Gunflint Lodge Inc

This used to be a stunning inclusive yet rustic family resort. The lodge food and service was impeccable, and there was always something interesting to do. Now, less so. Very modern accommodation with aderondac chairs by the lake and gas fireplaces.
The food and service in the lodge is down to inadequate suburban diner quality and consistency, and wait staff are obviously untrained in even the basics like bringing bread and water. Dining prices are in the good urban range for plates that are worth ¹⁄₃ of that.
Staff is very friendly, and hiking trails are pretty, if spottily maintained.
Fishing is great.
Other amenities like laundry in cabin are over shadowed by the tree zipline users screaming in an otherwise placid environment.

Location, cabins, and staff are 4 to 5 star. Food in dining room 2 stars. Beautiful lake setting even though Canadian side of lake will take a few more years to recover from 2007 fire. Staff were all great. They really went out of their way to make sure we enjoyed our stay. Stayed in cabin 17. Large and comfortable. Really appreciated the full kitchen.

Saddens me deeply to write this review as the dining at Gunflint Lodge has been a long time favorite. And I hope this is just an aberration and that we will try again another trip.
Overall the experience was no better than a «2» but since this is about the food… I bumped it to a «3»…we expected another «5» though based on experience in years past!
The dining room was about 40% full… busy for a Wednesday night I suppose but not swamped. We were seated… and our waitress connected with us in a few minutes. She took our drink orders and had them to us in ten minutes… then took our dinner orders and it was down hill from there. 50 minutes later our sandwiches arrived.. not a single touch-​base from her during the entire time.
Now…the food. Very good! We both had prime rib sandwiches on a wild rice bun. Hubby had a non-​descript side-​salad. I had a walleye chowder that was very tasty. We would eat this meal again but it wasn’t hugely innovative and we had expected to be wow’d!
Speaking of not being wow’d it seems that the menu isn’t what it used to be. As I said this has been a destination meal for us. We had planned to go back for a birthday bash dinner the next night. In years past we’ve stayed in Grand Marais and driven an hour to get to Gunflint. This year we are staying near Gunflint and we will be driving an hour back to Grand Marais to dine at the Crooked Spoon again as we want a fine dining experience.
We hope this was just a bump in the road for this fine establishment. They need to up their game though in the dining room.

My boyfriend and I went with another couple and stayed in the very spacious cabin 18 in the beginning of February. We stayed for three nights and it was remarkable! The cabin was fully furnished (and stocked) and anything we thought we needed the Lodge brought directly to our room free of charge (including a bag of ice for our drinks). The cabin had a cedar sauna which was awesome to go in after a day of snowshoeing. EVERYTHING was included in the price of the cabin, the showshoes and skis were free (if we were there in the summer the canoes and paddles would be too!) and we were able to wake up and eat breakfast in the Lodge (also included in the price of the cabin). The trails were fantastic, and I really loved showshoeing up to the top of an overlook and seeing into Canda! The view was breathtaking! In the Lodge you can get corn and bird seed and sprinkle it right outside your window. I have never been so close to deer before in my life! They were literally right outside our living room window! It was amazing to sit and cuddle by the fire while watching the deer. In fact the first night we were there a couple wolves decimated a deer outside our window! It was so cool! The circle of life, and we got to see it all happen! The Lodge also offered activities for you to do free of charge after a long day of snowshoeing. My boyfriend and I did the soap making with John (the naturalist) and it was awesome! I made a balsam scented, green dyed, oatmeal bar of soap! I wish that they had a sandalwood scent, but there were a lot of dyes to choose from! It probably would have gone a lot faster if they only had one shape and all of the goats milk was precut, but it was still a great activity! In the Lodge they have a bar and a gift shop. They also have the trading post where you can rent supplies. My boyfriend and I went night sledding and loved every second of it! They have a huge hill and you really pick up a lot of speed! Our group decided we would be back this summer to go canoeing and to the zip line they have. Also I can guarantee we’ll be back next winter to try out the dog sledding, possibly with a larger group. Everything about this stay we amazing and I would jump at the chance to go back!

