Wild Pines Cabin - 1970s A-Frame on the Minnesota North Shore
The Wild Pines Cabin is the kind of place that makes you feel so lucky to have called it home for a few days. I’ve been to the North Shore dozens of times, staying at various hotels, cabins, and camping grounds. With so many incredible places to explore outside on the North Shore, we are usually exploring from morning to night hiking, eating, and enjoying the outdoors. Staying at Wild Pines was one of the first times I’ve ever wanted to stay IN as much as possible!
Wild Pines is a 1,200 square foot renovated 1970s A-Frame that sits on 40 acres of land. The land is protected under a land conservation easement via the Minnesota Land Trust, which means it will remain undeveloped forever! The Property is backed up by 6,000 acres of state land as well. This makes Wild Pines Cabin feel very secluded, yet it’s in a great location for so many fabulous spots like Gooseberry Falls, Tettegouche, Palisade Head, and more.
Highlights of Wild Pines Cabin
The main floor of the cabin has windows just about everywhere, letting in the most BEAUTIFUL light, especially in the morning as the sun rises over Lake Superior. The second floor has a bedroom that faces the lake as well, and waking up to the golden light glowing over the water was one of my favorite parts of our stay.
the Living space
When you enter the cabin, there is a fabulous mudroom that connects the garage to the main house. On the main floor when you walk in, the open floor plan greets you as you walk through the kitchen into the living room, with calming views of Lake Superior. The interior is very ‘hygge’ vibes, and the brick gas fireplace only adds to the cozy feeling. There is an HDTV, but we didn’t use it during our stay. We did however use the great JBL Bluetooth speaker to play music while making dinner, playing games, and sitting by the fire. The space was very clean, and I love all the little details throughout the place.
Next to the fireplace is a gorgeous sunroom, with a comfy egg chair that was perfect for curling up and reading a book during the day, or looking at the stars at night. There are plenty of screened-in windows to let the cool breeze flow through the house.
There is a closet full of games, a beautiful chess board, and decks of cards perfect for a fun afternoon or evening in. There is even a great pair of binoculars to do some wildlife watching with.
BEDROOMS & BATHROOMS
The cabin sleeps up to six people. There are three bedrooms and two bathrooms in the cabin. The master bedroom with a queen bed is on the main floor, by the first bathroom. The bathroom has a mini heater in it which is perfect for colder weather when you are getting out of the shower. Up the stairs on the second floor, there is another queen bed that faces the lake, with a big balcony. This room is an open room without a door. There is another bathroom on this floor, as well as the third bedroom with two twin beds that overlooks the backyard. The beds are SO comfy! There is even a desk space in the second-floor bedroom should you need to work remotely. We disconnected and stayed off devices for the majority of the trip, but the wifi worked great for us when we did use our phones.
The cabin features three outdoor decks
The main floor deck wraps around two sides of the house, another deck is off the master bedroom, and the third deck is off the beautiful second-floor room. The main deck is really big, with cute lights hung that is perfect at night. There is a table on the deck that seats 6. Perfect for great conversations, drinking coffee in the mornings, playing cards, or sharing meals together. We did most of our own cooking during our stay here, but one night we ate pizza on the deck from Cove Point Crossings, which was just a short 2-3 minute drive from the cabin.
The Kitchen
The cabin has a roomy, fully equipped kitchen with modern appliances. It was fun making meals at the cabin while having such a beautiful view out the windows. The full-sized refrigerator was more than enough space to put our groceries and drinks. The electric stove and pots and pans worked well for making eggs and such for our breakfasts, and there were plenty of dishes, cups, and mugs for coffee or wine. They even had copper mugs for Moscow mules. Lots of counter space next to the sink, and the dishwasher made cleanup a breeze.
Firepit
The backyard is very spacious. The fire pit has comfy Adirondack chairs, and the shed nearby has cute lights at night. Due to the drought the area has experienced, there was a burn ban in place in the county, so we understandably didn’t get to experience the fire pit under the stars. Just another thing to look forward to on a return visit! If the ban is lifted when you visit, grab your own firewood easily from a local gas station.
The Driveway & PARKING
The driveway is quite steep in a few parts, and will definitely need a 4x4 in the winter months to get up. It’s about a third of a mile long, and the views of the house up on the hill as you come in are beautiful.
The message board when you walk in the house says “congrats you made it up the driveway” and we definitely chuckled at that.
The attached garage can fit two vehicles. It also works great for storing your bikes when you aren’t riding the trail across the road from the driveway, or other trails in the area. The detached garage by the fire pit is not accessible for guests.
