Soaring Views From The Hilltop Cabin, Boat access only
Enjoy the best views on Crane Lake high above the the water jetting out over the granite cliffs. Your large deck with gas grill, lounge chairs, and dining table. Very comfortable new leather love seats in living room next to large picture windows overlooking Bear Island and the south side of Crane Lake. New ceramic tiled 3/4 bath room. Features two bedrooms with ceder walls and knotty pine beaded ceiling. Each features two full beds with quality mattresses. Kitchen is very quaint with all new stainless steel appliances. All the amenities provided for your vacation cooking. Kitchen has extra table for two made of original barn wood for the your morning coffee. Dining room has high top table with excellent views on both sides of the lake. Has ceiling fan and patio doors to your large deck with spectacular views of the lake and wildlife that surround you. Bald eagles soar for their morning fish meal, many species of birds to view from your deck. Spruce grouse cross your path and a white tailed deer or two. Fishing on Crane Lake and the chain of lakes the link together to make the Voyageurs National Park. You can go for miles and enter many lake from this wonderful spor. The north side of Crane Lake in the start of the National Park. The only National Park the is water access only. One lake up is Sand Point Lake and you can continue you fishing and exploring up to left to many lakes, cross over to the north side to visit Canada, or take a right to Loon lake and enter the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. You will never run out of new territory to explore.
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Amenities
Kitchen
Pet-friendly
Outdoor space
Barbecue
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Events allowed: family gatherings and birthday parties
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Pets
Pets allowed: dogs less than 9 kg per pet (limit one pet total)
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Smoking
Smoking is not permitted
Important information
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
Parties and events (including family gatherings and birthday parties) are allowed on site. Maximum attendees: 5
Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip
Host has not indicated whether there is a smoke detector on the property
About the area
Crane Lake
Located in Crane Lake, this cabin is on a lake. The area's natural beauty can be seen at Superior National Forest and Crane Lake Channel. Make sure you get close to the area's animals with activities such as game walks and birdwatching.
International Falls, MN (INL-Falls Intl.) - 132 min drive
Restaurants
Voyagaire Lodge and Houseboats
Sand Point Lodge
Crane Lake Bar & Grill - 2 min drive
Voyageur Trail Society - 7 min drive
Frequently asked questions
Is Soaring Views From The Hilltop Cabin, Boat access only pet-friendly?
Yes, this property allows dogs (limit 1 total) with a maximum weight of up to 9 kg per pet.
How much does it cost to stay at Soaring Views From The Hilltop Cabin, Boat access only?
As of 5 Apr 2026, prices found for a 1-night stay for 2 adults at Soaring Views From The Hilltop Cabin, Boat access only on 6 Apr 2026 start from AU$335, including taxes and fees. This price is based on the lowest nightly price found in the last 24 hours for stays in the next 30 days. Prices are subject to change. Choose your dates for more accurate prices.
What time is check-in at Soaring Views From The Hilltop Cabin, Boat access only?
Check-in begins at 3:00 PM.
What time is check-out at Soaring Views From The Hilltop Cabin, Boat access only?
Checkout is at 10:00 AM.
Where is Soaring Views From The Hilltop Cabin, Boat access only located?
Situated on a lake, this cabin is within 2 miles (3 km) of Superior National Forest, Crane Lake Ranger Station and Crane Lake Channel. Mukooda Lake is 3.1 mi (4.9 km) away.
Reviews
8.2
Very good
Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
We enjoyed our stay and the unlimited options for boating and fishing. It was nice to meet the owner in person. If you are looking for a small fishing cabin close (by boat) to the marina with the option to travel by boat miles and miles away, this is it! Handberg marina staff were very helpful and courteous. The views from the deck are relaxing, but be sure you can climb the hill to the cabin with your supplies. As some others have said, it is right by the big cabin but we still felt isolated enough.
We have stayed at this property a few times over the past 10 years or so. Always have a great time, the property has many amenities that other rentals in the area don't offer.
Location is close to dining, shopping and gas.
