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Places to Stay : Baileys Harbor

Kangaroo Lake Resort
Housekeeping Cottages
2799 North Kangaroo Lake Drive
Baileys Harbor
920-839-2341

WOW! What a neat little place we stumbled across while searching for hidden treasures on the Door Peninsula. When Pat called and invited us to visit, we were delighted since we had not had the opportunity to review her place yet. It’s always fun to find a new place, and we couldn’t wait to meet the owners in person and view their property.

Kangaroo Lake Resort is located two miles South of Baileys Harbor and about one half mile West of Hwy 57. If your heading North on Hwy 57, take a left on North Kangaroo Lake Drive just before Maxwelton Braes golf course. (Maxwelton is a great place to golf, check out our review). You will find this secluded resort at the end of North Kangaroo Lake Drive, right on the shore of Kangaroo Lake.

We met with Pat who, along with her husband Arps, have owned and operated this traditional Door County resort for over 25 years. What makes this resort unique is its rich history as a family resort and its sheltered wooded setting on the water. We refer to the Kangaroo Lake Resort as a “traditional Door County resort” because it dates back to when most of Door County was undeveloped. Guests originally arrived to this summer retreat by passenger train and stagecoach.

Today guests can choose from seven different cottages situated over three acres and 400 feet of shoreline. There are no two cottages alike and they all are very spacious and extremely clean and well cared for. At the time we visited, Pat was in the process of opening for the season and we can tell you these cottages are CLEAN! Really, she scrubs the floors between guest visits. Pat mentioned to us that many of the families have been coming for generations and many have young children. She takes a lot of pride in keeping her cottages clean. She says her guests can let their babies crawl on the floor—and we believe her!

We viewed three of her cottages: The Wren, Blue Flag and Hemlock. The Wren and Hemlock have great screened in porches that face the lake and a spacious lawn. The Blue Flag has a nice deck out front that has a great view of the lake. These cottages all have two bedrooms, hide-a-beds in the living rooms and private bathrooms of course. The Wren and Hemlock have large kitchens and the Blue Flag has an L-shaped living room and kitchen design. Knotty pine walls, lots of storage space and ample cabinets complete these cottages.

Other cottages include the Elm View and Maples. The Maples is a cute one-bedroom cottage. It features a real wood-burning fireplace made from natural stone, and complete kitchen. It’s very cozy and a great cottage for honeymooners. The Cedars and Sea Gull are located in one building. The Cedars has a Franklin wood-burning fireplace, large living room and kitchen combined and two bedrooms, one with a double bed and one with twin beds. There is also a hide-a-bed in the living room. The Sea Gull is a roomy one bedroom (queen bed) upper level cottage with a nice view. It also has a Franklin fireplace and hide-a-bed in the living room.

The Lake
The Kangaroo Lake Resort is located on one of Wisconsin’s cleanest and clearest inlet lakes. The sunsets here are absolutely stunning. Sitting with Pat at her kitchen table, we viewed oodles and oodles of sunset pictures - no two alike - AWESOME! Kangaroo Lake is non-commercial, very quiet and wonderfully scenic. The resort has over 400 feet of shoreline, including a private beach, three piers, swimming raft and large sunning area. With its gradually sloping bottom, this lake is really welcomed by people staying here with kids. The water is about four feet deep at the end of the piers and eight feet deep at the floating swimming raft. Because it is spring fed, the lake is warmer than Lake Michigan or the waters of Green Bay.

There are many activities for your family to enjoy. You can fish for small mouth bass, walleye, northern pike and pan fish right from the piers. You may rent one of the five rowboats or one canoe or if you have your own boat you may rent dock space. Badminton, croquet, tetherball, volleyball and other games can be played on the large lawn area. Swings, picnic tables and a nice outdoor fire pit add to the outdoor fun. It’s easy to see yourself at the fire pit, roasting marshmallows with the kids at night. Virtually all of Door County’s attractions are nearby. Charter a fishing boat nearby, visit one of the many state parks, attend a fish boil or take in a play —all excellent family activities.

We can’t say it any better…
While visiting with Pat we looked through literally hundreds of pictures taken by her guests. It was easy to see that guests love coming here. There aren’t many resorts like this in Door County or anywhere else. Just read what some of the guests have written, we can’t describe the atmosphere and ambiance any better.

“Where time slows down & our family reconnects.” -Jean K.
“I think I will always remember this place. I plan on sharing it with my kids someday.” - Lisa S., age 13
“The ability to choose your own pace on Kangaroo Lake is what makes it unique. It’s like the world stop spinning enough for me to enjoy the view.” -John T.
“It’s about reconnecting with your family & your soul.” -Al M.
“The peacefulness, beauty and serenity that surrounds us while we are here, it lives in our hearts while we are not.” -Karen W.
“It almost seems like we “come home” for one week a year and spend the rest of our time somewhere else.” -Al M.

Pat and Arps feel the lake brings out the best in people. If you’re looking for a peaceful family get-a-way, a place to really connect with your children, we recommend checking out the Kangaroo Lake Resort. Nothing fancy, you won’t find any indoor pools or game rooms, just nice clean accommodations, privacy from the hustle and bustle of the rest of Door County and a great place to spend time as a family.

Things you should know
Each cottage has a fully equipped kitchen, Weber grill, automatic heat, color TV’s (VCR’s available), hide-a-beds in the living rooms. Cribs, highchairs and rollaways are available. Bed linens, bath and kitchen towels ARE NOT provided, but may be rented if so desired. Blankets and pillows are provided. Sorry no pets. All cottages are smoke free. Smoking is allowed outdoors. Daily rentals available based on cottage occupancy. Off season weekly rates available until early June and after Labor Day.

Always call ahead to make reservations and to determine current rates. Check out Kangaroo Lake Resort, and please tell them you found them on DoorCountyNavigator.com!