The area
Four miles to the village, seventy-eight to Lake Superior
One stoplight, a good bakery, and Superior National Forest trailheads twelve miles north.
Nearby
Worth the drive
- Hollis Lake village, 4 miles — grocery, hardware, two restaurants and a Saturday market in July and August. Population about 900, one stoplight, a good bakery.
- Superior National Forest trailheads, 12 miles north — for real hiking.
- The county trail system, reachable on foot from the northeast corner of the property.
- Ridgeway Iron Range Museum, 22 miles.
- Duluth and Lake Superior, 78 miles southeast — a long but worthwhile day.
Practical
Food, gear and getting in
Groceries
Village market, 4 miles, open 7:00 am to 9:00 pm. Full supermarket in Ridgeway, 22 miles.
Eating out
The Landing in the village does walleye and burgers, Thursday through Sunday. Nordic Bakery does breakfast and closes at noon. Ridgeway has another six, including the only Thai place for 60 miles.
Outfitters
North Shore Outfitters in the village rents canoes and runs guided walleye trips. We rent kayaks, paddleboards and bikes on site.
Getting here
Duluth International (DLH) is 78 miles southeast. We are 9 miles north of State Highway 53, exit at County Road 22. Directions.
Timing
The season, honestly
When to come
May is quiet, cool and buggy for about ten days once the ice is fully off. June through August is the season — book ahead. Labor Day to mid-October is the best-kept secret: the birches turn, the lake is still swimmable for the brave, and you can have a lakefront site on a weekend without booking in January.
What the weather does
Summer days run 70 to 82 and nights drop to the 50s — bring a fleece even in July. Thunderstorms build most afternoons in late July. Black flies peak for two weeks in late May and early June, mosquitoes after dusk all summer. September nights can touch freezing.
If something goes wrong
Where the help is
Hospital
Northern Pines Medical Center, 22 miles southeast in Ridgeway. Urgent care and a clinic in Hollis Lake village, 4 miles, open weekdays.
Vet
Hollis Lake Veterinary, 4 miles, weekdays and Saturday mornings. The nearest 24-hour emergency vet is in Duluth.
Severe weather
The office has an AED and two staff are certified each season. In a warning, the rec hall is the shelter — it is the only slab-on-grade building — and we sound the air horn and drive the loops. Tornado watches are common here in July; warnings are rare.