The Brainerd Lakes region in central Minnesota has been a destination for travelers for over a century. Known for its network of lakes, pine forests, and recreational opportunities, the area became an early retreat for visitors looking to escape city life in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and beyond. Over time, resorts established themselves around these waters, offering lodging, dining, and outdoor activities.
Today, several of these properties are recognized for their longevity and role in shaping the character of the Brainerd Lakes community.
Grand View Lodge
Grand View Lodge, established in 1916, is one of the most notable historic resorts in the region. Its main lodge, built with massive log construction, showcases early 20th-century resort architecture. The property started with a focus on lakefront cabins and has since expanded to include modern villas, townhomes, and cottages while preserving the character of its original structures.
The resort is situated on Gull Lake, which has long been one of the most desirable locations in the Brainerd Lakes area. Guests can access extensive amenities, including golf courses, dining venues, and a spa. Despite its growth, the lodge maintains a connection to its roots through preserved log cabins and historic interiors that reflect the era of its founding.
Madden’s On Gull Lake
Madden’s On Gull Lake is still family-owned and dates back to the 1920s. The resort began as a golf-centered retreat and has developed into one of the most comprehensive vacation properties in the area. Its history is tied to Minnesota’s golfing tradition, with multiple courses highlighting the landscape and providing challenges for players of all levels.
Accommodations at Madden’s range from lakefront rooms to private cottages. The resort’s long history has allowed it to integrate tradition with modern amenities, offering guests a sense of heritage and updated comfort. Its continued family ownership ensures the resort maintains a consistent identity rooted in its early beginnings.
Cragun’s Resort on Gull Lake
Cragun’s Resort has been welcoming guests since the 1940s. Initially smaller in scale, it has grown into a large destination while still emphasizing its history as a classic Minnesota resort. The property sits on a long stretch of shoreline, giving guests easy access to fishing, boating, and swimming.
One of the defining features of Cragun’s is its adaptability. The resort has preserved its reputation for traditional cabin stays while expanding into full-scale conference and recreation facilities. Guests who return year after year often comment on the continuity of the resort’s spirit despite the many updates.
Kavanaugh’s Sylvan Lake Resort
Kavanaugh’s Sylvan Lake Resort offers a quieter experience and has been in operation for more than 50 years. This family-owned property has developed gradually, maintaining a focus on Sylvan Lake's natural setting. Unlike larger resorts, Kavanaugh emphasizes cabin and townhouse lodging that blends into the environment rather than dominating it.
The resort’s longevity lies in its consistent approach to hospitality. Guests value its attention to detail, clean accommodations, and lakefront access, which recall the early days of Brainerd Lakes tourism. Kavanaugh demonstrates how historic resorts in Brainerd Lakes, MN, do not need to be large-scale operations to maintain significance.
Ruttger’s Bay Lake Resort
Ruttger’s Bay Lake Resort, located just southeast of Brainerd, is one of Minnesota’s oldest continuously operating resorts, originating in 1898. Started by Joseph Ruttger, the resort grew from a few lakeside cabins into a property with lodges, golf courses, and a long tradition of family management. The resort’s history reflects the broader story of lake tourism in Minnesota during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Today, Ruttger’s continues to balance historic character with updated offerings. Guests can stay in modern units while still experiencing the original lodge and dining facilities, which preserve the atmosphere of earlier decades. Ruttger’s longevity gives it a distinct place among historic resorts in Brainerd Lakes, MN.
Breezy Point Resort
Breezy Point Resort was founded in the 1920s and became a well-known retreat during Prohibition. It attracted visitors with its lakeside setting on Pelican Lake and developed a reputation for entertainment and social gatherings. Over the years, Breezy Point expanded with lodges, golf courses, and event venues while keeping its early 20th-century roots.
The resort has long been associated with gatherings, weddings, and large group events, continuing the tradition of being a social hub. Its original lodge and historic structures are reminders of the resort’s beginnings, making it both a modern vacation destination and a site of regional history.
Quarterdeck Resort
Quarterdeck Resort, while smaller than some of its counterparts, has served as a landmark on Gull Lake since the mid-20th century. It started as a cluster of cabins and a small marina and has steadily expanded. The resort emphasizes lakefront lodging and marina access, catering to those who want to experience Gull Lake directly.
Quarterdeck’s recent renovations have refreshed its accommodations, but its setting and history remain central to its appeal. Guests can stay in updated cabins and suites while appreciating the continuity of a resort that has been part of the Brainerd Lakes area for decades.
Manhattan Beach Lodge
Manhattan Beach Lodge on Big Trout Lake dates back to the 1920s. Originally developed as a hotel, it became known for its dining room, social atmosphere, and connection to the surrounding lakes. Its log construction and rustic architecture are examples of historic lodge design in northern Minnesota.
Today, the lodge functions as a dining destination and a lodging option. Guests experience a smaller-scale retreat with direct lake access and interiors that preserve historic details. Manhattan Beach Lodge represents the more intimate side of resort history in the Brainerd Lakes region.
Start Your Real Estate Search With Larson Group
The Brainerd Lakes region is significant in Minnesota’s history of tourism and recreation. Resorts such as Grand View Lodge, Madden’s, Cragun’s, Kavanaugh’s, Ruttger’s, Breezy Point, Quarterdeck, and Manhattan Beach Lodge have each contributed to the area’s reputation as a premier destination. Their continued operation demonstrates the lasting appeal of lake-based vacations that began over a century ago.
Ready to achieve your real estate goals in the Brainerd Lakes Area? The Larson Group has the experience and inherent local knowledge to help. Bruce Larson, a founding partner of Shores & More Realty, has been serving the area since 1984, and Rob Birkeland grew up on Pelican Lake. The entire team has deep roots in the community, specializing in listing properties in Crosslake, Breezy Point, and Nisswa, among other areas.
Contact the Larson Group today to work with a team that knows the Brainerd Lakes Area well.
