Great lake, beautiful island. Structures need some remodeling done but overall very nice.

Our group of thirteen consisted of kids ranging in age from six years old to teenagers and it was the most amazing thing to not hear “I’m bored” once during our seven day stay! This incredibly unique property has so much to offer for anyone looking to slow down and take a step back in time. The house itself is full of history from its earlier days and one could spend hours just admiring all the treasures that make the home so unique and charming. We enjoyed hours of amazing fishing, catching many large fish just off the docks and banks of the property. We did rent the pontoon which I would recommend if you plan to make any trips off the island or just want to go out for a fishing or bird watching cruise. The loons seemed to really enjoy our bay and their wails and calls are a constant presences. We spotted multiple bald eagles and on an excursion around a few of the local islands saw pelicans, swans, osprey, and black scoters!At the end of the day, or if you’re just looking to take a break from all the fishing, canoeing, and paddle boarding, the sauna, game room, and movie house were big hits with kids and adults alike. Everyone had such an amazing time, we hope we will someday make it back to this incredible island!

Our family spent a wonderful week on Strand Island enjoy the natural beauty and great accommodations of the main lodge and surrounding facilities. Fishing from the dock, enjoying bonfires and seclusion up North was enjoyed by everyone. We appreciate the ability to stay at this incredible retreat.

This was our 2nd multi generational stay on the island and we love it! The hosts make the check in easy and are available for anything. Thank you for sharing this unique vacation- clean, well appointed and fun!

This waa our chosen place for my husband and his USMC budies to get together. What an amazing place to stay. The charm and beauty of the island made it feel like home. We all relaxed so much we slept in every day and the kids kept busy kayaking and exploring. We have already booked it for next year. Highly recommended.

Property was amazing. Our extended family had fun boating, fishing, playing yard games, relaxing by the firepit, etc. Communication with the property manager was open and easy. The pontoon boat worked great for us all week, no issues. Only thing that we might of done differently was to buy our food in Orr, instead of bringing it up with us. The grocery store in Orr had a lot more than I expected and is only about 10 minutes from where you leave your car to get to the island. The boat ride from the car area to the island is short. Fantastic stay for extended family of 13!

Took a group of 13 we had an amazing time. The house and amenities were terrific. Perfect sunset watching at dock and so many stars at night. Special thanks to Deb and her family for the warm welcome and all the help!!

It was a great place to be with family. Peaceful! Well equipped. Very clean. Friendly, helpful check in. Thank you.

The property was amazing, actually quite bigger than we even thought. They had plenty of towels, kitchenware, etc to enjoy your stay. Can't express enough how friendly and welcoming the caretaker Deb is. Upon your arrival they help you with everything you need and are very responsive. We would definitely stay here again!

We had a great Northern get away. The owners & care takers were easy to work with. The island provided ample space & was an excellent secluded escape.

We had a great time on the island. So many items are provided you really just need your bathing suit and beach towel! The caretakers are easy to work with if you need anything. Our family loved this vacation.

Tim and Nicole's communication from inquiry to check out was prompt and professional. They regularly checked in to ensure we had everything we needed. The rental was just as described and the pictures are very accurate. It still took our breath away when we arrived. Our group consisted of 4 families, ages 1-55 and we all enjoyed our stay as there was plenty to do (including midday naps). There was good fishing for a few meals. We caught sunnies, crappies, perch, large mouth and northern pike off the dock, next to the boathouse and around the island (when we took the pontoon out). There was a small beach that all the kids enjoyed for hours and kayaks, a canoe and paddle boards for the adults. On rainy and cooler days, we made use of the movie house and recreation house. The kitchen was well stocked to cook for a large group as well as intentional in design to ensure everyone was able to eat together. The grounds are clean and we thoroughly enjoyed our get away- we were not ready to leave and will definitely be returning!! Deb, the caretaker, was also very pleasant when we met her at check out. Thank you for sharing your piece of paradise with us! If you're thinking of renting this property, DO IT! You won't regret it!

we really enjoyed our stay on the island.

Our family of 11, ages 1 to 62 enjoyed every bit of this rustic, historical cabin and a whole private island. Beautiful views, swimming beach, catching sunfish off the dock, water skiing, canoeing, boat trips to Orr, bonfires and relaxing on the spacious screen porch made this perfect for our family. Really appreciated our 2 dogs were welcome. We hope to return!!

Great experience. Nancy and Kurt, the caretakers could not have been nicer. We hope to return.

This house is amazing! We loved staying here and enjoying the whole island to ourselves. There is soo much to do here and you will not get bored!

Hello,5 brothers and our kids spent the week at the Island and had a wonderful time together. There was plenty of room and there was amply space for games and relaxing together.Curt and Nancy did a good job of welcoming us to the property and Nicole provided the information that we needed.Overall we had a very nice time together as family, and the accommodations were perfect!Thank you!Bob Larson

This was like stepping back in time. Such a relaxing and wonderful family stay. We loved every bit of our stay.

Hello, 5 brothers and our kids spent the week at the Island and had a wonderful time together. There was plenty of room and there was amply space for games and relaxing together. Curt and Nancy did a good job of welcoming us to the property and Nicole provided the information that we needed. Overall we had a very nice time together as family, and the accommodations were perfect! Thank you! Bob Larson

We had an excellent stay with my siblings, nieces and nephews and our dad. Fishing right off the dock, excellent view from the porch, and fire pit. Kids enjoyed having thier own bunk house, and separate game room building, along with another separate building that had a comfortable couch for folks to watch movies when they weren't outside enjoying the lake, playing games in the yard or picking wild raspberries from the property. Water pump system pressure for main lodge and shower/sauna room didn't work once or twice over the week, but maintenance guy Jay was great to help get us back up and running. Sauna would not work which was a bummer, nor did UV light for house water plumbing system so had to pack drinking water. Nice clean water to swim in and do water sports on the lake. There are quite a few deadheads in the lake that stick above the water line and can be seen, we happened to run in to an unlikely submerged one couple feet below the waterline which messed up a prop. The lake has a lot of rock near shore and in shallows, but seemed to be marked very well on the main body of water. Main lodge has great layout, it was warm, welcoming and worked well for everyone to be together, but yet space to be apart. Kitchen was set up well for large group cooking. Nice gas grill outside. The wrap around porch was our favorite. Definitely secluded and private. All and all, it was a great stay, will definitely make the trip back again.

