North of North Wilderness Resort: A Place Like No Other

In partnership with North of North Resort

This October, Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters is honored to announce a partnership with North of North Wilderness Resort. Located 10 miles outside of Ely, nestled on the shores of beautiful Birch Lake, North of North is truly a resort like no other. As Sean, the co-owner of North of North, puts it, “We’re not the Marriott. We decided that we were going to build this resort with nature while also sourcing materials and labor locally.” This approach to building a resort certainly didn’t impact the quality; the three cabins at North of North are undeniably the best accommodations in the area. Sean also noted that they could have built up to 11 cabins on the property, but they “didn’t want to change the character of the lake or have a negative impact on the natural resource.” In a world where everyone seems to value quantity over quality, it is refreshing to know that Sean and Jill Leary value the character of Birch Lake as much as so many others who have visited it do. After all, the resort sits on the northeasternmost portion of Birch Lake, which, for those who haven’t been, is a paradise unto its own. Just around the corner from North of North is the mighty South Kawishiwi River, which flows directly out of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

But beyond the incredible location, serenity, and comfort of the resort, Sean and Jill have made it the first-ever resort in Northeast Minnesota built using the principles of universal design, making it accessible to people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. It’s the kind of place you can bring young kids, grandparents, and people with varied mobility needs. The centerpiece of the resort is a 425-foot-long boardwalk that allows anglers to fish two bays and the main lake while being surrounded by miles of pristine shoreline. North of North guests can experience canoeing, kayaking, fishing, hunting, cycling, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and even dog sledding right from the resort in a picturesque environment. At Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters, we’ve seen firsthand the value of getting people out in the wilderness. There is simply no substitute for experiencing the Boundary Waters and its surrounding watersheds for yourself. North of North was built for everyone, promoting inclusive wilderness experiences that bring people of all abilities together. By staying at North of North, guests support a small business that prioritizes building with nature and providing equal access over maximizing profits.

From a hunting and fishing perspective, North of North is perfectly positioned for various adventures. With Superior National Forest on all sides and access to thousands of acres of public land directly across HWY 1, grouse, deer, waterfowl, black bear, small game, and world-class fishing are just outside the comfort of your cabin. Additionally, you are never more than a short drive away from hundreds of miles of logging roads, trails, and navigable lakes and rivers to explore. If you enjoy fishing from a motorboat, you can dock your boat directly at the resort! Birch Lake hosts some of the best walleye, pike, smallmouth, and panfish populations in the state, so don’t be surprised if every rock pile, weed bed, and downed tree has a fish on it.

To try it for ourselves, we set out with Peter Konstantacos of Boundary Waters Outfitters to visit the North of North resort and enjoy a day of grouse hunting with Salmon, the trusty bird dog. We were immediately impressed with the facilities and regretted not making reservations for the weekend. In particular, the first-class saunas that come with each cabin caught our attention, as there is no better way to end a day of hunting and fishing than with a dip in the lake and a nice steam. After giving Salmon a chance to jump off the dock and swim for a while, we walked less than a quarter mile across the road from the resort and were immediately surrounded by prime grouse habitat. This particular region of Minnesota is unique because of its constantly changing landscapes. One minute you’re walking atop glacier-carved boulders, and the next, you’re slogging through peat swamps. Within a two-hour hunt, we explored dozens of different microhabitats, saw signs from just about every animal that inhabits the Northwoods, and also found several grouse, some of which came home with us to be turned into delicious meals. All that happened in two hours, which left us wondering what it would be like to spend a week hunting from the resort with a group of people.

As the seasons change and the different hunting, fishing, and paddling opportunities open up here in the Northwoods, we hope to see you at North of North Wilderness Resort among the dark skies, peaceful nights, and the bountiful woods and waters right out your back door. Not just because this is a small business that we’re proud to support or because the outdoor opportunities they facilitate are immaculate, but also because North of North sits a short boat ride away from the site of the proposed Twin Metals copper-nickel mine. You can read all the reports, blogs, posts, and articles in the world about why we at Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters feel this project is a bad idea, but nothing educates that opinion like seeing the landscape for yourself, drawing fish from its waters and game from its forests.

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Categorised in: Blog, Fishing, Hunting, News, Partnerships