Gunflint Lodge Review

Friendly and accommodating staff. Beautiful hiking trails, and a warm and cozy cabin. Loved the wood burning fireplace. Food was excellent as well.

We enjoyed the resort and all the activities offered. The cabin needed some work in the kitchen and could use another large bowl. All the workers were super nice and very helpful. Great spot to get away from it all.

Awesome staff made for a great stay on our honeymoon. Highly recommended!

Wilderness luxury. Not overly fancy or pretentious, the Gunflint Lodge is a crossroads for resort goers, day trippers from the North Shore and those starting or ending a trip to the BWCA.

Everything gere was wonderful. Your goal should be getting here as often as possible and then getting snowed in.

We stayed in a bunkhouse for the night before we set out on the border route trail. The bunk house was decent and the staff is very friendly

I absolutely loved the staff, they are so so sweet and kind. The food is so amazing and delicious. I totally recommend!

The gunflint lodge is a place my family have gone for years. The staff are super friendly. The gunflint lodge if a little piece of paradise. Fishing, hiking, horseback riding, swimming, canoeing, zip lining, and so much more! My family will miss not being able to go up there this year for the first time in my whole life due to COVID 19. I wish that was not the case. Gunflint holds a special place in our hearts.

Ate at the Gunflint Lodge Cafe. Food was good but service slow

Wonderful place. Loved everything! Pontoon ride was excellent. Loved the naturalist programs. The staff were so nice! The cabin had a hot tub and a sauna. We plan to return next summer.

The food here is amazing and the staff is extremely friendly and helpful. This is a great place to be as active or relaxed as you'd like with tons of activities to take part in, or to relax by the lake, or take advantage of the many hiking trails nearby. The cabins are excellent and have everything you could want.

Just returned from our first BWCA experience which was outfitted through Gunflint Lodge and Outfitters. They were awesome! Everything was prepared for us, they helped us plan the trip and went through how to use all the gear. The meals they packed us were magnificent! Definitely no shortage of food on the trip. Mandy provided us with a first rate experience. We will definitely be back!

We were customers for years. We loved it so much that we brought our families there a little over a year ago but realized that there was new ownership and things changed. We arrived when it was about -30 to find no heat in two of the four rooms. First night tried to heat room with standard fireplace but could only keep room about 25 degrees above zero. My mother in law got a really bad cold. The next night the brought on space heaters which was much better but the pipes froze. The resort gave us a credit for the first night but still not worth it. Looking for better options to go back up north like Bearskin lodge. Stopped going to Gunflint lodge. We miss the old owners. Not the same without them. We went here the first time on our honeymoon and it was magical. Not so magical when things like this happen.

We had a wonderful winter experience here! An absolutely beautiful property with fantastic staff. All of our expectations were immensely exceeded! We can t wait to come back next year!

Awesome place, would love to go back again. Away from noise specially cell phone.

Stunning place any season. Excellent food. Good service. Parking was tough, but that won't keep us from going back.

Great place to unplug and be outdoors. Staff is super friendly and accommodating. Food at the lodge is delicious. We will be returning for an annual family vacation in the future.

Cozy and decorative restaurant lodge with an expansive gift shop. Their service explains why they've been around for nearly 100 years. I ordered the jalapeno popper burger and it instantly shot to my list of top 10 burgers all time. Food is a little on the expensive side, but it is worth every penny.

They wouldn't serve me a beer at 10:30 after I finished a week in the BWCA. What a joke!

Dropped in for a beer and a light meal in late January. Front desk and beertender were both very nice. Service was good, as was the food. Great views. Would definitely consider making this a destination sometime.

Beautiful location with knowledgeable staff and great services. Only place I go on the gunflint trail.

They are so helpful and accommodating. Mandy work really hard for you

Great burger and fries. Beer availability was hit or miss

Comfortable way to experience Gunflint Lake area. Resort is very clean, staff was incredibly friendly, delish food and daily naturalist activities were incredibly informative. We didn't bring kids but the resort would be perfect for families. WiFi in lodge was free, no WiFi in rooms, not an issue but nice to know if you need to plug in. Wildlife seen: moose, fox, red squirrel, grouse, osprey, eagle, beaver, loons, mallards, Canadian geese, snapping turtle
Fishing early June 2019 was not great but we did catch walleye, sm mouth bass, pike and perch over three days on the water.
Black flies and mosquitos were am issue, using a hat with netting over it was a huge help. Sunsets, sunrise and stars were amazing!

