Since the mid 90's when my cousin took me on my first trip, I have always started my trips out of the Ely area or the Sawbill area. Then a couple of years ago one of my trip partners wanted to leave from Ely and come out on the Gunflint trail. We started on Snowbank and ended our trip on Poplar Lake. We had arranged vehicles for the return trip home. We really liked the area and promised to return.

We just returned from a trip where we entered Liz through Poplar Lake. In our previous visit we just had parked a car at the public boat landing, no big deal. When we were planning this trip, we were in need of a place to stay the night before our entry. While planning and reading many trip reports for this trip, Rockwood Lodge appeared many times as a great outfitter to use. We do not rent gear, we have all of our own, so with all of the positive feedback about Rockwood we decided to try them out. People kept saying how great Mike was to work with and how cordial he could be. Many of the reports went on and on about how great it was there. Since our entry was Liz we decided to try them.

After using Rockwood Lodge and meeting Mike for the first time this past week, I was blown away!!! Everything I read about Rockwood was true. We only used Rockwood to get our permit and use their bunkhouse but Mike treated us like we had been coming their for 20 years. I was not due to arrive until around 11:00 the night before we put in and my fried was going to sneak out of work early to get there before they closed. It turns out that he was a little late. Mike was there to meet him anyway. Not only did he greet him and get him settled in but he let him put our brats in his freezer and our leeches in his refrigerator. When we were putting our gear together in the morning and getting ready to shove off, he offered to have us park our cars on his property!!!!! Two cars, one with trailer and all we did is have our permit sent to him and rent his bunkhouse. That pretty much floored me. He could of very easily sent us on our way and had us park in the public lot, no big deal, but he arranged to have a spot for our cars to be safely parked for the week we were out.

Upon our return, he was waiting with a wave and a smile and graciously asked about our trip, gave us a hard time about how far we made it in our 8 days:) and once again treated us like we had been returning customers for 20 plus years. I truly appreciated his customer service and how he made us feel like the only visitors he had. I would recommend Rockwood Lodge to anyone and we are already discussing plans on returning next year!!! Thanks Mike for a great trip. Trent

They are great. I stayed with them last summer. I just rented the bunkhouse and was planning on driving up to the public landing. I ended up leaving my Jeep with them and gave them my keys. Good thing, we had a big storm one night and I felt much better leaving my Jeep where it would be watched over. When I came back, they told me my husband called and asked about the Jeep. Great service. Will be back in September as I take my brother on the same trip I took last year.

quote jeepgirl: "my husband called and asked about the Jeep. "

Sounds like some sort of punch line to a joke.

I am looking for a wife, requirements: Good cook, cleans fish, knows how to paddle a canoe, demonstrated J and C stroke proficiency, has trained hunting dog and Souris River Quetico 17 or 18.5. Send pictures of dog and canoe.

Totally agree. Mike and Lin are fabulous people. We have left our car there when it was under different ownership (a couple of different owners, actually), but have also rented a cabin twice since Mike and Lin are there, and will be there again this August. You would have to search the world a long time to find better people, or a better place than Rockwood. I really wish they still operated the restaurant at the lodge, but otherwise it is just about perfect there!

Staying at the Bunkhouse Friday night (26th). Thanks Lynn!! (or Lin)

Will be there with the family on July 4th and putting in the next day!

Great people, always enjoy my time there

Yes! Mike and Lin are great, genuine, and down to earth people. Every time I've finished a trip at Rockwood Mike's been standing there waving with a giant grin ready to hear about the trip and to give me crap about something as I pulled up to their beach. I love it! I took a coworker there just to pick up our permit and park the van for a Meeds entry and he was blown away by Mike. He kept saying that it seemed more like I was talking to one of my best buddies instead of an Outfitter I had used a couple of times.

I agree with all of the above. My wife and I have stayed with them many times. Sometimes for a week and more recently just for a night before a trip. Mike and Lin are awesome. Don't forget about Mike's dock hand employee Joe and his wife Maggie. Joe is an expert fisherman and outdoor journalist on Mike's staff. Joe is extremely knowledgeable on fishing in the area lakes. Him and his wife Maggie are also avid hikers and will share a plethora of knowledge. Rockwood is a gem.

quote analyzer: "

quote jeepgirl: "my husband called and asked about the Jeep. "

Sounds like some sort of punch line to a joke.


I am looking for a wife, requirements: Good cook, cleans fish, knows how to paddle a canoe, demonstrated J and C stroke proficiency, has trained hunting dog and Souris River Quetico 17 or 18.5. Send pictures of dog and canoe."

And the Jeep!

Been using Rockwood since 99. Mike & Lin are the greatest. I like spending a hour or two with them every time I go. Its like catching up with family.

i usually stay up the trail farther at seagull outfitters but last fall i stayed 1 night at rockwood, and there awesome people as well ! loved the bunkhouse set up !

Indeed. They are awesome folks.

A few years ago me and a buddy had a very early trip planned, real touch and go if the ice would be out. We were Mikes first Bunkers for the year. We were not due to arrive till 11pm so mike left a nice little map on the office door telling us to go to a specific bunk house. We opened the door to find Mike had turned on the heat so we had nice comfortable room, a nice surprise. In the morning it was clear the ice in Poplar wouldn't be out for a day or two, worse yet we couldn't wait it out a day as all the permits were taken after our date. By the time we got to the front office Mike had already called a half dozen locals to get the skinny. The gentlemen from a resort at the south end had been out and said Swamp lake would go out about as soon as we could get down there so off we were. I was not familir with the Swamp lake access from the Ski trail but Mike got us there just fine. Thanks to Mikes extra effort we were able to depart as planned, not very often you have a site on Horseshoe for two nights without ever seeing another canoe. It turned out to be a really cool trip as all the portage trails were completly filled with snow still and you could see all the Moose and Wolf tracks.