Summer in Minnesota’s Brainerd Lakes and Detroit Lakes areas is the kind of family vacation with all the elements built in for easy unwinding and bonding. Mornings bring loon calls, pizza lunches happen in charming small towns, and sunset tee times lead into nights of stargazing.
Cousins make core memories chasing fireflies. Grandkids go fishing with grandparents. Adult siblings reconnect on bike rides. Welcoming resorts invite families to spread out under the same roof, be together, continue traditions, and reinforce the ties that bind us. It’s the kind of family getaway that blends simple pleasures with fresh adventures.
Itinerary / 6 Days
PLAN YOUR TRIP
Grand View Lodge has been a Minnesota vacation destination for more than a century.
Courtesy of Explore Minnesota
Days 1-3Stay at the Grand View Lodge
Drive to Nisswa and stay at Grand View Lodge, an expansive property that sits ashore two lakes and spans a golf course, a spa, a pool, multiple restaurants, and a range of accommodation options. With activities from biking and fishing to bonfires and live music, it’s the kind of place that delights guests of all ages.
That’s the beauty of a Minnesota resort vacation. You have everything needed for a crowd-pleasing, relaxing experience. You bring the people and the memorable moments organically unfold—simply unpack and enjoy those you love most.
The Kid’s Club is a win for the younger set in your crew. Like an on-site summer camp, it has the watchful eye of the staff for safety, giving grown-ups time to slip off to the spa.
If it’s a little rainy, head to the indoor pool area, which has a waterslide and two hot tubs. Golfers can also practice their swing with an indoor golf simulator until the weather is favorable.
Evenings bring bingo and bonfires. Bingo gets all ages excited with friendly competition. Afterward, everyone can make s’mores and recall the day’s events with wide, sticky smiles. Live music floats over the calm lakeshore.
Try yoga or lawn games one morning. Follow a slow start and hearty breakfast with time on the water.
Grand View Lodge has paddleboards, kayaks, and a 10-passenger banana boat you can use to explore the lakes. Or you can rent a pontoon boat so everyone can take a sunset cruise together.
Break for a bite from Cotey’s Kitchen, a food truck experience (with a little something for everyone). End the day with a sweet treat from the Chocolate Ox.
You can fill your days with everything from time on the tennis courts and listening to loons by the shoreline to fishing with grandpa at this iconic northern Minnesota resort. You could choose to enjoy a week or longer here, but the northern lakes offer more to adventurous families.
That’s the beauty of a Minnesota resort vacation. You have everything needed for a crowd-pleasing, relaxing experience. You bring the people and the memorable moments organically unfold—simply unpack and enjoy those you love most.
The Kid’s Club is a win for the younger set in your crew. Like an on-site summer camp, it has the watchful eye of the staff for safety, giving grown-ups time to slip off to the spa.
If it’s a little rainy, head to the indoor pool area, which has a waterslide and two hot tubs. Golfers can also practice their swing with an indoor golf simulator until the weather is favorable.
Evenings bring bingo and bonfires. Bingo gets all ages excited with friendly competition. Afterward, everyone can make s’mores and recall the day’s events with wide, sticky smiles. Live music floats over the calm lakeshore.
Try yoga or lawn games one morning. Follow a slow start and hearty breakfast with time on the water.
Grand View Lodge has paddleboards, kayaks, and a 10-passenger banana boat you can use to explore the lakes. Or you can rent a pontoon boat so everyone can take a sunset cruise together.
Break for a bite from Cotey’s Kitchen, a food truck experience (with a little something for everyone). End the day with a sweet treat from the Chocolate Ox.
You can fill your days with everything from time on the tennis courts and listening to loons by the shoreline to fishing with grandpa at this iconic northern Minnesota resort. You could choose to enjoy a week or longer here, but the northern lakes offer more to adventurous families.
Kids delight in discovering one of the Thomas Dambo Trolls.
Courtesy of Explore Minnesota/Paul Vincent
Day 4Hunt for the Dambo Trolls
After soaking up ample time on the lake, head just under two hours from Nisswa to another lovely northern town, Detroit Lakes. Here, instead of the rustic, cozy charm of an expansive family resort, you get a small town with lake life at its heart.
It’s also an opportunity for a group adventure that will have you outdoors and chasing clues all over the surrounding area, an enthralling way to explore together. You’ll be looking for the famous Thomas Dambo Trolls, a series of art installations in the Detroit Lakes area that you can find by playing the troll game. Explore Minnesota’s handy guide also provides help leading you to each troll.
Pack water, snacks, sunscreen, insect repellent, and sturdy shoes—all the things you’d pack if you were going on a short hike. My family and I completed this quest last summer, and it was about six miles of hiking (though most was extremely easy) that took nearly all day. Some of the trolls are accessible; others are more off the beaten path, requiring an easy to moderate level of effort to find.
When you find yourself near Detroit Mountain Recreational Area, stop at the natural play area, which features logs and boulders along with tunnels, slides, and a climbing net. The area is also popular with mountain bikers and hosts concerts throughout the summer. Check the schedule; sometimes they close the area to troll hunters for special events.
Break for lunch at any one of several spots in Detroit Lakes. Try Zorbaz for creative pizzas, the burgers with a lakeside location at Hub 41, or Long Bridge Bar, Grill, & Marina, which serves American classics and also overlooks the lake.