We have stayed at Gunflint in the past and always had a wonderful time. The cabins are wonderful and the restaurant is second to none. The fall wild game dinner was absolutely amazing. But our recent visit earlier this month was far and above their usual standard of excellence. The staff , especially Josh and Steve , exceeded all expectations in regards to service, attention to detail, and professionalism balanced with humor. In addition, Jessica, as our first and frequent point of contact, was invaluable in connecting us with local information and resources that greatly enhanced our experience. It was a vacation to remember. We look forward to returning soon. Thanks Guys!!!

My new wife and i stayed in one of the romantic cabins for our honeymoon. We enjoyed it, the cabins are comfortable have full amenities, a large bed, hot tub, fireplace, DVD player with tv that can be seen from either couch or hot tub. Windows look straight at lake. We did the minimoon all inclusive package, it's made it pretty enjoyable, unlimited horse back riding and boat usage. We've had them deliver breakfast to our cabins every morning it's pretty great. The big nightly entrees are huge portions and all the ones we tried were delicious and above average.

The food is fantastic. Walleye chowder is to die for, and everything is fresh and tasty.

Understaffed. So sad they can't keep up. Food is excellent but service was terrible. Management obviously dropped the ball. There were multiple people working the gift shop while one person had over 6 tables. Not to mention 2 people sitting at the bar with no bartender. ALSO half the tables were outside. Our order was wrong and never got refills. We understood from his position but there are serious issues that at a place like this people arent cross trained to jump in where needed. Never again will I spend a dime in a place this poorly managed.

Friendly, cozy warm. Great food and great people. The chef made me a special cheese board with smoked salmon as a gift for my birthday when I was enjoying an afternoon glass of wine with my husband. John the owner is very friendly and helpful as well. Must try!

Our family of four stayed 4 nights at Gunflint Lodge. It is in a beautiful setting and we loved the location. The lodge serves wonderful food and has a beautiful patio overlooking the lake. Our kiddo loved the horseback riding too. Unfortunately the cabin we stayed in has not been well maintained and is quite dingy. It clearly needs major work. For the price per night we expect nicer accommodations. There were huge holes in the bathroom door, mildewy shower curtains, the screens don t stay on the windows and the carpet is so dirty and old. We will be back for dinner in the future but not to stay.

So awesome here! Super comfortable, good food, tons of winter stuff to do. Plus there is a bar.

Beautiful lunch spot! We were out for a cruise on the Gunflint Trail and decided to stop in to see the resort and grab some lunch. The resort looks great and we'll be looking into staying there in the near future. This review is mainly for the insight restaurant.

They have a nice variety of menu items and full bar to choose from. We sat on the patio since it was a sunny, July day. It was great to sit and look at the lake as we enjoyed the good food. I ordered the walleye cakes appetizer, my wife the lumber jack burger (bacon cheeseburger) and we shared some tater tots. All of it was excellent, especially the flavorful and fresh walleye cakes. I would highly recommend it paired with a nice craft beer.

Situated on Gunflint Lake, this kid & dog-friendly cluster of cabins and services is perfectly imperfect.
Rather than a regimented conformity to a plastic corporate mold or franchise template; the staff and resources are genuine and friendly and the infrastructure is worn around the edges and solid throughout.
Hikes and canoeing excursions around Gunflint Lake and its environs are led by knowledgeable naturalists prepared to describe the geology and wildlife.
Horseback trail rides are also available as is a full-service bistro and bar.
The cabins have fireplaces and smell of cedar and the lake and surrounding hills are gorgeous.
The well-groomed trails lead to beautiful destinations worth every step that leads you there.

Beautiful cabins for all sizes of groups! We stayed at one of the romantic cabins and loved being so close to the lake and with easy access to the restaurant and front desk. Lots of activities to do all year long. Delicious food, very fancy, every penny is worth it. Loved having coffee, hot cocoa and tea for courtesy! We will definitely go back. Loved our experience.

please please please bring your groupon deals back! yes i know ..im cheap....but more like 200+ dollars/night are just out of my young mid 20's prices range.... this place will always have a place in my heart. i even bought your cookbook! (please check out their gift shop)..i went two years in a row and really wanted to make it a tradition to go every year
:( .one day i maybe able to afford such prices :(

