We rode bicycles from Tower to Ely and stayed at MarJo's. The motel was spotless with organized…read morecontainers for recycling, garbage and wet towels. The mini frig and coffee maker provided all we needed. Quiet setting on a river channel to lake Vermilion and quick access to the bike trail. Lots of bang for your buck and Sandy was very accommodatIng. I'll come back whenever I can. Connie Pederson

Super cute, small, but cozy and well kept motel! Very happy with our stay. From the beginning the…read moreowner was very friendly and professional while making the reservation over the phone. We arrived late and used the code given to enter our room with no problems. It was -17 degrees out that night and we arrived to a warm and clean room. Has older tv but cable box provides ample channels, microwave, mini fridge, and small coffee maker with coffee provided. Also had a hand written message from housekeeper and informational papers in the room. Bathroom was spotless and shower was nice and hot! It honestly was one of the best motel stays my husband and I have had. Didn't hear any noise from the neighbors either. Very cute! Free WiFi!

Stopped in Ely for the evening and after dinner settled on the Lakeland motel. It was a pleasant…read morestay. It's not a motel but cabins and ours was nice. It was like a mini-house with a bed in the front, a eating area with a table, a bedroom in the back and a bathroom. It was clean and decorated northwoods style. Our room came with all the usual fixins including soap, towels, but it did not have shampoo. Staff was friendly. The only negative we had was the cabin we were in was right in front along the road. With the window open the road noise was alittle annoying.

So our tent got eaten by a bear in the Boundary Waters and we had to come back into Ely to avoid…read morethe swarm of man-eating mosquitoes. We found this place was the cheapest of all the motels, but there's definitely a reason why. First of all, the shower barely gets warm enough, and the owners provide soap but are too cheap to leave shampoo. But the most annoying part was that the owners, who live in a house attached to the office, like to set up lawn chairs directly in front of your room and invite their friends over to yak it up right just inches away from the paper-thin walls. Several times we looked out the window at night to see their huge hillbilly backsides pressed up right against the glass, and it felt like they were shouting right into our ears . We were too tired to leave the room and were forced to listen to their conversation for hours. Then, later on, the two of us were hanging out in the parking lot, not even talking very loudly, and noticed that the creepy owner woman was peering out at us through her door. It felt like staying in a very strict dorm where the RA is allowed to make all the noise he wants and treats the students like cattle. Not cool.

My father's family used to come here on vacation when he was a boy many years ago. We came back…read morewith him this year and discovered for ourselves what a gem this place is! Betty Espland is daughter of the original owners and keeps the place very neat and welcoming. The cost is very reasonable, the cabins are older but larger, and well stocked with cooking equipment. Beds are quite comfortable, we've slept really well! Bring your own towels, soaps, and garbage bags though. Full size fridge, and gas stove, with newer microwave and coffee maker. Lot of lakefront yard! There are two kayaks free to use, and a canoe and three rowboats - all in great working order, with paddles and life jackets too. Decent swimming off the dock, but be warned for kids there is not really any "beach" and it is pretty rocky (wear water shoes!) and has a steep dropoff. Betty also has a pontoon that can be rented but should be reserved ahead of time so she can get it in the water. We LOVE this place, and Betty the owner, and I am sure I will be back again many times in years to come - the tradition has been renewed for our family! :)

An incredibly different (odd?) restaurant on an incredible piece of property on White Iron Lake…read more The food was decent, but the place has an odd supper club, old-timey vibe that just felt kind of out of place. Of course, that's a pretty subjective view, so take it with a grain of salt. The property is beautiful though, especially the area near the lake. Place feels like it has way more potential. Visit and make up your own mind about the place. Interesting if nothing else.

I have been here a few times for the prime rib dinner (my favorite), and cocktails at the bar and…read moredining room. Entertaining live accordion and button box music may accompany your meal thanks to Dr. U and friends. This place is quite unique-chalet style lodge, restaurant and bar with very nice rooms to rent. I may stay here for the winter trout opener. Located on white iron lake, not far from the city of Ely.

