), so the view of the lake is improved.
Lake Huron or Lake Michigan?: Go to the local real estate office and you will find that the average lake Huron footage goes for less than $1,000
The average sales price of Lake Michigan footage on the mile of beach in the middle of Cecil Bay goes for over $4,000 per foot, when it is available.
This is because on Cecil Bay we get:
Full direct West Sunsets
Sandy beach, no weeds or stones (not even little ones close to shore), gently sloping out to five foot depth about 150 yards off shore. Perfect sandcastle area at water's edge. These are all related because the prevailing winds make the sandy beach, keep the bushes and trees from growing on the beach, cool the land, etc.
Cool prevailing wind breezes off the lake help blow bugs back into the woods
The prevailing winds and the shallowness of the two mile wide bay trap warmed surface waters
Wilderness Park Drive Really is Wild: This corner of Northern Michigan contains more public, undeveloped land than private land. Standing on the beach you can see miles of undeveloped shoreline. Emmet County's Headlands preserve is a short five minute walk down the beach. On the South side of the Cecil Bay Wilderness State Park stretches for miles into the horizon. On the other side of Wilderness Pk Dr there is the undeveloped State Forest, including French Farm Wildlife Refuge, the three mile long inland lake where the locals fish and birdwatch. Its entire shoreline remains undeveloped, but there are plenty of hiking and biking trails, along with a boat launch for fishing boats, canoes and kayaks.
But you're not really far from civilization because all the restaurants, shopping and nightlife of Mackinaw City is an easy 3 mile drive. If you haven't been to Mackinaw City in a few years you will be surprised. Of course the Mackinac Island ferry docks are there, but don't miss the historic lighthouses and fort.
