7 Best Summer Activities in the Crosby & Cuyuna Lakes Area

2/7/2024

The Cuyuna Lakes area is the area surrounding the Cuyuna State Recreation Area, and is known for it's red colored dirt, incredibly clear mine lakes, endless mountain biking trails, and even a plethora of boutique lodging. Dubbed an outdoor lovers dream, there's no doubt that Crosby and the surrounding cities are one of the most popular summer destinations in Minnesota. With plenty to do, we've gone ahead and gathered our 7 favorite summer activities in the area, including Yawkey Mine Lake & and the best places to grab a bite to eat.

Our Essential Travel Resources :
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Getting to Crosby & Where to Stay

I'll be honest, there are so many incredibly cozy places to stay in the Cuyuna Lakes area - and it really depends on what you're looking for. Having visited the area ourselves multiple times, we would say the best all around stay that fits something for everyone would be the Hilhaus Aframe.

Not only are they only a 5 minute drive from downtown Crosby, but their set up is also very aesthetic and cozy - creating the perfect space for couples or families to "disconnect to reconnect" (but don't worry their wifi worked great for us too!). They have a fantastic outdoor fire pit for roasting marshmallows, and even a large shed you can store your outdoor toys like bikes, paddle boards, etc. during your visit. We honestly loved the location because we were able to take advantage of exploring downtown and the amazing places to eat while still having the feeling of being in a secluded spot in the woods.

7 Best Summer Things to Do in Crosby

1. All the Amazing Places to Eat
If you're a frequent blog reader, you know food is one of my love languages - and no places is "explored" until you've tried the local foods. Even though Crosby might look like just a small town, there are surprisingly a number of great local places to eat! I've listed some of my favorites below as well as what I recommend trying at each spot!

Rafferty's Pizza - located right downtown with limited outdoor seating, we always get their calzones (with 3 included toppings they're totally customizable), I also love their summer berry salad!
Red Raven - another go to of ours, they have a cafe inside that connects to their bike shop, and serves up coffees, teas, smoothies, and a few sandwiches/bakes goods - my favorite is their panini style reuben!
Iron Range - also located downtown, this restaurant is one of the nicer sit down spots in town, and although we get something different almost every time we go, we can recommend their unique poutine appetizer!
North Country Cafe - our go to breakfast spot, you can find that many locals frequent this spot for their amazing breakfasts, my personal favorites are their cinnamon rolls and their skillet breakfast meals!
Burritos California - another great spot that's perfect if you're looking for a quicker/grab & go type meal, we had their burrito and quesadilla and both were delicious!
Cuyuna Brewing - we stopped here one night before dinner and they had great drinks, I loved the "beer-mosa" plus they also have games available to play at your table

2. Cuyuna State Recreation Area
Although this is probably the most obvious thing to do in the Cuyuna Lakes Area, there's a reason it falls so high on our list. With endless hiking & biking trails and access to multiple mine lakes, there's really no shortage of things to do here. Not only do they have trout stocked lakes, but they also have yurts available year round - but you'll have to book them about a year in advance. Our favorite areas to visit are the Yawkey Mine Lake and the Huntington Mine Lake area. We also recommend heading out to the overlook at Miner's Mountain - as one of the tallest points in the area the views are beautiful!

3. Antiquing & Shopping Downtown
One of my favorite things to do in Crosby during the summer months is to check out the many downtown shops! Not only do they have a handful of fun stores to go thrifting at (you really never know what you'll find), but there's also some stores like Lake and Company, Nord Hus and Victual which are perfect if you're looking for new, unique items for yourself or something to gift! Victual can also help you create the perfect charcuterie board!

4. Exploring Nearby Towns
This might sound strange when you're searching for something to do and the blog post tells you to go to a different town - but hear us out. The Cuyuna Lakes area is actually quite large, and there are a number of small towns that border it or are within close driving range. From downtown Ironton with cute stores and more fun places to eat, to Nisswa (more cute stores and an adorable downtown), to Pequot Lakes (the best brunch board in the state) - you can easily fill a day or two by exploring the nearby towns of the Cuyuna Lakes area!

5. Glass Bottom Kayaking
Because the Cuyuna Lakes & Crosby area is filled with incredibly clear mine lakes - it just so happens to also be the best area in the entire state to go glass bottom kayaking! With glass bottom kayaks you'll be able to see just about to the bottom of the lakes - including the fish and any possible divers in the area! If there's one thing you don't want to miss, then this is it!

6. Mountain Biking
If you're planning a visit to Crosby, then chances are you've already heard of the incredible mountain biking community that calls the Cuyuna Lakes & Recreation Area home. With over 50 miles of trails and 30 biking routes just inside the Cuyuna State Recreation Area, there are even multiple maintenance stations along the way with air for your tires and tools to fix your bike if it breaks down. For beginners and experienced pros alike, this is the perfect way to spend any summer day! If you don't have your own bikes to use, there are multiples stores in the area that rent out bikes for a few hours or for a day or more at a time like Red Raven and Cykel.

7. Milford Mine Historical Park
If you're looking to learn more about the mining history of the Cuyuna Lakes area, then we highly recommend heading out to Milford Mine Historical Park. Not only does the boardwalk make the trail accessible for anyone, but the signs along the way do an excellent job of informing visitors about the state's largest mining disaster in 1924.

Watch our adventures in Crosby here!

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