Cabin

Cabin 1 at Westhaven Lodge w/ Dock, Boat Lift & Beach on Big Bay

Photo gallery for Cabin 1 at Westhaven Lodge w/ Dock, Boat Lift & Beach on Big Bay

A lakeside park with birch trees and a wooden deck.
A cozy living room with a stone fireplace, wooden walls, a plaid sofa, a floral armchair, a small table, and a bookshelf.
A lakeside cabin with a canoe, chairs, and a grassy area.
A wooden dock leading to a cabin surrounded by trees.
A wooden cabin interior with a large window, a wooden bench, and a small table.

Reviews

9.4 out of 10
Exceptional
With space for 5 guests, this cabin features 2 bedrooms and water views. It includes 4 outdoor pickleball courts and a patio for relaxation. Adventure seekers can enjoy nearby snorkeling, cave exploring, and kayaking, while attractions like Portage Bay and Taconic State Trail await exploration. The property is pet-friendly and situated lakefront, near a museum, casino, and shopping area.

Highlights

  • On the beach
    A rare beachfront property in the area - enjoy direct access to the sand and sea.
  • By the lake
    Guests love the beautiful lakefront location.
2 bedroomsSleeps 5

Popular amenities

  • On beach
  • Garage parking available
  • Pet-friendly
  • Kitchen
  • Barbecue
  • Deck or patio

Explore the area

View map
Tower, MN
  • Place, Fortune Bay Casino
    ‪9 min drive‬
  • Place, Lake Vermilion State Park
    ‪15 min drive‬
  • Place, Soudan Underground Mine State Park
    ‪17 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

2 bedrooms (sleeps 5)

Bedroom 1

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 2

2 Single Beds

Bathroom 1

Toilet · Shower only

Spaces

Deck or patio
Kitchen
Outdoor play area
Garden
Dining area

About this property

Cabin 1 at Westhaven Lodge w/ Dock, Boat Lift & Beach on Big Bay

In existence since 1935, Westhaven Lodge and its cabins have one of the premier locations on the south side of Big Bay of Lake Vermilion. Cabin 1 has its own small point with a fire pit, dock and boat lift, and it has a beach that it shares with the main lodge. It also has a sauna, a fish cleaning house, a canoe and two kayaks that are shared with the lodge.
Questions? Please contact Rodger.
The boat lift can accommodate a speed boat or fishing boat up to 3,000 pounds. The 650 square foot cabin has a bedroom with a queen bed and another bedroom with twin beds. It's finished with a vintage pine interior with an updated bathroom, and it also has a stone fireplace. Pets are allowed, and a large, private deck runs along the entire front (lakeside) of the cabin. Antenna TV available with Wi-Fi streaming capability. Because the sun rises and sets so far to the north in the summer, the point is ideal for watching both--just stay up late and get up early!

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House Rules

Check in after 4:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 25
Check out before 9:00 AM
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Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17
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Events

No events allowed
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Pets

Pets allowed: limit 2 total
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Smoking

Smoking is not permitted
Plenty of beautiful outdoor space for that...
Cancellation policy is on 50% deposit. If 100% payment already made, refund is 75% 30 to 60 days, and 50% 10 to 30 days.
Different check-in/out times may be arranged, if possible, and we supply firewood, but it can run out. We can let you know where to get more.
If you bring a pet, be sure it doesn't bother the neighbors, and clean up after it. Under 25? Contact us to discuss an additional background check.

