The Perfect Weekend Itinerary for Cuyuna Minnesota
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Updated: April 26, 2026
Cuyuna is a Minnesota gem and still largely under the radar which makes it the perfect place to visit. The town has a rich mining history and was resettled in the early 1900’s after surveyor Cuyler Adams found iron ores with the help of his dog Una (hence Cuyuna).
About 15 years ago, world class mountain biking routes were established on the old mining tracks. Natural springs fed old mining pits and today they’ve become gorgeous turquoise, crystal clear lakes perfect for recreation.
At just 2 hours from Minneapolis, Cuyuna is ideal for a weekend getaway. From mountain biking to hiking to paddleboarding and swimming the gorgeous lakes, there are activities for everyone. The neighboring town of Crosby has restaurants, shops, a brewery and a cocktail lounge, making it a great destination.
Check out the complete 2-night itinerary below and then book your trip before the secret gets out. If you need more convincing, check out the top 5 reasons to visit Cuyuna here!
Day One: Twin Cities to Cuyuna
Morning
Start your 2-hour drive to Cuyuna. En route, pick your own berries to bring for a delicious snack to enjoy all weekend long. JQ Fruit Farms & Orchard is a great farm and had plenty of blueberries when we visited mid-July.
Once arriving to Crosby, grab a Chai or coffee and sandwich from Mixed Company.
Then, head to Red Raven to pick up inflatable paddleboard rentals if you didn’t bring your own. The rates are reasonable and the owners provide great service.
Afternoon
Drive ~5 minutes to Miner’s Mountain Rally Center. You’ll need to pay $7 to park your vehicle inside the recreation area. We saw some bikers park just outside to avoid paying but 1) the walk would be really long with paddleboards and 2) support the maintenance of this beautiful park.
If you only have time to paddleboard one lake, focus on Huntington Mine Lake. It’s stunning and we enjoyed paddling amongst loons and underneath eagles. The water is crystal clear so you can also snorkel and swim.
If you have more time, paddle around Pennington Mine Lake. Also beautiful plus it’s connected to additional lakes by passing underneath a bridge!
Evening
Check into your accommodation. I cannot recommend the boutique cabins of Cuyuna Cove enough. The cabins are cozy, modern and Scandinavian influenced with kitchens, full bathrooms, A/C and private patios with grills. The double beds are comfortable with soft sheets and beautiful Pendleton blankets. The bed faces the glass panels of your back patio, overlooking the lush greenery.
The cabins are right on the mountain bike trails so you can ride in/out from your cabin and then store your bikes in the secured bike storage overnight. We were able to walk to the town in 10 minutes from the cabin which was convenient to not have to drive. Cuyuna Cove also has newer tented cabins and a shared spa bathroom with sauna. And, for the dog-owners, almost all of their units are dog friendly.
After settling in and rinsing off, head into town for dinner and drinks. Iron Range comes highly recommended. Post-dinner, grab drinks at Cuyuna Brewing or Hardwater Lounge.
Back at the cabin, make a fire and smores and enjoy relaxing on your private patio.
Day Two: Mountain Biking + Exploring town
Morning
After making coffee with the delicious organic beans and French press provided and enjoying a quiet morning, walk to Red Raven to pick up your mountain bike rentals (if you don’t have bikes). We had forgotten to bring breakfast items to make at our cabin so enjoyed delicious smoothies and breakfast sandwiches from Red Raven (which also has a café!).
From here, bike back to the Rally Center. Since we are novices, we opted for the green Galloping Goose trail. However, Red Raven has great maps and can help you customize a bike tour for your skills and interests. If you too are riding Galloping Goose, I’d recommend starting with the beginner’s skills course just north of the rally center before proceeding on the one-way route in a clockwise direction (the skills area is marked on the map here). We didn’t see the skills course until the end but it would have built up our confidence earlier on!
If you don’t stop for pictures, the route will take you 1-2 hours. We opted for about 5-6 stops along the way so it took us 2.5 hours.
Afternoon
Either tackle more trails or enjoy a swim in Huntingon Mine Lake to cool off. Then, bike back to Red Raven to drop the bikes off and grab some well-deserved lunch! We enjoyed lunch from North Country Café which is popular. After lunch, stop at specialty dairy shop Victual for ice cream. Every flavor we sampled was delicious – my favorite was the Honey Lavender Sunflower Seed! They also have amazing provisions to make charcuterie.
From here, head back to your cabin to shower and perhaps make dinner on your patio’s grill tonight.
Evening
After dinner, head back to the Miner Rally Center and hike up to Miner’s Point for sunset. It’s a gorgeous outlook of lakes around Cuyuna and while it faces more Southeast than West, you can enjoy lookout spots in the Western direction on your way up the hill.
After sunset, head back into town and enjoy a drink at either Cuyuna Brewing or Hardwater Café to toast to two great days in Cuyuna!