The North Shore
The area has been a special place for Wild Pine’s owners, Tessa and Todd. They even got engaged at Tettegouche State Park! So when they started looking for an A-Frame cabin during spring of 2020, they were thrilled to find one on the North Shore of all places. Tessa told me they closed on it in October 2020 on her birthday, and just one month after welcoming their second daughter. They sure found a gem of a place, and it truly feels so special to be able to stay in this home!
There is so much to do in the area! If you decide to leave the coziness of the cabin. Here are just a few gems within a 15-minute drive from Wild Pines
Gooseberry Falls - a 10-minute drive. Really great hiking around the gigantic waterfalls. You can also just take a short walk from the parking lot to the main section of the falls to view them without hiking if you are short on time, or have limited mobility.
A fav spot to eat is the Rustic Inn Cafe right by Gooseberry for a delicious meal or yummy pie and chocolates. There is usually a 20-30 minute wait, but they have a large gift shop that is fun to look through, and a beautiful patio to sit on while you wait.
Tettegouche State Park - a 12-minute drive. The park has 23 miles of trails that include 12 miles of the Superior Hiking Trail. There is also a great hike along Baptism River to multiple waterfalls: Cascade Falls, Two-Step Falls, High Falls, and Illgen Falls. A daily park pass for your vehicle is $7, or you can get a yearly pass for all the Minnesota State Parks for $35 here.
Two great lookout points in the park are Palisade Head (you can drive to the top, but very limited parking) and Shovel Point for great views of the coastline and Lake Superior.
Split Rock Lighthouse - 3-minute drive. Can tour the historic lighthouse and grounds for $12 for adults, $8 for students.
If you want to see the lighthouse for free and aren’t into a tour, I love going to Pebble Beach nearby for a great view up at split rock lighthouse, and a pretty view of Ellingson Island.
Black Beach - a 10-minute drive. Beach made of little black stones. Small waves crash along this cove shoreline. There is also a beautiful ‘island’ at the end that is beautiful to see. Lots of picnic benches and fire rings along the beach should you want to bring a lunch.
Red Raven North - 2 minute drive into Beaver Bay. I adore the Red Raven in Crosby, MN, so I’m really excited that they have opened another location on the North Shore. They just opened, and bike rentals are currently by appointment only. Their fb website is here.
Big Dipper Ice Cream & Coffee Shop - 2-minute drive into Beaver Bay. They have a big selection of ice cream, sundaes, malts, and smoothies. It’s also a place you can snag a latte or some delicious candies and fudge.
Other Things to note
The staircase to the second floor is steep - just a note if bringing little ones. There is a baby gate at the top of the stairs should you need one.
There is a fan in the closet upstairs should you like a little white noise or cool breeze while you sleep. The cabin has air conditioning and heat, but I highly recommend opening the screened-in windows in the Fall for that cool crisp air.
There is a chance of seeing all sorts of wildlife during your stay, even the occasional bear :) Use the cabin’s binoculars! Also, like pretty much anywhere you stay out in nature, you will likely also encounter flies and mosquitos outdoors depending on the time of year. Pack some quality bug spray.
There is a hot & cold Culligan water dispenser for drinking water in the dining area.
The washer and dryer are available to guests staying 4+ nights.
Check-in is super easy with a custom code on the keypad. I always appreciate when an Airbnb clearly changes the entry code for each guest as I feel so much safer that way. There are also security cameras.
There are plenty of extra blankets and towels should you need them. And plenty of closet spaces.
Recommend grabbings groceries from the Super One in Two Harbors about 30 minutes before you get to the cabin. There is also a small grocery store in Silver Bay called Zup’s, but it’s more of a convenience-sized store.
The outdoor grill is charcoal - bring a bag with you if you plan to grill!
The mudroom between the garage and the house is perfect for leaving coats, shoes, boots, etc.
Depending on the time of year, and the days you are staying, some of the restaurants and stores in the area may not be open. It is quite common Sundays-Tuesdays for businesses to be closed outside of summer hours, so definitely grab groceries if you are staying over those days.
We found Wild Pines Cabin to be one of our new favorite spots on the North Shore. It is truly the perfect place to unwind and relax. It could have rained every moment that we were there and I would not have cared one bit. That would just be an easy excuse to stay in cozied up by the fire the whole time. The dates for this cabin go fast, so I recommend planning a trip out several months in advance if you want to stay here. We can’t wait to go back, and bring some friends with us next time!
Another spot I highly recommend in Wisconsin is the Off-Grid Inn, which was just named the “Most Wish-Listed in Wisconsin” by Airbnb. The giant windows and wood throughout the home was dreamy, and at night it lights up with color changed lights!