The Hilltop Cabin was perfect! It was filled with everything we needed for a fun filled family weekend of fishing, playing, swimming, and watching the Timberwolves. We will be back! Gary, thanks for your kindness, hospitality, and help -
Trina F.
Stayed 4 nights in May 2024
Verified
8/10 Good
Verified traveller
28 Sept 2018
Well stocked, clean, great water view
Loved the place, only problem for kayakers with fiberglass boats was difficult getting the boats up on the dock. It was a rocky shoreline which made it difficult getting out of the boats, particularly with the wake from frequent boat traffic, then climbing up on the dock and pulling the boats up after. Would not recommend this place for kayakers.
Verified traveller
Stayed 5 nights in Sep 2018
Response from VrboOwner on 17 Mar 2020
Thanks for the stay! I have a kayak and canoes for use when you rent the cabin. There is a place between two cabins that's flat and I pull the boats there when parking or launching. When done for the week I pull them to the top by dock. Apparently I did not communicate that and thought you had to launch from there. Glad you loved the cabin!
Verified
6/10 Okay
Sharon K.
6 Aug 2022
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication
Our stay on Crane Lake
First of all, the view from the deck of the cabin was great. Enjoyed our coffee and some wine at night out there.
We docked our boat at the dock we were instructed to. The cart was there to use for us to put our stuff into. But, we had no idea prior to coming that the incline to get to our cabin was so steep. It took several trips with the help of our grandson to get all of our stuff to the cabin. My husband and I have no physical limitations, but it was still challenging plus annoying every time we wanted to go to our boat.
The place was overall clean, but I felt that it could use attention to detail when preparing for the next guests to come. Coffee grinds were still in coffee pot.
If you are larger people, the sleeping could be difficult. My husband and I shared a small full size bed. Both bedrooms have full sized beds.
The weather was cool, so there were no issues with the heat, but if it was warmer, you may not like the fact it had no air conditioning.
If you want a quiet, peaceful place to stay, this may not be it. We were on a major thoroughfare for boats. Going to the marina and voyagaire.
We did have an overall a good time though. But, we won't be going back as the location of the cabin was not convenient for us.
Sharon K.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 6 Aug 2022
Again, I would like to thank Sharion's group for their stay There three daughter and children stayed at the new large log cabin below the Hilltop. The Hilltop cabin so named because its sits over a granite outcrop overlooking the lake. The dock for the Hilltop cabin is about 3/4 block away half on flat path and the other half about a 20% incline to the Hilltop cabin. For some people the challenge of the 3/4 walk to dock to cabin might be too much. For others that's why this cabin is so special. This is a wilderness sitting 2 miles from shore and entering Voyageurs' National Park. Not unusually to park your boat at dock and walk to 3/4 block to cabin or most camp site in the park.
My cleaner has a new girl being trained in and she forgot to check the coffee pot. Guests left that morning and washed coffee pot but did not empty grounds. My cleaner saw Sharon when cleaning another cabin and apologized to Sharon for her young girl be trained for not checking coffee basket. As for boat traffic, my point where cabin is on the north and south about1.5 miles is Bayless Island. Boat traffic goes between heading to the narrows and Sandpoint Lake and beyond Friday to Sunday the busiest. I personally enjoy sitting on the Hilltop cabin deck from above and watching some different houseboats go by. A few sail boats also on lake in evening with their bright color sales. And as the listing states "Both bedrooms have a full bed in each! No central air but has fans. Not too common to need air up here. We had a hot week in June but at night it gets 50 and some night upper 40s. Most days 70s to mid 80s. Being up high you get a cool breeze of the lake the goes up the hill.
Beautiful view from inside the cabin and out on the deck.
The cabin location was great for relaxing on the deck and overlooking the lake. It worked well for our family of five. Two sleeping in each bed and one on a comfortable air mattress.
We stay here with our children for 4 nights. The place was cozy and well stocked. The view was amazing! I failed to notice their was no air conditioning. It was not listed on the ad so it was my oversight. It was 92 degrees and very hot but the fans helped a lot! The beds were also not queen sized so we had to sleep with one of our kids because we never would have fit on the beds together. Beds were very comfortable despite being full sized not queen. We had a great time exploring around the cabin and playing games at night. Would definitely recommend this place for anyone looking to take in all crane lake has to offer!
