Elk Viewing tour and dinner. We had no idea what to really expect, but had high hopes for a nice evening. Thunderbay Resort (TBR, for short) exceeded all expectations! We all seated in the Belgian Horse drawn carriages and took off on time for a 60 minute tour over the river and through the woods to dinner. We saw a lot of elk , too. No, these are not wild elk, but they are not domesticated, either. TBR strives to let them thrive as much as possible in a wild atmosphere, but they would never be able to bait them to be in viewing range for the guests if they weren't considered livestock. They openly explain this on the tour. This is not a zoo, folks, you are really in the forests and really viewing some majestic animals in their natural environment. TBR doesn't even intervene with medical assistance as they really let nature do it's thing. Jack (owner of TBR and dad of the chef, Spencer) was our guide. He educated us on the Elk, their history in MI, and of the resort. It was a clear afternoon in the low 30's and after dinner, we all got to experience the clear, dark, star-filled sky in the low 20's. BLANKETS PROVIDED! After dinner's ride was only 15 minutes or so back to the parking lot: A perfect way to cap off the dinner. Oh yeah.. dinner... Fantastic dinner cooked on two antique, wood-fired oven ranges in a beautiful cabin/eating hall decked out in taxidermy and country charm. This is a family run business and worked by the family. They meal is the same one they served when they started this out 30+ years ago. Nothing's changed except the date and building you eat in (it's way bigger now, and has indoor plumbing). The bathrooms are like museums, too. Not just clean, but tons of historical artifacts and knick-knacks to look at. The dinner wine choices are two reds and a white. They are OK. They serve a couple different appetizer wines with your first course and an ice wine with dessert. These were surprisingly good! If you don't want wine, there are soft drinks available and a cash bar for other drinks. This is MI wine, so if you approach it with that in mind, they are pretty good. In all, it's about a 4-4.5 hour experience. Nope, it's not cheap, but you are getting an amazing dinner and magical evening worth every penny. The only thing better would have been falling snow :-) But the stars up here in northeast MI are vivid since you are in the middle of the woods with no close cities anywhere near, so that was also part of the magic. read more

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Golf course is super professional and immaculate! But, we stayed at the chalet on the property and a motel 6 would almost be better. Barely enough pots and pans to cook breakfast, carpet wasn't clean, and it looked like no one had been here in 6 months. Well at least the hot water was scolding hot for my shower. read more

A beautiful setting with picturesque golf course and carriage ride through the elk reserve followed by a wine tasting dinner. I can't say enough good things about this facility. When I developed a medical emergency during our stay Liz and Sheila responded by assisting my wife to and from the hospital over 30 minutes one way away. Their generosity continued the following day providing emergency housing and transportation enabling us to rejoin our group. So Thunder Bay Resort is tops in our mind providing clean, spacious cabins, good food and good entertainment along with a caring staff. Keep up the good work and God bless all you do read more

Great ride viewing majestic elk. Wonderful dinner in the woods at the "cabin". Guides were knowledgeable and witty. Only downside was our room. It was large but the carpet was so stained. It was ver dated. Desperately needs upgrading. Breakfast was OK, not hot. The entire staff was very friendly. read more

Thunder Bay Resort - Resorts Near Me - Hillman, Michigan

I would not spend my money at this golf course/resort again. We were greeted by rude front desk staff. The villas were mediocre at best the house cleaning staff was terrible. The Ranger asked that we let two / twosomes play through us with no real reason? The bartender was nice the golf course was nice but not very challenging. I would highly recommend that you find somewhere else to stay & play golf. read more

Amazing, wondeful find!! My husband and I bought a Groupon for this place and we could not have been more pleased. The room is the size of a small apartment with a fireplace, full kitchen and living room. There is also a back porch to sit and look at the stars at night or watch the golfers in day. They also give you a round of golf with each night you stay and have a wonderful restaurant onsite. This was a great place to getaway from the city and recommend to all. They are also known for elk viewing ..which we havent tried yet..but if youre into elk..even more reason to come out this way!! Also- there is a lot of naturey stuff to do in the area..the biggest main city Alpena, is about 20 min away and its right on the lake. There are a lot of trails nearby, biking, swimming and kayaking. read more

