FOR PEOPLE PLEASERS

GRAND VIEW LODGE
NISSWA

A Northwoods mainstay for the last century, you’d be hard-pressed to find a Minnesotan that doesn’t have a six-degree connection to Grand View Lodge. Family-owned since 1916, the 20-plus-acre property even has buildings on the National Register of Historic Places — that’s how storied this place is. 

Open year-round, its draws are myriad: skiing, snowmobiling, ice skating, Clydesdale-drawn sleigh rides, and igloo dining in winter; championship golfing, ziplining, horseback riding, and all things water-related in summer. Guided fishing tours and pontoon rentals are a given, but there’s also stand-up paddleboarding, banana tubing, and a new 3,779-square-foot indoor pool area with a waterslide and two hot tubs. 

More than a dozen dining venues offer something for everyone, from a fine-dining steakhouse to a beachside taqueria with live music. And no visit is complete without blissfully whiling away a few hours in the Glacial Waters Spa, home to a co-ed sauna, steam room, and outdoor hot tub. Try a Hungarian herbal mud wrap with a sour cherry masque or the golfers’ massage, intended to loosen up the muscles you need to master that swing.

FOR MULTI-GENERATIONAL FAMILIES

BUG-BEE HIVE RESORT
PAYNESVILLE

This Rockwellian resort on Lake Koronis is a jack of all trades when it comes to keeping every member of your clan entertained. Thirty-two vacation homes, ranging from one to six bedrooms, appeal to families of all sizes; common features include full kitchens, private decks, and fireplaces. 

Grade schoolers can play putt-putt or splash around the indoor and outdoor pools; teens can go tubing with newly minted friends; and the adults in the party can throw back sundowners on a pontoon rental or catch up like old times around a crackling bonfire. 

There’s a reason families have been coming to this trapped-in-amber resort for more than a century — and it’s not just the outdoor movie nights and root beer floats. It’s a place where time stands still, the news and politics of the day fall away, and everyone can just chill.

FOR FAMILIES WITH LITTLE KIDS 

BOYD LODGE
CROSSLAKE

Deep in Minnesota’s lake country, Boyd Lodge is the kind of apple-pie place where kids race turtles and run barefoot from cabin to beach, popsicle juice streaming down their arms. Founded on the Whitefish Chain of Lakes in 1934, the family-owned resort is tailor-made for tiny adventurers. The kids club offers supervised arts and crafts, scavenger hunts, and nature programming. Two heated pools and a shallow shoreline beckon new swimmers and kids still in floaties. There’s a soft, sandy beach for building princess castles and a fishing dock for landing that first big catch. 

Canoes and kayaks are complimentary, and there are five miles of private nature trails — plus an on-site playground — for youngsters who still have energy to burn. Traditional log-sided loft cabins and spacious vacation cottages have full-size kitchens, making meal prep for picky eaters a tad easier. Many units also include fireplaces and screened porches, perfect for mellow movie nights and board games played beside a roaring fire.

FOR FAMILIES WITH TEENS AND TWEENS

EAST SILENT LAKE RESORT
DENT

Screens don’t stand a chance when bigger kids get a glimpse of the Brat Summer offerings at this nostalgic family resort in Otter Tail County. Watching teenagers back flip joyously off a water trampoline or skim across East Silent Lake on skis or a wakeboard is a thrill parents will want to bottle up forever. Ice cream socials are a hit with all ages, while daily youth activities like sand volleyball and torpedo rides are blessedly parent-free. (Don’t worry, fam — they’re still supervised by grown-up activity coordinators.) 

Spacious lakeside homes and one- to three-bedroom cabins have room for everyone, including offspring who cycle through 12 fits before dinner and record the same TikTok pajama dance over and over. (“Ugh, it’s giving cheugy!”) When families finally come together, it’s often around the campfire — this is your chance to catch up on their day’s happenings, trade ghost stories, and hammer them with your cringiest dad jokes. (If they’re not groaning at your existence, are you even alive?) 