The cabin was clean and had everything we needed for our stay. The views from the deck were awesome! The walk up the hill was not bad at all! There was a cart waiting for us, so we didn’t have to make as many trips to load and unload. We’d go back again!
It was fun and adventurous trip. We love the area, cabin, and trails. The owner was friendly and easy to get hold of when we have questions. We surely will come back in the future.
Beautiful view! Images of lake from majority of cabin. All needed amenities. Large, spacious desk. Great time. Beautiful area to explore by water or on foot.
We stayed at Gary's Hilltop Cabin, here is our honest detailed review and feedback of our experience:
PROS:
*The location of the area was fantastic and peaceful. Great views of Crane Lake and boating was a good time
*The locals and staff at Handburg Marina were very friendly and accommodating to us
CONS:
*Main issue we had was the fact that the listing was clearly misrepresented. The owner never mentioned that this property was BOAT ACCESS ONLY miles away from the cabin until AFTER we arrived there. **Buyer Beware**
-Imagine bringing your family up there 5 hours drive north to find out you have to pay additional $135-250 per day for boat rental and parking fees or turn around and drive back home. If u arrive after hours and rental is closed youre out of luck, no way to get to the cabin & you have to drive 40 minutes to rent a hotel for the night. Listing never mentioned this and owner failed to inform us as well **BUYER BEWARE**
*The Wifi was terrible. No phone calls or texts were going through anywhere near the cabin & the internet was very slow and spotty. We had a tough time reaching the owner and communication upon arrival was poor
*Directions were very confusing. We had to buy a map at Handburg just to find the location and the owner was rude and inconsiderate by not explaining the location correctly, just expected us to know everything like were the locals and told us to "BUY A MAP" and figure it out on our own
*Listing states that it Sleep 5. **Buyer Beware** technically it only sleeps 4 small children. If you have grown adults it realistically only sleeps two adults, or one adult and child per bed. Very uncomfortable & we had someone fall off the bed at night. Beds were very small considering we had 5 grown adults for our stay and we got charged for a 5th person for 3 nights but there was no room for the 5th person to sleep anywhere, owner failed to mention this in his listing
* Privacy concerns. There was no window shades in the rooms in the back
directly in the walking path to the cabin- anyone walking by could see us inside and listing failed to mention there is a bigger cabin literally 10 feet from Hilltop. We werent expecting neighbors that close and it would have been nice to know this ahead of time before we got there
*We were not allowed to dock our boat directly below our cabin as others were staying next door. The adjadcent dock was in a bad spot next to big rocks and was too small for our boat and very inconvenient
I came here with my teenage daughter, and we had a great time. The space is comfortable, and the views of the lake are beautiful. Though the space is small, it is quite functional and cozy. You do need a boat to get there (there’s no road to the cabin). We rented one from Handberg’s and had a good experience there.
Amy Lynn C.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2020
Verified
6/10 Okay
Rachel T.
11 July 2020
Liked: Communication, location
peaceful
Loved the property, cabin, and the lake but the set-up with confusing and honestly odd. We shared a dock with a cabin that was 2 properties away from our cabin and were not allowed to use the dock that was directly by our cabin due to a new cabin that was there and was for their use only. My experience and what I would expect is to share the common area spaces and the items with all 3 properties that were within 100 feet of each other. That was disappointing. Please know you need to rent a board to get to the property which I did not find out until I talk to the owner the day before. Pine Point Resort was amazing to work with and had excellent customer service. We rented our boat from them and would highly recommend using them. Overall our stay was good.
Rachel T.
