Our trip to Cuyuna was good for the soul. If you are looking for a camping vibe, but want the luxury of sleeping in a comfy bed, then the Cuyuna Cove glamping tents are the perfect glamping experience for you. This was our second time staying at Cuyuna Cove, but our first time staying in the glamping tents. This trip was especially fun because we got to experience it with friends, staying in the Portage and Rabbit tents. The entire 3 acre property is so well thought out! The bathrooms are like a spa, the property is right off the trails, and we especially loved the ability to cook around the fire while having meaningful conversations with friends.

Inside The Glamping Tent Space

We stayed in the two larger tents, Rabbit and Portage. The tents were spacious and clean, and we slept easily on the extremely comfortable mattresses and bedding. We absolutely loved the design aesthetic Kelsey and Chris have created in these tents. They have included all of the amenities in the tent that you need, without feeling overly crammed full of stuff. There is a table and chairs, an area to hang towels and put your clothes, light, electricity to charge your phones, wifi to work remotely, a fan, a fab little white noise machine, a rack for your bikes, and much more. There is even a heated blanket and space heater should it be a colder light in the fall.

Waking up in the morning to the sunlight playing with the shadows of the leaves is one of the most relaxing morning views!

The Outdoor Spa-Like Showers & Bathrooms

The Owners, Kelsey and Chris, have clearly spent a lot of time on the thoughtful touches that make the experience of staying at Cuyuna Cove so special. You have the glamping tents which feel luxurious enough, then you have their spa-like showers and bathrooms that take it up another notch. The bathrooms and showers deserve an entire blog post dedicated just to them. The sound of the hot water splashing down over the smooth rocks you stand on in the base of the shower, the speakers subtly playing nature sounds, the amazing water pressure, great quality Public Goods shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. Then there are also the salt lamps, and one of the favorite aspects - heated toilet seats for those chillier nights. Genius!

Pro-tip: pour yourself a glass of wine in the provided nice plastic ‘faux glass’ cups, or grab a can of beer and have yourself a shower beverage. (Don’t bring glass bottles in the shower though!)

Bring your own blow dryer if you need one! Towels are provided in your tent, but bring extra if you plan on doing a lot of swimming or are spending time in the new sauna on the property!

Cooking & the Firepit

We had a blast cooking with the tent’s cast iron pans on the grilling grates that swing over the fire pit. We brought a cooler of our groceries and used their handy little wagons to bring it from the parking lot to the tent. There is a grocery store right in town should you want to grab anything during your stay. We made steaks, rosemary potatoes, and asparagus right over the fire. It was also so nice that we had everything we needed to grill out on the campfire and didn’t have to bring a bunch of tongs, cooking gear, etc. For cooking, the tent had the following:

Pots and pans, hot water kettle, cutting board and knife, wine opener, oil, salt, and pepper
Cute bowls, plates, cups, mugs, silverware, environment-friendly dish soap, dish towels, wash bin.
BBQ utensils, lighter, first aid kit, fire extinguisher, a fire pit, and 4 chairs (for the larger Rabbit and Portage tents, the other three tents have 2 chairs)
Firewood is available on the property, split and stacked in bundles, for a small fee.

Cast Iron Apple Crisp Recipe

One of our FAVORITE things we made over the fire was a delicious apple crisp topped with local fresh made vanilla ice cream from Shop Victual. It was really easy to make and the measurements can be tailored to your preferences. You just need apples, butter, brown sugar, granola, and cinnamon. If you want some extra flavor add bourbon or whiskey, ground cloves, and nutmeg.

We thinly sliced about 4-5 apples and sautéed the slices in a bit of butter for about 5-6 minutes over the fire until they were soft.
After that, add a shot of whiskey or bourbon (we grabbed a cute little can of whiskey from Shop Victual, a cup and a half of brown sugar, and dashes of your spices for another 6-8 minutes, or until the sauce is thickened up.
After taking off the heat, sprinkle a cup or so of granola across the top, then serve! Highly recommend adding ice cream or whip cream on top.

