45.55°N · 79.43°WBurk's Falls, ON
A letter to a guest

Dear
traveller,

Come stay a while at our quiet place by the lake. Five bedrooms, one long table, and a forest that knows your name by morning.

Scroll
— a quick note —

We built Just Joy for the kind of weekend where someone falls asleep on the couch by 9pm, and someone else stays up to watch the lake go quiet.

Five bedrooms. Twelve beds. One very long dining table. Bring your people.

5
Bedrooms
12
Beds
5.5
Baths
16
Sleeps
4.88
26 reviews
When you'd like to come

Find a quiet weekend

The cottage books up fast in summer. Hover any open date to see what's free, or send us a note for a longer stay.

May 2026

Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
Available
Booked
Today
What we leave out for you

The small things

It's the details that turn a rental into a place you remember. Here's what we've thought through, so you don't have to.

Five bedrooms

Twelve beds across five rooms — bring family, friends, or both. Sleeps sixteen comfortably.

On the lake

A short walk to the water. Bring a kayak. Or just a book and a thermos.

Fire pit

Stocked with split wood. Marshmallows, optional. Long stories, mandatory.

A long table

Built for the kind of dinner that goes until everyone's laughing too hard to eat.

Quiet WiFi

Fast enough to work from. Slow enough that you'll forget to.

The forest

Trails out the back door. Trilliums in May, blueberries in August.

See the whole house
The cottage at dusk
Jona
Hosted by Jona
★ Superhost
A note from the owner

We built it for joy.

My family found this lot on a slow drive up from Toronto. It was just trees and a clearing then. We sketched the cottage on a napkin at a coffee shop in Huntsville — five bedrooms, one big room, a porch you could fit everyone on.

Three winters later, here we are. We've hosted reunions, birthdays, two weddings, and one very serious Scrabble tournament. Every group leaves us a note in the guestbook. We read every one.

If you're thinking about booking — call. Or write. We're real people, and we'd love to know what brings you up north.

— Jona & family
What guests have said

Notes from the guestbook

26 verified stays, mostly families and reunions. Real-time guest reviews from our latest visits.

4.88
★★★★★
26 reviews · 0 host responses
5 star26
4 star0
3 star0
2 star0
1 star0
★★★★★

Just Joy Cottage was a fantastic experience. The place was well equipped to handle our large group and Jona was an awesome host promptly responding to questions. Highly recommended for beautiful views and cozy retreats.

Rida
Rida
June 2025
★★★★★

Joy Cottage was a wonderful space that accommodated a large group well! The cottage was beautiful with stunning lake views. Despite the rainy weekend we had there were tons of activities to keep us entertained. Would definitely recommend this cottage to anyone. If you stay at Joy Cottage check out the fresh honey sold by the neighbour, it's delicious!

M
Marisol
May 2025
★★★★★

We had an amazing experience staying here! The host was incredibly accommodating and made us feel right at home. The place itself was even better than the photos — spacious, clean, and beautifully set up for a comfortable stay. Perfect for a family getaway. Highly recommend!

D
Daniel
May 2025
★★★★★

This Airbnb exceeded all expectations! The spacious accommodations comfortably fit our entire group, and the stunning views from each room were truly breathtaking. Our host, Jona, went above and beyond to ensure our stay was seamless and enjoyable. The attention to detail was impressive.

A
Aisha
May 2025
★★★★★

Very peaceful place — must visit with friends and family.

P
Priya
May 2025
★★★★★

Great place to stay. The place is huge and easily accommodated 5 couples. (Tip: be sure to take the card from the host for the garbage drop-off.)

M
Marcus
April 2025
★★★★★

The property is new, clean, and very welcoming. It offered the perfect balance — spacious enough for everyone to be together, yet private enough for individual comfort. The design is thoughtful and functional, with great infrastructure and everything we needed already supplied. Highly recommended!

E
Elena
April 2025
★★★★

Great communication, good place for a large group.

T
Tom
July 2025
★★★★★

The place was awesome — exactly as advertised.