For years, my husband and I had dreamed of going to the Gunflint Lodge. It had the reputation of being a special place in a beautiful area of our state. We purchased an online voucher for a 2-​day deluxe getaway with friends and were eager to spend a fall weekend there. No where on the voucher did it indicate this did not include weekends. When i called to make reservations, I was surprised and then frankly, shocked at how rudely I was treated by the owner, whose name is Bruce. Even though I called the day I bought the voucher, he told me that there were no rooms available for any weekends for the entire duration of the offer. He said I could have a lesser valued room (than I paid for the voucher) but would not be able to participate in any of the full-​service activities. So basically, he offered me something valued at $ 250 after we had paid $ 500. He was incredibly rude and pompous in his treatment of me. He offered no apology whatsoever, and implied that I should get a job with more flexible vacation time. When I asked how it was that they had absolutely none of the deluxe packages available for the next six months, he said that they do, but were not going to give them to people who bought the vouchers. So basically, it was a fraudulent offer. How this place stays in business with an owner who has no idea what customer service means, is a mystery. End of story, we were able to get refunded from the voucher company and will never give our business to Gunflint Lodge.

This is an awesome vacation destination! The Gunflint Lodge makes sure you have lots to do while there. They are constantly having multiple activities during the day and some specifically for kids. My son went on a 3 hour fishing trip! He didn’t come back with any fish, but he did come back with «Grandma’s big red toe».
The staff here are super friendly and very informative. One night I went down to the bar in the lodge and I think I was the only non-​staffer around it! That made for an awesome opportunity to get to know them and how they are dedicated to the customer and providing them with a great experience.
My only disappointment was that the zip lines weren’t open during our stay. While hiking I checked them out and watched them test them. I want that job! If you can, do some horseback riding and hiking. Magnetic rock is always good to see.

Great honest simple food! The menu has mostly sandwiches and burgers, at this casual bistro. They asked us how we wanted our burgers prepared, always a good sign, and the fries were home-​made, and cooked just right. On another visit we had a delicious walleye chowder and their chili, both were very tasty. Their small side salad was prepared with care, not just poured out of a bag. We like the oatmeal stout and bloody marys. A great place to eat in the middle of nowhere!

This place is amazing! We definitely WILL return! The cabin was spotless, and VERY roomy. Perks included a full kitchen and a washer/​dryer. That made packing very easy, because we could pack much less clothing, and wash it. And having a full kitchen meant we could save money by cooking for ourselves.
The staff is beyond friendly — I felt as though we made new friends! They are very helpful, as well — anything you might need, they will do their best to get it for you.
Food in the Red Paddle Bistro is delicious, and portions are huge! Prepare to take some with you! (We did not try Justine’s, though I suspect the food there is as good or better!)
The beds are ridiculously comfortable. We slept beautifully every night (all the hiking we did helped, of course!). The furniture was very comfortable, as well, and offered a beautiful view of the lake, right from our living room window. The wildlife is amazing too. We had many birds visit that we can’t see at home! Never saw a wolf, but that’s not guaranteed, and we can’t hold it against the lodge! (Wolves ARE there — we saw tracks and scat)
I take a star off for one thing, however: they advertise charcoal grills for some cabins (others have gas grills). What they don’t tell you is that these grills are the open-​sided type you’d find in a park. They are VERY hard to cook on, because the heat is difficult to control. Next time, we will carry along our own small grill.

Since we’re campy people we chose The Gunflint Lodge as our honeymoon destination almost 10 years ago (yes I WAS 8 when we got married, thanks). The honeymoon cabins are really great! With the honeymoon package we got 3 full meals a day (so good. Has anybody mentioned how awesome the restaurant is? Wow. Really) and appetizers delivered to our cabin with wine every day. Escargot, walleye cheeks, and other little delicious bites — it was quite the juxtaposition of rustic and classy.
Oh, I should say that we have gone back a few times since then, and their attention to a quality experience hasn’t diminished in the slightest. I’d suggest taking advantage of some of the great year-​round packages they offer. We were able to go on an anniversary weekend (offered to anybody having purchased a honeymoon package) and a pre-​season weekend (at about $ 27/​day super-​price).

