Enjoy cozy lakeside cabins with full kitchens at Tamarack Resort in Ely, MN. Kid-friendly amenities, boat rentals, and nearby nature parks for outdoor activities.
Recent visitors highlight the resort’s peaceful lakeside setting, friendly service, and well-equipped cabins, balanced with its rustic nature and remote location. This makes it a favored spot for guests seeking relaxation and nature-based activities over luxury accommodations.
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Tamarack Resort is a casual, rustic retreat situated on the shores of Tamarack Bay in Burntside Lake, just over 10 miles from the town of Ely, Minnesota. This lakeside property offers cozy cabins equipped with full kitchens, providing a relaxed setting for guests seeking a quiet getaway surrounded by nature. The resort’s rustic character and laid-back atmosphere appeal to those comfortable with a simple, homey environment rather than modern luxury accommodations.
Facilities include boat rentals for exploring the lake, making it an attractive choice for visitors interested in fishing, sightseeing, and enjoying outdoor activities on the water. The property is kid-friendly, which suits families looking for nature-based experiences. While some guests have noted that the resort is off the beaten path with a more basic setup, others appreciate its charm, helpful staff, and peaceful surroundings, highlighting a range of experiences that might depend on expectations.
Its location near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and proximity to Canadian Quetico Provincial Park offers ample opportunities for hiking, wildlife viewing, and other outdoor adventures. Nearby attractions such as Bear Head Lake State Park, Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park, and the North American Bear Center provide additional options for visitors looking to explore the natural and cultural highlights of the region.
Tamarack Resort provides a down-to-earth option for travelers seeking a quiet lakeside spot with access to fishing and outdoor activities, especially those who value rustic charm and natural beauty over modern resort amenities. The resort’s 4.2 rating, based on 25 reviews, reflects generally positive guest experiences, though potential visitors should be aware that expectations of high-end accommodations may not be met here.
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Reviews from travelers who stayed here in the last 12 months, grouped to help you spot the pattern quickly.
A nice, rustic resort with a laid back feel sitting on the shores of beautiful Burntside Lake. Our cabin had everything necessary for an enjoyable stay on our annual fishing vacation. The resort owners were very helpful and friendly, even putting up a sign to direct us to our cabin due to our late arrival. The resort is definitely off the beaten path, but still a short drive from Ely where you can get any needed supplies or groceries. Burntside is one of the most beautiful lakes I have ever seen with its tree covered islands and lichen coated bedrock outcrops. We had our choice of many, MANY lakes within a half hour drive to choose from to fish and were less than an hour and a half from the North Shore of Superior, which was a beautiful sight.
If you read the negative reviews on this place, I'd advise you to take them with a grain of salt. Sadly, those reviews put me off booking a stay, but after driving up from Nebraska and staying at another resort nearby(which was very nice, but w/no fishing boats) on our way home I decided to see if the negative hype was justified...and it WAS NOT. True, it is an older rutic resort, but it has character, a bit off the beaten path and if you have to have Marriott/Hilton level accomodations for a resort then this is not for you. If you need a cozy, rustic place to relax and enjoy the forest, the quiet, the wildlife, to rent a very affordable motorboat to get out on a beautiful back bay to sightsee sit by an open fire and do some fishing- look no further. All the complaints about "junk" or garbage strewn about is BS. PERIOD. There was ongoing construction work taking place on our visit, and there were staff out cleaning and working as we drove up. The young lady who was camp host was extremely polite, friendly and accommodating when we asked to look the resort over, the guests we encountered were very nice folks as well. If I had to guess, I'd say there are some folks who are attempting to dissuade visitors to stay here, for reasons unknown. I don't make recommendations about anything without good cause and if something is truly wrong about a place, you will know it, but someone is doing a terrible disservice to this resort by these misleading complaints. I WILL be booking my annual vacation here next year.
True tranquility! I moved from MN to CA in 1986. Rick and Nancy have the perfect "up north" retreat for the city weary and the homesick. Favorite times spent with family, awesome walleye fish frys and the echoes of loons across the lake as we relax around the fire pit. We wouldn't go anywhere else!
The cabin had everything youd need. Bedding, oven, microwave, coffee pot, fridge/freezer, silverware, etc. The owners are very friendly and helpful. And Randy was also awesome. (Friendly fox who loves fig newtons). The lake was a little bit of a let down for pike fishing we only caught a few but seen some really nice size ones. Could just be the time of the year. I would definitely stay here again if I brought a boat to try some other lakes in the area.
Nice location for a private stay just outside of Ely. Friendly helpful owners! Great views on a perfect fishing lake.
We stayed here for my brother's bachelor party. We used to take a family trip to Ely every summer and we enjoyed Burntside Lake a lot so it was nice to be back. The cabin was what I would have expected, but if you're looking for a 5 star accommodation, look elsewhere. This is a great place if you're good to go on your own (as in, you can find/make your own activities). The hosts we interacted with were nice and we didn't have any issues other than the rain, but that's obviously no ones fault! I would definitely come back here!
One of the most amazing places on earth. The best part is they have got it all figured out so literally just need to get there and everything is all taken care of. If you love to travel and go on adventures this is def a place to go and enjoy as there is really nothing else like this. Thanks so much for everything and for making my friends special day one of the greatest days was out of this world
This resort is amazing the owners are very sweet people and have a very cute dog the cabins were nice and clean the lake was beautiful and all the nature was amazing would definitely stay here again
Set on Tamarack Bay in Burntside Lake, this casual, rustic resort is 10.6 miles from Ely. It's also on the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and is adjacent to the Canadian Quetico Provincial Park.
Curated spots travelers usually pair with a stay in Minnesota. Distances are rough real-world times, not straight-line.
1 reviews 1926 MN-169, Ely, MN 55731, United States
529 reviews 9301 Bear Head State Park Rd, Ely, MN 55731, United States
266 reviews 1302 McKinley Park Rd, Soudan, MN 55782, United States
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