Other Details & things to note

The thoughtful touches made our stay easy and enjoyable at the Cuyuna Cove glamping tents. They provided all of the amenities we needed but still felt like we were immersed in nature. Some additional details and things worth noting:

Sauna use is included in your stay!
Paddleboards are included in your stay in the warm months, and snowshoes are included during the winter!
Each tent has a soft hammock in the area outside the tent. Perfect for reading a book or taking a nap.
There is a road nearby and depending on the location of the tent there can be a bit of traffic noise. But they have you covered with white noise machines next to your beds, and several water fountains around the grounds that help provide an extra layer of white noise. They also have earplugs for you extra light sleepers. :)
We stayed in the Fall in late September, so we didn’t experience any bugs, however, they do have an electric fly swatter in the tent in case.
The Cuyuna area is famous for the 'red dirt’. There is a mat to put your shoes on so you are not trekking red dirt all over the tent. The red dirt can stain, so I recommend not wearing white tennis shoes or anything that you’d hate to get stained while in the area.
You can bring the table and chairs outside on the tent deck if you are working remotely and want to be outdoors. Your co-workers will definitely be jealous of your zoom background. They said Wi-fi works best in the cabins, but it worked great for us in the tent areas!
Quiet hours are from 10 PM-8 AM.

Fresh coffee beans and a hand grinder are in the tent.
There is also a wash station on the path to the tents so you can clean off your bikes after a fun ride.

PARKING INFO

There is one designated parking spot per cabin/ tent. I just love the cute sayings they had on each of the parking spots. There is no room for you to bring a trailer or boat FYI. The bathrooms and wagons are right by the tent parking lot, making it extra easy to load coolers, bags, etc, and wheel them on over to your tent.

The Sauna

They just built a brand new sauna on the property! It was almost finished when we were there in September, so we did not get to check out the inside yet, but can’t wait to enjoy it during a winter visit! Pack extra towels and something to wear in the sauna if you plan on partaking!

Fun map of the Cuyuna Cove property from their website!

THINGS TO DO, Restaurants, Bars, Coffee Shops

Cuyuna Cove is in a great location! You can ride right onto the trails or into town within a few minutes. It takes just a short 12-15 minutes to walk downtown. Crosby is often referred to as an “adventure town,” and I would highly recommend this area to anyone looking for outdoor biking, hiking, paddle boarding, etc. But don’t let all the mountain bikers you pass in town make you think you can’t enjoy this cute town if you don’t partake in these activities - Crosby has some cute shops and delicious restaurants as well. I have a Crosby guide coming soon, but in the meantime, here fav spots:

Red Raven -Love this spot for their coffee, breakfast burritos, brews on tap, bike shop and rentals, and more!
Shop Victual - The ice cream here is incredible, and I adore their outdoor sitting area with a fun mural. Their cheese selections are divine, so many cute things to get for gifts, especially for cooking lovers. Plus the staff is incredibly friendly and helpful.
Spalding House - Go to this fun dive bar for cheap drinks and Bingo on Sunday nights!
Hardware Lounge - Good cocktail spot! Get their smoked margarita - such a fun process and delicious drink!
Rafferty’s - Their wood-fired pizzas are delicious, and we especially love their 3 Shrooms pizza. They have a cute rooftop patio as well!
Iron Range Eatery - great lunch or dinner spot with a cute outdoor patio area
Cuyuna Brewing - cute little brewery in town that also has really good kombucha on tap

Have you been to Cuyuna Cove? If not, put this gem on your list! These tents are perfect for a solo trip, a trip with your significant other, or renting a few tents with a group of friends. They are available mid-May through the beginning of October, and they book up pretty quickly, so plan ahead.

Book your stay at Cuyuna Cove here!

Watch a Short video of our stay!

Check out our stay in the June Cabin at Cuyuna Cove below: