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.

This is out second time going to the Boundary Waters with Ely Outfitting Co. and again the did such…read morea great job. In my opinion these guys are the company you want to use if you want things done right. I took my kids age 8-12 and they tailored the whole trip to the needs of our family. It was beautiful. Highly recommended!

My family and I did a 1-day guided tour with Jarett (sorry if I butchered the spelling!)…read more Absolutely worth the 4-hour trip from Minneapolis! (Check out Northernair Lodge for accommodations!) The entire tour was incredible. All of the staff were friendly and helpful (even at 8am!) Jarett gave us excellent instruction, as this was the first time any of us had canoed. Beyond the interesting and knowledgeable company Jarett provided, he was always conscious of stopping for lunch* or for photo ops when it seemed like we needed a break. He was willing to canoe with us for as short or long of a time as we wanted, and the trip was worth every penny. Every spot on Lake One is absolutely breathtaking. (We did have the option to canoe into Lake Two, but we chose to just take our time in Lake One.) I can't say enough great things about our experience with this company and the area in general! *I believe there is an option for the company to provide you with lunch, but we just packed our own and brought it in the canoe.

After several visits over the years, I could give a 3- or 4-star review, depending on where you sit…read moreand which server you get. Sitting on the deck is ideal, but very difficult to obtain at dinnertime. The main dining room is okay, but I'm not a big fan of the rustic look (and I certainly don't agree that it is "rustic, yet elegant" as noted on their website. If you arrive at peak time then you might be relegated to a table in the lobby, which just isn't my idea of a nice dinner venue. The menu is a bit variable also -- there are some very good offerings and several so-so dishes. I've found that the specials and fish dishes tend to be better. Note that you really need to call for a reservation; ideally 3-7 days before you want to go. There aren't very many higher-quality restaurants in Ely and they get busy very quickly during peak season.

Perfect place to stay while in Ely. Looking forward to our next visit this summer of 2026 ! Always…read morea treat to be at Burnside Lodge . Looking forward to being there this summer. It's the nicest place to stay that I know of in northern Minnesota.

Our first time to Lake Vermilion, and we were delighted with Glenmore Resort. Nothing fancy, just…read morea nice rustic spot with clean cabins, great hospitality and excellent fishing, great sunsets and Eagles and Loons abound. Definitely coming back.

"VERY DISAPPOINTED - MUST READ"…read more We stayed here with some friends July 9-16. Between our group, there were two cabins rented. Some of our friends even rented a pontoon for a day. The owners of this resort are LeRoy and Nancy, and they are VERY RUDE. At check in, our friends - a husband, wife, and 19 year old daughter - were told by Nancy not to trash the place?! What is that suppose to mean? Who says that to a nice looking family. As they were settling in, LeRoy just walked into their cabin to get a broom he said he forgot in there. He didn't even knock, he just walked right in on them. They were shocked. The cabin we (2 couples) stayed in had curtains for bedroom doors, extremely small, for a cost of $1,435 for the week.We are seasoned travelers, and were very disappointed with the accommodations. At our check-in, we asked for cabin keys and they said they don't give any out, and that no one has ever had anything stolen yet. We asked if they would reimburse us if any of our tablets or phones were stolen, and they said no. When we insisted on a key, they had to try to find one. When they gave it to me, they said they weren't sure if it was the correct key or not for our cabin. We tried it on the regular door, and it worked. But the key did us no good, as the sliding patio door lock is broken, so that could never be locked. We ended up locking our valuables in our vehicles. My husband fixed the patio sliding door screen by screwing down on the lower track so that the screen was square and there wouldn't be a big gap at the top where the mosquitoes would come in. At one point, the patio screen came off the track, so we called LeRoy. He came over and put it back on the track and told us that it was not kid proof - we told him we don't have any kids here - and he said well you can't be hard on it. We told him we are are not being hard on it but just sliding it open, and that maybe he needs to replace the door. At check-in, LeRoy showed us where to park our truck and boat trailer, which we did. After getting settled, we got on our boat and went for a ride. Shortly thereafter, I got a call on my cell-phonel from LeRoy to see if we could come back and move our trailer as his lawn service came and he wants them to be able to cut where our trailer was parked. We were across the lake and told him we wouldn't be coming back right away. At one point LeRoy came to our cabin door and knocked on it to tell us something. My husband opened the door, and LeRoy's large dog just ran right in and ran around the cabin while we were fixing dinner. LeRoy just sat there and tried to call the dog over to him. These are just some of the things we experienced. At check-out, we discussed everything with the owners and told them that they have lost our future business and that of our friends. They need to learn how to run a resort, and treat their paying customers with respect. STAY AWAY FROM GLENMORE RESORT - Instead stay at Everette Bay Lodge. We stopped and met the owners while we were up there, and checked out their cabins. Very nice, and for the same cost. Stayed July 2016 1 of 5 stars Value 1 of 5 stars Sleep Quality