Important information

You need to know

Property # 682304vb
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
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has indicated that there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a first aid kit and a deadlock
This property has outdoor spaces, such as balconies, patios and terraces, which may not be suitable for children; if you have any concerns, we recommend contacting the property prior to your arrival to confirm that they can accommodate you in a suitable room

About the area

Tower

Located in Tower, this cabin is on the beach. Timbuktu Marina and Giants Ridge Golf and Ski Resort are worth checking out if an activity is on the agenda, while those wishing to experience the area's natural beauty can explore Soudan Underground Mine State Park and Lake Vermilion State Park. Jet skiing and kayaking offer great chances to get out on the surrounding water, or you can seek out an adventure with hiking/biking trails and cycling nearby.
View more Cabin rentals in TowerOpens in a new window
Map
Tower, MN

What's nearby

  • Fortune Bay Casino - 9 min drive - 9.1 km
  • Lost Lake - 12 min drive - 9.5 km
  • Lake Vermilion State Park - 15 min drive - 21.5 km
  • Soudan Underground Mine State Park - 17 min drive - 22.9 km
  • Eagles Nest Lake Number Three - 28 min drive - 40.3 km

Restaurants

  • ‪Tavern In The Bay - ‬3 min drive
  • ‪Gold Mine Grill - ‬10 min drive
  • ‪Tower Cafe - ‬14 min drive
  • ‪The Good Ol Days Bar - ‬14 min drive
  • ‪Sulu's Espresso Cafe - ‬14 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is Cabin 1 at Westhaven Lodge w/ Dock, Boat Lift & Beach on Big Bay pet-friendly?

Yes, this property allows pets (limit 2 total).

How much is parking at Cabin 1 at Westhaven Lodge w/ Dock, Boat Lift & Beach on Big Bay?

On-site parking is available at the property.

What time is check-in at Cabin 1 at Westhaven Lodge w/ Dock, Boat Lift & Beach on Big Bay?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Cabin 1 at Westhaven Lodge w/ Dock, Boat Lift & Beach on Big Bay?

Checkout is at 9:00 AM.

Where is Cabin 1 at Westhaven Lodge w/ Dock, Boat Lift & Beach on Big Bay located?

Nestled on the beach, this Tower cabin is steps from Lake Vermilion and 3.1 mi (5 km) from Fortune Bay Casino. Soudan Underground Mine State Park and Lake Vermilion State Park are also within 12 miles (20 km).

Reviews

9.4

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 62 out of 81 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 14 out of 81 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 3 out of 81 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 2 out of 81 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 81 reviews

9.6/10

Cleanliness

9.8/10

Check-in

9.8/10

Communication

10/10

Location

9.6/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Loved it. But was very disappointed in the shower, no pressure and water only came out on some of the holes on the shower head
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2026
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Definitely enjoyed my early season stay and being able to use the fireplace. The property is very conveniently located to several attractions. Only recommendation I have to pass on to others is to burn wood towards the back of the fireplace because the smoke curls over the edge if it’s towards the front and you will need to open a window to air it out. Otherwise, perfect for the getaway we needed to relax!
Stayed 4 nights in May 2026
Response from VrboOwner on 23 May 2026
We're glad you enjoyed your stay, Patrick. I'll try to remember to make a little note next to the fireplace to make the fire twoard the back of it to keep it from having smoke curl up into the cabin. Thanks for the advice!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
The cabin was a great place to rest after a day of fishing. I look forward to staying there again.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2025
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Location on Lake Vermillion was great - cabin was clean and as described. We would definitely book again.
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2025
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Beautiful views! We loved our stay. Super clean and well cared for property.
Stayed 6 nights in Jul 2025
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fall fishing trip

Awesome cabin and location had a great time fishing and exploring the lake
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2024
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful Location

The property has a perfect location on the lake and is in quiet portion of the bay. The lodge is perfect for families and friends to enjoy fishing and golfing.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2024
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Really enjoyed our time at this cabin on Lake Vermillion. It was perfect for the two of us and our yellow lab. Beautiful fireplace, and very large bathroom, heater was nice as it did get cool overnight. It had everything, deck table/chairs, gas grill, picnic table, dock and fire pit.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2025
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great Cabin, very clean, quiet

Nice property, parking was easy, cabin was clean had EVERYTHING (except AC)
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2024
Verified review

