120-acre North Shore wilderness basecamp w/farmhouse for 12, sauna & pickleball

Sisu Creek Retreat, where retro comfort meets 120 acres of North Shore wilderness, is an ideal space for families and friends to connect, recharge and explore.

This Finnish farmhouse has abundant sleeping space for 12 and a large living room and den with fireplace, record player, vintage radio, movie projector, rich collection of books for all ages, puzzles, games, musical instruments, vintage lights, etc.

Bedrooms 1 and 2 are bedrooms with full beds, dressers, and closets; bedroom 3 has a full-sized daybed in a den with a dresser with a curtain to separate it from the living room; bedroom 4 is an upstairs loft space with slanted ceiling and built-in drawers; and bedroom 5 is in the lower level - a large space with two full beds, dressers, a closet, and exercise equipment. We are adding a second bathroom in February 2027.

In addition to the farmhouse, you'll find a large sauna, deck with grill, fire pit, abundant outdoor seating, former chicken coop converted into a creative studio and wildlife viewing space, and plane hangar with space for pickleball, foosball, dancing, etc. and a telescope for enjoying the epic dark, starry skies. We provide firewood for fires and propane for the grill. The house and property are steeped in over a century of history as a logging camp at the turn of the 20th century and then a farm for four generations of Finnish farmers. We have had multiple guests who are 6'6" who have fully enjoyed their stays – just want to let you know that the 100-year-old farmhouse has 7' ceilings. The house is rustic and cozy providing a retreat in the heart of natural beauty and adventure!

The property is 120 acres and includes healthy ecosystems including streams, flower-filled meadows, maple/birch forests, spruce forests, tamarack sphagnum bog, and more. The bird diversity is outstanding, and we provide bird feeders, birdseed, and binoculars. The property has miles of walking/snowshoeing trails along creeks and through forests and meadows. The property is full of berries in summer (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, serviceberries, and more) if you can get to them before the resident family of sandhill cranes does!

More about the property:
This retreat is located in the Sawmill Creek River valley with two creeks running right past the old farmhouse and the fields of an old cattle farm of four generations of Finnish farmers. Sandhill cranes nest in the field; otters, muskrats, beavers and moose live in Sawmill Creek; and grouse, snowshoe hares, owls, peregrine falcons, red squirrels, and chickadees will greet you throughout the property. Springtime pussywillows are followed by a mass of thousands of purple lupine, and we've planted acres of native pollinator habitat and 2,000+ baby trees (white pine, red pine, pin cherry, American plum, white cedar, yellow birch, jack pine, Northern red oak, tamarack, black spruce and more!). In autumn the property's maple and tamarack forests with hiking trails overlooking the Sawmill Creek valley are stunningly beautiful.

Cook some delicious meals in the fully stocked kitchen with All-Clad pots and pans and Wusthof knives, or pick up pizza in Silver Bay or catch dinner and a game of pool in Finland. Snuggle up in high quality bed linens and catch a delicious night of sleep in the dark skies and silence. Read or chat in cozy places and watch the antics of prolific birds and wildlife, or nap to the sounds of a rushing stream! Enjoy an array of comfortable seats for eating, grilling, and relaxing on the large deck and around the fire pit and in the sauna with an abundant supply of firewood. Hiking, snowshoeing, skiing, watching the surreal Northern Lights on a dark sky property, exploring the 120 acres of multiple biomes is like staying in your own private state park. There's a view of Lake Superior for those who hike to the peak of the 1,440 foot Sawtooth mountain on the property.

After a few days of relaxing and exploring on the property, you might even remember to go visit Lake Superior! The property also borders Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center on two sides, which has 18 miles of groomed hiking and ski trails and classes that are open to the public. This property is within just a few miles of rock climbing and hiking at Sawmill Dome, the Superior Hiking Trail, the Finland Glades, the Finland Historical Society, and some of Minnesota's best mountain biking. This retreat averages almost 10 feet of annual snow enabling playing outside like it's still the 1970s. According to Anderson and Fischer this region of northeast Minnesota has the most bird biodiversity of anyplace north of Mexico! The moss- and lichen-covered rocks you hike and pick blueberries on in this region are over 2.5 billion years old.

Tettegouche State Park - 12 minutes away by car
Finland and the must-see Finland Cooperative - 5 min by car
Palisade Head - 14 min by car
Sugarloaf Cove Nature Center - 13 min by car
Split Rock State Park - 25 min by car
Gooseberry Falls State Park - 30 min by car
Lutsen - 30 min by car
Grand Marais - 55 min by car
Silver Bay with larger grocery store than the Finland Coop - 18 min by car
Two Harbors - 45 min by car
Ely - 1 hour 15 min by car

Other details to note:
Welcome to the woods of northern Minnesota! This property is in the wilderness, which is what makes it delightful. Yet the wilderness also means there are insects and other critters in the area. In spring birds migrate thousands of miles to northern Minnesota partly because there is so much food for them to eat and to feed to their baby birds. We do our best to keep insects and critters outside with screens, sealing the house thoroughly, and traps, but please remember that northern Minnesota is a wild place! In Minnesota's cabin country, you are bound to encounter some insects and the occasional mouse. We provide some insect repellent, an electric bug-zapping racquet, and head nets you may use. You may also want to pack a hat and long sleeves and pants, so you can cover up if insects are bothering you in the summer. In the fall as temps get cooler, cluster flies like to try to sneak into structures, especially on sunny days. Luckily they are slow and easy to vacuum up or swat. Northeastern Minnesota has occasional short power outages, which are beyond the control of homeowners. Usually power is returned quickly.