Kabetogama – Five Reasons to Visit The Pines
If you are looking for a Northern Minnesota resort with outdoor fun for the entire family, look no further than The Pines of Kabetogama! Centrally located in Minnesota’s Voyageurs National Park, we are a popular vacation destination for fishing groups, families, RVers, National Park explorers, and outdoor enthusiasts.
The Pines of Kabetogama resort features a variety of accommodations, ranging from an exquisite collection of luxurious cabins and glamper, to our spacious RV campground, which gives larger groups more options to stay and play together. Whether you are seeking to reconnect and recharge in a serene natural landscape or embark on a thrilling outdoor adventure in Mother Nature’s playground, there’s something for everyone. The possibilities are endless – fishing, boating, kayaking, canoe trips, hiking, swimming, stargazing, birdwatching, you name it – you have the freedom to design your ideal escape. From the practical to the magical, keep reading to discover five reasons to book your stay at The Pines of Kabetogama resort!
#1 Traverse the natural landscapes of Voyageurs National Park where few have gone before.
Voyageurs National Park is consistently cited by various travel outlets as one of the least visited National Parks in the continental United States, yet simultaneously billed as a can’t-miss destination. And it is truly spectacular! Spanning over 218,000 acres of land and water, the park is full of hidden gems that can’t be fully appreciated until you experience them for yourself.
The Pines of Kabetogama is centrally located in Voyageurs National Park, nestled among the towering pines along the shoreline of Lake Kabetogama. People often ask me, how close are you to the National Park? Well, as soon as you dip your pinky toe in the lake, you are officially in Voyageurs National Park! Although much of the park is only accessible by boat, maybe you are not a “water person”, as one guest described herself. That’s no reason to dismiss a trip to Voyageurs! You don’t have to own a boat, like boating, or even like the water to enjoy yourself (truly, choose your own adventure).
One thing I recommend to our guests is to carve out time to tour at least one of the three Visitor Centers to partake in the various activities offered for adults and kids. Each Visitor Center is different, so a visit to all three is worthwhile if you have the time. The Pines of Kabetogama is in the middle of all three Visitor Centers, and only one mile (a 5-minute drive or 20-minute walk) from the Kabetogama Visitor Center. The Rainy Lake Visitor Center is a 45-minute drive northwest from the resort. Prepare for a beautiful, scenic drive, and here’s a tip: Set your GPS and trust it, there’s a portion of this drive that might make you wonder if you will ever see civilization again, it’s awesome. At the Rainy Lake Visitor Center, you will also find a multi-use paved path that is popular with walkers, bikers, and it is pet-friendly too. In the other direction from the resort heading east, the Ash River Visitor Center is a 25-minute drive, and the center itself is located in the historic Meadwood Lodge. Keep your eyes peeled for rare wildlife viewings along your drives, you never know when you might spot a deer, bear, or even a wolf!
For those that prefer to continue their adventure on solid ground, there are 10-hiking trails accessible by car within Voyageurs, each with varying degrees of difficulty from easy to strenuous. It’s highly likely that you will embark on a hike and not encounter another person, so feel free to take a moment to find a spot to just stop, use your five senses, and completely immerse yourself in the healing powers of nature (pet owners, be aware that most park trails are not pet friendly). If you want to avoid crowds and immerse yourself in the wilderness, Voyageurs National Park is a can’t miss destination, even if you stick to land-based activities.
#2 On-site canoe, kayak, paddleboard, fishing boat, and pontoon rentals give you options to explore the expansive waterways.
If your motto could be “boat hair, don’t care” then you will love the plentiful opportunities to go deeper into Voyageurs National Park to locations only accessible by water. You have many options to explore the waterways and gain access to raw, undeveloped nature. And explore you should – about 1/3 of Voyageurs National Park’s 218,000 acres is water! The park includes four major lakes, including Lake Kabetogama, 26 smaller interior lakes, and over 900 islands. On Lake Kabetogama, there are 200 islands and dozens of day-use sites available for you. Imagine yourself boating across the lake, your cheeks warm and kissed by the sun, the wind blowing your hair around, the water spray cooling you off. You see a small island and decide to pull over to spend the day picnicking, swimming, fishing, and exploring. Many of our guests rent a boat with no particular destination in mind and return full of stories about their grand adventures in the wilderness. More often than not, our guests will comment on how the solitude was refreshing for the mind and soul and afforded the opportunity for their family to connect on a deeper level. To me, that sounds like the entire point of a family vacation! For those that prefer to have a destination in mind, Voyageurs has five hiking trails, 13 visitor destinations, and countless fishing hotspots that can be visited only by boat.
