Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
One-of-a-kind family vacations await at White Iron Beach Resort, where our cabins overlook beautiful White Iron Lake near Ely, Minnesota, making ours one of the finest northern Minnesota fishing resorts! Surrounded by the Superior National Forest and offering easy access to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and outstanding fishing, White Iron Beach Resort is the ideal setting for an unforgettable Minnesota getaway! Enjoy our comfortable Minnesota Lake cabins, a shallow swimming area for kids, sandy beaches and so much more at an outstanding northern Minnesota fishing resort! White Iron Beach Resort has everything you could want in a resort vacation, from a scenic lake and classic cabins to great Minnesota fishing and all kinds of family fun! If you’re not on the lake trolling for trophy walleye, planted near a crappie bed, casting for bass or hooking into a lunker of a northern pike, you may want to check out our sauna or game room. We look forward to seeing you!
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
This resort does a fantastic job of making you feel comfortable and relaxed. The cabins are very clean and well maintained. I rented a pontoon with my daughter and had no problems; the owner made sure it was gassed up and ready at our cabin dock. We were fortunate to catch walleye and northern for an evening supper of fish and wine. Sandy and Kerry are excellent hosts and always go the extra mile for you. A lighted and Clean screened in fish house with cutting boards and fresh water to clean your catch.. I can only say you will certainly enjoy a pleasant and relaxed time at White Iron Beach and not be disappointed. Remember to return those 17 to 26 inch slot walleye back into the water so we can all enjoy future fishing.
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Date of stay: May 2022
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I have been staying at this resort for 4 straight Summer vacations now. It's still the Gold Standard for an old resort experience. Many large family groups stay here and there always seems to be a buzz of fun around the resort. It's a great place for young kids to play with a large enough beach for swimming. The dock boys work tirelessly all day to keep the resort in order, combing the beaches, checking the garbage and even cleaning your grills daily. There are even little personal touches like having a Sunday paper delivered to your cabin that make you feel so welcomed. Then come the owners Kerry and Sandy, who are the most flexible people that I have ever met. This year we inquired about a pontoon boat rental for a day, which all were currently booked, but they managed to find one for us. I am going to keep staying here because my toddler son will really start enjoying this place in a year or two. He's already enjoying the playground, hopefully next year the beach and some dock fishing. I have my dock spot with electric for my boat (one for each cabin). The lake and chain are great fishing lakes! We are finding that we are seeing some of the same people each year which is nice too. And some of the people that we have met have been extremely nice and friendly . This is the type of resort atmosphere that I had as a kid in Ely and it's what I want for my son to experience in his childhood. Thank you Kerry and Sandy for always providing a great place to stay and wonderful experience !
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Date of stay: July 2022
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Room Tip:Many different sized cabins and prices, just call the owners and tell them what you are looking for.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I've been coming to this resort now for 7 years during the month of July and each time I leave, I am even more appreciative of the owners. Kerry and Sandy are two of the most friendly, helpful and thoughtful people that I have met. This is definitely a family run place and you will find their children and grandchildren around helping out. Kerry seems to be up at the crack of dawn to make sure there are no issues with the grounds.
This year though they really went above and beyond to help me out when I really needed it. It was next to the last day of the trip and I was going to pull my boat out of the water. I woke up that morning with a swollen elbow where I couldn't move my arm that much. I wasn't worried too much about getting the boat on the trailer because it's not very heavy, I was more concerned with pulling the starting rope to run the gas out of my motor. My father-in-law had a resort boat rented and I took the family out for one last ride since that motor had an electric start so all I had to do was push a button. While that was happening, Kerry and son Taylor took my boat out of the water, ran the gas out of the motor and had it sitting on my trailer without me even knowing they were going to do it. I was so grateful for what they did to help me. All I did was ask Taylor if he could help me pull start it to run the gas out.
My wife and I just love this place, for one because of the beach and playground for my son, but mostly for the people, the owners and the same people that are in the neighboring cabins. We will continue to come each July as long as we can. Our stay is worth every penny spent.
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Date of stay: July 2024
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Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stayed for a week with husband, 2 kids, 2 in-laws, and 4 grandkids. Our cabin was clean and had enough space for 10 of us. We rented a pontoon which was in great shape and allowed us to go fishing or just cruising around the lake. Minimal mosquitoes. Trash was emptied regularly and the staff even came around to clean off our grill. Beach was raked every morning. Staff made sure the gas tank on the pontoon was always full. Quiet time at 10pm, so didn’t have to deal with loud guests at night. We hope to return next year.
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Date of stay: July 2022
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Great accommodations! Many activities near by for all ages but plenty to do on site. Very kid friendly with a wonderful playground located the middle of the resort. The cabins are clean and well cared for. A very nice sandy beach with a large sized swimming area that is very shallow at the beginning so safe for even small children.
