Property Overview
Forty acres of Northern Michigan woodland, a comfortable year-round cabin, and an established outdoor recreation setup come together at 1736 W Gaukel Road in Lake City. Set across both sides of a rural gravel road, this distinctive property offers a combination of wooded acreage, open ground, established trails, hunting improvements, and practical outbuildings. The sellers have enjoyed the cabin as their full-time residence, making this more than a seasonal hunting camp.
The single-story cabin was built in 2015 and provides 1,013 square feet of interior living space, with two bedrooms and one bathroom. Its inviting living area features a wood-burning stove, while two propane wall furnaces provide additional heat. A cozy sunroom offers a pleasant place to enjoy morning coffee, take in the surrounding scenery, or watch wildlife throughout the seasons.
Forty acres, established hunting improvements, and a year-round cabin. This property brings together the space and privacy of a wooded recreational parcel with the everyday comforts of an established residence.
Interior Features
The cabin’s thoughtfully arranged single-level floor plan includes two main-level bedrooms, a shared bathroom, kitchen, dining area, and living room. Its 1,013 square feet provide a manageable living space for full-time use or a Northern Michigan retreat.
The living room is centered around a wood-burning stove, adding warmth and a traditional cabin atmosphere. Propane wall furnaces provide another source of heat. The kitchen includes a refrigerator, oven/range, microwave, and instant hot water.
The sunroom adds a particularly appealing space for relaxing and enjoying the natural surroundings, while the covered patio provides another area to spend time outdoors.
Land and Outdoor Features
The 40-acre parcel is one of the defining features of this property. Its landscape combines wooded and cleared areas with level ground and rolling slopes, creating a varied setting for outdoor recreation, wildlife observation, and enjoying the changing seasons.
Walking trails and ATV trails provide established routes through the acreage. The sellers have also maintained approximately seven box blinds, nine ladder stands, and three previously maintained food plots, creating an extensive existing setup for hunting and wildlife-related recreation.
The property extends across both sides of W Gaukel Road. The cabin sits on the north side, while the majority of the acreage is located on the south side. State land is also identified near the property’s northeast and northwest corners, offering additional nearby public-land surroundings.
Outbuildings and Storage
A 24-by-24-foot pole barn with a concrete floor provides useful space for recreational vehicles, equipment, tools, and storage. An additional 12-foot lean-to extends the available covered storage area.
A separate garden and storage shed provides space for gardening supplies, hobbies, and outdoor equipment. The sellers have also planted and maintained perennial gardens throughout the property, bringing seasonal color and a more established residential feel to the wooded setting.
Utilities and Construction
This property offers an off-grid electrical arrangement rather than conventional electric service. The cabin is powered by marine batteries and a generator, providing an alternative setup for buyers who appreciate a more independent rural lifestyle.
Water is listed as private, and the property has a private sewer system. Heating is provided by propane wall furnaces and a wood-burning stove.
The home features frame construction with rough-sawn wood siding, a slab and other foundation components, and an asphalt roof. The single-story structure was built in 2015.
Four-Season Northern Michigan Setting
The surrounding landscape changes character throughout the year. Autumn brings seasonal color through the woods, winter provides a quieter wooded setting, and spring and summer bring renewed greenery and opportunities to enjoy the trails, gardens, and outdoor spaces.
Located in the Lake City area of Missaukee County, the property combines a private rural setting with access to the services and recreational opportunities of nearby communities. Whether used as a year-round residence, family hunting camp, or recreational getaway, the acreage and existing improvements provide a versatile foundation for enjoying Northern Michigan.
Living in the Area
Lake City and the surrounding Missaukee County countryside offer a rural Northern Michigan setting with local schools, community services, healthcare access, outdoor recreation, and connections to neighboring communities.
Area Overview
Lake City is the county seat of Missaukee County in Northern Michigan. The area is characterized by rural residential properties, wooded landscapes, lakes, agricultural land, and outdoor recreation.
Missaukee County had an estimated population of approximately 15,274 residents in July 2025. Its relatively low population density contributes to the area’s rural character, with communities and services distributed across the county.
Lake City serves as a local center for community services, education, shopping, and recreation. The broader region also connects residents with neighboring communities, including Cadillac and other Northern Michigan destinations.
Outdoor recreation, local businesses, public services, and small-community living are important parts of the surrounding area’s character.
Schools and Education
Lake City Area Schools serves the Lake City community and provides local public education options.
Nearby educational facilities include:
- Lake City Elementary School – Elementary education in the Lake City area.
- Lake City Middle and High School – Secondary education serving the local community.
- Wexford-Missaukee Intermediate School District – Regional educational support and services.
These are nearby educational resources, not a confirmation of the property’s assigned school attendance boundaries. Buyers should verify current school assignments, enrollment requirements, and transportation arrangements directly with the school district.
Healthcare and Hospitals
Healthcare services are available in the broader Northern Michigan region, with additional hospital resources in nearby communities.
Munson Healthcare Cadillac Hospital in Cadillac provides hospital services and operates a 24-hour emergency department.
Additional regional healthcare options include Munson Medical Center in Traverse City and other facilities within the Munson Healthcare network.
Buyers should confirm the location, availability, and suitability of individual medical services when evaluating their healthcare needs.
Housing Market History
Historical housing data provides context for understanding residential property trends across Missaukee County. One consistent long-term measure is the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s annual All-Transactions House Price Index.
