We all know that Minnesota’s most beautiful scenery is in its more than 10,000 lakes. We have the sandy beaches of Lake Minnetonka, the rocky shoreline of Lake Superior, and the resort getaways of Lake Vermillion. But what happens when you want to beat the crowds but still enjoy a lakeside retreat? One option is to escape to a remote island to get away from it all.

Minnesota’s Oak Island way up in Lake of the Woods in the Northwest Angle is one of the most remote places in Minnesota. But it’s possible to visit thanks to the five lodges that dot its shores: Oak Inn Resort, Sportsman’s Oak Island or Eagle Ridge lodges, Angle Inn Lodge, and Sunset Lodge. Let’s take a look at what it’s like to get away from it all on Oak Island.

Much of Oak Island’s interior is part of the Red Lake Indian Reservation.

Sportsman’s Lodges

But the island remains largely unpopulated. More animals than people make their home here.

yadem.hayseed/Flickr

That said, the resorts and lodges on the island bring more visitors. These make Oak Island the perfect getaway if you’re willing to make the effort to get there.

Sportsman’s Lodge/Facebook

Sunset Lodge is a year-round fishing and hunting resort with a full bar and restaurant. Check out one of their cabins.

Image/Sunset Lodge Resort

Being an island, you exactly can’t pull up driving directions on Google Maps. And being located on the eastern tip of Minnesota’s Northwest Angle, you may even have to cross international borders to visit.

J. Stephen Conn/Flickr

Luckily, each lodge offers shuttle services and maps to help you get there. In summer, using your own boat may be the easiest option. You can boat over from the Northwest Angle, Baudette, or Warroad. Or for an even more scenic option, fly in!

Sunset Lodge/Facebook

In winter, brave souls can drive the plowed ice road from Young’s Bay in Angle Inlet. Snowmobiling is another great - and slightly less terrifying - option.

Sportsman’s Lodges

But no matter how you get there or where you stay, you’ll be greeted with gorgeous lake views, wildlife, and more than a few fishing tales.

Sportsman’s Lodge/Facebook

Each of the resorts offers guided fishing trips throughout the spring, summer, and fall. For ice fishing fans, Angle Inn Lodge and Sunset Lodge continue these services even in the winter.

Angle Inn Lodge/Facebook

Of course, you don’t have to go fishing at all. It’s perfectly fine to just enjoy nature’s beauty. Take a walk through the woods, speed across the frozen lake by snowmobile, or count the millions of stars visible in the sky.

Sportsman’s Lodge/Facebook

Or take a boat ride around Lake of the Woods without ever casting a line. Guaranteed you won’t run out of things to see - this is the sixth largest freshwater lake in the United States. Bears, deer, and birds abound.

yadem.hayseed/Flickr

There’s also no shame in taking some time to enjoy a quiet dockside sunset on Lake of the Woods. That sounds like a perfect way to end a day.

Sunset Lodge/Facebook

Seriously, Oak Island is an amazing place to get away from it all. One trip to this remote island, and you’ll be planning next year as soon as you get home.

Angle Inn Lodge/Facebook

Have you ever made the trek up to Oak Island? Let us know where you stayed and what you thought! Or, if you’re interested in more island locations, check out these 7 islands in Minnesota that are a must visit.

Sportsman’s Lodges

yadem.hayseed/Flickr

Sportsman’s Lodge/Facebook

Image/Sunset Lodge Resort

J. Stephen Conn/Flickr

Sunset Lodge/Facebook

Angle Inn Lodge/Facebook

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