This blog post may contain affiliate links, which may reward me in the event of a sale. I use these funds to reinvest in my blog and to create more great content like this article to share with you! My stay at Lost Woods Farm was hosted, however all thoughts & opinions are my own. Disclaimer here.
If you’re looking for the best place to go glamping in Michigan – I’ve found the destination for you. Lost Woods Farm and Forest in Boyne Falls!
Glamping is a more upscale – or “easier” way of camping. You don’t need to pitch a tent or pull a camper. When you arrive, everything is set up for you. And there are many comfortable perks like an actual bed, cute decor, and thoughtful extras like a robe and coffee in the morning.
Lost Woods Farm provides all of those perks plus more! My family and I spent a weekend glamping in the big top tent last summer. After that incredible experience, I jumped at the chance to return to Lost Woods Farm in March when their brand new geo-dome opened up to the public!
Its opening coincided with my husband’s birthday so I used that as an excuse to surprise him with a weekend getaway.
Here’s what you can expect when going on a glamping getaway to Lost Woods Farms in Boyne Falls.
About Lost Woods Farm and Forest – the Best Place for Glamping in Michigan
The founders of Lost Woods Farm are Lauren and Jason Blanford. While Lauren is originally from the Grand Rapids area, she eventually settled in Chicago. There, she met Jason, got married and started a family. After Covid hit, the family reimagined their life outside a big city. Rather than just dream and talk, they put a plan in place when they discovered this property in Northern Michigan. After the big move from bustling Chicago to rural Northern Michigan, they pulled up their sleeves and got to work putting in the infrastructure to create a dream glamping destination.
Lost Woods Farm and Forest, located in Boyne Falls, is on 160 acres of hilly and wooded property. There are also some apple trees remaining from when the land was a farm decades ago. And better yet, there are wild blackberry and raspberry bushes growing along some of the trails Lauren and Jason carved out. If you plan a summer stay here, feel free to snack on what you find!
Within Lost Woods Farm there are five “glamp sites.” Of the five available to rent, 4 are available summers only. The Big Top Tent (which my family stayed at last summer) sleeps up to six people, while the rest sleep two. You can find more about Lost Woods Farm’s summer availability here!
The Geo-Dome
The new geo-dome at Lost Woods Farm finished construction and became available for booking in March 2024. This geo-dome is different from the other lodging options at Lost Woods Farm in several ways:
- It’s available to book year round!
- There’s electricity and plumbing.
- It has its own bathroom with heated floors.
- It comes stocked with small appliances like a mini fridge, toaster oven, hot plate and Nespresso Machine.
- There is heating and cooling.
Walking though the dome, you’ll notice first the kitchen and dining area. There’s a slim kitchen sink and storage area with plates, dishes and even some cooking supplies. Behind the sink is the Nespresso machine and above that is a rack full of cups and mugs. And finally, on the top shelf are supplies for making pour over coffee, including a kettle.
To help you enjoy your coffee, the dome comes stocked with Nespresso coffee pods and in the mini fridge has creamer to use, which was so nice! In the middle of the kitchen is an island with two stools for guests to use if you’re eating in.
In front of the island are a couple chairs facing the dome’s huge window. This allows you a gorgeous spot to relax and enjoy the view from the comfort of the dome.
Moving around the dome, there’s a comfy king sized bed with luxurious bedding. And located above the bed is the dome’s heating and cooling system.
The bathroom is opposite of where the bed is. And this bathroom is amazing – it comes with heated floors and a shower, with both an overhead shower head or wand. And hanging by the sliding door are two robes to use.
What to Expect when You Arrive and Check Out
Once you arrive at Lost Hill Farm, Lauren or Jason will pick you and your luggage up on a golf cart and take you to where you’ll be staying. They’ll also give you a tour of the farm so you know where any amenities you added to your stay are located (like hot tub or sauna). If you’re staying in a tent, they’ll also show where the bathroom and showers are.
After the tour, they’ll walk you through helpful information you’ll want to know about your glamp site. For the tents, they’ll provide helpful tips like keep it zipped up as much as possible to keep bugs and the friendly cats out. Where flaps are to open up some of the sides for ventilation. They’ll also point out additional helpful things that come with your tent like a flashlight and solar charger for your phone. And the fire pits have fire starters to use too.
If you stay at the geo dome, they will show you some of the amenities inside like fridge, toaster oven and projector. If you need to know how to work the coffee machine, they can help with that. The bathroom floors are heated and the shower is self explanatory. Other than that, there isn’t much guidance you’ll need with the dome!