The Pines of Kabetogama offers both fishing boats and pontoon boats available for daily rent. A motorized boat rental will allow you to go access more remote areas of the park to find the perfect fishing spot or to explore at your own leisure. We do recommend advance reservations! When you rent a boat, our marina staff will provide you with important information about boat safety and operation, and ensure you know how to use the onboard GPS and fishing equipment. If you have a destination in mind, they can provide directions too. If you desire a more physical adventure, Lake Kabetogama is popular for canoes trips, kayaking, and paddleboarding; on a calm day, the lake can be smooth as glass (on windier days, you’ll get a workout and a boater’s hairstyle). We have canoes, kayaks, and paddleboard rentals available by the hour, first come, first serve. Lake Kabetogama is a great place for even first-timers to try canoeing, kayaking, or paddleboarding in our protected bay, or you can venture beyond the bay to explore nearby islands. As you paddle and explore the undeveloped shoreline along Lake Kabetogama, it’s easy to imagine what it would have been like for the voyageurs who traversed the waters for transportation.
If you prefer a group guided tour, the National Park Service offers seasonal boat tours departing from all three visitor centers. There are also local private guides in the area for a more tailored experience. Fishing guides can help you catch your coveted trophy fish, others can share the history of the park and local area, and water taxis can get you from land to island and back again. Of course, you can bring your own boat too. I highly recommend you reserve dock space in our marina. Having a boat slip saves you the hassle of having to launch your boat and pull it out of the water every day. You can come and go as you please and while you are docked, you can plug in your electronics while you are taking a break from boating.
Voyageurs National Park is largely a water-based park, so to truly experience and enjoy the beauty of the park, I recommend you plan to get out on the water, even if just for a few hours.
#3 Observe the incredible night sky, and you might just see the Northern Lights (yes, even in the summer months)
We know that seeing the Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, is on the “bucket list” for many people. How could it not be? The photos we’ve all seen by those lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time are stunning, almost too good to be true. I knew that it was possible to see the Northern Lights in Minnesota, but also thought the best time of year was during the darker (and colder) winter months, or during the overnight hours when I prefer to be sleeping. Well, I am here to tell you that it is definitely possible to see the Northern Lights in Minnesota year-round, even in the summer, because we have experienced them many times!
One of my favorite memories from the 2022 season was when our guests were treated to Mother Nature’s “fireworks” over 4th of July weekend. At about 9 pm, we were starting to see the early signs of a potential Northern Lights display, and word traveled fast around the resort. As the sky grew darker, more and more people gathered on our front lawn with their cameras, excited about the possibility of what might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The crowd was murmuring with excitement as they began to capture the green and purple hues on their cameras, not quite strong enough yet to see the intense colors with the naked eye. The Northern Lights were happening, and it was only a matter of time. The electricity in the air was palpable. I was struck by the humanity of the moment. Here we all stood, complete strangers really, drawn together by a magical experience. It was incredibly moving to watch strangers connect and bond, sharing stories of past Northern Lights sightings and other celestial events, and even sharing photography tips. As the skies continued to darken, oh, Mother Nature did not disappoint. The crowd grew quieter, perhaps more introspective, lost in a moment of wonder and awe as the sky danced in front of their eyes. On this particular evening, the Northern Lights were visible over the entire resort, a stunning 360-degree display of green, pink, and purple streaks frolicking overhead like “angels dancing in the sky” (according to my 10-year-old).