6/10 Okay

Liked: Communication, location
Disliked: Check-in
I wish I would have known there was no air-conditioning. They had 2 box fans available. Word to the wise, the mayflies are in a great abundance in June and July. Was hard to be out in the yard or by the water without the nuisance of them. It had a boat lift available and a nice dock to sit on and fish from. The lake was a very nice clean lake. Mayflies are only in healthy clean water so it must be excellent water lol Be sure to bring a flashlight with you in case the power goes out. The power was out our first night from a storm, and there was no flashlight available. The caretaker brought one over after I asked about one. We wish there would have been a little more water pressure in the shower, didn’t feel like you could get very clean in the shower after being in the lake. Nice but very rustic and primitive.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2026
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
We have stayed in several cabins on various lakes in Ontario and in Minnesota. This one has many great advantages if you are bringing a boat and if you are fishing. The public boat ramp is very nice for launching the boat and is within a couple of miles and very easy to find. The private dock is nice and I especially liked the boat lift. My boat was not stained on the sides like when it sits in the water at some marinas where we have been. The view is spectacular and the cabin is close to the water. Nice deck with a gas grill, internet was great and Roku tv is a nice feature. We did have a problem with the plumbing and the maintenance guy worked on it right away but it was going into the weekend and could not get a plumber to come out so we had to leave early but it is something that was just unfortunate and the owner understood why we had to leave. The owner was good about getting us a refund through VRBO and we received most of it immediately except VRBO is dragging feet about getting us the remainder of the fees. Owner is working on that. I have to say the owner is great and easy to work with. We liked the cabin and location so much that we will book again only for a longer stay. Cabin was really clean when we arrived. Bathroom has been updated, kitchen has full sized refrigerator, microwave and all the cooking pots and pans and utensils. Overall, a definite thumbs up!
Stayed 14 nights in Aug 2026
Response from VrboOwner on 3 Sept 2026
Hi Dale, thanks for the good review. Aside from just bad timing on the plumbing issue (which we had fixed first thing Monday morning when we could finally get an expert to take care of the problem after you had the bad experience over the weekend), it seems your comment about not getting all of your partial refund back deals with how slow VRBO has been to refund their share of the refund that must go back to you. I've talked to them at least five times already to get that to you, and I have my VRBO rep working on it! (If you ask me, I think we deserve 5 stars -- VRBO not so much!)
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Westhaven 3-day stay

Rustic cabin, exactly as described, with beautiful lakefront. We were there late in the season, so not many others around, but really enjoyed the property and the area.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2024
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fantastic Stay at Westhaven Lodge

We had an amazing time at Westhaven Lodge! The accommodations were perfect for our family and we had everything we needed. The lake was beautiful and so fun to explore. Hopefully we get a chance to stay again!
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2024
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Check in was quite easy. The furnishings were comfortable. The bed was a little to firm for my liking, but I got used to it. The front porch had a great view of the lake which my wife really enjoyed.
Stayed 6 nights in Aug 2025
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
We loved the cabin and the property. So private and quiet. Cabin was well stocked with dishes and pots and pans. Great that we had a dock with a boat lift too.Weather was warm so fishing was slow. We still enjoyed our stay and hope to return next year.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2025
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Cabin/Fishing Retreat

Cabin had everything we needed. Caught some delicious fish. The lift was great to have access to.
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2024
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

September Stay

We stayed 5 nights, and had a great time. Everything we needed was at the cabin, it was a blessing our dog could come with us. The location is great, the cabin is very close to Lake Vermilion State Park and Bearhead State Park. Would recommend
Stayed 5 nights in Sep 2023
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Perfect Family Get Away!