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! :)

went Official camping for my first time this year and we drove 4hrs north to Ely and stayed at the…read moreFall Lake Campground. I'm giving this place a full 5 stars even though I have little basis for comparison. The bathrooms and showers were amazingly clean and new. the sites do not have electricity but our site was huge, we put 3 large tents up and could have fit a 4th. We also had private lake access. The lake access was rocky and very slippery! So it wasn't much for swimming but it meant we had a great canoe launch right at our site. We also rented a canoe @ $20 a day it was a nice deal. The campground has a full playground, center store and office where you can get forgotten necessities and a sandy boat launch. There is a swimming beach on the grounds but it may be a short walk. The site was $17 a night and they have nice elevated fire pits with a built in grill grate. The site is also on the edge of the boundary waters which means no motorized boats (to an extent) lots of quiet and plenty of wild life! We got close to lots of turtles, ground animals and lots of bald eagles!. The scenery was amazing, the sky is incredibly clear for star gazing at it's best. And for being so far north the lake was quite temperate and excellent for swimming and boating. I highly recommend this camp site for newbies like me and the other, more experienced campers, were also impressed.

We stayed here before we hit the BWCA the next day. Our group was nice and large!…read more While it was a little confusing on where to find our campground, once we found the office everything made sense. The gates were closed for us (not locked) for the Campground area we were reserved for. The campsite was very clean and plenty of space for the tents. The paths are paved to go from place to place...i.e. the bathrooms. The bathrooms themselves were very clean. One has a code to enter on it to get in because of it's close vicinity to the boat landing, which is understandable. The only thing I had a rough time finding was the dumpster. it is kind of hidden. All in all, I would definitely stay here again.

North Woods Adventures was amazing!!…read more My bridesmaids hired them for my bachelorette party. They picked us up at my home at, and took us to the local bars in the Lake Vermilion area. The guide, as well.as the drivers were fun, and they always made sure everyone got back on the bus. We were able to drink in the vehicle in between stops, listened to music, and it was summer so the whole thing was open-air. Awesome all around. At the end of the night (bar close), they brought us back to my place. The guide also took photos and will be putting them on a cd for us. All around a fantastic time!

Started our trip into Moose Lake #25 with great guidance from Dave on campsites, fishing, and…read morepossible day trips. Rented their Kevlar canoes and a food pack - all in really good condition. Got a tow to Ensign portage and the guys unloaded and carried our canoes and packs right to the portage entry and were so prompt meeting us at the end of our trip to collect our canoes and unload our packs - all with a fun attitude that started and ended our trip on high notes! Stayed in their bunkhouse pre-trip and post-trip and that was a good decision - clean, comfortable rooms and showers with provided sleeping bags, pillows and towels. Also did the pre-trip breakfast, which was delicious and filling. The Williams and Hall staff was so helpful and friendly. Would highly recommend them for your next trip!

W&H made it a cinch for us out-of-staters to pick a canoe (plus paddles and life jackets) for a…read more3-day camping trip in the Boundary Waters. I was worried about coordination, but they have it down to a science (and it couldn't be easier!). While I expected a bit more at the onset (some quick paddling instruction, for example), I did appreciate that they outfitted us up and let us head off to do our thing. Best of all was the return end, where Bob offered us dirt-and-Deet covered campers a cold beer and a hot shower. I definitely recommend this outfitter, and would happily rent from them again.