We can't thank Dave enough-caught about 40 fish including 11 different species . We even saw…read moremanatee, dolphins and lots of birds. We appreciate his kindness, sense of humor, and the continued teaching. He cleaned what we could keep and we had a delicious dinner that night. We highly recommend Sunset Glow Guide Service and hope to be back next year.

Wow did I have a blast fishing with Dave at Sunset Glow Guides services! He made a beginner angeler…read morefeel like a professional out on Lake Vermillion. His patience, knowledge, and experience were everything I could have asked for out of our fishing trip. Not to mention the multiple Walleye, Small Mouth Bass, and sunfish we caught, he cleaned, and we got to eat! I highly Reccomend you use his services whether you are a novice like myself learning life long techniques, or an expert looking to reel in fish after fish!! Thanks for the great time Dave!

Best way to describe our experience is this way. Awesome comfortable place to stay...we love the…read morescenery and the resorts rustic flavor....very accommodating and friendly staff . Can't say enough good about them. We loved seeing Willie, their dog. Always looked for Willie when we came to the office and even talked about him on the way home. This is truly a superb Minnesota Resort. A place to enjoy the evenings and mornings sitting in the screened in porch, listening to the waves and the boats going by. A wonderful Minnesota Resort Tradition you won't want to miss. Take our word for it you won't be disappointed. Gary and Deb Korsgaden

This place is great. I've known of this resort since I've been coming up here 30 years. This place…read moreis family owned and now owned by the original owners daughter and son. Not luxury but great for a family used to holiday inn accommodations. They have a fantastic beach, cabins, volleyball court, boats and a store. I think it's well worth the money

Great place to stock up on lures and get a massive amount of ice cream. I got two scoops and I was…read moresitting there as he put like 6 scoops in. I will be coming many more times in the future.

Biggest one scoop of ice cream I have ever had in my life!!! Pretty impressed with the tackle…read moreselection as well.

Pehrson's has been around for over a century and is now owned and operated by the Hanson family,…read moreaugmented by their super-friendly and beautiful springer spaniels who always seem to be in the vicinity of the front desk looking for tummy rubs. The resort consists of almost 30 cabins of various sizes, plus a large "retreat home" down the shore that we haven't seen yet. The "log" cabins range from fairly cramped and rustic to much more modern and spacious. We've rented one of the larger cabins for two older couples set back from the lake the past few years and really enjoy it. Pehrson caters to family vacations and reunions, and a lot of the patrons we met have been coming there for decades. It is truly a fine lake summer experience, located in the southwest corner of sprawling Lake Vermilion. We've taken advantage of pontoon rentals; the pickleball court; 2+ mile hiking trail; the beach and swimming area with large floats the kids love to climb all over; a small but surprisingly well-equipped fitness room with a few cardio machines plus dumbbells, Swiss balls, bands, etc.; foosball, a pool table and ping pong tables at the Main Lodge; a great lakeside seating area to view spectacular sunsets; and charcoal barbeque grills (some of which are deteriorating). Yes, it is expensive -- especially compared to what you might pay at a nice Caribbean resort -- but the pricing looks competitive against other Northern resorts.

Top shelf staff, from the owners, Eric and Mary Hanson with Cayla Anderson, to the ever-helpful…read moreguides, dock workers and grounds crew. We must mention Walter, the Springer who greets the arriving guests with a total wag. This is a family-oriented resort with many activities for the kids, even including dock fishing that is all catch and release-a great ethic to teach. Watercraft of every sort is available and there is a nice sandy beach as well. And the fishing was terrific despite the 6" rainstorm that came in and flooded Cook. We will return.

Somewhat maintained recreational area around a lake; hiking /skiiing trails; fishing from a short…read moredock; no camping; closed at night; swimming

This is my favorite vacation. For us it is a week of rest and solitude. We sleep, hammock, read,…read morehot tub, explore our campsites, play games, swim, and make ourselves really good food. We've had Kyle be our excellent fishing guide, bringing back and cleaning a Walleye feast. And, we know that there is still more to explore and do. The Soudan mine. The casino. Hiking trails. More. We will be back again and again. The boats: We've experienced 4 different boats. They're all clean and comfortable. Each has its strengths. They are easier to drive and park than you think. Kyle makes navigating the lake a breeze with good maps and easy to use GPS units. The campsites: Vary pretty wildly. Some are groomed. Others are pretty wild. Some remote. Some very near civilization. Some are rocky. Others are beach. Some are shoreline. Others are island(our favorite!). The people and the service: Kyle and Joy are the best. As mentioned above, we've hired Kyle as a fishing guide twice. One time he had to coordinate another guide and he was awesome. Scheduling responses are fantastic. Service to the boat is timely and efficient. And, emergency response is immediate and thorough (a very long story I'll tell you over a beer!).

we rented boat # 20 which was perfect for 4 adults and 5 kids , but when we arived the boat was not…read moreclean . Mouse poop in the cupboards and fridge. the windows were filthy, and the water pump quit half way through our trip. No hot water ! The second we left the dock I texed him the toilet was leaking in the back back bathroom , with no response. the owner tried to make like it was my fault because we didn`t tell him right away at the dock. we asked him for more cleaning products because of the mouse poop and we left the dock and cleaned all the dishes ,cupboards fridge and counter tops. Bottom line he should have inspected the boat before we arived and made sure that it was clean and everything in working order. we did everything he had asked for ,down payment presign the agrement ,credit card on file and arrivel time. My suggestion for you would be to ask for a writen guarantee with 50 % off if it is not sea worthy .