FOR FISHING ENTHUSIASTS

EAGLE NEST LODGE
DEER RIVER

Walleye, bass, northern pike, muskie, perch, panfish, and crappie — that’s what you might pull out of the water at Cut Foot Sioux Lake. Connected to Lake Winnibigoshish, the state’s fifth largest lake and one of its foremost walleye fisheries, the fish at this family-friendly resort in Chippewa National Forest are so abundant, you can chase them year-round. Dockside services include boat rentals, bait, gas, and cleaning stations, with heated ice houses ready to go for Lake Winnie winters. 

Guided fishing trips are available for anyone who needs direction; for non-anglers, there’s kayaking, hydrobiking, and hobie cat sailing off a 600-foot-long beach. Treasure hunts and sundae socials keep the kids out of your hair by day; come nightfall, there’s room enough for everyone in Eagle Nest’s 14 rustic-comfy cabins, which range from one to five bedrooms. 

FOR GOLF BUDDIES 

CRAGUN'S RESORT ON GULL LAKE
BRAINERD

Cragun’s isn’t just another golf resort — it’s a legend. Nearly a century old, the property features two premier championship courses designed by PGA winner and Minnesota native Tom Lehman. Dutch 27 and Lehman 18 offer diverse layouts, challenging angles, and fantastic views of Gull Lake. The resort hosts amateur and professional tournaments; various tee options, practice facilities, and lessons ensure it’s as accessible to newbies as PGA pros. 

Not everyone in your party likes to golf? No problem. Cragun’s has a mile-long stretch of sandy beachfront, multiple dining options, an indoor pool and full-service spa, and plenty of recreational activities beyond the green. There’s even a luxury yacht available for private charter. 

In winter, the resort turns its attention to heated ice houses, a groomed skating rink, and adrenaline-pumping fun like snowmobiling and dog sledding. Rooms and suites in the lakeside lodge have balconies and patios; some also include kitchenettes and whirlpool tubs. 

For families and groups, private cabins, villas, and cottages abound. But for golf obsessives, the choice of what to book is obvious: Go for one of the newly built Legacy homes for the zippiest access to both course and clubhouse.  

FOR A LAKEFRONT PARTY SCENE

QUARTERDECK RESORT 
NISSWA

Gather your friends and frenemies and get thee to Brainerd Lakes — an area notorious for its lively bars, restaurants, and dockside party spots. One of the freshest stays for sizable friend groups are the two new five-bedroom, seven-bath multi-story lofts at Quarterdeck Resort, fitting up to 14 guests each. These include full gourmet kitchens with stainless steel appliances, pool tables, and floor-to-ceiling windows with panoramic views of glittering Gull Lake. 

In addition to a private deck with a grill and outdoor seating areas, you can grow your circle by chatting up strangers at the outdoor hot tub and heated pool (lit a Vegas-y purple at night), in the spacious group sauna, or at the hopping Quarterdeck Grill, which the owners describe as “your favorite dive bar on steroids.” There’s a lounge with six big-screen TVs, should you wish to catch a game, and a retro-themed arcade with pinball, shuffleboard, and a wall-sized World’s Biggest Pac-Man Game. 

FOR AN INGULDENT SPA WEEKEND 

MADDEN'S ON GULL LAKE
BRAINERD

The spa isn’t the only reason to book a stay at Madden’s, but it’s one of the more compelling. It’s got the classics, of course, like deep-tissue massages and anti-aging facials, but it’s the little twists in treatments that make this menu worth seeking out. 

One circulation-improving massage trades traditional hot stones for heated Himalayan salt rocks; another incorporates CBD hemp oil to a calming effect. There’s a body wrap with a pear-infused brandy scrub and a facial that makes the most of green tea extract, coconut milk, and whipped banana. For men, the buttered rum pedicure stands out; for kids under 12, a colorful mani-pedi option. 

Spa aside, guests can sign up for water skiing or wake surfing lessons; try their hand at trapshooting, axe throwing, or archery; and crash through an inflatable outdoor waterpark course on Steamboat Bay. (Littles will also like frolicking around the children’s wading pool and queuing up for cones at the old-fashioned ice cream parlor.) 

Accommodations come in all shapes and sizes, too, from charming one-bedroom cottages to four-bedroom lake houses — each with its own patio or balcony overlooking the lake, gardens, or golf course. 