When you’re ready to leave, they’ll pick you up and drop you and your things off at your car in the parking lot.
Amenities & Features at Lost Woods Farm
First, you can add on a wood fired sauna session. This sauna takes time to warm up, but once it does, it’s quite toasty. The sauna comes with hot rocks and a bucket of water you can pour over the rocks to produce steam. When using the sauna, we went in our robes, we just left our flip flops outside the sauna.
If you book a summer stay, there are wood fired hot tubs available for reservation.
The dome comes stocked with Nespresso Coffee pods, creamer, eggs from the chickens, Lavender Hill farm shampoo and conditioner, a projector with Roku stick, and a fire pit. Feel free to carry with you anything you may want to cook if it can be prepped over a hot plate or in a toaster oven.
And, if you stay in one of the tents, freshly made bagels and cream cheese with coffee are delivered each morning. Each glamp site also comes with a fire pit and cooler by it should you carry a bottle of wine, champagne or carry anything else to drink you’ll want chilled. Just carry your own ice. A wine opener is also provided in each tent.
The bathroom situation at the tents is a little different from the dome. There is a shared off grid bathroom. On one side there is a pit potty, and on the other, a solar heated shower complete with sink and Lavender Hill Farm supplied toiletries. Now, if your eyes are popping out with the words “pit potty,” I can guarantee you it’s not that bad. Both sides are decorated nicely. I promise, it’ll be the most glamorous pit potty you’ll ever pee in. 🙂
Unique Features
What Makes Lost Woods Farm the Best Place to Go Glamping in Michigan?
Unlike camping, booking a hotel or Airbnb, this is glamping! So far, there are very few places like this in Michigan – especially in Northern Michigan. Lost Woods Farm is developing at a sustainable pace so each glampsite is unique with its own personality. No cookie cutter vibes here!
Also, its location is beautiful. It’s on a gentle sloping hill with glampsites positioned to see both sunrise and sunset overlooking the hills in the distance.
Lost Wood Farm is peaceful and quiet as it’s located off the main roads. Don’t set your alarm here! Instead you’re likely to be woken up by the sounds of cranes flying overhead, birds chirping or the sun naturally lulling you out of your slumber.
At the same time, if you’re using Lost Woods Farm as your base for a relaxing romantic getaway or tranquil time with your best friend, you’re located less than 30 minutes away from some of the best attractions in northern Michigan. Popular spots to visit include the Boyne Mountain Spa, Lavender Hill Farm, Petoskey wine trail wineries, and delicious restaurants located in nearby Boyne City, Walloon Lake and Petoskey. It’s truly one of a kind; the best place for glamping in Michigan!
What are the Must-See Features
If you’re planning on staying at Lost Woods Farm in the geo-dome, I highly recommend booking at least two nights to really enjoy it. It’s cozy and relaxing. There’s something special about being protected from the elements yet so close to nature.
We made sure to give ourselves time to settle in before bed to watch a couple shows with the projector. Then, we enjoyed the view from the dome of the stars and moon – where else will you ever be more cozy enjoying such a sight?
And after a morning excursion, we came back to the dome for a nap. Once we woke up, we booked a sauna session in the wood fired sauna. (Definitely check with Lauren or visit the website to discover which amenities Lost Woods Farm has open before your visit to ensure you take advantage of everything on site.) And unlike the spa at Boyne Mountain, it’s completely private here!
With two nights, that gives you time to explore the nearby area too.
Places Nearby to Explore Lost Woods Farm
During our past visits we did the below activities and I highly recommend them!
As a Couple, In Any Season
While visiting this March, we crossed the SkyBridge at Boyne Mountain Resort, booked a couples massage, and enjoyed a nice dinner and dessert in Petoskey.
Boyne Mountain Resort
First, the SkyBridge at Boyne Mountain Resort is the world’s tallest timber tower suspension bridge. And while it can be visited year-round, visiting during the winter is particularly magical. The bridge is lit up all the way across with brilliant twinkling lights. The middle portion has a canopy of lights, making it extremely photogenic. It’s also a great way to experience the bridge during sunset or when it’s dark out. Once you cross the bridge, there is a roaring fire and food trucks selling snacks and hot beverages. We hung out here a bit before making the trek back across the bridge.
For just $45 a person, you can purchase a three hour pass to enjoy the amenities at the Boyne Mountain Spa. I recommend this if you are here on a girls trip. In the girls locker room there is a jacuzzi tub and sauna, plus a girls only relaxation room.
