Hilltop Haven on Sylvan Lake

Welcome to Hilltop Haven on Sylvan Lake - an Upscale Vacation Home & Private Island on a Beautiful Lake in Northern Indiana - Perfect for Your Next Family Getaway, Celebration, or Wedding Party! Your Hosts...

Christine and David love the Sylvan Lake area and have been coming here since they met over two decades ago. His parents purchased the property in 1974, and he has seen the area go through m

any changes over the years. Today Sylvan Lake has grown into one of the premier lakes in Northern Indiana, and his family's property has transformed from a hillside field of brush with a barren island into what it is today! It has been a true pleasure for Christine and David to bring their children to the house and gather year after year with grandparents, extended family, and friends. And now they are excited and proud to share the property that they love with others! Hilltop Haven...

Hilltop Haven has always been something special. Prior to 1974 it had a cement staircase that led from the road down to the water, where a low foot-bridge connected the hillside to the island. There was a house on the island that had been enjoyed for decades by several familes. But in the spring of 1974 a group of tornadoes passed through the area, and the house along with several others were blown into the lake. The owner at that time, who was a friend of David's dad, decided to sell the property, and within a week David's parents, Lee & Sanna Harges, agreed to buy the property. For Lee & Sanna, the summer of 1974 began what would be a several decade's long process. They bought a small camper, parked it at the top of the hill and each summer they worked endlessly to improve the property by first cleaning up after the tornado, then clearing the hillside of brush, building a new bridge to the island, and then building a garage at the top of the hill. By the late 1980's they were finally ready to build the house that now stands on the hill; and in 2004 they added on to the house with the game room, hot tub room, two bedrooms, and a new garage. Christine and David have continued Lee and Sanna's love of the property. In 2018 the entire hillside went through a transformation in landscaping, and with the spring of 2024 a two-year long renovation of the house was completed. Over the last 50 years the property has truly been a labor of love for the entire family, and we all are so proud of what it has become!