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Loved the incredibly festive, family run experience of visiting Thunder Bay Resort! We arrived the day after Christmas for an overnight stay in a large, clean, two bedroom villa that included the elk spotting sleigh ride, 5 course dinner with wine and wine tasting, as well as breakfast. An incredible value for the money, and meeting Jack and Spencer, the father and son team behind the property, along with our guide Stu and sleigh driver Albert made the whole night even more special. Thunder Bay accommodated special meal requests (pescetarian) with pleasure and the wine flowed freely throughout the entire dinner. We were even able to purchase amazing variations on hot chocolate and cider for our sleigh ride into the woods. Seeing Elk bulls and calves up close was the most magical part of the whole trip- these animals are magnificent and obviously well cared for. Can't wait to come back here for a murder mystery weekend! read more

Thunder Bay Resort - Elk bull at Thunder Bay Resort. - Resorts Near Me - Hillman, Michigan

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December 30, 2023, Bed bugs unit 225! Management and staff tried to say never recieved a bed bugs complaint prior to ours. Yet, found online reviews indicating otherwise. Also appears bed bug reviews being scrubbed and removed. I tried to post review to inform people on ThunderBay Resort review but does not appear that u can see? Managers and a staff member unable to deny when seeing for themselves in front of us all the bed bugs scurrying around. The staff member suggested it was the last guest who must have brought the bed bugs. I felt highly unlikely. Upon doing research became apparent from articles the bed bugs had been signifigant in numbers and appeared more as an infestation. Although my first and hopefully only experience with bedbugs. ThunderBay, Villa unit 225, we turned on the light, bedbugs scurried all over on and in the bed linen, headboard, mattress ... Unit also had very soiled and stained carpet, dated, musty oder, TV did not work in one of two bedrooms. Received full money refund. The State of Michigan requires hotels provide lodging free if bed bugs otherwise required to refund. Also a hotel is obligated to reimburse a guest exposed to bed bugs that caused a home invasion with the clean up and damage from 10k-80 k maybe more ... Elk tour was great fun with horse drawn ride with other fun guests. Tour guide was great and very funny. Dinner was good. Wine tasting, samples very vinegary and unpleasant. Found semi red was a nice floral wine. Others at table said the dry red was nice as well. Very odd, after dinner, we had to endure a lengthy snake oil sales pitch pushing elk horn powder supplement. Disruptive of what is suppose to be a good time for paying guests. Felt awkward. It was apparent we all felt compassion for the person and story, yer not place or time nor appropriate to push such a matter and product during people paid down time. Also, how is this impacting the elk that are placed in ThunderBay care? Are the elk being hurt and stressed with these people cutting into and collecting the young tissue while mining for the growth hormone in their antlers? Yikes! So the experience, with some good, while some compromised and creeped out bed bug invasion and hopefully the only and last Experience. Hope this helps read more

Took a road trip to the great North. Hoping to take in the beautiful fall colors and a little R&R. Minus the fall colors(we were a little too soon) we had a very enjoyable weekend. Our chalet overlooked the golf course and was comfortable for our group. We added the elk viewing dinner to our weekend and it was a fun outing. We traveled over the river and thru the woods to a log cabin nestled in the woods. It was a better than I thought meal with friendly staff. The only issue I had was the small infomercial for pills made from elk antlers that would improve your health. For me, this was not the place for that. A brochure passed out when we got off the carriage ride was more appropriate. The staff from the moment we arrived was beyond helpful and friendly. They get 5 stars!!! All in all it was a great get away! read more

I was afforded an opportunity to see this great place all thanks to my daughter! I had no idea what I was in for. It turned out to be a fantastic experience. It all started with a ride through the woods on a horse drawn carriage with a wonderful guide, Soocia! (sorry for the the spelling). She was very knowledgeable and entertaining. She kept the information coming and was always pleasant. We pulled up to the Elk village and saw several of them. They are a huge animal and beautiful too! We saw a few different groups of them and the largest of them all was "Thunder Jack". He was a big guy with an entanglement of moss and limbs on his one antler. If it bothered him you would never know! At one point we were lucky enough to hear the Elk call to one another. For such a big animal they have a very light whistle call about them! Very cool stuff! Following our Elk viewing we road the carriage back to the lodge where we were feasted to a five course, gourmet dinner. It was all cooked on two very large wood stoves inside the lodge. What great food!! They served plenty of wine and beverages including Cherry Coffee. It was superb! After a few hours of eating and talking, it was back to our accommodations. The rooms were very spacious and included everything you could possibly need. They were very clean and the beds were very comfortable. Only negative comment is they could use new carpet and an updating. Nothing that kept us from being comfortable. My daughter and I made many new memories to last a lifetime. Thanks to this wonderful place and the lovely people who manage it!! read more