FOR INSTAGRAM OPS

WHITE EAGLE RESORT
COOK

Get those gimbals ready — this idyllic Northwoods respite is the textbook embodiment of #lakelife. The second-generation, family-run resort on Lake Vermilion is now helmed by a former nurse and pilot with three young daughters and a razor-sharp aesthetic. 

The devil is very much in the details. There are 16 accommodations total, from a two-bedroom cabin with a taxidermied bear on the wall to a seven-bedroom, four-bath lodge with wood-burning fireplaces, a sauna and jacuzzi tub, screened porch and lakeside patio, and private docks. 

Units are thoughtfully outfitted: a handsome leather sofa here, dreamy subway tiles there. Complimentary resort activities include beach yoga, water tubing, kayaking, SUPing, canoeing, pickleball, and Sea-Doos for rent. All cabins are pet-friendly and there’s a playground for the kiddos. Summer also means blueberry picking, so plan accordingly. 

FOR SWEET, SWEET ROMANCE 

NATURE LINK RESORT 
NISSWA

Secreted away on 14 forested acres in a former hockey camp, this newcomer to the Nisswa resort scene is already making waves with 21 elegantly minimalist cabins. The best ones for couples are kitted out with floor-to-ceiling windows and magazine-worthy views of tranquil Clark Lake and its surrounding pines. Full kitchens, deep soaking tubs and rainfall showers, and wood-burning stoves make it so you never want to leave. 

But leave you will — to shvitz your troubles away in the glass-windowed lakeside sauna; kayak a few loops around Clark; borrow loaner bikes to pedal the nearby Paul Bunyan State Trail, the longest bike route in Minnesota; and string up a hammock (available in the lobby) and do absolutely nothing. 

Guided yoga sessions are available on select weekends; electric bikes and scooters are also for rent. However you choose to spend your days, moseying down to the lake at sunset and splitting a bottle of wine by the fire pit with your ride-or-die is non-negotiable. 

FOR A PRIVATE ISLAND ESCAPE 

LUDLOW'S ISLAND RESORT
COOK

For a remote escape — or one that feels like it anyway — look no further than this five-acre private island on Lake Vermilion, home to the state’s longest shoreline (a whopping 340 miles). There are 23 rental cabins to choose from at this hero of the Arrowhead Region, with two to five bedrooms fitting a maximum of 10 guests; some are even pet-friendly. 

Amenities vary by rental but sometimes include fireplaces, screened porches, private saunas, double-wide whirlpool tubs, washer and dryer, a covered dock for fishing (with cane poles available for young anglers), and regional art such as the Cree Indian prints painted by Winhold Reiss. 

Visitors have access to loads of water toys (SUPs, a sailboat, hydrobikes) and a swimming beach with a climbing iceberg and waterslide. Kids flip for the treehouse and Nintendo Wii game room; their folks flip for the fresh-baked croissants delivered to the resort every Sunday. There’s good WiFi too — further proof that it’s not that remote.

FOR MEETINGS AND CONFERENCES

RUTTGER'S BAY LAKE RESORT
DEERWOOD

If you have to go to a work conference, it might as well be somewhere fun. Just two hours from the Twin Cities, Ruttger’s has multiple conference rooms that can accommodate both small executive meetings and large corporate retreats, plus plenty of gathering spaces and venues with knockout lake views. Professional event coordinators assist with even the most micro details, from organizing catering services and on-site team building activities like Beach Olympics to the nitty-gritty IT side of things (providing audiovisual equipment and other business support services). 

The accommodations themselves are a mix of lodge rooms, cabins, A-frames, and condos, some with fireplaces and private decks. Once pesky work is out of the way, guests can play a round of golf on an 18-hole championship course, melt some knots during a hot stone massage in the spa, or join a fishing excursion on Bay Lake. 

FOR EXPLORING LAKE SUPERIOR

COVE POINT LODGE
BEAVER BAY

Conveniently located near Split Rock Lighthouse, Gooseberry Falls State Park and Tettegouche State Park, this classic lakefront resort off scenic Highway 61 makes a fine base for exploring the North Shore’s starriest attractions. The Scandinavian-inspired lodge serves homey rooms with complimentary Norwegian breakfast (pickled herring, mmm!), plus two- and three-bedroom lakeside cottages with full kitchens and fireplaces. 

