If you’re looking for a great Minnesota getaway you need to check out Green Gate Guest Houses, located near Biwabik, Minnesota. The property is bordered by Giants Ridge Recreational Area, The Mesabi Bike Trail and the Embarrass River, and is a short drive from the Bavarian-themed town of Biwabik.  We discovered Green Gate during our recent trip to Duluth and the Iron Range and absolutely loved it there. Not only is the location ideal and next to so many great activities, but Green Gate is so beautiful that you might have a hard time leaving to do anything else! We spent a lot of time around the fire pit and enjoying everything the beautiful vacation home and property had to offer. There’s a river that runs alongside the property, so in warmer months you have access to the river to lounge (plop some lawn chairs down in the shallow water) or paddle.

The owner, Shawn, is a former engineer who now spends the majority of his time constructing beautiful guest homes on his property and managing them as amazing little vacation spots. During our recent trip we stayed in the farmhouse, but there’s also a barn home, a log cabin and more in the works (we got a sneak peak of the Miner’s House, which Shawn is currently working on, and also peaked at the riverside ‘tiny house’ that is still a work in progress).

During our time in Biwabik we biked 30 miles along The Mesabi Trail (read more about it in this post), which is easy to access from Green Gate Guest Houses. The folks at Mesabi Shuttle can even arrange to pick you up right from Green Gate and transport you and your bikes to a trail head. Green Gate is right next door to one of Minnesota’s greatest recreational areas, Giants Ridge, where you can find world class skiing, golfing, fat biking, snow tubing, disc golf, hiking, an outdoor pool, beaches, a rock climbing wall and a system of mountain bike trails that is slated to open in 2018. You’re also near Sabin Lake (along with several other local lakes) where you can partake in a host of water activities. I promise, if you decide you can tear yourself away from your beautiful surroundings at Green Gate, you will not be bored for a single second. You can find additional information about local activities through Iron Range Tourism.

Another fun fact about Green Gate that we wanted to share is that they have a Tesla Charging Station as well as a Clipper Creek Universal Charger right on site. Being about 206 miles north of Minneapolis makes Green Gate Guest Houses ideal for Tesla and other electronic car drivers who are looking for a place to not only relax and recharge themselves….but are looking to vacation in Northern Minnesota with their Tesla and need to plan on being able to recharge the car during their stay (most electronic cars have a range of 200-300 miles on one charge)!

We’d love to get back up to Biwabik this summer if our schedule allows, but are definitely anticipating a return trip to Green Gate Guest Houses in the winter for skiing and fat biking!

In case you’re wondering, Green Gate is not a dog friendly property, but they do consider 4-legged guests for return customers, with a preference for dogs who are non-shedding. You can contact them directly to ask about bringing your furry friend along on your vacation. Walter had a blast and gives Green Gate four paws up! 

We partnered with Explore Minnesota for this trip to the Iron Range and these accommodations were free of charge. However, I’m brutally honest and if they sucked I wouldn’t refrain from telling you all about our terrible time.