My husband and I did a tour with Captain Tim yesterday on the six hour Kettle Falls tour. Tim was…read morevery knowledgeable about the park and the area. He had a wonderful personality and as other people have said became our friend right away. I loved his sense of humor. It was a very nice boat and a top-notch operation. We would highly recommend this.

This was my first visit to International Falls, and I knew I had to get on the water to really see…read moreVoyageurs National Park. I was leery of paying $120 for a 2 hr boat tour, but it turned out to be well worth it. First week of October is already past the busy season and there wasn't much in the way of fall colors on the lake yet, but it was a truly beautiful ride nonetheless. Our guide Tim grew up on the lake and was not only full of information about the incredible history (and prehistory) of the region, but had his own stories to share that added such a depth and personal touch to the experience. I could have happily listened to him all day. If I can make it back someday for the 6 hour, I hope Tim is my guide once again.

Outstanding Ice fishing trip. Snow machine ride to Hyppa's hot fishing hole. Warming tent set up…read moreand warm upon arrival, then we just got to it. Hyppa's also set up 3 tip up rigs outside our tents. Caught a 23" Walleye, many perch, etc. was a fun and active fishing day even thought about -15 outside. Tents were warm & relaxing. I'd recommend this service to anyone! "Jake can Rake in the fish".

Jake was the only guide in the Cook area of Lake Vermilion that was willing to take me out on a…read moreguided ice fishing trip. He told me he does enjoy ice fishing himself and had all the gear, but had never had anyone ask for a guided ice fishing trip before. Jake told me where to park and met me at the appointed time for a snowmobile ride out to his ice house which was heated and ready to start fishing when we got there. Sonar flashers enabled us to watch as fish swam up to meet our jigs. I had a great time! Jake turned out to be an exceptionally pleasant and very knowledgeable guide. We caught two nice northern pike, a pair of walleyes and had non-stop action with perch. The experience was everything I had imagined and more than I'd hoped for! Jake guides exclusively on Lake Vermilion and specializes in walleyes. He also enjoys fishing other species such as smallmouth bass, crappie, and northern pike.

Pehrson's has been around for over a century and is now owned and operated by the Hanson family,…read moreaugmented by their super-friendly and beautiful springer spaniels who always seem to be in the vicinity of the front desk looking for tummy rubs. The resort consists of almost 30 cabins of various sizes, plus a large "retreat home" down the shore that we haven't seen yet. The "log" cabins range from fairly cramped and rustic to much more modern and spacious. We've rented one of the larger cabins for two older couples set back from the lake the past few years and really enjoy it. Pehrson caters to family vacations and reunions, and a lot of the patrons we met have been coming there for decades. It is truly a fine lake summer experience, located in the southwest corner of sprawling Lake Vermilion. We've taken advantage of pontoon rentals; the pickleball court; 2+ mile hiking trail; the beach and swimming area with large floats the kids love to climb all over; a small but surprisingly well-equipped fitness room with a few cardio machines plus dumbbells, Swiss balls, bands, etc.; foosball, a pool table and ping pong tables at the Main Lodge; a great lakeside seating area to view spectacular sunsets; and charcoal barbeque grills (some of which are deteriorating). Yes, it is expensive -- especially compared to what you might pay at a nice Caribbean resort -- but the pricing looks competitive against other Northern resorts.

Top shelf staff, from the owners, Eric and Mary Hanson with Cayla Anderson, to the ever-helpful…read moreguides, dock workers and grounds crew. We must mention Walter, the Springer who greets the arriving guests with a total wag. This is a family-oriented resort with many activities for the kids, even including dock fishing that is all catch and release-a great ethic to teach. Watercraft of every sort is available and there is a nice sandy beach as well. And the fishing was terrific despite the 6" rainstorm that came in and flooded Cook. We will return.

