Gunflint Summers: 100 Years of Northwoods Adventure
The history of the Gunflint Trail began nearly 2 billion years ago when a meteorite crashed into what is now Sudbury, Ontario, throwing rock fragments known as ejecta more than 500 miles.¹ This is what created the “Gunflint” Rock that the area is known for.
Later (much, much later), the Trail began as a footpath that the Ojibwe fur traders and Grand Marais (“Biitoobig”). The Ojibwe name for Gunflint Lake is Biiwaanago-saaga’igan, which took its name from the flint, or chips of chert, that French traders would gather for their flintlock firearms at the lakeshore where the path began.²
The Voyageur Highway was a network of lakes and rivers that opened up the inland frontier to French-Canadian-Native American traders and trappers who trapped furs in the interior and transported them by canoe to Lake Superior, where they could be traded and shipped to the East Coast and on to Europe.
The Sudbury ejecta distributed rocks ripe with nickel, copper, gold, silver, and platinum across the region, and many prospectors visited the area trying to capitalize on mining and mineral riches.
Miners were followed by loggers, and then by hunters and trappers, fishers, and recreation seekers.
For more than a century, travelers have followed the winding road to the end of the Gunflint Trail in search of something timeless: clear water, towering pines, and the quiet magic of Minnesota’s Northwoods.
Hospitality came early to the Gunflint Trail. Justine Kerfoot explained in her book Woman of the Boundary Waters, “When a hardy prospector or trader coming from Lake Superior finally reached Gunflint Lake, he would light a fire as a signal. An Indian from across the lake would pick him up and deliver him to the hotel operated by Indians at the Canadian settlement they called Gunflint.”³
Since the early days of the historic trail, Gunflint Lodge has been welcoming guests to the edge of the Boundary Waters Wilderness. Generations of families have returned year after year, introducing children and grandchildren to the same lake, the same sunsets, and the same sense of adventure that first brought them here.
¹ Wikipedia: Sudbury Basin
² Minnesota Historical Society: Gunflint Trail
³ Kerfoot, Justine Woman of the Boundary Waters, Univ. of Minn. Press 1994, p. xix.
A century later, the spirit of a Gunflint summer remains exactly what it has always been: simple, wild, and unforgettable.
A Northwoods Tradition That Spans Generations
The Gunflint Trail has long been a gateway to exploration. In the early days, visitors traveled north along rugged roads to experience the wilderness of Minnesota’s Northwoods and the lakes that would later become part of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
The Women Who Built Gunflint Lodge
A series of strong women were instrumental in settling the Gunflint Trail and founding the Gunflint Lodge.
Dora Blankenburg
Mrs. Doris (Dora) Blankenburg and her son, Russell, started Gunflint Lodge in 1925. The Blankenburgs were originally from Chicago and owned a resort called Light House Lodge in northern Wisconsin. One summer, some of the guests commented that the next summer they would be going up to a new area just opening up in northern Minnesota. The name of the area was the Gunflint Trail.
A serial entrepreneur, Russell decided to come to the Gunflint Trail area and look around. As a result of this trip, he urged his mother to buy a piece of land on Gunflint Lake, which was the end of the Gunflint Trail at that time. After a couple of years of operation, Mrs. Blankenburg felt that operating two resorts in two states stretched her too thin. She put Gunflint Lodge up for sale.
One of Mrs. Blankenburg’s friends from Illinois was Mrs. Mae Spunner. Her husband, George, had given the Blankenburgs advice on the purchase of their Wisconsin resort. When Gunflint Lodge was put on the market, Mrs. Spunner expressed interest in purchasing it.
Mae Spunner
Mae Spunner and her daughter, Justine, bought Gunflint Lodge from the Blankenburgs. In 1929, they ordered new buildings from C.O. Backlund and Company to be ready for the summer of 1930, including two new cabins, a boathouse, and an addition on each end of the existing lodge building. [php light=”true”]The south building was to be a dining room, and the north addition a lounge.4
During the Depression, Mae’s husband and Justine’s father lost all the family’s property in Illinois, and they were forced to move to Gunflint Lodge full-time. The resort would become their only home and only source of income.
Mae was the hostess; she answered all the correspondence, planned the meals, and supervised the help.5
Justine Kerfoot
Few figures loom larger in the history of the Gunflint Trail than Justine Kerfoot. Born in 1906, Justine first came to Gunflint Lake as a young woman with her mother, Lillie Mae Spunner, who had purchased the original lodge property in 1927. What began as a modest wilderness outpost became, under Justine’s decades of leadership, one of Minnesota’s most beloved resort destinations.
Justine guided guests into the Boundary Waters long before there were formal canoe routes or designated campsites. She ran supply sleds in winter, maintained her own dog team, and served as a voice for wilderness preservation at a time when the BWCA’s future was far from certain. Her 1986 memoir, Woman of the Boundary Waters, remains one of the defining accounts of early life on the Gunflint Trail.
