Don't hesitate to book a cabin or one of the few RV spots at this friendly space…read more The spectacular views come with the price of the rental. I hope you've brought your own boat? If not - - LIFE'S SHORT!! Rent one! So many harbors, lovely islands to explore. You will NOT be disappointed. The team working here are incredible. Helpful. FRIENDLY!! Experienced. Kind. There are fine walking trails and birding for exploring. A GREAT dining room and bar. It's superb.

My family and I stopped in to see what the place is like for a possible stay for next year…read more Decided to go into the bar and the dark haired waitress was really nice. The blonde haired waitress made us feel really uncomfortable. Asked a question about docking the boat and getting drinks/food and we were met with a stare down. Easily can say that was one of the most awkward moments I've had in my entire life. We were trying to be nice and bring our cups up to the bar while we were leaving and she looked at us like we were stupid and as we were walking out she asked the other waitress if we had paid as if we were dining and dashing. I do not recommend.

Drove to Nelson's Resort for dinner from campground. Lovely and peaceful place. Nice dinner menu…read morewith many choices. I had a filet that came with a baked potato and fresh veggies. Husband had beef stroganoff with a delicious sauce. Both meals came with a nice fresh salad, homemade rolls and whipped herb butter. Desserts were also really good. Will be back.

We have been coming here annually for over 25 years. Outstanding multigenerational family resort!…read more Excellent food in the lodge restaurant. Great northwoods bar/lounge in the lodge where you can get to know both the locals and the guests. Great fishing with optional guide services. Nostalgic quaint cabins are clean and tidy. This place beckons you to return. Loons calling. Star gazing. Nice nearby hiking trails. Great gift shop to purchase Nelson's swag and various sundries. There's a game room for the family, along with several outdoor activities for little and big kids alike. Also dog friendly. Hands down our favorite northwoods vacation spot.

Sandy Point Resort is one of those places I almost hate to review because I'd rather keep it quiet…read morefor myself. But they deserve the credit. We had a wonderful relaxing stay. The cabin was immaculately clean. And the resort had great food. It was relaxing just fishing off their dock. They also have a 6 or 7 year old "pier guide" that will direct you to the best fishing spots off that pier and he wont charge you a dime. All you have to do is start fishing until you get dangerously close to catching his pet northern that lives under the dock. then he will ask you politely to not fish in that spot. At that point all you have to do is ask him to help you find the other fish and he will direct you to the best spots and best baits It was one of those little moments that made the place feel special -- clean, peaceful, family-run, and full of character. Cj and I are looking forward to coming back!

We stayed for a week. Had a 3 bedroom cabin with a pontoon. The cabin was as advertised but also…read morehad a gas grill not just charcoal (bought charcoal for no reason). Beds were fine, AC was fine, WiFi wasn't great but that's to be expected at a place like that (no issues). We had our own dock which was nice and Owen, the dock hand, was very nice and informative when it came to getting the rental papers for the boat. Owen showed us how to use the electronics and where to get gas. Everything was great. The biggest issue came on day 4. While coming back to the resort from Kettle Falls, we hit a rock with the pontoon. The rock was not marked with a buoy nor was it marked on the GPS system on the boat. The boat functioned seemingly fine and we got it back to our dock. We got in the water to inspect the damage and found a small hole in the pontoon, roughly the size of a dime, and some damage to the skeg on the bottom of the motor. We went up to the lodge and explained the situation in its entirety to the owners, Al, and Owen. Owen took the boat on Wednesday and took it over to the lodge to get it out of the water for inspection. Everything was fine up to this point. Al and Owen came over and spoke with us at our cabin and gave us very vague information about the next steps. We played games and hung out in the cabin the rest of the night. The next day the conflicting information came pouring in. We were not sure if the boat was going to be put on an insurance claim or not. We were told we were going to have to pay between 3k-6k to get it fixed. We were then told they would be putting in an insurance claim. Then we were told, "you guys made the mistake, why should we have to put it through insurance". We were then told the boat was going to a shop in Orr and they would asses the damage. They needed to pressure test the pontoons and weld the hole. The Skeg damage was not irreparable, we were told. So because we don't have a money tree in our yard and hearing 3k-6k we were unsure of how to proceed. Paying for the mistake was never the issue. Paying an insurance deductible was not an issue. We just didn't know what was going on and kept getting multiple stories. Thursday we were boat less, by choice, because we didn't know what to expect as far as a bill. Friday afternoon we were told it would be less than $1000 to fix it, so we decided to get another boat for our final afternoon/evening. They didn't charge us for the 2nd boat due to us renting the first one for the full week, which was nice. The only thing that was not great about it was they were unclear about how the process was gonna happen and we were unclear if we were going to be charged for the 2nd boat that's why the delay in getting the 2nd boat. The 2nd boat was full of gas and we took the boat out for a few hours in the afternoon. The needle for the gas gauge was barely a sliver passed full tank. The bill finally comes in Friday evening and we were charged $1300 for the first boat due to the damages. That's not a rough number, that's exactly what we were charged. Odd right?! The "itemized receipt" we got from the shop said "for welding" on it. Very vague. Nothing written about how much labor costs, parts used, nothing about pressure testing, nothing about the skeg (which we were charged for), nothing about removing any dents, and nothing about any inspections elsewhere on the boat. It's hard to walk away from this feeling like we didn't totally get screwed over. When asking for clarification we were talked at and told we should feel lucky we only have to pay $1300. Come to find out their insurance deductible was $1000. This doesn't include the motor I know but why all of the run around? Why not be upfront with us? Why not come over on the day it happened and say our deductible is this, plan accordingly. It wasn't a very pleasant experience and the staff, outside of Owen, was very unprofessional. So after paying the $1300 we found out how much they charged us for gas. It was laughable. Between the two pontoons we used 1 1/2 tanks of gas (roughly). For the roughly 30 gallons we purchased from them we payed $378. Again right on the round number. Crazy we landed right on a ridiculous round number. Remember when I said the 2nd one was barely under full, 10 gallons and $70 later the boat was full. The crazy thing is the person who filled it as we were leaving never once checked to see how much gas was actually put into the boat. On top of all of this price gouging we got charged the full week for the boat even though we didn't have one for 2 full days. Lake Kabetogama is great. Sandy Point Lodge is a great location. It is safe to say I will never be returning to Sandy Point. Driving home feeling screwed over is not fun. I guess we will be spending our money at a different resort next summer.

Great local place! Food is hot, yummy and fills the soul! People are warm and inviting. Specials…read moreevery night and happy hour from 7-8pm.

Steve and Deb run a great family resort. Food is always good and portions are abundant. The…read morecabins are clean and have all the basic necessities. Their hospitality can't be beat. The lake and surrounding area is so beautiful, just can't get enough!

It is so fun and has so much to do even in the winter and the summer you can swim to buzzard island…read moreand get a free sheet that says "I swam to buzzard island" and is just so fun

Great hospitality and amenities. Food at the lodge is tasty too. Beautiful lake, beautiful cabins…read moreand totally peaceful. Carla and Steve are great hosts.

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!