The Historic Cascade Lodge - a Charming Stay on the North Shore of Lake Superior
About the Resort
The Cascade Lodge is a classic Minnesota North Shore resort, with almost a hundred years of history. It sits right on Lake Superior, in the middle of Cascade State Park, with beautiful wooden bridges that bring you over the creek. The property setup is ideal and in my opinion, the perfect size, as it is easy to walk everywhere you want to go among all the spruce and pine trees. The variety of accommodations from small cabins to large, as well as rooms in the lodge, make it a great place to stay whether you’re going for a romantic getaway or a larger family group vacation. Beautiful hikes and magnificent waterfalls are a short walk away, and you can jump right on the snowmobile trail in the winter. The restaurant on site has great food and a cozy Irish pub atmosphere with a giant fireplace. The main floor of the lodge is incredibly charming, and one of my favorite spots to enjoy on a cozy winter morning as the sunrise comes pouring in over the lake.
The Main Floor of the Lodge
The main lodge has two large living rooms for all guests to enjoy. The original lodge is no more, but this one was built in the 1930s and is incredibly charming. Beautiful wood beams on the ceilings, creaky wood floors, and a large stone fireplace greet you when you walk in.
There are beautiful paintings of the North Shore area and tapestries created by local artists hung throughout. An old baby grand piano that I can only imagine has been a part of many fun memories, especially during the holidays with people gathering around singing festive songs. The rooms get plenty of sunlight, especially in the mornings, and the beautiful plants just soak up the light that pours in over the lake. There are hundreds of books on the shelves to borrow, including one on the history of Cascade Lodge, and you can’t beat curling up on one of the comfy couches or chairs to read or chat by the fire. The game shelf is well stocked, and we enjoyed working on a puzzle by the fire one afternoon with coffee and hot apple cider from the lobby.
The Cabins, Chalets, Basecamp, and Lodge Rooms
There is something at Cascade Lodge for just about every budget, style preference, and party size. The Cabins and Chalets are pet friendly, so you can bring your four-legged friend for an additional fee. All of the rooms have high-quality Faribault Wool Blankets, which were made custom right in Minnesota. There are coffee makers and fridges in every room and cabin, and kitchens in some.
CABINS
The cabins are all different from one another as the oldest cabin on the property was built in 1924, and the newest in 2000. Whether you prefer a rustic feel or more modern you’ll be able to find one that suits you. Prices range from $129-299 a night depending on the season. Several of the cabins have wood-burning fireplaces, or private outdoor firepits (you can purchase stacks of wood from the office). Some cabins sit close to the lodge and the playground, others have magnificent views of Lake Superior, and several sit right among the trees along Cascade Creek. I hope to snag a spot at Cabin 11 soon, as it is one of the original cabins, and has the cutest little bridge over the creek. I can only imagine how relaxing it would be falling asleep to the sound of the water here. It’s also one of the cabins with a wood-burning fireplace.
CHALETS
We have family that wants to do a snowmobile trip up here next winter, so we’ll likely book one of their large chalets, as they both sleep twelve. The luxurious Lakeview Chalet is the more modern of the two and sits up on the hill with stellar views of the lake. We saw deer grazing outside this cabin several mornings. It also features an indoor sauna. The Creekside Chalet sits as I’m sure you can guess, right on the creek, and has more of an old-school cabin feel. The Chalets run from $329-$420 a night, and both have fireplaces, outdoor decks, private campfire areas, kitchens, and laundry rooms.
BASECAMP
There are four ‘basecamp’ options, which are connected units built in the 1960s. These run $119-$179 a night. 5A, 5B, and 5C all face the lakeside and are one-bedrooms with a bathroom, table, desk, fridge, microwave, and deck. We made a last-minute trip earlier this month up to the North Shore and stayed in 5A. It was a quaint little cabin room with beautiful lake views and a really comfortable queen bed. I loved the antique decor, especially the framed cross-stitch of the purple Lupine flowers that are everywhere on the North Shore in the Spring. It was really clean, and that’s something I’ve noticed every time we’ve stayed at Cascade Lodge - you can always count on the rooms to be very clean! Parking spots for these three cabins were a little tricky to fit with the snow piles, but I’m sure it’s easier to park when there has not been several feet of snowfall over the winter making the parking spaces smaller. Unit 5D sits on the north side of the units and is a 2-bedroom with a kitchen and living room.
LODGE ROOMS
There are twelve units in the lodge, and they were recently remodeled in 2020 with new floors, bathroom fixtures, and furniture. They also created beautiful wood ring prints for the rooms from felled pine and birch trees on the property. A charming touch! Nightly rates range from $129-$179 a night. There are nine rooms on the second floor, six lakeview rooms that have single queen beds (which the exception of 202 which is a King), and three forestview rooms that have two queen beds.
On the main floor are the three suites. Queen bed Suites 101 and 103 are right off the piano room, and are the two rooms that have a kitchen. King bed Suite 104 has lakefront views right off the front deck, it’s own parking space, air conditioning, and a private living space with fireplace. We stayed in 103 and I absolutely loved it. It was nice having a kitchen and a little private dining area. The bed was comfy and it was nice to be able to just walk out into the living room of the lodge.
