Tag Archives: Maddens Resort

The Time of Your Life biking at Madden’s

Emily Stocker, HaveFunBiking.com

I remember watching Dirty Dancing when I was young and wondering if resorts similar to the one that Baby and Johnny fell in love at actually existed. Surprise! They do and Madden’s on Gull Lake took me back to the first time I watched the movie. It’s the perfect place to go for your next family bike adventure.

Biking along the trail in front of Madden's Driving Range, near Brainerd, MN.

A family bike outing along the trail in front of Madden’s Driving Range, near Brainerd, MN. is always fun.

Located in the Brainerd Lakes Area, you will find many bike trails, north woods sights, and fun activities around the resort that the whole family will enjoy. So grab your bike and cue “The Time of My Life.”

Biking through Beauty

Located a few miles away from the Paul Bunyan Trail, I found Madden’s the perfect place to stay and experience a variety of biking activities and more. Around the Resort, or on the Paul Bunyan Trail, you and your bike will roll along the picturesque pine forests skirting around the pristine lakes along the way. Mountain bikers can ride the nearby Pillsbury State Forest trails or take a short drive over to the Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area for some of Minnesota’s premier riding opportunities. The mountain bike trail in Cuyuna offer miles of fun for all levels of riders.

Riding the red dirt trails of the Cuyuna Trails, just East of Brainerd, MN. turned out to be fun for a first-timer.

As a beginner, I hopped on a bike to experience the red dirt trail for myself. While I have to admit mountain biking isn’t my favorite cup of tea, the scenery on the trail made the experience fun.

Other Activities at Madden’s

A little shuffle board challenge to end a perfect day of activities at Madden's.

A little shuffleboard, croquet, or horseshoe challenge is the perfect way to end the days activities at Madden’s Resort.

Then, back at Madden’s, stop at the spa for a massage after a long day of riding the bike trails. Or play a game of croquet on the only official course in the area. If you would like to take a day off of biking, then Madden’s is sure to keep you entertained. Make a tee time for Madden’s Classic or one of their other two 18 hole golf courses. Perhaps go with the Social Nine with the kids for the day. Also, with sandy beaches all around the resort, enjoy a swim in the lake or head to Marina. Here they will set you up with something sure to keep your adventure going. You can get a kayak, canoe, paddle boat, stand-up paddle board, or even a paddle bike to take on the lake. If you’re feeling adventurous, then water skiing lessons are available at Madden’s Ski School.

Madden’s Lodging Accommodations

There is a multitude of options everywhere you look at Madden’s, especially when it comes to deciding where to sleep. From the Madden Inn to the Golf Villas, each has their own facet of luxury. For early risers, enjoy a cup of coffee while soaking in the view from the Sunrise Villas. If you are more of a night owl, then have a glass of wine and take in the breathtaking sight in the Sunset Villas. I stayed in the new Voyageur Suites where each suite has a spacious bathroom and beautiful private patio. The patio was great to enjoy the sunset views of the lake. Sleeping on that King Size bed in the room had to have been one of the best nights of sleep I’ve ever had. Especially after a long day of exploring the trail and resort activities.

At Madden's you will always find a helpful smile, like when placing an order for a fresh-baked lunch or dinner at Parfecto Pizza at the resort.

At Madden’s you will always find a helpful smile, like when placing an order for a fresh Parfecto Pizza at the resort.

While I can’t promise that you’ll find love or get better at dancing, I can assure you that you’ll find something to love on and off the bike trails when staying here at Madden’s. It’s the perfect place for your Next Bike Adventure.

Bike Pic July 8, ice cream smiles Friday!

Enjoying an ice cream treat at Madden’s Resort on Gull Lake, after a bike ride on the trails around Minnesota’s Brainerd Lakes Area. Madden’s is a full-service resort offering access to all the local bike trails, challenging golf courses, water sports, fine dining, and more.

Find many more bike friendly places to ride and explore in the new Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide.

Thanks for viewing the Bike Pic of the Day here at HaveFunBiking (HFB).

Now rolling into our 10th year as a bicycle tourism media source, our goal is to continue to encourage more people to bike, while showcasing unforgettable places to ride. As HFB searches and presents more fun cycling related photos, worth a grin, scroll through the information and stories we have posted that may help you Find Your Next Adventure. Then, while out there if you see us along a paved or mountain bike trail, next to the route you regularly commute on, or at an event you plan to attend, be prepared to smile. You never know where our cameras will be and what we will post next!

Do you have a fun bicycle related photo of yourself or someone you know that you would like to see us post? If so, please send it our way and we may use it. Send your picture(s) to: [email protected] with a brief caption (of each), including who is in the photo (if you know?) and where it was taken. Photo(s) should be a minimum of 800 pixels wide or larger for us to consider using them. If we do use your photo, you will receive photo credit and an acknowledgment on Facebook and Instagram.

As HaveFunBiking continues to encourage more people to ride, please reference our blog and the annual print and quarterly digital Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide to Find Your Next Adventure. We are proud of the updated At-a-Glance information and maps we are known for at the HFB Destination section on our website and in the guide. Now, as the Guide goes into its seventh year of production, we are adding a whole new dimension of information, now available for mobile devices.