Some very big positives and very big negatives. The resort rooms are huge but very outdated and smell very musty or moldy. All of the staff everywhere was fantastic. The elk ride was great. The dinner was pretty good. Tons of wine at dinner. One of the workers body odor was so bad, our table had to cover our noses when he came making the dinner unappetizing. The breakfast was ice cold. But, the staff were top notch. read more

Elk viewing and dinner...splendiferous!! When someone has a passion/enjoys what they're doing, it shows; Jack, the owner is wonderful! The dinner was delightful and my family truly enjoyed the experience. Friendly, accommodating, peaceful with clean, nice rooms...what more could one ask for? read more

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Excellent family ran business that is more than happy to meet your needs. I am a vegetarian and they were not only happy to personalize my dinner, they went all out with a delicious 5 course meal all verified! and meat free!! The elk tour provided nice photo ops although not all we seen were in big un fenced areas. The rooms are a bit outdated, however, they are clean and comfortably unkept. Overall I would recommend this if you want casual meets fancy. read more

Thunder Bay Resort - Resorts Near Me - Hillman, Michigan

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Great staff and food. We're vacationing from Texas, staying here at the RV park. It's scenic, quiet, and peaceful.

This is a best kept secret. Condos are nice, great golf deals, friendly staff. My back went out and they were nice enough to credit my golf. We had a good breakfast every day. The course is beautiful and everything is very affordable here. read more

Thunder Bay Resort - Golf course - Resorts Near Me - Hillman, Michigan

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Took the elk viewing tour with my family the week of Christmas. We were five a hot beverage and lap blankets to stay cozy on the ride.Loved the horse drawn ride and saw many elk. Dinner at the cabin was delicious and we took many photos. We had wine pairings from a local winery and a five course dinner. They even accommodated our gluten free diner. I give it 4 stars as I was annoyed with the elk antler supplement infomercial we were held captive for. Unnecessary and really took away from the whole experience. read more

Overall a very pleasant experience with the fam. We did the sleigh ride and elk viewing with 5-course meal and wine tasting. The people taking the money overcharged us (we had put down a deposit, and were only supposed to be charged the remainder - they charged us the full ticket price) and it was quite an ordeal to get that sorted out. One of the ladies at the front desk was very helpful and sympathetic and the other was very rude... We eventually got it straightened out. The sleigh ride itself was a ton of fun - beautiful day, beautiful sights, and our guides were both informative and fun - we were on the sleigh with the black horses. The lodge was gorgeous, the fireplace and picture ops were amazing, and the meal was delish. The only course we felt was a bit lacking was the salad... The wine tasting was nice, as was the story telling. The only thing we would have liked toned down a bit was their infomercial-like promoting of the Elk Antler Powder that they sell. I didn't mind being informed about the product, but two "pitches" for the product during my meal was a bit much. The elk viewing was very nice - and the weather cooperated and the guides were very informative and answered our questions about them with ease. However, the elk were quite far from the fence, and we didn't have a lot of time to walk around, so we felt like we didn't get enough time to SEE them. All in all we had a great time, and I would do it again. The only cons are listed above, but as long as you watch your receipts closely, this is sure to be an enjoyable outing for an entire family, or even just a couple's trip. read more

We've camped at Thunder Bay Resort in the past and something has gone seriously downhill. We were overcharged for our visit, our dinner meals were wrong and to top it off, the WiFi is down (and had been down for several days). We made our reservation the day before we arrived and nothing was mentioned about the WiFi. Had they stated the issue, we wouldn't have made reservations. The campground itself is wonderful for adults. I don't know if kids would find much to do because there's no pool, etc. We love the concrete pads so leveling is easy. If we hadn't experienced the problems noted above, this would have been a 5* rating. read more

Top notch! My husband and I enjoyed the elk viewing sleigh ride and expertly prepared 5 corse meal in celebration of our anniversary! On the most perfect of northern michigan winter's day's sledding along pulled by a pair of draft horses into the woods, Jack (one of the owners) was our guide and host throughout. He was knowledgeable and genuine while he shared stories of the lodge, the elk and his lovely family! :-) the 4 hour excursion was smooth and executed with the ease of this professional veteran family run business. I expecially loved the personal touch that chef Spenser added when preparing our meal with stories of how it all came to be. Class act for sure!!! We will be back with friends! read more