So yes, it is possible to see the Northern Lights, even in the summer months. I’m definitely not an expert, but here are some tips to keep in mind based on my personal experiences. Find an app that provides the probability of Northern Lights in your area based on solar activity (there are plenty of free options) and check the weather forecast because clear skies are a must! Plan to stay up a little bit later than usual in the summer months because the sun sets later in the evening, it will be worth it even if you don’t see the Northern Lights. Voyageurs National Park is a certified International Dark Sky Park, and you will be amazed at what you see while stargazing! (I’d also like to mention that we have dark sky-friendly lighting on our property and turn off some lights later at night to reduce light pollution for our stargazers). If the forecast looks good, keep your eyes on the northern horizon. We are located on the south shore of Lake Kabetogama with a perfect view of the northern sky, and our expansive front lawn is a great place to settle in with an unobstructed view of the horizon. Keep in mind that in the summer months, the beginning of a Northern Lights show might not be what you are expecting. We have heard countless stories of guests who thought they saw fog, or a random cloud, or even light pollution (nope, no light pollution!) on a clear night and then went to bed only to learn that they missed out. If you aren’t quite sure what you are looking at, snap a few photos, the camera will capture the colors before you can see them with your eyes, or check back again in 30 minutes. Don’t forget to share your stories and photos, I absolutely LOVE it when our guests have an unforgettable night sky experience at our resort.
#4 Wi-Fi that is actually really, really fast, and it’s complimentary too!
It is so nice to get away and disconnect from technology (and to be able to tell your coworkers that you are going “off grid” because no one wants to be bothered while on vacation). The reality is that sometimes you can’t totally disappear and be unreachable. I’ve gone on many vacations where either Jason or I had to check in to work for an urgent meeting or to make sure a project was running smoothly in our absence. We have also traveled without the kids, and it was important to have an open line of communication with Grandma and Grandpa, just in case. I remember one trip where we knew the Wi-Fi and phone service would be spotty, but I had to get in touch with someone. I was walking around the campground with my phone in the air trying to get any signal. We’ve all been there, and it is stressful! Lots of campgrounds advertise Wi-Fi service, but when you show up, you find out it costs extra, or the service is so terrible it’s practically unusable (not that you won’t keep trying). Not at The Pines of Kabetogama. We have invested in some serious infrastructure to ensure that every guest has excellent Wi-Fi, and it is complimentary. Further, we have configured our network so that each reservation has its own private network. What does that mean exactly? It means that you will have excellent download and upload speeds and you are not sharing the network with your neighbors. If the family in the site next to you wants to stream television on five devices, it will not impact your internet experience. If you want or need to stay connected while you are on vacation (working or schooling remotely?), you can book with confidence knowing you’ll be able to connect when you need to. But feel free to tell anyone you don’t want to bother you that you are unreachable, we totally understand!
#5 On-site, coin-operated laundry facilities for your planned (and unplanned) laundry needs
I know laundry isn’t the sexiest of resort amenities, but let’s be real, it is a necessary part of life and sometimes you have to do it on vacation. Before kids, Jason and I used to travel the world and we had our packing lists down to include only exactly what we needed. Nothing more, nothing less, and I never had to do laundry on our trips. Traveling with kids is a whole different ballgame, and we had to rethink packing, and eventually laundry, for our family vacations. On shorter trips we could just bring a few extra items “just in case”, but it got more complicated on longer trips (Me: “Ok kids, make sure you pack 24 pairs of underwear!” Kids: “I don’t have 24 pairs of underwear!) I admit that initially, I didn’t want to do laundry on vacations, but at some point, you have to make a choice. Buy unnecessary amounts of clothing for one long vacation and come home with mountains of laundry, or plan to do a load or two of laundry on the road. Or maybe you are an excellent packer and don’t plan to do any laundry, but then something happens, and you HAVE to do laundry, urgently. (Unfortunately, I have experienced this, and I am sure you have too). Whether or not you plan to do laundry, rest easy knowing that we do have very clean, coin-operated laundry facilities on site. We exchange quarters for cash in the office and sell laundry detergent too, just in case!
Don’t miss out! Book your reservation today at The Pines of Kabetogama.
There are many reasons to stay at The Pines of Kabetogama, and here is one more. We offer online reservations, so you can search for availability and even reserve online at your convenience. Of course, we love to help you plan your vacation, so feel free to call us too. We answer our phones year-round and encourage you to call us anytime you have a question, or to book your reservation if you prefer. We can’t wait to host you at our beautiful northern Minnesota resort!