Then, check into the Lodge on Lake Detroit, a Best Western Premier property that’s perched lakeside while still situated near town. The shallow swimming area is perfect for cooling off from a day of exploring for trolls.
Sit down at the Fireside for a meal together. Dinner, drinks, and a patio for sunset viewing—it’s quintessential summer. Another place to dine, Spanky’s Stone Hearth focuses on locally sourced ingredients and is also a good choices for families looking to enjoy a fine, balmy night out together.
It’s also an opportunity for a group adventure that will have you outdoors and chasing clues all over the surrounding area, an enthralling way to explore together. You’ll be looking for the famous Thomas Dambo Trolls, a series of art installations in the Detroit Lakes area that you can find by playing the troll game. Explore Minnesota’s handy guide also provides help leading you to each troll.
Pack water, snacks, sunscreen, insect repellent, and sturdy shoes—all the things you’d pack if you were going on a short hike. My family and I completed this quest last summer, and it was about six miles of hiking (though most was extremely easy) that took nearly all day. Some of the trolls are accessible; others are more off the beaten path, requiring an easy to moderate level of effort to find.
When you find yourself near Detroit Mountain Recreational Area, stop at the natural play area, which features logs and boulders along with tunnels, slides, and a climbing net. The area is also popular with mountain bikers and hosts concerts throughout the summer. Check the schedule; sometimes they close the area to troll hunters for special events.
Break for lunch at any one of several spots in Detroit Lakes. Try Zorbaz for creative pizzas, the burgers with a lakeside location at Hub 41, or Long Bridge Bar, Grill, & Marina, which serves American classics and also overlooks the lake.
Then, check into the Lodge on Lake Detroit, a Best Western Premier property that’s perched lakeside while still situated near town. The shallow swimming area is perfect for cooling off from a day of exploring for trolls.
Sit down at the Fireside for a meal together. Dinner, drinks, and a patio for sunset viewing—it’s quintessential summer. Another place to dine, Spanky’s Stone Hearth focuses on locally sourced ingredients and is also a good choices for families looking to enjoy a fine, balmy night out together.
Golfers on the Wildflower Golf Course
Courtesy of Explore Minnesota/Paul Vincent
Day 5Antiquing and Golfing in Detroit Lakes
Detroit Lakes also has fantastic golfing and outdoor recreation, making it ideal for a range of interests and ages. The Wildflower Golf Course features oak-lined fairways and wide-open prairies.
For those who’d rather shop or simply check out historic downtown Detroit Lakes, it’s easy to explore on foot or by bicycle. Antiquing is popular with lots of vintage treasures to discover. Come lunchtime, the Lakeside Tavern and Brewery has lake views and a giant deck.
You could also check out Orenstone Gardens, which is home to another troll among multiple other sculptures. Another option is Shady Hollow Flea Market, open on weekends in the summer season. This eclectic, 3.5 acre antiques site has ice cream (and a slip-and-slide on warm days), shopping stalls galore, and plenty of food for everyone.
For those who’d rather shop or simply check out historic downtown Detroit Lakes, it’s easy to explore on foot or by bicycle. Antiquing is popular with lots of vintage treasures to discover. Come lunchtime, the Lakeside Tavern and Brewery has lake views and a giant deck.
You could also check out Orenstone Gardens, which is home to another troll among multiple other sculptures. Another option is Shady Hollow Flea Market, open on weekends in the summer season. This eclectic, 3.5 acre antiques site has ice cream (and a slip-and-slide on warm days), shopping stalls galore, and plenty of food for everyone.
Visitors at the Sea Life Aquarium inside the Mall of America
Courtesy of Explore Minnesota
Day 6Visit the Mall of America and Aquarium
If you flew into the smaller Brainerd Regional Airport, you can simply relax by the shoreline today. But traveling via Minneapolis-St. Paul makes a good excuse to add a day in the big city.
Stay at the Radisson Blu, which is connected to the Mall of America, so you can use the convenient light rail, which has stops at the airport and the Mall. Kids will love Nickelodeon Universe. Choose from a variety of family-friendly restaurants to fuel your adventures.
You’ll also find the Sea Life Minnesota Aquarium here for nature and marine life that will enthrall kids. A moving conveyor takes you through tunnels of fish and is quite the engineering feat to behold.
The thrills may be different here than those you had in family resorts and lakeside towns, but the Mall of America features entertainment, dining, and lodging all under one roof for another kid-friendly experience. It caps off an action-packed week, filled with multi-generational togetherness and lifelong memories.
Stay at the Radisson Blu, which is connected to the Mall of America, so you can use the convenient light rail, which has stops at the airport and the Mall. Kids will love Nickelodeon Universe. Choose from a variety of family-friendly restaurants to fuel your adventures.
You’ll also find the Sea Life Minnesota Aquarium here for nature and marine life that will enthrall kids. A moving conveyor takes you through tunnels of fish and is quite the engineering feat to behold.
The thrills may be different here than those you had in family resorts and lakeside towns, but the Mall of America features entertainment, dining, and lodging all under one roof for another kid-friendly experience. It caps off an action-packed week, filled with multi-generational togetherness and lifelong memories.