Stayed 6 nights in Jun 2020
Response from VrboOwner on 12 July 2020
I was quite surprised when Rachel's party did not realize they needed a boat to access the cabin. The highlights I try to emphasis in the web site is the cabin is 1-2 miles from the end of all roads and no traffic but boats by the cabin. Much different then the many cabins you can rent on Crane on shore by roads. Voyageurs National Park which Crane Lake is the gateway to is a boat in access only. I highlight that in the web site. The confusion of the docks came when Jeff from Pine Point thought they where renting the larger cabin that holds 10 people. and pointed out the wrong dock. I have three cabins on this point. The large log cabin sleeps up to 10 and they usually have two boats. I have there dock exclusive for them and have another dock for the two cabin that sleep 4, with one side of the dock for each party. I never had a dock problem before in my 8 years of renting. Had conversation with Jeff at Pine Point to make sure he knows what cabin they are renting so the confusion does not happen again when he rents boats to my clients.
We loved boating in a park and exploring all the different back bays. It was a nice cabin to return to from a long day on the boat. All the amenities we needed.
Elizabeth D.
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Stefeni T.
3 Aug 2018
Fabulous lake view, cute,clean, great location!
Well maintained lake cabin. Slight incline to walk to cabin but good exercise after week on island! Would suggest bringing additional fans. Box fan for kitchen and extra fans for bedrooms. Thank you for the wonderful accommodations!
Stefeni T.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2018
Response from VrboOwner on 17 Mar 2020
Thanks for your stay at the Wilderness remote cabin. It always a pleasure to share this location that I fell in love with 25 years age. I did purchase addition fans for cabin. Unusually very hot July up here. Most of the month highs are 70s, but we hit 90 a few days. The views from the cabin to south and east has great views of the entire lake.
Archival
8/10 Good
Catherine H.
14 Aug 2017
BEAUTIFUL VIEW!
We loved the location and views! The dock is not too close to the cabin so you need to haul your stuff a way - uphill - but there is a cart to assist. The path passes very close to a neighboring cabin so you may feel a bit intrusive but the view is a different direction so it wasn't a problem. There is no ladder onto the dock so don't plan to swim there unless you have beach shoes to walk on rocks. The cabin is updated and comfortable. A ceiling fan offered a welcomed breeze in the eating area on a hot day. The beds and patio furniture are very comfortable. The shower is small but functional and the instant water heater was perfect since we didn't worry about running out of hot water for four showers after a day on the lake! The kitchen is well stocked but we had to be creative to open cans because the inexpensive can opener didn't work. The only issue we had was that the Wi-fi was not available for 5 of 6 days. However, the owner was responsive and came the last day to replace the rooter and generously gave us a small reimbursement. I would definitely recommend this property.
Catherine H.
Archival
6/10 Okay
gary s.
12 July 2016
Quiet and Peacefull
My brother and I enjoyed our stay at the cabin,clean and the amenities were just fine. Getting up to the cabin with supplies can be a little bit of a challenge but all in all we enjoyed our stay.
gary s.
Stayed 6 nights in Jun 2016
Response from VrboOwner on 17 Mar 2020
Its always a pleasure to share this special place with my guests. There is three cabins on this point with no roads, boat in only. The Hilltop cabin has the most spectacular views being up so high on the rocks. It is the farthest from the dock, about a block away with a nice path with a slight upgrade. There is a pull cart there to carry your gear. A little work but the cabin and views from the deck will make it worth it.
Archival
10/10 Excellent
Judy B.
27 June 2016
Amazing views of the lake and comfortable
Our family enjoyed our amazing vacation in the Hilltop cabin. We watched the eagles and enjoyed the sunrises from the deck. The cabin was very comfortable and had everything we needed.
Judy B.
About the host
Hosted by Gary Nesseth
I have enjoyed the northern boarder lakes for many years. I was introduced to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area when I was in college. I have enjoyed this unique wilderness ever since. I am 58 and never grow tired of going to this wilderness, each time I go something new to see and discover.
Why they chose this property
Because this property is a mile or two from the end of all roads it give me the feel of real seclusion but 4 minutes by boat from the bars and restaurants and my car. It is the gateway entry to the Voyageurs National Park with the endless lakes to explore with my motorboat. It is also one lake away from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area which is no motor area with mile after mile of lakes interconnected with short portages. It gives me the access to two of the most unique wilderness areas in Minnesota.
Languages:
English
Premier Host
They consistently provide great experiences for their guests