Review only about the restaurant: Stopped into Justine's for an afternoon lunch while travelling down the Gunflint Trail. Waited about 10 minutes at the host stand to be greeted and sat, even though several servers/staff saw us. Server brought waters and then took a good 15 minutes before he came back. We finally ordered and about a half hour later our food came out. Lunch was enjoyable, but the 45 minutes of waiting for our check was ridiculous. It's not like they were busy (only 3 tables total at this point). Our server was helping another table intently and had to be purposefully ignoring us, his only other table. The manager walked by our table twice as well and we had the credit cards on the table, ready to pay for about 10 minutes. We had to ask the front desk attendant to give our server the credit cards, so we could pay and finally leave. After another 10 minutes we finally tracked down our server and we noticed he charged the same card twice, as opposed to charging each card individually. We were extremely upset and just done at this point and went straight to the front desk to inform them of our frustration throughout this entire visit. The server had to have been blantantly ignoring us throughout the time we were in the restaurant. Luckily the front desk apologized and took care of the check(s). They also said they would take care of this issue immediately. I have been a server and understand what it's like to be in the weeds but he only had two tables (a 4 top and a 2 top). And this was just the worst service in a spot that has all the potential to be a home run (great atmosphere, good food and great views). We will not be back, but hopefully no one else is subject to this lack of service.

I loved staying at the Gunflint Lodge. It has a beautiful location by the lake, friendly and helpful staff, a huge variety of activities (snowshoeing, cross country skiing, dog sledding, snowmobiling, ice fishing and more!), and great cleanly rooms. The wildlife is outstanding too, I even saw a lynx! I look forward to returning.

Super friendly staff, lots of activities to do, clean and beautiful lodging

Zip line guiders were great, helpful and friendly. It's a blast, do it!

Worked there for less than two months. I ll never recommend working there. Owners are the biggest problem. Co-workers were excellent especially Jessica. Place is beautiful and perfect for guest. Just not if you want to work there.

Without question, the finest prime rib EVER.
We stayed during dog lovers weekend. Lots of activities, wonderful service, and a menu second to none.

We usually stop here every year after a boundary waters trip. We look forward to it because it's the first meal that's not cooked on a campfire. This time, we had absolutely the worst service we've ever had. Everything the waiter could mess up, he did. It really was a bummer for our whole group because we had just come off of such a great trip. I hope that the Gunflint steps it up. If we have another experience like that, we won't be coming back.

Lodge very interesting and in a beautiful location, but lunch was nothing special.

My wife and I came here for our 20th Anniversary. The cabin (#26) was absolutely fantastic! The staff is very friendly and always willing to help or answer a question. The color was peaking and we enjoyed it from the pontoon brunch cruise. The food was absolutley AMAZING! From the smoked salmon eggs Benedict to the prime rib smoked with maple, stuffed chicken breast, ribs and grilled walleye with a blueberry salsa. The deserts were just as amazing!! Blueberry pie, cheesecake with fresh berries. Worth EVERY penny and we WILL be back again. Highly highly highly recommend!!!!

The staff was wonderful and helped us all have a wonderful experience, the customer service was superb even through the whole quarantine. These times show you people true colors and this place hit the mark. A great little place, thanks again Gunflint Lodge!

I am thru-hiking the North Country Trail and it is about 3/4 mile from here so I stopped in. Only $20.00 for s hiker bunkhouse includes a shower. Great food and Craft Beer. Needed to get some shoes sent overnight and stayed 2 nights. People here are all great!

Front desk staff were a bit crabby but the location is beautiful.

I ve been buying my parents gift certificates for here for years. They look forward to going every year, but they just came back from a stay there and they don t ever care to go back sadly. While they were staying there a mouse was running around and got caught in trap in their room. The owners acted like that was ok, but it s not!! They also said it didn t feel as clean as it used to. They found a plastic tooth cleaner in their towels too. This used to be something we all looked forward to. I hope things go back to how they were before. Until then we will be looking for somewhere else to go.

This place is excellent. The staff is exceptional. The restaurant is solid. I will definitely try to get back here again some time.

On a whim, we ended up at the Gunflint Lodge after camping for a few days in Grand Marais. It was AMAZING! Our dog was welcome and the rustic canoer cabins were perfect for what we needed/wanted. We made candles, rode horses, went canoeing, took a boat ride and hike up to Bridal Falls, and went on a total of 10 miles of hiking all over 2.5 days. There was free coffee, tea and cocoa from 7a to 11p and a very pleasant staff - the Outfitters people especially.