Twenty six family members descended on VDL on an August Saturday for a week stay. We had several…read morecabins of various sizes to meet the needs of grandparents and young cousins from 5 years on up. We had decided to have the resort provide dinner on our arrival after a long drive. It was delicious. The rest of the time we shared cooking details at one of the larger houses. Kitchens are pretty complete for most fare and the Lodge provides some special needs like large serving platters for big meals. We were blessed with mostly nice summer weather. We hired a variety of boats which got most of us out on the water several days. Boats were clean and well maintained. Climax day was two pontoon boats and a speedboat to pull tube rides. We didn't have many experienced fishermen or women. One couple hired a guide one morning which scored a bunch of delicious small walleye. But more important, our guide tried several spots in different parts of the lake and gave us a rewarding tour and understanding of the entire lakes system. For others there were two golf outings at different courses. A rainy day sent some to International Falls and a boat tour of Rainy lake. Others went the other direction to Ely and wildlife. So a modest drive provides some alternatives. But for the most part the resort provides a wide range of activities right on the lake and the property. A real bonus is the resort staff who were always friendly and helpful, a real reason to come back another time.

YEAR AFTER YEAR...it keeps getting better!!!…read more I discovered the Vermillion Dam Lodge though a fishing guide and absolutely love it! Owner Ed and his right hand man Marty run an incredible operation accommodating hard core fishermen as myself, families and visitors from all over the world. They host fishing seminars and group events as well. The lake is one of the best small mouth bass, walleye and MUSKY fisheries on the planet. The rooms are very comfortable; everything on the property is tidy and well maintained. VDL is mobility challenged and dog friendly to top it off. World class fishing, friendly staff, gorgeous scenery with eagles literally flying overhead - WHAT'S NOT TO LOVE???

We had an absolutely awesome experience tonight…read more We started at the Duluth Huskies stadium (Wade Stadium) and enjoyed a behind the scenes tour of the field, locker room, and grounds, we were also treated to stories about the history of the team. The general manager was our tour guide... he was one of the friendliest and knowledgeable people I've ever met! The stadium and team are rich with history, even down to the bricks they used to erect the entrance to the field. Dave was our bus driver and tour guide for the night. After the stadium tour he took us to Bent Paddle where we were able to samples some brews and enjoy the atmosphere, what a cool place! Their beers are outstanding! The 14 degrees ESB is a GABF (Great American Beer Festival) winner! I would highly recommend trying it. There's an awesome BBQ joint that will deliver to the tasting room too! We ended the night back at the stadium with a Huskies' baseball game. The won in walkoff fashion! It was a great game! We are looking foreword to another tour. I would highly recommend a tour with Duluth Experience.

Hi - This review is…read morea little late, but I am still thinking about the amazing tour I went on last summer, so I knew I had to sit down and write a review. I was in Duluth for my brother's wedding and didn't know anything about the city or the area. I was with my then-boyfriend and we knew it was a beautiful area, but wasn't sure the best way to experience it all. That is when I booked us on the Scenic North Shore Bicycle Tour. It was by far the best thing we did in Duluth (minus watching my brother get married,ha) and we were raving about it to all the weddings guests all weekend. The guys running the show were great to talk to and they clearly thought of everything. If you are traveling to Duluth and want to really have the best tour guides, book with them.

Doesn't get any better then, local and family owned…read more My cousin from Ely had previously bought a outfit for her grand baby and realized it was too small. We went in to exchange it and they could have not been more accommodating. She did not have the receipt and had removed the tags. They knew it was their product and were happy to make the swap for a larger size. As she made the swap, I browsed through the store with my other cousin. Oh my, the variety of merchandise was mind blowing. They had everything you'd need for a camping trip. They even sell camping packages for the boundary waters and when you check-in on Yelp they offer a 15% off coupon. If you're a fisher, they also offer live bait to help you catch that big fish. That way your "big fish" story will be truth instead of a made up one. My other cousin who was traveling with us, caught so much fish during our trip, that when we left Ely, we had to stop at Spirit to buy dry ice. When in Ely, I highly recommend that you shop, Spirit.

Best outfitter in Ely. Knowledgeable friendly staff. Would recommend them especially for people…read morenew to the BWCA.

I love visiting Voyageurs National Park, but I usually found it difficult working with the local…read morebusinesses to rent boats/pontoons. But not this time! Michael and Emily were super responsive to my many questions and I felt their pontoon rental and gas prices were fair for the area. They even accommodated us when we wanted to return the pontoon earlier than planned. We just had such a great time and got too tired to spend another day on the lake. The pontoon we rented was perfect for our large group. It was a 2008, so it didn't have Bluetooth speakers (we just brought our own portable speakers. It was equipped with a live well and a GPS fish finder system for our fishermen. Canopy withstood the strong winds during a storm. Comfortable seating too. They even let us park 2 of our vehicles at their lot during our rental, which made loading and unloading so much easier. Great service, great pontoon rental, A+!