For coed’s, there is another relaxation room that has water and herbal teas. We booked a couples massage then we went upstairs to the indoor/outdoor swimming pool and Jacuzzi tubs. The indoor/outdoor pool is heated and kept at a super comfortable temperature. There’s also a pool bar that serves cocktails, wine, and beer. Food available includes salads and charcuterie trays. We highly recommend splurging on the couples massage during a romantic retreat.
Petoskey
Then, for dinner we traveled to Petoskey where we enjoyed a dinner at Pour. I chose Pour because they accepted reservations online. I also saw it had high reviews on Google. Since it was my husband’s birthday, I wanted to ensure we dined somewhere nice and without having to wait to be seated. On the menu there is a Wagyu beef burger that Tony absolutely loved while I indulged in sushi. I also appreciated how the menu had nonalcoholic wine and mocktail options. For dessert, we went to Mitchell Street Pub, which had classic and affordable dessert options like a chocolate lava cake and peanut butter pie.
With Family, During Summer
Last summer when we stayed at Lost Woods Farm’s Big Top Tent as a family, we spent time in Boyne City, toured Lavender Hill Farm during peak lavender season, and drove the Tunnel of Trees between Harbor Springs and Cross Village.
Day Trip to Boyne City
Our summer stay started with an afternoon in Boyne City where we enjoyed a delicious lunch at Cafe Sante. Cafe Sante is a Belgian inspired restaurant with indoor and patio dining options where you can even see Lake Charlevoix. They offer a great meal deal where you get a starter salad, main dish, and dessert for a fixed price. And since it was blueberry season, all of the dishes incorporated blueberries in some fashion. After we completed dinner, we went for a post meal hike up to the overlook at Avalanche Preserve. This view absolutely astounded me! I was not expecting to see such a great place overlooking Lake Charlevoix. It’s several hundred steps up to the top if you take the route directly up to the right of the hill. There’s a parking lot directly in front of the preserve.
Visit Lavender Hill Farm
Another must see site- especially if you’re planning a July or early August stay is to Lavender Hill Farm. This farm has 13,500 lavender bushes of all sorts of varieties – from culinary to fragrant lavender. There’s purple, pink, and even white lavender bushes! We took a guided 30 minute tour of the farm via golf cart where we learned about the history of the farm and got a behind the scenes look into the drying and distilling process of harvesting the lavender. New to the farm as of last year is the farmhouse boutique which stocks a variety of exclusive Lavender Hill Farm branded bath and body, apparel, and food and drink options. Since we visited with our son, they also have a kid friendly scavenger hunt to do on the farm.
Road Trip Along M-119, “Tunnel of Trees”
And our third activity we did during our family’s incredible glamping experience was to cruise along M-119, the Tunnel of Trees. Many people like to do this during fall, but I find summer to be the best time to visit. In summer, all the businesses are open and you can stop at the beaches along the route for a dip. If you’re planning to do this too, we recommend the following route:
- Start off at Pond Hill Farm for lunch and to get some wiggles out of your kids. There’s plenty of activities to do here like pet some farm animals, play on the playground and walk through the greenhouses full of flowers.
- Then continue along M-119 until you reach Trillium Woods for a caffeinated pick me up.
- Browse through the Good Hart General Store.
- Frolic on the beach and hunt for Petoskey stones at Readmond Township Park.
- Finally, stop for dinner at Legs Inn in Cross Village. Legs Inn is a famed historic Polish restaurant hand built out of locally gathered wood and stones by Odawa craftsmen in the 1930s. As you wait for your meal, play some cornhole or swing on the patio swings overlooking Lake Michigan below. And see if you can spot the 4 reef lighthouses in the distance on a clear day!
The Best Place for Glamping in Michigan
Discover the best place to go glamping in Michigan at Lost Woods Farm and Forest in Boyne Falls, Michigan – a luxurious escape without the hassle of setting up camp.
Nestled on 160 acres of picturesque land, Lost Woods Farm offers unique accommodations, including four luxury tents and a state-of-the-art geo-dome available year-round. The geo-dome boasts modern amenities like an equipped kitchen, heated bathroom floors, and a plush king-sized bed, providing a blend of comfort and adventure.
Hosts Lauren and Jason ensure a seamless arrival, offering a tour of the property and highlighting amenities such as wood-fired sauna sessions and a hot tub. During your visit, you’ll be close to nearby attractions like the SkyBridge at Boyne Mountain Resort, Lavender Hill Farm, and a scenic drive along the Tunnel of Trees. You’re bound to have a memorable getaway during a stay at Lost Woods Farm and Forest.
from Michigan with Love,
Jackie
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