A great wilderness lodge on beautiful Gunflint Lake. I had meals and drinks at the lodge and stayed at the canoe cabins at Gunflint Outfitters as we prepped for our BWCA trip. The staff is very friendly and helpful, the lodge is very nice and the views are spectacular. The food is great and the walleye chowder is not to be missed!

This was my first time staying at Gunflint Lodge and it was pleasant. I did not have a chance to check out their various day activities, but thoroughly enjoyed paddle boarding on the lake. We stayed in cabin 27 which was the newer, modern one and we loved it. Having a washer/dryer included in the cabin was a lifesaver, but be prepared to use your own laundry detergent. They provide some in a mysterious brown unmarked bottle, but we decided not to use it because it did not smell or feel like detergent at all.

Our only complaint - their restaurant serves very medicore/bland food and charges an upscale price. I had the beer-battered walleye which cost $25 but I was not impressed.

Overall, great little spot to spend a few days at.

Love the place love the restraunt. Recommending walleye chowder.

Amazing campground and cabins. The Bakers are great hosts and we will definitely come back again

Great food. Excellent staff. Wonderful atmosphere. Stunning views.

We have made a few trips to Gunflint. I cannot say enough good things about Mandy who really goes above and beyond for her clients wanting outfitted trips. John and his team have some of the best service I have ever experienced.

The staff is friendly the rooms are great. The food is fabulous.

Great place for family and friends! Fishing, horseback riding, zip lining, cool not humid. Great relaxing place and adventure place

While we didn't stay at the lodge, we did drive up to do the zip lining thing. It was great, as were all the crew. I would certainly recommend it as an outing while you're up in the area.

Either the waiter was having the worst day of his life or he really hates his job. He made it clear he was not happy to serve us. The wait for our food was excessively long, even though there were only 2 other tables there. And the price for the food was higher than anywhere else we went for the amount of food we got. The only thing going for this place was its location.

We went on the zip line tour which was amazing, with great guides. After however we stopped at the restaurant and it was extremely under staffed. We were seated outside and waited 15 minutes but never got waited on so we just left.

Visited for some horseback riding and hiking. The wranglers were friendly and knowledgeable and the ride was laid back and scenic. The miles of hiking trails afforded some amazing views and tranquil solitude. Although we didn't take advantage of the resort's amenities, it appeared they offered full service dining and drinks. They also offer outfitting for BWCA trips, guided zip line tours, and daily family friendly activities.

My wife, her family, and I came here for Christmas. It was very cozy, well groomed, and beautiful. There is no cell phone service, so it's great for disconnecting from the digital world. The food is good, as well. The price is a bit steep, but worth it. My wife and I plan to come back, as it is perfect for a couple's retreat.

What a gem in the wilderness . This place is a great stop. It is decorated wonderfully, location is unbeatable and service is unforgettable. Highly recommended to anyone in the area.

5 stars hand down. We will come again and again. Visited June 2018 and the entire experience was excellent.

Cozy, rustic-fancy lodge resort on the Gunflint Trail. Spouse and I rented a romantic cabin (complete with kitchen, dishes, and gas fireplace!); meals at the lodge dining room were included in our package.

Luxurious and comfortable enough for my husband? Yes.
Close enough to wilderness for me? Good enough for this trip.

Highlights:
1) The naturalist on the resort, John Sullivan, was hands down awesome. He's spent the last 16 years becoming familiar with the Gunflint and its wildlife, and it shows. Try out the evening wolf howl hike - you'll hear about these amazing predators and their influence on the ecosystem. He's also knowledgeable about stargazing, folk music, and all manner of other things. His activities are great!
2) Easy access to ski trails suitable for being to intermediate level.
3) The incredible snow tracking available. I saw moose and coyote making tracks (!!) plus evidence of red squirrel, snowshoe hare, and even a wolf trail along the middle of the ski track. <3
4) Clear starry skies with visible Milky Way.
5) Free cocoa, coffee, and cookies readily available in the lodge when open.
6) The warm and welcoming staff were helpful and readily offered conversation, information, or willingness to listen to the story of the day.

Lodge dining: the food is hearty, stick-to-your-ribs fare. Don't expect super fancy. I didn't feel a need to eat lunch either day... despite cross country skiing and a short hike. Then again, the temperature was also in the negative single digits.

Don't expect many vegetarian options on the menu, but the kitchen was willing to put together a vegetarian entree for my husband both nights.

The only downsides:
1) The in-cabin jacuzzi jets did not function. (Not that big a deal for me!)
2) The snowmobiles used by others staying at the resort made quite a lot of sound that did not fit with the wilderness feeling.

