The minivan is packed, the cooler is full and someone in the back seat has asked “Are we there yet?” for the fifth time. Then the lake comes into view. Before long the kids are in the pool, the beach towels are already sandy and nobody is asking anything.
Quick answer: The Red Door Resort is a family and angler-friendly resort on the north shore of Mille Lacs Lake, two hours north of the Twin Cities. We’re the only resort on Mille Lacs Lake with a heated outdoor pool. Summer also brings a sandy beach and swim area, free kayaks and a paddle board, pontoon rentals, a protected harbor, a lakeside sauna and a big playground. Stay in one of our 11 cabins or 11 motel rooms. Book on our website or call 218-678-3686.
Why families come back every summer
Many of our summer guests book the same week every year. As Laurie Buechler puts it, “Our family has been gathering at The Red Door Resort for the past 6 years.”
Mornings start with coffee and a sunrise over the lake. The little ones chase butterflies down to the water’s edge. Afternoons are for the beach, the pool and the water. Late in the day, someone starts a game of HORSE at the basketball hoop. Evenings end around a bonfire with s’mores and a blanket around your shoulders as the sun goes down.
It is an easy, unplugged lake week, and the kids remember it all year. Before long, it’s the week the whole family counts the sleeps until the next visit.
On the water
Out here, the day slows down. Kids paddle a kayak along the shoreline. Someone floats on the lily pad until their fingers wrinkle. And when a bobber finally goes under, the whole boat cheers, quietly, so you don’t scare the fish.
- Beach and swim area: a sandy beach with a lily pad in the swimming area.
- Kayaks and paddle board: free for guests to use, with life jackets provided.
- Pontoon rentals: for overnight guests and seasonal members. A full day is 8 consecutive hours between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. A half day is 4 hours, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. or 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Check the Book Now button for availability and rates.
- Bring your own boat: cabin and motel guests launch free through our protected harbor. Overnight slips are available, and every slip, cabin and motel room has a 20-amp outlet for charging batteries.
- Fishing: Mille Lacs is known for walleye, smallmouth bass, northern pike and muskie. Book a morning with a guide and let the kids race to catch the first fish. Many of our guests fish with Captain John Wersal, and the guides we recommend are listed on our Open Water Fishing page.
Around the resort
On a cool morning, the heated pool is the first place the kids run. By afternoon, the grown-ups have claimed the sauna down by the beach, planning tomorrow with the lake right outside. J.J. Thoele brought a family of five for three nights in a cabin: “The pool and sauna were amazing, as was the access to Mille Lacs.”
- Heated outdoor pool: we’re the only resort on Mille Lacs Lake with one. It’s open daily 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Memorial Day through Labor Day. It is 5 feet deep, and pool towels are provided in your unit while the pool is open.
- Lakeside sauna: down by the beach and open year-round.
- Playground and games: a large playground with a slide, climbing wall, monkey bars and swings, plus a gaga ball pit and a basketball hoop.
- Bonfires and grills: every cabin and the Motel Family Suite has a charcoal grill and a picnic table. Firewood, charcoal, ice and s’mores supplies are sold in the office.
Where to stay
Pick the cabin that fits your crew, then make it yours. This is where the kids claim their beds the minute you walk in, the board games come out after dark and the puzzle takes over the table by day three.
- Lakefront cabins: cabins 20, 21 and 22. Cabin 20 has three bedrooms and two baths.
- Lake view cabins: cabins 15 through 19. Cabin 16 has three bedrooms and two baths.
- Family cabins: cabins 11 and 12, two bedrooms near the pool, with a twin-over-full bunk bed.
- The Stone House: a three-bedroom, two-bath cabin.
- Motel rooms: five King rooms, five Double Queen rooms and the Motel Family Suite, which sleeps up to 13.
Every cabin has a full kitchen, and linens and towels are provided. Pets are welcome in all cabins, the Motel Family Suite and most motel rooms for $25 per pet per night, up to two pets.
Rainy day and nearby ideas
A gray day is not a lost day. Start a puzzle, pull out a board game or head down to the sauna and watch the rain roll across the lake. When you’re ready to get out for a few hours, here’s what’s close.
When it rains
- Mudflats Bar & Grill at Barnacles Resort is 2 miles east on Highway 18. A quick lunch or dinner out when nobody wants to cook.
- Grand Casino Mille Lacs is 23 miles away in Onamia. A night out for the grown-ups.
When the sun comes back
- Father Hennepin State Park: A sandy beach over a mile long. Pack a picnic and make a day of it.
- Mille Lacs Kathio State Park: about 27 miles away. Hiking trails and a break from the water.
- Cuyuna mountain bike trails: about 37 miles away. Bring the bikes for the riders in your crew.
Planning tips
A lot of families who find their week here keep it. The same cabin, the same week, year after year. The kids who needed help baiting a hook come back casting on their own. The little ones who wouldn’t leave the swim beach grow into the ones racing kayaks along the shoreline. Every summer adds a new story, a new corner of the lake you haven’t explored yet and a few photos you’ll laugh at for years. That’s why so many of our guests book next year’s week before this one is over. If you want a spot of your own, here’s how to plan for it.
- Book early. Summer weeks fill with repeat guests up to a year ahead.
- Minimum stays: cabins have a three-night minimum on summer and holiday weekends and two nights otherwise. Motel rooms have a two-night minimum, three on holiday weekends.
- Check-in is 3:30 p.m. and check-out is 10:30 a.m.
- What to pack: life jackets for the pool, sand toys, coffee for cabins and cooking basics like oil, salt and pepper.
Summer at The Red Door: Common Questions
Yes. We are a family and angler-friendly resort with a heated outdoor pool, a sandy beach and swim area, free kayaks and a paddle board, a large playground, a gaga ball pit and bonfires. Family cabins 11 and 12 sit close to the pool.
Yes. We’re the only resort on Mille Lacs Lake with a heated outdoor pool. It is open daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Memorial Day through Labor Day, and it is 5 feet deep.
Swim at our sandy beach, paddle our free kayaks and paddle board, rent a pontoon as an overnight guest or launch your own boat free through our protected harbor. Fishing guides we recommend are listed on our Open Water Fishing page.
Cabins have a three-night minimum on summer and holiday weekends and a two-night minimum otherwise. Motel rooms have a two-night minimum, and three nights on holiday weekends.
Yes. Pets are allowed in all cabins, the Motel Family Suite and most motel rooms, except rooms 1 and 2. The fee is $25 per pet per night, with a maximum of two pets per unit. Pets are not allowed in the pool, sauna or swimming beach areas.