Justine hired Bill Kerfoot as a handyman at the Lodge in 1932, and they married two years later. Together, they built a log cabin and raised three children on the Gunflint, at a time when the road was closed and inaccessible to the outside world during the winter.6
Janet Hanson
Janet Hanson came to Gunflint Lodge in 1945, returning to the States after serving overseas in the Red Cross during the war. Janet had degrees in physical education from the University of Minnesota and Columbia University. Her dream was to operate a canoe outfitting business. Gunflint Lodge was operating a small canoe business with a dozen canoes and equipment for complete outfitting. For a quarter of a century, Janet and Justine partnered to operate Gunflint Northwoods Outfitting. Started in a 8 foot x 10 foot converted tool shed with Janet’s Jeep and a dozen canoes to a hundred canoes, it grew to a hundred canoes, a fleet of vehicles, and all the equipment necessary to operate a thriving outfitting business serving the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.
4 Kerfoot, Sue: Lillie Mae Spunner (2025)
5 Kerfoot, Susan, Lillie Mae Lane Spunner (1925).
6 Kerfoot, Justine: Woman of the Boundary Waters, Univ. of Minn. Press (1986).
Celebrating 100 Years
Known for her determination and deep love of the Northwoods, Justine helped transform the lodge into a welcoming destination for travelers while also becoming a strong advocate for the preservation of the wilderness that surrounds it.
Her leadership helped shape both the Lodge and the community along the Gunflint Trail.
Today, the same spirit of hospitality and respect for the wilderness continues to guide the experience at Gunflint Lodge.
In 1968, Justine’s son Bruce Kerfoot took over the Lodge, adding the Towering Pines Canopy Tour in 2012, Minnesota’s first zipline. Today, Gunflint Lodge is owned by John and Mindy Fredrikson, who carry forward the same commitment to wilderness hospitality that Justine modeled for nearly a century.
In 2025, Gunflint Lodge marked a remarkable milestone: one hundred years of welcoming guests to the shores of Gunflint Lake. From the earliest travelers who arrived by horse-drawn wagon along a rutted logging road, to today’s families loading canoes at the dock, the Lodge has been a constant presence at the edge of the Boundary Waters Wilderness for a full century.
A hundred years of fishing openers. A hundred years of loons calling across the water at dusk. A hundred years of guests returning, many of them bringing the same families who first visited two or three generations ago.
We’re proud to celebrate our centennial year with the guests, guides, and communities that have made Gunflint Lodge what it is. Here’s to the next hundred years.
Fishing Opener: The Start of Summer in the Northwoods
In Minnesota, the fishing opener is more than a date on the calendar; it’s the unofficial start of summer.
Every May, anglers head north to cast their first lines of the season in the clear waters surrounding the Gunflint Trail. Gunflint Lake and nearby Boundary Waters lakes offer exceptional fishing for walleye, northern pike, smallmouth bass, and lake trout.
Whether you’re a seasoned angler or introducing kids to their first fishing trip, the experience of watching the morning mist rise off the lake while waiting for that first tug on the line is something you never forget.
Many guests pair their fishing adventure with a classic shore lunch, a timeless Northwoods tradition where freshly caught fish is cooked lakeside over a simple fire.
Adventure for Every Kind of Explorer
While fishing may start the summer season, it’s just the beginning of what a Gunflint summer offers.
Guests can explore the Boundary Waters on canoe trips, paddle quiet lakes, and follow historic portage routes through one of the most pristine wilderness areas in North America.
For those who prefer guided experiences, Gunflint Lodge offers naturalist programs that connect guests with the landscape, from wildlife viewing and forest hikes to stargazing under the dark skies of the Northwoods. Guided Boundary Waters day trips and Introduction to the BWCA Adventure Camp offer opportunities for guests who want to explore the Boundary Waters but don’t quite feel comfortable heading out on their own yet.
Adventure seekers can also soar through the forest canopy on the lodge’s zip line tours, hike scenic trails, or spend the day kayaking, paddleboarding, or swimming in Gunflint Lake. Gunflint Lodge built and opened the Towering Pines Canopy Tour on July 4, 2012, the first zip line to operate in Minnesota. The attraction features eight zip lines, with some stretching between 200-year-old white pines, offering a 2.5-hour tour 50 feet above the forest floor overlooking Gunflint Lake.7
7 New Attraction Adding ‘Zip’ to Minnesota’s Gunflint Trail”, John Myers, Duluth News Tribune, July 4, 2012.
Northwoods Comfort Meets Wilderness Adventure
While the wilderness remains at the heart of the Gunflint experience, today’s guests enjoy modern comforts that make planning a Northwoods vacation easier than ever.
Visitors can relax in lakeside cabins or lodge rooms with sweeping views of Gunflint Lake, many designed to accommodate families and multi-generational travel.
Dining at Gunflint Lodge has also become a highlight of the summer experience, featuring regional cuisine, classic Northwoods favorites, and welcoming gathering spaces where guests share stories of the day’s adventures.
Start Your Own Gunflint Summer Tradition
For more than 100 years, guests have come to Gunflint Lodge seeking something simple but increasingly rare: time together in a place where nature sets the pace.
Kids discover their first paddle strokes. Families reconnect away from busy schedules. And every sunset over the lake reminds us why the Northwoods continues to call people back.
Summer dates are beginning to fill as travelers plan their Boundary Waters adventures and fishing trips.
If you’ve been dreaming about a Northwoods getaway, now is the perfect time to start planning. Explore our Epic Summer packages and discover why generations of guests return to Gunflint Lodge year after year.
Plan your summer adventure.