We had a great time in Cabin 1, it is cozy but our family of 6 fit comfortably and we enjoyed the together time. The private dock is wonderful and the kids enjoyed hunting for beach glass and crayfish right in front. The owner was very easy to work with and went out of his way to make sure we were having fun , we will definitely be back!
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2019
Response from VrboOwner on 6 Mar 2020
Thanks Gretchen. We enjoyed having your fun-loving family next door while we were staying in the Lodge for the weekend! You certainly made good use of the pontoon boat you rented. We'd love to have back soon!
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
We had a nice time and the cabin was very clean. The bedroom doors didn't stay shut and the pressure in the shower wasn't great but that was the only problem we had.Thank you.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2025
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Anniversary Celebration

Had a wonderful time. We reserved the lodge and the cabin. The cabin was perfect for one of our families. Clean and comfortable. We will recommend your lodge and cabin. Thank you for a great week.
Response from VrboOwner on 6 Mar 2020
Thanks for the nice review, Gary. We hope you come back soon!
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Guys Trip-Summer Fun

Location is perfect. Close boat ride to quality fishing spots. The cabin was clean but needs some new furniture. The boat lift needs to be fixed or replaced.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2020
Response from VrboOwner on 23 July 2020
The boat lift has been fixed! One of the blocks (pulleys) had broken, and it has been replaced. We're working on the new furniture...
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Was very impressed by the exceptional cleanliness of this property despite being a very old cabin. The charm and unique historical craftsmanship was not lost on us. It was a comfortable stay for 4 adults and an infant. The room with the queen bed was large enough to set-up a play pen. The property was peaceful. Although you are quite close to the “lodge” next door, so if there is a rowdy group it might put a damper on your stay. The group next to us was considerate and we had no complaints. The only thing that was a negative for us was no air conditioning. (Would love a small freestanding unit in the main part of the cabin)Although it was really only an issue the first night we were there. 90 degrees and no wind made for an exceptionally hot cabin. It took awhile for temps to drop. Box fans were provided thank goodness. Heat is for sure something we should have considered more traveling with a 7 month old and an 80 year old. Just something I’d like others to be aware of! Would stay again. 90s aren’t typical for an end of may stay!
Stayed 3 nights in May 2026
Response from VrboOwner on 14 June 2026
Sorry about the hot evening. It rarely gets like that. The lake is always cool, and it's usually cool at night. If you close the windows during the day and open them after sunset, the place can stay pretty cool. That said, I will look into getting a freestanding AC unit like you mentioned. - Rodger
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Rustic Retreat ❤️

We had the most amazing time. The property is not only perfect but beautifully maintained and the view is spectacular. We also met the care takers and so enjoyed talking with them. Thank you. ❤️
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2024
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Cabin 1

We had a great time on Lake Vermillion at Westhaven. Great weather, cabin was great. Nice deck. We met the caretakers and they were very nice. Had minor trouble with WiFi but Rodger helped us with that.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2020
Response from VrboOwner on 29 July 2020
Thanks Kristi! We're glad you had a great time.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Cozy Fishing Retreat on Lake Vermilion

This separate little cabin from the primary Westhaven Lodge is great. It is cozy with a nice old school up north feel about it. The bathroom has been renovated. It includes it's own dock with boat lift and a nice deck facing the lake. Close proximity to The Vermilion Club, Fortune Bay & The Y Store is a bonus. Communicating with the owner was a breeze.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2020
Response from VrboOwner on 22 Oct 2020
Thanks John, we're glad you had a good time and really liked the place. The info in your review is better than what I've got on my VRBO webpage!!

About the host

Hosted by Rodger Skare

Host profile image
The Skare family bought Westhaven Lodge, all of its cabins and an additional 20 acres of heavily-wooded upland back in 1978 and operated the entire property as a resort for 20 years. Most of the original cabins making up the resort still exist, but six were sold off to some great guests who are now great neighbors. The next generation of the family continues to rent out Cabin 1 (which is still the best of the original cabins) and the Lodge--with both oriented along the lakeshore with a surprising amount of privacy.

Why they chose this property

Excellent family retreat with unbelievable amenities and a wealth of things to do--rain or shine.

What makes this property unique

Dock with own 4,000-lb. boat lift, a pebble beach, a rock point and a lakeside fire pit.

Languages:

English
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