I detest websites like this that give all the frills etc, but not the prices !

Great trip! Horse back riding and zip lining was amazing. Staff were so helpful. My only complaint was how slow the breakfast waiter was. We waited 40 min for our tab one morning and left early our last norming knowing he was the waiter even though meals were included in our package. Regardless, I would recommend this resort. I miss Edgar already.

Go. Don't stop and go directly to Gunflint Lodge. The cabins are amazing and the employees make it perfect!

Need to try ziplining at night at Gunflint Lodge it's such fun.

Been coming up for years. It's changed from rustic to quite modern. New owners seem engaged and excited to pick up some of the maintenance that has slid a little the last few years. Great kids and family programs, good fishing.

Went here for our honeymoon - this resort is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G! Magic I tell you! We had such a wonderful experience! We brought our golden retriever - he loved it! Picked blueberries, horseback riding, swimming, boating, massages! So much fun and the staff was awesome, felt like family by the end of the week! I couldn't have asked for more, everything was done for us, didn't have to worry about the meals. It was spendy but so worth it! We are looking forward to going back this summer for our anniversary!

Gorgeous location, sweet staff, comfortable cabins. it was really relaxed up there. I'd highly recommend renting a boat and exploring. Bridal falls is a short rewarding hike. I'd definitely like to visit Gunflint again and spend a week or two up there!

We ate at the restaurant and rented a boat, so I can t speak to the cabins, but the meal was nice with pretty views of Gunflint lake from the lodge. The owner was also very nice and helpful with local area attractions.

Let me just start by saying if you are looking for a resort/hotel experience or you have kids and are in need of guided activities, this is the place for you. They have "daily" guided hikes and crafts, as well as bike rentals, horse riding, canoes/kayaks etc. If not, I would consider other options along Gunflint Trail.

This was not our first visit to the Gunflint Trail, due to many of the other lodges being closed for April, we decided to give this one a try since we love Gunflint Lake so much. The grounds were nice enough (very icy on pathways), cabins were ok, and the location was beautiful. Our issue was with the staff. When we arrived there were no keys available for our cabin, the front desk assured us they would find a set of keys and give them to us the next day, when we returned to the front desk the new staff had no idea we did not have keys and instead gave us a master key and rudely told us "do not lose this" instead of just finding the guest keys. When we went into our cabin, the bed sheets were dirty and looked like they had not been changed after the previous guest. Since we arrived in the evening we waited until the next day and slept on our own blankets instead. Once we advised the front desk they changed the sheets right away, and apologized for housekeeping. We had to make many other trips to the front desk for replacement items in the cabin, housekeeping never once visited our cabin during our 3 day visit. The kitchen staff and owners were very nice, however the front desk and management, were rude, uniformed, and very inhospitable. Their posted hours are not followed, and one night we went to the lodge around 7:30pm ("open until 10") to find the doors locked and the staff sitting inside ignoring us. They advertise all the rental options for bikes, snow shoes and other items but when we tried to rent them, the front desk informed us they do not have time to help us because they had so many checkouts and we were the only people staying that night. You would think if you only have 1 cabin booked your staff could take the time to interact with them. There were a million other issues with the staff here and they really ruined our time. My advice if you do decide to stay here is that the less time you spend with the staff, the better time you will have.

In regards to the cancellation policy, 30 days non refundable is insane. There are smaller lodges along the trail with no cancellation policy, and no deposit needed. I would not recommend this lodge.

Very nice lodge on the edge of the Boundary Waters. Just the right balance of rustic wilderness and modern convenience. The primary focus of this place is to be a launching point for Boundary Waters canoe trips but you can also stay and take day trips. Day use is free for canoes, kayaks, and paddle boards.

In addition to some great hiking (check Magnetic Rock) the food at the lodge is really good. Love the little rustic bar. Cabins are spacious, clean and well kept.

Great place to get away. Fishing and hiking were great.

The waiter forgot the meal and we had to wait so long....

Absolutely terrible customer service. Tried to call and explain our miscommunication and the women hung up on us after she couldn t take any responsibility for her mistakes. We were being respectful with her, but she didn t have the capacity to handle a conversation on the phone. 0/5 stars

Nice place & good ambience. The dining areas were freezing however. My wife, and a couple of others actually kept their jackets on. I was fortunately wearing a long sleeve shirt & sweatshirt to keep warm. We got up twice to stand in front of the fireplace, which had a nice burning...had to take turns with the other guests to warm up.