This 12-acre Private Lake Island in the Midwest Is Perfect for a Summer Getaway — With a 23-room Lodge and Cozy Cabins

The coziness of cabin life meets the whimsy of an island getaway — and it’s all tucked away in a historic resort on a private island in Wisconsin’s Red Cedar Lake in Birchwood.

About a two-hour drive northeast of Minneapolis, Stout’s Island Lodge, which opens for the season on May 17, offers 43 rooms, each with its own flair. From a former screened porch turned into room with windows on three sides and a room with a living room and a wood-burning stove to a top-floor lodge room with period furniture, every space tells a story of its own. Groups can also rent out cabins with multiple rooms. 

Getting to the island is part of the fun: a ferry brings guests over from the Shore House once an hour between 7:50 a.m. and 10 p.m. on a 10-minute ride.

Once on the 12-acre island, the activities are plentiful. Outdoor lovers will enjoy canoeing, fishing, kayaking, hydro biking, and swimming, while there are also courts set up for badminton, bocce ball, croquet, ladder golf, tennis, and even yard dice. There’s also a labyrinth for meditative walks on the south side of the island, as well as a walking trail on the connected East Island, itself an additional 5.7 acres. The lodge also offers cruises on its Elco watercraft, along with a historical explanation of the area.

When it’s time to go back indoors, the fun continues with billiards, board games, and table tennis, and there’s also a library in the Great Room and TV and movies in the Game Room.

The Stout’s Island Lodge Restaurant serves three meals a day with a rotating menu of regional cuisine using ingredients from the American and Canadian midwest, with a special emphasis on organically-grown local produce, including from its own kitchen garden. 

The island was once owned by lumber baron Frank S. Stout, who first purchased the land in 1887 with a partner Thomas Wilson, Jr., and then bought it completely in 1903. That year, the main lodge was built, modeled after Adirondack camps using beams brought in from Germany’s Black Forest. It was then replaced in 1912 with the lodge that still stands today, built with cedar logs from Idaho and redwood timbers from California, as well as modern conveniences like plumbing and electricity. The bridge that connects the main island to the east one was a gift from Andrew Carnegie. 

Today, guests still revel in the beauty of the area. “Stout’s Island Lodge is a haven for recharging, unwinding, and reconnecting,” the lodge said on its site. “It’s a magical place where modern comfort meets timeless elegance.”