This is one of those places you are lucky to visit in your life. I have never been in the summer time as the other reviewers experienced, but I have been there in February when the place is covered in snow and you can ski, snow mobile, snow shoe, ice fish and my favorite. sleep, relax, hot tub and enjoy hot cocoa in the lodge while watching the frozen lake and the many deer…
My sister and her husband always rent CABIN 1, which has a loft upstairs with 2 beds and a small living room area that over looks the downstairs and has a window looking out at the lake. Downstairs, it has 2 large bedrooms — one is a master with 2 queens and a private bathroom and the other is a large guest room with an adjacent bath that is also accessible to the loft occupants… there is a private (for your cabin only) Sauna as well as a hot tub outside in the snow. YES! in the snow. it is enclosed by stone walls and viewable only from the loft window… very private. so awesome to sit in a hot jacuzzi with the steam rising into the cold air and look at the snow fall… amazing!
You have to drive a long way on a snowy road practically to Canada, but if you are looking for a ONCE IN A LIFE TIME, COMPLETELY UNIQUE EXPERIENCE. AND YOU LOVE SNOW… THIS IS FOR YOU! The great lakes with all the ice looked like a sea of huge sparkling diamonds as far as the eye could see… it was hard to stop snapping photos!
OH! Did I mention the DOG-​SLEDDING? that was so much fun. I am a city girl, more at home in a shop or coffee house, but I LOVED the Dog Sledding! The dogs actually bite the snow as they go along to get a drink. so cute! and fast! You have a professional musher who takes you out too. i will load some video on my blog for you to see

OH! and the deer. they eat out of your hand. they are wild, but they are used to people and the lodge gives you deer food, as much as you can carry… to put outside your cabin windows, so you can watch the deer come and eat. they are so lovely.
I did some cross country «nordic» skiing, snow mobiling up the trails and frozen lake — WOW! Winter Wonderland! Breath Taking! Sledding was fun too! Maybe I will put that video up of me sledding down the little hill. LOL
They have a restaurant that serves amazing food. there is long rice in everything, but they say it is native to the area. it was yummy. the lodge is comfy and has a bar as well, where people stop in sometimes who are not guests, but want a bite to eat or a beverage.
Don’t expect to use your cell phone or the net… this was hard for me to get used to, but I actually rested and read books. it was AWESOME!
I cannot recommend it enough as one of those hidden gems that 99% of people will never get to see… if you have a choice… I say. DO IT!

The past two years my wife and I have made Gunflint Lodge a stop for lunch during our North Shore motorcycle vatations. When you realize this is 2 hours on the highway from St. Paul to Duluth, 3 more hours from Duluth to Grand Marais on highway 61 on the North Shore, another 45 minutes on lower grade paved road which is highway 12, or the Gunflint Trail, then finally a few miles on gravel road to get there this begins to tell how amazing of a place Gunflint Lodge is. This is a high-​end resort /​lodge at literally the end of the road in one of the more remote areas in the country. If you have what it takes to make this trip, be sure to spend at least a couple of hours there for lunch and be sure to order the walleye chowder.

Awsome place to stay. Canoe across the bay to Magnetic bay and you are in canada. Great fishing, great cross county skiing. nice staff grea food. They really do up the local northwoods theme in a designer 4 star way. The owners the Kerfoot family have been there forever. They were the base station during the big hamlake fire. The staff cant do more to make sure you have a great stay. Free tea and cookies are there all open hours to give you that special feeling. The cooking staff is superb and the staff from around the world is A+ they have a grea outfitter and all the great gear you would ever need for a northwoods adventure. Camper cabins for the rustic feel or hot tub sweet cabins for the high end getaway. They also have a full gourmet bar in the lodge.