The following figures represent the countywide index, with the year 2000 established as the base value of 100. These are index readings, not median sale prices or individual property valuations.
| Year | House Price Index |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 166.13 |
| 2022 | 196.43 |
| 2023 | 215.68 |
| 2024 | 235.46 |
| 2025 | 244.31 |
The index increased approximately 47% between 2021 and 2025. This represents historical countywide house-price movement and should not be interpreted as the appreciation of this particular property or as a prediction of future performance.
Rural acreage, off-grid electrical arrangements, recreational improvements, and cabin properties can have different buyer considerations from conventional residential homes. Comparable properties with similar land characteristics and improvements are particularly relevant when evaluating this type of real estate.
Transportation and Access
The property is accessed from W Gaukel Road, which is identified as a gravel-surfaced road. Its rural location makes personal vehicle transportation an important consideration for everyday errands, appointments, and regional travel.
Lake City provides access to local community services, while Cadillac and other surrounding Northern Michigan communities offer additional regional destinations.
Buyers should consider seasonal driving conditions, gravel-road maintenance, winter access, and the property’s specific driveway and road arrangements when planning year-round use.
Shopping and Everyday Services
Lake City provides a local community center for everyday services and essential errands. Residents can also look to nearby regional communities for a wider range of shopping, dining, healthcare-related services, and other conveniences.
Cadillac provides additional commercial services and shopping opportunities within the wider Missaukee and Wexford County region.
For buyers considering a rural property, it is useful to evaluate the availability of grocery shopping, fuel, hardware supplies, pharmacies, and other frequently needed services in relation to their preferred travel routes.
Parks and Recreation
Outdoor recreation is an important part of the Lake City area. Lake Missaukee provides opportunities for enjoying the water and spending time outdoors throughout the warmer months.
Local recreational amenities include:
- Lake Missaukee – A local lake with boating, swimming, and other water-based recreational opportunities.
- Lake City Municipal Dock and Boat Launch – Public access for enjoying the lake.
- Lake City Public Beach – A community swimming and waterfront recreation area with a boardwalk.
- City parks and road-end parks – Additional public outdoor spaces and swimming opportunities.
- Missaukee Mountain – A local destination for seasonal outdoor recreation, including sledding and winter activities.
- Campgrounds and recreational areas – Additional opportunities to enjoy the region’s outdoor setting.
The property itself also offers substantial private recreational space, including wooded acreage, established trails, ATV routes, wildlife improvements, and perennial gardens.
Utilities and Connectivity
Rural properties in Missaukee County can have different utility arrangements depending on their location and infrastructure. Buyers should distinguish between services available in the wider area and services connected to an individual property.
Michigan maintains broadband availability mapping through its High-Speed Internet Office and the Federal Communications Commission. These resources allow residents to investigate potential providers and technologies by individual address.
For this particular property, the existing utility arrangement is important: conventional electric service is not connected, and the cabin currently operates using marine batteries and a generator. Heating is provided by propane wall furnaces and a wood stove, with private water and private sewer listed.
Prospective buyers should independently verify the condition and capacity of the existing electrical setup, generator arrangements, water supply, septic system, propane service, cellular reception, and available internet options.
Broadband and cellular availability should be confirmed at the exact property address rather than assumed from countywide or community-level coverage.
Development and Planning
The City of Lake City maintains municipal planning and zoning information, including its master plan, zoning ordinance, capital improvements planning, and parks and recreation planning documents.
These planning resources provide information about municipal land-use policies, public infrastructure considerations, and community planning priorities.
No specific approved or under-construction development project has been established here as directly affecting the subject property. Buyers interested in land use, future improvements, neighboring parcels, or recreational property use should verify applicable zoning, township regulations, easements, and land-use restrictions with the appropriate local authorities.
The property’s listed residential zoning should also be independently confirmed before making assumptions about future construction or alternative uses.
Property Summary
Key details for this Northern Michigan property are provided below.
| Property Type | Single Family Residence |
|---|---|
| Address | 1736 W Gaukel Rd |
| City | Lake City |
| County | Missaukee County |
| State | Michigan |
| ZIP Code | 49651 |
| MLS Number | 1952151 |
| MLS Source | NGLRMLS |
| Parcel Number | 00702600350 |
| Bedrooms | 2 |
| Bathrooms | 1 |
| Interior Living Area | 1,013 square feet |
| Lot Size | 40 acres |
| Year Built | 2015 |
| Stories | One |
| Architectural Style | Other |
| Construction | Frame, rough-sawn wood siding |
| Foundation | Slab and other |
| Roof | Asphalt |
| Heating | Propane wall furnaces and wood-burning stove |
| Electrical Service | No conventional electric service; marine batteries and generator |
| Water | Private |
| Sewer | Private sewer |
| Fireplace | Wood-burning stove |
| Parking | Four spaces listed; pole barn with concrete floor |
| Additional Structures | 24 x 24 pole barn, 12-foot lean-to, garden/storage shed |
| Land Features | Wooded and cleared acreage, level areas, rolling slopes |
| Recreational Features | Trails, ATV routes, approximately 7 box blinds, 9 ladder stands, and 3 previously maintained food plots |
| Waterfront | No waterfront features listed |
| Road Surface | Gravel |
| Zoning | Residential |
| Annual Property Taxes | $1,299 |
| Tax Assessed Value | $48,918 |
Listing Agent Information
Stacey Helsel
Listing Agent
Cell Phone:
231-590-8391
View the Property Listing
Review the original property listing, photographs, and additional available listing details for this Northern Michigan acreage property.
View on Zillow — $262,900
Leave a Comment