My folks were in town from California this past week, and I wanted to share with them my love of Minnesota lake country. Unfortunately I don't own a beautiful cabin with which to entertain them, so we had to rely on finding a local resort. My wife and I spent over two hours researching and calling resorts around northern Minnesota. Unfortunately, it seems that most of the mom and pop establishments have been purchased by larger investment groups and hospitality chains that have turned them into monstrous money-making machines. Honestly, when I go "up nort" I don't need or want day spas, tennis courts, and luxury cruises. Nor do I want to pay $450 a night for a room that faces the highway, as one resort offered. Not to mention the one-week minimum stay that most require during the summer months. No, I prefer a quiet establishment on a smaller lake where I can simply connect with the natural surroundings. We were so happy to have found Edgewild, a small, more affordable ($210/night when we went), family-owned resort tucked into the forest on the edge of West Fox Lake. The cabin was rustic, but sufficient. The pontoon boat we rented was great for cruising and fishing. I loved being able to use free canoes whenever we wanted. And Fox Lake is perfect because it isn't big enough to support huge crowds of people. My only two (very small) suggestions to Pete and Bonnie, the extremely kind owners of Edgewild, are to increase to number of fire pits available to guests, and to upgrade the bedding situation. To explain, we would have preferred to have had our own bonfire one of the nights, and the comforters on our beds smelled a bit musty. Other than that, it was absolutely perfect. read more

As an avid fan of Northern Minnesota, I think Edgewild is a perfect mix of a rustic getaway with all the amenities of home. The cabins have been updated but still have the charm that a cabin built decades ago should have. We usually dock a boat for fishing but will rent a pontoon for a day in the lake. We've also golfed and biked nearby during our stay. The fishing is pretty solid on West Fox Lake. We can always find panfish, bass and smaller pike. Walleye though can be tricky but we've actually caught a couple right off the dock early in the year. The new owners are nice people who have done anything to help us make the most of our visits. That meant even finding me an axe to chop wood during our last stay - a great way to relieve stress I might add. Overall, I would recommend Edgewild and will definitely be returning. read more

We had stayed at Edgewild before the new owners took over and we were not pleased! When we arrived there was NO one there so we could not get into our cabin, we waited on the deck. This was a NIGHTMARE! There was a wasps nest and we along with our dog were stung several times!!! The cabin was not the cleanest, smelled musty and bugs flying everywhere! Needless to stay it was a terrible start to our vacation! BUT then we needed a place to stay and since they were under new ownership decided to give it a try once more! We were ELATED!!! Totally different resort. It was Clean, Comfortable, had Air conditioning, WiFi and everything we needed. The owners could not have been more accommodating, We have been there SEVERAL times since and feel like it is our Home away from Home:) I can not say enough good things about this resort and the owners that now feel like Family! read more

My boyfriend and I planned to stay at a lake cabin for Labor Day weekend but he put off booking something and still hadn't when the time came. They were able to get us a very lovely cabin at a very reasonable price at the last minute. We had a great time. It was clean, comfortable, and charming. The owners were very nice and we enjoyed hanging out with their friendly dog, too! read more

I've taken my family here on numerous occasions and we've loved it. The variety of cabins is outstanding and the owners are very courteous and understanding. They will help you with anything you need and obviously love what they do. The lake is beautiful and there is very good crappie fishing. The beach is perfect for kids and adults, it is very family friendly. We love coming here yearly and will continue to do so. read more

My family and I have stayed at Edgewild Resort twice now and looking into our third stay, I would recommend this resort to anyone. Eric and his family are more then accommodating, the resort itself is completely stunning, and the cabins include everything you could need. Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful retreat, cant wait for our next stay! read more

This holiday weekend would have been our fourth year staying at Edgewild Resort. It was my first experience with the new owners. Maybe the old owners set the bar too high? You be the judge but be warned, if you have been to this resort under the previous ownership, it is different. If you have never been, maybe you will have a better experience but we will never go back. I called to reserve a cabin for my family, including my parents all driving up from the twin cities. It took over two weeks to get the confirmation paperwork (after a number of calls and emails from our end). The excuse was disorganization due to a recent move from Alaska (but yet they took ownership of the resort in May of 2013?) Moving on, we advised Eric (the owner) that having a boat was a priority, and if the pontoon was not available, it was a deal breaker. Eric assured me in an email the boat was available and we were 'all set.' I called the day we were leaving to confirm arrival time, boat use, etc., only to learn the one we wanted wasn't available. He had another boat, however, not as nice, that we could use. We made the mistake of believing him and loaded the car with everything you need for 3 days and drove the 3+ hours north. We arrived around 4pm which leads to the next part of the problem. While Edgewild has made some good investments in water toys (including two hydro bikes and a swimming raft), the place looked worn down. The owners' dog was running loose around the resort (we are dog lovers but what if you aren't?) the porch was in horrible need of cleaning (dead bugs everywhere, branches, twigs, leaves, etc. like it hadnt been used in weeks/months) and the office was littered with mattresses, laundry, broken furniture, etc. Rustic? No. More like a trailer park. Under the previous ownership, this was never the case - flowers were planted, grounds were kept, and you got the feeling you were at a well maintained cabin of a friend. Again, we chalked up the disarray to growing pains under new ownership (shame on us) and inquired about the pontoon. We learned that the other boat broke down between our phone call and the 3 hour drive up. Convenienient??? Doubtful... We were told that due to the 'break down' we would have to share the pontoon one day (Thursday the 3rd) but Friday, "it was all ours." We made do. An early text exchange with Eric on the 3rd told me the boat was ours at 3pm onwards and all day Friday. At 12:30, i called him, to see how we get the keys, timing, etc., only to learn we won't get it at 3 and would have to share it Friday. This was beyond disappointing (and ifuriating) as we said from the get-go that we were only coming if the boat was available. How convenient that family friends had it instead (those were the people we had to share it with) Upon learning of lack of a boat, we decided to pack up and leave. Eric never apologized and simply said, 'ok.' He had no concern that our family weekend was ruined. No attempt to right the mistake. While we did not pay anything for the one day we spent there, we also had nowhere else to go as everything in the area was booked, ergo my son's tears as we packed the cabin and left what used to be a wonderful retreat to one that has become a place where I wouldn't stay if it were free... I would never recommend this resort and will tell everyone to stay away. My guess (and hope) is they will not own it long as additionally, the adverstised internet didn't work in Cabin 8 (our cabin), the DVD player was broken (no replacement available when I asked) and the cabin overall seemed like it wasn't cleaned as well as in past years. It smelled like a musty, old cabin you would stay if you had to but not one you wanted to stay at if you were paying for. In the meantime, we will look to other resorts/cabins in the area as the area itself is really nice. read more

If you are looking for a quiet and rustic place without all of the hassle of the "corporate" places, you should check out Edgewild. My wife and kids and I stayed there this past weekend and had a very relaxing and entertaining weekend. The kids loved the water bikes and kayaks and fishing from the dock, my wife loved hanging out by the fire pit overlooking the quiet (yet at 400+ acres not too small) lake, and I loved being able to take the boat out for a few hours and catch Crappies (and a few walleye, pike and bass) like they were going out of style.. This lake is very under rated for fishing - I've been to Canada 8-10 times for a week-long fishing trip and would put West / East Fox Lake right up there for the action. We caught 30+ Crappies (all 10-14") in less than two hours. As far as the resort, the cabins are rustic yet modern at the same time. The interiors are much nicer than I expected (naughty pine, new floors in some of the cabins) and it is spread out enough that you are not tripping all over each other. We already have a full week booked in July and cannot wait to go back. read more