This was our 4th trip to Strand and we love it every year. it is nice for the kids who have lots of outdoor activities to wear them out. And great views and relaxing atmosphere for the adults. We will be back next year.

If you’re looking for a wonderful, relaxing, Midwest outdoor vacation, this is it. 6 kids and 6 adults for 7 days, no Wi-Fi, and no complaining from anyone. More than enough fun activities for everyone, and I was ready to go back a couple of days after being home. If you want to spend your money on experiences rather than things, this is definitely an experience worth having!

The lodge is old, spacious & charming. Being the only humans on the island afforded privacy. Being old, it is well worn, but the grounds are well maintained, just wish there was a trail cut that we could have hiked.We liked the 2 large refrigerators & large freezer. And we could easily feed 20 at the table. Sorely missed a dishwasher though! The vintage Atari/nintendo game was totally awesome and the TV building provided a plethora of movies. The sauna was wonderful. And the kids loved catching pan fish right from the dock. You will love this island retreat.

I loved the remoteness and seclusion of our time on the Island and it was great having enough space to comfortably fit my extended family. Pelican lake is beautiful, although it is a little shallow and somewhat hazardous for unfamiliar boaters because of submerged rocks. The lodge was fun and full of history. I loved how the rooms were arranged in it, especially the wonderful wrap-around screen porch with the hanging beds that looks out on the lake. Everyone in our group had a wonderful time and there was lots to do for all ages. I will say however that the property does need some maintenance. Docks needed repair, some of the floor boards in the porch were cracked and you had to consciously avoid walking on them for fear of breaking through the floor. The sauna was not working, and other little things just needed repair. That being said none of that took anything away from our visit and I would absolutely go there again in the future.

This was my family’s second time coming here and we loved it! So spacious, great beach, fishing, loved sitting on the massive screen porch admiring the lake. Dogs had a great time too! Thanks Nicole

Staying at this cabin was like stepping back in time. Built in 1920, the cabin has many amazing original details--loved the sound of that screen door--and some attractive newer decorative touches, such as the colorful mugs over the sink. Our family thoroughly enjoyed our week here. At 11, our group was smaller than we originally expected, so we had plenty of room. Four of the kids decided to sleep in the awesome hanging beds out on the porch, which was a great vantage point from which to watch thunderstorms. The two bathrooms served our group just fine, although a few of the guys chose to shower in the sauna building to avoid any lines. We spent some time playing ping-pong, air hockey and vintage video games in the game building, but didn't use the extra bunk cabin or TV cabin at all, as we spent our time swimming, boating and reading. We rented the pontoon boat available with the cabin and also rented a speed boat across the lake from Birch Forest Lodge for water skiing and tubing. We did bring our own water skis and tube, although there were some skis in the boat house. Overall, the lake is pretty shallow and does have some rocks and deadheads, so we skied mainly in the area in view of the cabin. The deepest part of the lake is in front of the cabin, and my husband caught a 27-inch walleye and 18-inch bass there. We kayaked around the island a few times; on one of the windy days, we found that the water was quite calm on the back side of the island. The fire pit served us well for s'more making, and there were plenty of tables in the porches conducive to card and game playing. If you prefer upscale hotels, this might not be your spot, but if you appreciate a beautiful, comfortable, historic cabin out of yesteryear, you won't be disappointed. We did see many pelicans on Pelican Lake, as well as eagles and ducks. We brought all our week's groceries with us, except for milk, ice cream an ice, which we bought at the grocery store in town. As it is a boat ride and car drive to the grocery store, I would recommend bringing your week's provisions. Although everything is available there, I don't like interrupting my vacation to go to the store. The kitchen and pantry were well stocked for making anything we wanted.

Our family thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Strand Island. It was wonderful to have a whole Island to ourselves and the house, the extra cabins,and the lake added to our pleasure. We caught plenty of fish for a fish fry. There was plenty of room for everyone to spread out and something for everyone to do, even on a rainy day. We enjoyed hearing about the history of the home from the caretakers. Everyone was very friendly and easy to work with. We were pleasantly surprised to actually see Pelicans on the lake!

Awesome week spent with family! Lots of fishing, exploring and kyaking! Kids and adults enjoyed the game room, sauna and yard games.

Our week on the island was filled with fun, and the many options the setting offered made it even better. We were a large and varied group of family and friends, and everyone had a place to be and something to do. It rained one whole day and it didn't even matter! The sauna was wonderful after a hard day of fishing and playing. We got back yesterday and I already miss it!

I had my family and my friends in from MN,VA and IA for the week at Strand. We all had a great time relaxing, eating, fishing, and drinking. We all plan to return next year for a week of relaxation.

Very historic, tons of places to explore. Nothing else like it.

If you are looking for total relaxation and quality family time Strand Island is the place. The home and amenities are amazing. The pictures on the website are spot on. Could not have been more pleased with the amenities. Our family of 10 adults and 3 small children took advantage of all the island had to offer. We would gladly return for another vacation.