For those of you old enough to remember, its the land of Sky Blue Water (Hamms Beer) lol and the…read moreland of 10,000 lakes. Located in Itasca Co. Minnesota about 200 miles north of Minneapolis MN. North Star is surrounded by state (Bowstring) and National (Chippewa) Forests. Its approximately 832 acres in size. It deepest part is 90 feet with about a 30 foot average. It has about a half dozen family and fishing resorts with scattered private homes. When fishing, anglers can expect to catch a variety of fish including Bluegill, Brown Bullhead, Largemouth Bass, Muskie, Northern Pike, Rock Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Yellow Bullhead, Yellow Perch, Pumpkinseed. You can expect to see a variety of wildlife in and around the lake. From Loons, Eagles, Heron, Hawks and hummingbirds all the way up to deer, caribou, black bear and even an occasional moose and even timberwolf. Some spectacular sunrises and sunsets are often the normal. And I've even seen the Northern Lights a couple times. They call this area "The Edge of the Wilderness" and they're right. No traffic, no hustle and bustle just a great place to unwind, relax and enjoy the peace and quite of your surroundings. Even if the fishing is not as good as you like, I guarantee you will come back relaxed and rejuvenated.

Five stars isn't enough for this crew. We fish with Craig at Lake Vermilion Fishing Guides just…read moreabout every year, and our Boundary Waters trips into Basswood are the ones we talk about all winter. From the first phone call he asks the right questions about what you want out of the day, then builds the whole trip around it. Getting into the BWCA on your own takes real planning, but Craig handles all of it, and once you're out there you've got world-class fishing with almost nobody around. He reads the water, adjusts constantly, and genuinely cares that everyone on board catches fish. He handles the big fish with real care too, quick photos and healthy releases. This is what a professional guide service should be. We're already planning next year's trip.

I don't have enough great things to say about Steve and Ginny and the rest of the crew at Spirit of…read morethe Wilderness. We were out on Knife Lake on Tuesday July 14 2026 (the day of the closure and evacuation of the wilderness). I had rented a one way Spot and picked up my permit from Spirit. Unfortunately with the device we had no one could communicate with us, but the crew at Spirit was tracking us and keeping everyone back home aware of our situation. After we got back into Ely, they even offered a bunkhouse for us to stay the night before heading home.

What an absolutely beautiful Minnesota state park. The dense woods and lakes are really amazing to…read morebe a part of. We did the norberg lake trail and I've done the blueberry lakes trail in the past as well. Definitely bring good shoes or boots for these trails. There is a fair amount of up and down throughout and lots of rocks and roots. I am excited to come back here in the future.

In our quest to visit all MN state parks, Bear Head Lake was next on our list. We stuck with the…read moreHiking Club trail or Norberg Trail. It was a three mile loop that took you past a couple of lakes. It involved walking on some uneven ground (roots and stones) but it was relatively flat and very woodsy. We visited in mid July and it was quite buggy so make sure you are covered or sprayed to minimize the bites. Minnesota parks are so beautiful. I get so worries about where I'm stepping, I sometimes forget to look up and all around to enjoy the beauty.

This is a water-based national park, so to fully experience this you need to be out on the water. I…read moretook two boat tours through the NPS, but many people fish or rent houseboats to experience the park. There are camp sites, but the vast majority are on islands which require watercraft to access. Kettle Falls Cruise - This takes you from Ash River Visitor Center to Kettle Falls and back. You can bring your own food for lunch on the boat (no eating or drinking other than water on the boat though) or order at the Visitor Center so you get a lunch box waiting for you at the Lodge. I opted to get a lunch box, which consisted of a dill pickle spear, a bag of potato chips, and a simple lunch meat sandwich. I normally don't like lunch meat sandwiches (especially since this was was reminiscent of primary school lunches), but eating at the historic lodge and the beautiful surroundings made this the best, most delicious sandwich in its class! If you have mobility issues, they have a golf cart you can ride to the hotel, otherwise it's a maybe 10 minute walk from the dock to hotel. Check out the dam and walk around, and then you're back on the boat for the cruise to the visitor center. Grand Tour Cruise - This departs from the Rainy Lake Visitor Center and does not have any stops. It's more for general enjoyment and wildlife viewing. I saw a lot of beautiful scenery, but not a lot of animals. It was still good though, as Joe, one the the NPS rangers, was absolutely hilarious! Both tours provided binoculars free to borrow for your enjoyment. Be sure to apply a lot of mosquito spray, as the mosquitos here are ferocious. Also consider some rain gear as it can get rainy.

Voyageurs is an under visited park with lots to offer. It excels at paddle packing. You must have a…read moreboat to really explore the park because no camping is available except on islands in the park's lakes. The park doesn't rent boats so plan to bring your own or rent from a local outfitter. If you do need somewhere cheap or free to sleep nearby, check the overnight parking area at Wooden Frog which also comes with water and vault toilet facilities. There are three different visitors centers each offering something different.