Gunflint Lodge celebrates 100th anniversary with new Northern Lights Lodge

The northern Minnesota resort’s newest building rises on the site of a 1936 log cabin lost to fire.

The Minnesota Star Tribune
January 23, 2025 at 7:39PM
A king bedroom with a north-facing view in Gunflint Lodge's new Northern Lights Lodge. (Provided/Gunflint Lodge and Outfitters)

Northern Minnesota’s classic Gunflint Lodge is celebrating its 100th anniversary — and a new lodge.

The Grand Marais resort’s all-new Northern Lights Lodge is now open to guests, built on the site of the 1936 log cabin that was destroyed by fire in 2022. The lodge features seven king and queen guestrooms with panoramic northern views over Gunflint Lake — perfect for viewing the auroral phenomenon that gives the new lodge its name.

Downstairs, there’s a rustic-modern wedding/event venue with a bar. Stone from the fireplace of longtime resort owners Justine and Bill Kerfoot’s log cabin is present in the new fireplace, and a quote from Justine’s 1986 book, “Woman of the Boundary Waters,” is engraved on the mantel.

Gunflint Lodge will celebrate the grand opening and anniversary with a public event at 4 p.m. on Jan. 31, with appetizers and a cash bar.

about the writer

about the writer

Simon Peter Groebner

Travel Editor

Simon Peter Groebner is Travel editor for the Minnesota Star Tribune.

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