I will note that as with any older lodge, there will naturally be sounds of creaky floors, and murmurs of voices with thinner walls. The lake view rooms get the awesome sound of the water, but can also get the sounds of cars passing by on the road. One of our nights here there was a family with little ones running around above us early in the morning, but I travel with a little white noise machine so noises like these can be drowned out. If you are a lighter sleeper, the cabins might be a better option for you.
The Lobby & Provisions Room
The lobby is staffed from 8AM - 8PM, and you can grab tea, hot chocolate, apple cider, and local Fika coffee for free. The staff here are very warm and welcoming, and upon check-in will give you actual keys with vintage style keychains that have your room or cabin number. The staff is also extremely helpful with suggestions and helpful tips for the area, and you can tell they all have a strong love for the North Shore.
You can grab firewood here, and they also have a little section of cute mugs, hats, and apparel. I loved the historic photos of the lodge through the years in the lobby. If you want to rent cross country skis, snowshoes, fishing poles, canoes, life jackets, etc, they have a room down the stairs you can rent from. They can also arrange a shuttle for you!
The Basement Game Room
I absolutely love the retro vibe of the game room and enjoyed playing cards and games in the lodge basement. There is a pool table with air hockey or ping pong table tops you can place on top, arcade games, foosball, and plenty of seating for all guests to enjoy. There is a microwave and pizza oven as well. The basement is also where you can do laundry if needed.
The Cascade Restaurant & Pub
It’s so nice to have a restaurant and bar on-site, as the closest town is about 15 minutes away. The food here is great and it’s a quick walk over a cute little footbridge to get to the restaurant. Every staff member we encountered was so friendly and made great recommendations from the menu.
Its open daily from 8AM-8PM, and has an Irish Pub vibe with a big cozy fireplace.
Guests of the lodge can show their room key for 10% off
We really enjoyed breakfast here each morning. Their chicken fried steak was awesome and we especially enjoyed their crispy breakfast potatoes.
In the evenings we would end a day of snowmobiling with their hot toddies - get the lingonberry hot toddy with honey whiskey, it’s divine!
For lunch and dinner, they have salads, burgers, flatbreads, steak, fish n chips, walleye, tons of appetizers, and desserts. The Irish beef stew is one of the most popular dishes. It’s full of beef, potatoes, and carrots and a flavorful stew sauce made from Guinness and Jameson Irish Whiskey.
Things to Do within 20 Minutes of the Lodge
Cascade Lodge is in a great area, just 15 minutes away from Lutsen, and 15 minutes in the other direction from Grand Marais. It sits right in Cascade State Park, and there is a beautiful series of waterfalls a short walk from the lodge.
Ski or Snowboard at Lutsen Mountain during the winter, or take the gondola to the top of the mountain for drinks and appetizers with a great view.
Go to North Shore Winery in Lutsen for great wine, cheese boards, and live music on certain dates.
Hike the Oberg Mountain Trail - a moderate almost 3-mile loop trail that has spectacular views, especially during the Fall.
Grab a coffee from Fika Coffee in Lutsen or Java Moose in Grand Marais.
Sit on the rooftop of Voyager Brewing Company, and order some of their great food! They have wings, tacos, flatbreads, and great appetizers - I love their cheese curds with their house raspberry chipotle BBQ sauce.
Grab some delicious fish from Angry Trout or the Fisherman’s Daughter.
Take a short hike to Cascade Falls, one of my favorite waterfalls to see in the North Shore
Drive to the Grand Marais Overlook, and keep driving along the Gunflint Trail, especially during the Fall - an absolutely stunning drive!
Grab tacos from Hungry Hippie Tacos, or pizza from Sven and Ole’s or Sydney’s
Head to Artist’s Point and walk out to the lighthouse.
Walk around the charming Grand Marais shops: grab truffles from Gunflint Mercantile, fudge from Beth’s Fudge, and just about any outdoor gear and North Shore apparel you could need from Lake Superior Trading Post.
Grab a delicious cake donut at World’s Best Donuts.
Hike up the Superior Hiking Trail to Lookout Mountain, not far from the Lodge.
For my favorite things to do, places to eat, hikes, waterfalls, and everything in between along the North Shore, check out my custom google map of favorite North Shore spots of things to do.
Things to Note:
There are direct snowmobile, nordic ski, and hiking trails from the property. We loved having this spot as our home base for a snowmobile trip. The trails up here are GREAT.
If you are able to work remotely during the weekdays, check for mid-week specials during the winter that range from 20-30% off!
They have several fire pits, including one right off the water that I can’t wait to come back and enjoy in the warmer months.
Free parking on the premises, and an area for parking snowmobile trailers in the winter. Parking can be a little tricky when there is lots of snow.
Service can be spotty up on the North Shore, but there is free Wi-Fi on the premises, including the restaurant.
You can take a game or puzzle to your cabin during your stay, you just need to return it before you leave.
Cabins are dog-friendly, the Lodge does not allow dogs.
Cascade Lodge has quickly become one of our favorite spots on the North Shore, and I can’t wait to experience staying here in the summer or fall. It’s an incredibly peaceful spot on Lake Superior, and the perfect place to get away from the city and connect with nature any time of year.