This is a very well kept campground with beautiful views and nice spacious RV sites. Randy was a…read moregreat host and even delivered firewood right to our campsite. Reasonable rates considering the location. There are a very limited number of sites with full hook ups and no WiFi, to my knowledge, but those two very small cons are far outweighed by the pros of such friendly staff and overall beauty of location. We would definitely stay here again!!

Pros: Beautiful campground on Lake Vermilion. Close water access for most sites. Nice beach and…read moreplayground for children. Most sites have eletricity and water hook-ups. A dumpstation is on premisis. Management is friendly and the campground is fun. Cons: You will regret renting any sites from #55 - #70 because they feel like a sardine can. Try for the lakeside sites 17-45 or 1-16. You will have more privacy and a beautiful view.

My wife, daughter, and I arrived at Big Lake Wilderness Lodge on a Thursday around 8 PM, just after…read morea significant storm had passed through the area, affecting their satellite dishes. Upon checking in and settling into our cabin, we discovered that our TV was not working. Normally, this wouldn't be a major issue, but our daughter, who has a disability, loves watching TV, and it was important for her comfort. We spoke with Cheryl, and she immediately came down to our cabin to assist us. To our delight, she quickly moved us to a different cabin that had functioning satellite TV and excellent Wi-Fi reception. Our daughter was thrilled, and we truly appreciated Cheryl's swift response and willingness to help. Each cabin at the lodge comes with its own fishing boat or pontoon boat, which adds to the experience. The cabins themselves are beautifully decorated, impeccably clean, and very comfortable. There is a self-serve bait shack located by the water, offering live minnows, nightcrawlers, and leeches for purchase, as well as kayaks available for guests to use. Big Lake is a stunningly beautiful lake with very few cabins, ensuring a peaceful experience on the water--often, we found ourselves surrounded by only one or two other boats. Although Big Lake Wilderness Lodge is a bit of a drive from Ely, Minnesota, it is absolutely worth it. This is one of the most relaxing, perfectly laid out, and beautiful fishing lodges I have ever visited. I highly recommend Big Lake Wilderness Lodge, and we can't wait to return next year. A big thank you to the owners, Cheryl and Chuck, for making our stay so memorable!

Great place to stay. Owner was very accommodating. Great fishing as well. Looking forward to coming…read moreback soon!

The New Owner Tim Schuck has undone all the good work that the previous owners have done over the…read moreyears to make Garden Lake special. My family has stayed at Garden for over 20 years and we never expirienced the problems that the new owner has caused. To start with we found that the linens had not been cleaned from the previous occupants of our cabin. That's just the beginning. We asked if we could bring our pets this 2022 season and he agreed. When we arrived, he had forgotten that he gave us that permission. Upon leaving in 2021, we secured our dates for the 2022 year, and upon our arrival he said the he will no longer be booking that way, that it would be first come first serve on-line. Because of this the 2023 weeks were changed without our knowledge. He informed us upon our arrival in 2022. Garbage pick up at the cabins was scarce and we were over filled most of the time. This is risky with all of the Bears in the area. In order to save money he took down all of the outside lighting that was up, and so it was unsafe to travel between cabins at night, which we have done for years without worry of falling. One of our group did in fact fall because of the darkness, which again we were not accustomed to. The docks are in disrepair and the decks on the cabins have not been painted since Schuck bought the place. Due to plumbing issues, we were asked not to shower late at night (reason unknown). This was a problem as the fishing trips we took brought us back no earlier than 9pm on most nights. If this was the first year of this, I would understand, for there is a learning curve, and the previous owners were very accommodating, but this was our second year with Schuck and he continued to dissapoint. We were determined however to continue our tradition for the 2023 season, so were bit the bullet and reserved all four cabins for next year. We just received a message that our deposites were going to be refunded and that we were not welcome back next summer. No reason given and he will not receive our calls or return our messages. Not a great business plan. This man is trying to turn a quick buck and does not care about the service he provides. My family is heartbroken that we will be staying at the place where soo many wonderful memories have been created. Tim Schuck in running Garden Lake into the ground and I would not recommend anyone who wants a peaceful vacation to stay at His Resort!

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