Gunflint Lodge, GRAND MARAIS MN

Published 2022

After a 2 hour drive up the North Shore from Duluth we arrived in Grand Marais, MN. The frozen lake and ice along the shore shining in sharp blue shades made for a beautiful drive. We made a pit stop at the Voyageur Brewing Company for a quick beverage and bite to eat. I opted for the pretzel with cheese which ended up coming with two pretzels and they were huge and very delicious. From there we made the rest of the trek to the Gunflint Lodge.

We found the lodge which is situated on Gunflint Lake and got settled into our cabin. We stayed in cabin 2 which was very spacious and centrally located. This 4 bedroom cabin had 2 queen beds in 3 of the rooms and a king size in the 4th. Each room was also equipped with its own private bathroom, making this a great place for a large group of people. The common area featured a spacious kitchen and living room with an open floor plan and large picture window where we enjoyed watching the birds and squirrels come and eat. The large wrap around couch made a nice place to enjoy the wood fireplace will watching a movie and the wildlife.

The cabins are all located relatively close to the main lodge with a main walking path through the center of them, which we would take to go down to breakfast. We were excited to find out that breakfast is included with your stay and it did not disappoint. So the our first full day started with a fantastic breakfast while we soaked in the rustic atmosphere of the lodges eating space overlooking the frozen lake. There is also a cute gift shop in the lodge we checked out after breakfast where I found a cute new hat!

After breakfast we got our ski gear on and headed out to find the cross-country ski trails. We were unfamiliar so we just started going. We ended up going down a big hill we had to climb back up but quickly learned where the trails were after that. We found ourselves first on Little Pine Loop and then moved onto Big Pine Loop. We also managed to find what looked to be a Moose track which made us ski a little faster!

After our skiing adventure we took full advantage of the private hot tub at the cabin, started a puzzle and enjoyed the fireplace for the rest of the day. A few of us went down to the lodge for dinner. I ordered the walleye tacos and they were fantastic. They also have a small skating rink lit up right behind the cabin. We were told they usually have one down on the lake as well but did not have it cleared off due to the amount of snow that recently fell.

After another great breakfast down at the lodge everyone in the cabin got ready to go on a hike to the High Cliffs. I am glad I was unaware of how far the walk would be and that most of it would be uphill! From the cabin to the top of the lookout it was just short of a mile. Parts of the trail have a rope you needed to assist you because it is so steep. Lots of laughs along the way, and we all made it to the top. After some great pics and a short rest we made our descent. Parts of the way you can slide down and was much more enjoyable than the climb up.

When we got back everyone went in their own direction for activities. We decided to go for a ski on the Overlook trail. We did not go all the way to the end. This was an enjoyable trail with less hills to climb than the other ones that we went on. After a lovely ski I got the hot tub to myself and felt great after the days activities. The hot tub at this cabin is right out the back door and is very private.

After the sun went down a few of us found some more energy for yet another activity and went out for the night ski to check out the lighted trail. Little Pine has these lights going for most of the trail and was an awesome experience. The weather was perfect the days we were there to fit in all the fun things we had planned to do while at the Gunflint Lodge. Everyone had a great time and I hope to be back again soon!