Voyageurs Adventures has been my "go to" place for questions about fishing, the services near the…read morePark and about the Park itself. Wade has been helpful with ideas and information. He's been a guide for a long time and knows in-depth information and is very easy to talk to with questions and for information.

From the owner: We are your guide to fishing, kayaking, camping, or boat tours on Lake Kabetogama or Voyageurs…read moreNational Park. Northern Minnesota's water-based National Park we can help you explore this beautiful area with over 400 islands and 100,000 acres of water!

Was in town, shopping for souvenirs. I probably should have purchased the hot sauce they were…read moreselling, but at $6 a bottle, I thought it was overpriced. I would have been thrilled if you could get all 3 bottles for a discount, but that wasn't happening. They have a ton of t shirts for sale here. We picked up one for Ely, MN for about $25. They have a men's side and a women's side. The women's side had a ton of apparel. I found a cute shirt and shorts on sale. The fitting room is right there by the stairwell. I love a good sale. These times were not for Ely, they were just hiking/camping brands of clothing, but that's ok. A lot of the women's stuff was fairly plain. The back of the store has restrooms, art, and camping/fishing supplies. The front of the store has weapons and shoes. In fact, the gal who makes the moccasins was right there in the store, putting them together in real time! It was so cool to see how she was manipulating the leather. We did not take the stairs up to the second level; it appeared to be more of a bookstore up there. Parking is on the street.

A have to stop at shop while in Ely, wonderful quality items, candles, clothing, gifts, outdoor…read moregear, books and SO much more! Today I bought a new life jacket, very nicely made , happy with my purchase!

My 2 previous to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (in NE Minnesota along the Ontario border) were…read moreback in High School (early 1970s) as part of a church group (Cristo Canoe) and then a repeat adventure the next year with just a few friends. Some "fond" memories stick, like being flooded out the first night after a portage from hell on the first day. Since then over all these years, I've had a hankering to hit the water again and revisit nearby Ely. My friends Jeff, Bird, and Gator have been back since, and over the last couple years, we've been talking about returning as a group to the BWCA. We were scheduled for September 2021, but area fires and a few personal situations necessitated a delay. But this September was time for me and 3 great high school classmates to get together and paddle. Gayle thought it was a great idea, but with some humor: Four 66-year old men canoeing out into the wilderness - What could go wrong? Actually, everything went well, and despite 1st day anxiety all around on whether we were cut out for a trip like this at our age. We were out in the BWCA for 5 nights and 6 days, with great fall weather except for one windy morning and a light rainy day. We all got along very well, except for some snoring situations in our shared (2 per) tents, and making the mistake of talking politics one evening. After almost 50 years out of High School and irregularly staying in touch, it was easy to pick up where we left off and have a great meaningful time together. We also wisely decided to hire a professional outfitter (and guide) for our adventure. This way we didn't get lost, equipment (Kevlar canoes, tents, sleeping bags, etc.) were provided, we ate well, we snagged great camp sites, great stories were told, portages were relatively short, and fishing went well. And the scenery! Wow! For all that (and more), we had Moose Track Adventures to thank, particularly the owners (Jim and Joan) and Dan, our intrepid guide. What a great guy! Bird had used Moose Track before and I can understand why folks that have used them come back. Their reasonably priced professional expertise, facilities, and equipment are worth every safety-infused cent. Our field package (see above) also included cabin lodging the night before we hit the water, prior menu selection, transponder tracking (including an emergency button) during our journey, and a sandwich and beer waiting for us when we got out of the water at the end. Dan also provided information from an App showing where we'd been within the BWCA. I was also able to purchase a paper map at Moose Track HQ. At the end, Gator headed off to the Airport, while Jeff, Bird, and I travelled down to Duluth for a hot shower, a celebratory dinner together, and a good night's sleep. It was a stellar trip to remember, that I'd be open to repeating. And if and when we do, we'll be working with Moose Track Adventures.

Jim and Joan did a great job setting us up for our mid-June camping and fishing trip into the BWCA…read more They arranged everything from canoeing and camping gear, our camping and fishing guide, our motor boat shuttle, lodging for the first night, and required permits. we had a lot of pre-trip questions and they were responsive and informative with their answers. We caught a lot of fish and had a great time!