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Date of stay: August 2024Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My husband and adult daughter traveled to Ely for a long weekend in early October and booked a beautiful, relatively newly refurbished 2 bedroom cabin with a spacious deck and view of the lake. The kitchen was spacious and modern and the full bath included a walk-in tiled shower and a heater. The Davis family was very accommodating and friendly and did allow us to have a campfire at another unoccupied cabin (since ours didn't have a fire pit). There was an issue with the water while we were there, but we were provided with bottled water for drinking and cooking. We have stayed at White Iron in the past and would definitely stay again. Our only comment is the lack of clothes closets and/or too few places to hang clothes or towels, but otherwise a really nice cabin for an excellent rate!
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Date of stay: October 2020
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
So let me start by saying I would have loved to have given this place a 5 star review. It has just about everything you could ever want to do at a cabin. Kids had a great time...until our last night.
A group of teenagers decided to absolutely harass our kids. Following them from place to place, surrounding them, and calling them names. We told our kids not to engage, but the harassment did not stop. They tried talking to the owners, and come to find out it was the owners granddaughter and her friends. The owners did absolutely nothing to stop the harassment that continued until we made our kids come inside. My husband and I even witnessed them following our kids around. My husband even had to go and sit with our kids so they could make smores at the public fire pit without being harassed.
Then as I was cleaning up the cabin and taking the garbage out they made comments about me twice. I ended up approaching them saying that I wanted to talk to some parents, and they were the most disrespectful bunch of kids I have EVER encountered. After arguing with me and getting up in my face, I got absolutely heated. Should have taken my own advice and not engaged, but had enough of the harassment of my family.
Sandy and Kerry (owners) were absolutely pleasant, but we will not be returning thanks to all the problems with their family members. Such a disappointing/infuriating end to a fun trip! 😡
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Date of stay: August 2020Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Kerry Davis, Owner at White Iron Beach Resort
Responded Aug 27, 2020
First and foremost we never like to hear that anyone did not have a trip that was a 5 star experience from beginning to end. To address you concerns it will do no good to get into a he said she said unless you want to bring up your, the mother's, language and actions toward these young people. Besides we are dealing with 10 to 14 year old kids with vividly wide descriptions of what may or may not have been going on. But to get some facts straight you never came and spoke to us about this, your children came to us. Sandy immediately addressed what may have been happening with our only grandchild there. The majority of other kids around were from other cabins. Again, if you would have come spoke to us we would have figured out what cabins they were in and addressed this with their parents. We can not address situations that we either do not know about or is not brought to our attention by an adult. We were up until late into the evening and that conversation could have happened. To you and anyone reading this, please look back as far as you wish and you will not find this kind of situation happening. Yes, it did seem like your very active bunch of kids and friends of kids had a great time. We always take responsibility for what we know about and address. Sorry that did not happen. We hope over time the 3 or 4 days you were here and enjoyed yourself will be the lasting memory. Sincerely, Kerry and Sandy
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
This was our 2nd annual, family vacation and both were spent at White Iron Beach Resort. We love staying here! Sandy, Kerry, and their family are so wonderful, kind, and helpful! The kids love petting the dogs, playing at the park, and swimming at the beach. Everyone enjoyed taking out the kayaks, paddle boards, canoes, and peddle boats which are all free to use. My husband rented a boat both years as well, which allowed us to tour the multiple connecting lakes and fish. It's just such a laid back, relaxing atmosphere! We are planning our next trip already 😀
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Date of stay: June 2023
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Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We had a great time at WIBR! Sandy and Kerry are the best hosts, very helpful and always available. The cabin was cozy and very clean with all the utilities we needed. We loved being right on the lake and enjoyed breakfast and dinner on the porch with the beautiful lake view. We will be back!
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Date of stay: July 2024Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We started going to MN resorts in the mid-90’s. Each year we selected a new resort until we “found the one”. We found White Iron Beach Resort in our fourth year and now 25+ years later, we still return to WIBR. Our kids were in their pre/early teen years when we started coming here. They met other kids and remain friends today. My parents started joining us for a few days each year and enjoyed their time here, too. And, now, our grandkids have started enjoying it. I treasure those times we had and the memories made. The last two years, we’ve come in mid-September and have enjoyed the quiet of the fall. Fishing has been good, weather has been pretty good - perfect for jogging the area; and the fall foliage absolutely beautiful. WIBR is family oriented with a great beach, kayaks, canoes and paddle boats for everyone to use. Kerry and Sandy are the best hosts you could ask for. 5 stars all around!
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Date of stay: September 2023
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Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Kerry Davis, Owner at White Iron Beach Resort
Responded Sep 30, 2023
Thanks for the great review. We look forward to seeing you again soon. Kerry and Sandy
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
There are more places to choose from in the Ely area.
LOCATION
United StatesMinnesotaEly
NUMBER OF ROOMS
27
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