Bayfield treehouse is a cozy, unique getaway near the Apostle Islands

A treehouse is probably one of the last places you want to be when there’s a severe thunderstorm warning in effect with winds stronger than 30 miles per hour whipping off Lake Superior.

But this treehouse isn’t a made-from-scrap-wood playhouse for kids. Built 12 feet above the ground in a grove of trees a few miles north of Bayfield, the Boulder Ridge Treehouse is a cozy, modern house that provided a safe refuge from the storm raging outside and a more figuratively safe escape from the coronavirus storm looming over the past six months.

Before the physical storm rolled in, my mom and I sat on the house’s wrap-around deck and listened to the birds chirping in the secluded grove of trees that surrounded us. We talked about how gorgeous it would be in the fall, when the maples and oaks began changing colors. We talked about how even though we had a full schedule of things to see and do in the nearby Apostle Islands, it wouldn’t be hard to spend a whole weekend just relaxing at the treehouse.

Donna and Ron Line built the house on their property outside Bayfield in 2017, after Ron’s brother Will and his wife, Peggy, built one on their land in Wadena, Minn., about a decade before.

Donna Line said they had never thought about having a rental property, but after Will and Peggy’s treehouse was so successful, they were walking around Donna and Ron’s property pointing out good trees and areas where they could build one.

“The next thing you know, we’re like, OK, I guess we’re going to do it,” Donna said.

Within a week, Ron — a welder by trade — had drawn up plans for their treehouse, which includes a kitchenette and full bathroom. He used an old frame rack from his auto repair shop for some of the steel in the house and bought more for the steel beams that support the house, which is built around a few oak trees.

They used wood from Will — a sawyer who used to own a mill — for some of the house, including the fireplace mantel, as well as wood they had on their property, including yellow birch for the inside window frames.

But the real showstoppers inside are the railings along the stairway and loft catwalk made from Lake Superior driftwood. There’s also a stone wall behind the gas fireplace made from rocks found along the lake, and the maple countertop is inlaid with Lake Superior agates.

“We tried to use as many local things as we could,” Donna Line said, noting that they spent the year and a half it took to build the house looking for driftwood, stones and other local woodsy touches to add.

They hit the driftwood jackpot in Herbster one late fall day after a storm.

“The whole beach was just littered with it, and we had our pick. We’d never seen that much driftwood on the beach in the fall time,” Line said, noting that it’s difficult to find any in the summer, when tourists are usually scouring the beach for it, too.

Line said the driftwood was one of the last things they installed. They gave it a light sanding to remove rough edges and added a clear shellac to make it easier to clean.

In addition to building the house, they had to give it a name. Line said they talked about the name Boulder Ridge because their property is situated on a ridge that is full of rocks. While that name sounded like something you’d find in Colorado, she said, “nothing else seemed to fit, either.” They decided it was the most fitting because it best described the property.

That property is situated on the edge of 40 acres that used to be part of the farm that Donna grew up on and includes a short hiking trail loop that guests can explore. She said she snowshoed the trail last winter and they hope to expand it for cross-country skiing this winter.

The property is less than 4 miles north of downtown Bayfield — close enough for a quick drive or bike ride into town, but far enough for complete quiet.

“It is relaxing when you’re just sitting there in nature, and you’re not forced to be on your phone. You just sit there, and it’s quiet. And there’s always something to look at,” Line said.

The treehouse is popular with both kids and adults. Line said they recently had a family from Michigan who surprised their two boys, between ages 7 and 10, with the treehouse getaway. Line said they called the house “so cool” and fought over which bed they would use in the lofted sleeping areas.

Kids also love the Lines’ soccer-playing border collie, Janie, who will play with them until she is (or they are) tired.

The treehouse is popular with honeymooners, too, who fill the guest book with praise for the quiet retreat.

“Maybe because all the excitement is over with the wedding, they can come and sit and relax,” Line said, noting she had just booked another honeymoon for October.

Line said this is the first year the treehouse has been almost completely booked for July and August, except for a couple random reservations here and there. She thinks the pandemic might have played a role in that, as people feel safer staying in a place they have all to themselves, with no need to have contact with anyone, even for check-in or check-out.

That trend is holding true for the fall. She said all of the weekends in September are already booked, and there’s only one weekend and some weekdays available in October. She also already has a booking for January 2021 — the earliest she’s had a booking for winter.

“It’s very snug and warm in the wintertime,” Line said, noting there’s plenty to do in the area, including snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and dog-sledding.

And of course there are the Apostle Islands’ famous ice caves, which haven’t been accessible from Lake Superior since 2015 but can be viewed from above on the national lakeshore’s mainland trail from Meyers Beach.

Line said she and her husband have never spent a night in the treehouse themselves, but their kids and grandkids have, and they have talked about doing it this winter.

But for now, they’re happy welcoming guests for a quiet and unique retreat close to the Apostle Islands, one of Wisconsin’s greatest natural gems.

More information: Rates for the Boulder Ridge Treehouse start at $249 per night, with a two-night minimum. The house can sleep up to four people in a queen bed, twin bed and twin sofa sleeper. It has a full bathroom; a kitchenette with a mini fridge, microwave and coffee maker (plus a grill outside); and is fully winterized with heat and a gas fireplace. Cellphone reception is spotty, but the house has WiFi. Because of the stairs and lofted sleeping areas, the treehouse is not recommended for kids under 6. Pets are not permitted.

Bayfield treehouse is a cozy, unique getaway near the Apostle Islands

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