H
Hannah
May 2025
★★★★★

Just Joy Cottage was a fantastic experience. The place was well equipped to handle our large group and Jona was an awesome host promptly responding to questions. Highly recommended for beautiful views and cozy retreats.

Rida
Rida
June 2025
★★★★★

Joy Cottage was a wonderful space that accommodated a large group well! The cottage was beautiful with stunning lake views. Despite the rainy weekend we had there were tons of activities to keep us entertained. Would definitely recommend this cottage to anyone. If you stay at Joy Cottage check out the fresh honey sold by the neighbour, it's delicious!

M
Marisol
May 2025
★★★★★

We had an amazing experience staying here! The host was incredibly accommodating and made us feel right at home. The place itself was even better than the photos — spacious, clean, and beautifully set up for a comfortable stay. Perfect for a family getaway. Highly recommend!

D
Daniel
May 2025
★★★★★

This Airbnb exceeded all expectations! The spacious accommodations comfortably fit our entire group, and the stunning views from each room were truly breathtaking. Our host, Jona, went above and beyond to ensure our stay was seamless and enjoyable. The attention to detail was impressive.

A
Aisha
May 2025
★★★★★

Very peaceful place — must visit with friends and family.

P
Priya
May 2025
★★★★★

Great place to stay. The place is huge and easily accommodated 5 couples. (Tip: be sure to take the card from the host for the garbage drop-off.)

M
Marcus
April 2025
★★★★★

The property is new, clean, and very welcoming. It offered the perfect balance — spacious enough for everyone to be together, yet private enough for individual comfort. The design is thoughtful and functional, with great infrastructure and everything we needed already supplied. Highly recommended!

E
Elena
April 2025
★★★★

Great communication, good place for a large group.

T
Tom
July 2025
★★★★★

The place was awesome — exactly as advertised.

H
Hannah
May 2025
When you want to wander

The location

Muskoka's quiet north end. Less polished than Bracebridge, more pine.

Things Nearby

Activities

  • Screaming Heads
    981 Midlothian Rd, Burk's Falls, ON P0A 1C0
    Directions
  • Burk's Falls
    699 Deer Lake Rd, Emsdale, ON - 22.1 km away
    Directions
  • Doe Lake Municipal Park
    Boat launch, volleyball and basketball court - 16.7 km away
    Directions

Dining

  • Burk's Falls Cafe & Grill
    174 Ontario St, Burk's Falls, ON - 11.3 km away
    Directions
  • Yetti's Pizza Inc.
    51 Commercial Dr, Burk's Falls, ON - 10.3 km away
    Directions
  • Tim Hortons
    27 Commercial Dr, Burk's Falls, ON - 10.3 km away
    Directions

Shopping

  • Circling Hawks Centre
    156 Ontario St, Burk's Falls, ON - 11.2 km away
    Directions
  • Katrine General Store
    11 Doe Lake Rd, Katrine, ON - 15.4 km away
    Directions
  • Collins' Valu-mart Burks Falls
    24 Commercial Dr, Burk's Falls, ON - 10.3 km away
    Directions
Things we get asked

Good questions

How do I book?
Send us a note through the form below — we'll confirm dates within 24 hours and send you a private booking link. We don't do same-day bookings; we like to know who's coming.
What's the minimum stay?
Two nights on weekends, three on long weekends. We do one-night midweek stays during the off-season (October–April) for solo writers and small couples.
Are pets welcome?
Two well-behaved dogs, yes. Please mention them when you book. There's a $75 cleaning surcharge per dog.
Is there cell service?
Patchy on Bell, decent on Rogers. The WiFi is fast and works everywhere in the house, including the back deck.
What about winter?
The driveway is plowed and the house is heated to 22°C before you arrive. Snow boots and a sense of adventure recommended.
Can we host an event?
Small gatherings — birthdays, family reunions, the occasional intimate wedding (under 30 guests) — yes. Drop us a line and tell us what you have in mind.
P.S. —

Write us a note.

Tell us when you'd like to come and who you're bringing. We'll write back within a day, usually by morning coffee.