When guests aren’t hunting for agates on the beach or roasting marshmallows by the campfire, they can play board games by the big stone fireplace in the Great Hall or sweat together in the hot tub and sauna. Snowshoes are complimentary; bikes are rentable for more adventurous outings; and a private path connects to the Superior Hiking Trail. 

FOR EXPLORING THE BOUNDARY WATERS 

MOOSE TRACK ADVENTURES
ELY

Looking for an authentic wilderness experience without having to pitch a tent? This year-round resort with half a dozen two- and three-bedroom cabins provides direct access to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The dog-friendly, WiFi-equipped rentals sit at the edge of Farm Lake, which is part of the White Iron Chain of Lakes, and include private docks, charcoal kettle grills, and stone fire pits or fire rings. 

Moose Track Adventures books fully guided canoe and fishing trips with route planning and navigation, high-quality Kevlar canoes and gear, and invaluable expertise in wilderness survival and tips for catching the walleye, northern pike, and muskie that inhabit these waters. It also sells bait, ice, and wood bundles. 

Some guests use the resort as a launching pad for multi-day canoe trips that take them as far as their lats and delts will allow them to paddle; others stay put and make day trips. The Moose Antler and Wolf Den cabins are the family-friendliest options, with multiple sleeping arrangements (including bunk beds) and the closest proximity to the beach and playset.

FOR EXPLORING VOYAGEURS NATIONAL PARK 

THE PINES OF KABETOGAMA 
KABETOGAMA

Minnesota’s only national park celebrates its 50th birthday in 2025 and there is no more convenient or comfortable way to explore its 218,000 acres of lakes, forests, and streams than from this 54-acre lakefront property. Perched amongst the pines on Lake Kabetogama, its five air-conditioned cabins are less than one mile from the Voyageurs National Park Visitor Center and rentable from May through October. 

The decor is elevated Northwoods-cozy — think bear pillows and knotty pine meet granite countertops and cushy spa robes. Unlike many family-run resorts, this one includes housekeeping, quality linens and towels, toiletries, kitchen basics (like a toaster) and not-so-basics (like a Keurig machine), high-speed WiFi, and satellite TV. 

Cabins vary from two to five bedrooms, sleeping up to 10 people, and each has its own deck with an outdoor dining table, chairs, and charcoal grill. Kids will love leaping off the water trampoline and running amok on the small resort beach and stargazers will thrill at the nightly light show (Voyageurs is the state’s only International Dark Sky Park). 

But it’s really the anglers in the family who’ll be over the moon when they glimpse the Pines’ marina, which offers docking, gas, ice, live bait, water and electrical hookups, plus an area for cleaning your catch of the day. (Walleye, crappie, bass, and tullibee are just a few of the fish that congregate in these parts.) 

FOR EXPLORING BLUFF COUNTRY 

CEDAR VALLEY RESORT
WHALAN

In the heart of the scenic Root River Valley, this family-owned and -operated resort is a sweet jumping-off point for exploring the limestone bluffs, meandering rivers, and record-breaking caves that make this glacially carved region of southeastern Minnesota so unique. The property is roughly a half-hour drive from Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park and walkable to the delightful Aroma Pie Shoppe in Whalan. 

Family-friendly amenities include a playground and frisbee golf course; volleyball, basketball, and pickleball courts; and yard games such as corn hole and bocce ball. In summer, guests kayak, tube, canoe, or fish on the Root River and hike or bike the 60-mile Root River State Trail, both of which cut through the 30-acre estate. In winter, there’s cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and an ice skating rink with broomball and hockey equipment (BYO skates). 

Spacious log cabins span three to eight bedrooms, sleeping up to 37 guests (hello, family reunion!), and two of the rentals are handicap accessible. Cabins have gas fireplaces, well-outfitted kitchens, and outdoor fire pits. High chairs and Pack N Plays are available upon request, as are craft classes and horse-drawn wagon rides. 

Read more about How to Live the Lake Life in Minnesota.