Our Story
A lake. A legacy. A resort.
Some places earn their history. Arbutus Lake has been earning it since 1871.
The Lake
Arbutus Lake is nearly 400 acres of all-sports water — big enough for skiing and tubing, calm enough for paddleboarding, kayaking, and fishing. The first recorded owner, Perry Hannah — "The Father of Traverse City" — bought the surrounding land in 1871 for logging. When the timber ran out, Midwest families snapped up $50 lots and claimed the lake as their own.
Macs Landing
Lakemore Resort sits on land that's been a gathering place since the 1940s. George and Isabell McManus acquired the property in 1938 and built what became known as Mac's Landing: nine lakeside cabins and a small storefront. Families came and went over the decades until East Shore Developing LLC acquired it in 2016 with one clear goal: build something worthy of the land.
The Lakemore Brand
The story starts next door. In 2015, Dean and Tricia Adams opened Lakemore Retreat — three luxury rentals built from Dean's craft and Tricia's design instincts. Within five years: 350+ reservations and 50+ five-star reviews from guests across the US and Europe. In 2020, Lakemore Resort opened its doors — seven new homes on one extraordinary lake.
The Lake that Shaped the Land
Arbutus Lake doesn't announce itself. You find it tucked into the hills west of Traverse City — nearly 400 acres of clear, spring-fed water surrounded by hardwoods that go gold every October. It's big enough for waterskiing and tubing, calm enough for a kayak at sunrise. Swimmers claim it from May through October. Perry Hannah, the timber baron who built Traverse City, recognized something here in 1871. So did the Midwest families who followed, snapping up lakefront lots for $50 when the logging was done. Some places just hold people.
From Macs Landing to Lakemore
The land Lakemore sits on has been welcoming guests since the 1940s, when George and Isabell McManus built nine lakeside cabins and a small storefront at the water's edge. Locals called it Mac's Landing, and the name stuck through decades of new owners and quiet summers. In 2016, Dean and Tricia Adams — who had already opened Lakemore Retreat next door — acquired the property and spent two years reimagining it from the ground up. New homes. New infrastructure. The same extraordinary lake. Lakemore Resort opened in the summer of 2020 with seven homes and hasn't looked back.
Ready when you are
Reserve Your Stay
Every amenity, every trail, and every sunset is waiting. Choose your property and make it yours.