Thunder Bay Resort - Beautiful winter day at Thunder Bay Resort in Hillman Michigan - Resorts Near Me - Hillman, Michigan

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I was at Thunder Bay Sept 28 for 1 night, room 225 and I was very disappointed!. When I walked into the room there were "meters" on the wall covered in cob-webs! There was a black ashtray sitting on the steps like someone was sitting and smoking outside the room. The carpet was stained through out the entire room and it looked terrible, not sure how they can book a room like this? Thunder Bay was highly recommend by a coworker and from my experience, I just don't see why!!! The girl at the front desk was very kind and helpful. Very disappointed and if could get my money back I would be very happy. Will NOT recommend or go back. Robin Allen read more

We have done the elk viewing dinner several times. Its very well done. The winter horse drawn sleigh ride is very enjoyable. Dinner in the big cabin is always fun. read more

We spent a winter weekend at the resort celebrating my brother in law's 60th birthday. He had visited more than 25 years but it was the first time for the rest of us. They easily accommodated the needs of a group of eleven. The highlight of the event was the sleigh ride to view the elk and dinner thereafter. Jack, the owner, was a marvelous guide to the life and management of elk. The dinner was especially enjoyed in the destination log cabin with much appreciated warm fireplace and welcoming staff. Highly recommended, even on a very cold winter weekend when the snow squeaks louder than you own voice. read more

Fun weekend, Awesome Sleigh Ride, just dont sit in the seat directly behind the horses if you get me drift. The owners are very interactive with the guest and food is wonderful. Will be back again. read more

The RV park is first class. Our big rig was easy to park on a level paved site. Nice landscaping and we even had wrought iron furniture at the site. We played golf - course was in great shape and very reasonably priced. A hokey hole or two but no real complaints. The elk view carriage ride with dinner and wine tasting was amazing. I loved the draft horses that pulled the carriage. The food was to die for and I felt like I was part of the family. Food and service in the Grill was average except for the pizza...excellent. read more

i would highly recommend the elk viewing and dinner package. The event and dinner were excellent. We were with a large group (60) and had a blast. We met many interesting people on the 1 hour ride through the woods and again at dinner. The management team makes every effort to make sure everyone enjoys the event and learn about the elk herd in the area. The food was plentiful, very delicious, and the wine was flowing. They also had an open bar for other drinks that was very reasonably priced. It was cold the weekend we selected, but I managed to get in 2 rounds of golf on the beautiful course that surrounds the resort. Relax and enjoy the hospitality. Please don't review this business if you received a freebie for writing this review, or if you're connected in any way to the owner or employees. read more

Spent a beautiful fall weekend up at the thunder bay resort scrapbooking with my girlfriends. Everything about this trip exceeded our expectations. All the food was great and they serve great local wines. The high point of the weekend was the wagon ride through the woods to a beautiful log cabin. Along the way we saw deer, elk, and bald eagles. we were served a delicious 5 course gourmet dinner. everyone was in awe of the cabin's charming decor and the food. But I was most impressed by the service and friendliness of the owner and all the staff. Can't say enough good things about this resort. read more

We did the horse drawn elk viewing day trip. Staff was caring and attentive and the food was excellent.

Highly recommend the elk ride. The evening was like stepping back in time. The companionship at our table was delightful. The resort went out of their way to make it a great experience that we will be eager to share again with friends. The food at the dinner was delectable. We stayed in the lodge and it was extremely comfy. Staff at all interactions were awesome. Can't wait to visit again. read more

Our trip here was one of the best weekends I've ever had. I totally disagree w/ the other guy, other than the rooms were kinda outdated, but in a funny way. They were clean and the view was outstanding! It was fun to ride through the elk enclosure and learn about them from the guide. I thought the food was amazing! The staff was friendly and helpful and courteous! I love Thunder Bay and hope they can keep it going! read more

My husband and I had booked the elk carriage ride for our wedding anniversary. They called a few days before and cancelled and told us it would be a week before we would see a refund. read more

What a great place to spend the weekend, great food, lodging and hosts, didn't hurt the weather was perfect for late Oct. The Elk viewing ride was awesome and the guides and wagon drivers made the trip through the woods a real treat. Dinner at the lodge was just the best. We are already making plans for a return trip this winter. If you like being treated well for the dollars you spend, give this place a try.. read more