So bookmark HaveFunBiking.com and find your next adventure – we may capture you in one of the next photos we post.

Have a great day!

Bike Pic June 30, fat tire adventure and a whole lot more!

A bike adventure in the Brainerd Lakes Area gets better, especially when you head to Madden’s Resort afterwards for more fun. Here Emily Stocker from HaveFunBiking.com is on her fatty touring the Area – ready to explore all the amenities at Madden’s on Gull Lake.

MN Bike Guide

Find many more bike friendly places to ride and explore in the new Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide.

Thanks for viewing the Bike Pic of the Day here at HaveFunBiking (HFB).

So bookmark HaveFunBiking.com and find your next adventure – we may capture you in one of the next photos we post.

Have a great day!

A grassroots bike event to expand the Cuyuna Lakes trails

The Cuyuna Lakes Mountain Bike Crew (Crew) a chapter of the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) recently announced their upcoming grassroots fundraiser #ForCuyuna to expand the Cuyuna Lakes Mountain Bike Trails. The goal of the #ForCuyuna event is to raise $132,000 in one evening. A hundred percent of these dollars will be immediately matched by the Hallett Trust matching grant and be earmarked, for the design and construction of a 10-mile backcountry adventure trail in the Cuyuna Hills — Crow Wing County’s designated recreation land adjacent to the City of Cuyuna.

Riding the red dirt of the Cuyuna Lakes Mountain Bike Trail, north of Crosby, MN. – photo by Aaron W. Hautala

Aaron Hautala, volunteer president of the Crew stated, “I continue to be amazed how the red dirt trails of Cuyuna have positively impacted so many individuals and businesses both near and far from the Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area. This is a wonderful opportunity for citizens and businesses to invest in the continued expansion of the mountain bike trails in collaboration with the State of Minnesota.”

#ForCuyuna ― The Event, announced by the Cuyuna Lakes Mountain Bike Crew.

The fundraising event was first conceived by Ben Thuringer, Vice President and General Manager of Madden’s Lodge at Madden’s Resort, Brainerd, MN. Thuringer approached Hautala well over a year ago with this simple statement: “Cuyuna is a big deal for our area. At Madden’s, with our summer business, we do not have the ability to assist in maintaining Cuyuna’s mountain bike trails. However, we would like to do what we do best, host an event for Cuyuna to raise a significant amount of money for the trails.” At that moment, #ForCuyuna was born. The event was originally planned for 2015 and was placed on hold temporarily when wind storms blew through Gull Lake last July, 2015.

Hautala remarked, “When we started the #ForCuyuna fundraiser, many said we’d never raise $50,000. The good news is to date we’ve already raised over $264,000 (including match) and now we are purposefully placing the ‘fun’ in ‘fundraiser’ with the objective of raising an additional $132,000 in one night ($264,000 with the match).”

A family riding the Cuyuna Lakes Mountain Bike Trail, north of Crosby, MN. -photo by Aaron W. Hautala

These funds will complement the Legislative request for $4.2 million in bonding to complete the Master Vision. “It is meaningful to the Legislature to show this type of local support,” said Judy Erickson, Government Relations consultant to the Crew. “It is exciting to have this type of local enthusiasm for a project as we enter the legislative session.”

The #ForCuyuna event agenda will cover two days, starting on Friday, June 3rd. The event kicks off with a 7p Red Bull deck party featuring DJ Indy at Madden’s. Saturday, June 4th, the event focus shifts to the red dirt and paved trails of Cuyuna. Members of the Crew will host free-to-join group rides for all skill levels. To learn more about each mountain and paved trail group ride please visit www.ForCuyuna.com. To rent a mountain bike or paved trail bicycle in advance, please contact Cycle Path and Paddle, in Crosby at: 218-545-4545.

Saturday evening shifts back to Madden’s on Gull Lake. The evening’s festivities begin at 5 p.m. with the Minnesota Craft Beer (and Moonshine) Experience featuring tastings from Jack Pine Brewery (Baxter), Gull Dam Brewing, (Nisswa), Disgruntled Brewing (Perham) and American Born Moonshine. Also scheduled, is a one-of-a-kind silent auction, a “health-first-minded” dinner, program, and live auction. The live auction will provide guests a chance to bid on prize packages, including a vacation at Madden’s on Gull Lake, a Raleigh gravel grinder bike, Ruttger’s on Bay Lake vacation weekends, and one year of yoga lessons by Holy Yoga in Crosby. Following the live auction, Jillian Rae will provide a live concert to close out the night in “Rockin-the-Red” style.

“It’s our honor at Madden’s to be able to host this event for Cuyuna. As the mountain bike trails continue to expand, so does our entire region’s tourism economy, and more importantly, our area continues to grow as a destination for 21^st-century entrepreneurs and employees. This is community economic development through trails. We are so excited to be a partner in this future,” remarked Thuringer in a news release.

Hautala closed saying, “This event marks a unique opportunity. During my 4-plus year term as volunteer president of the Crew, I’ve consistently heard how cyclists and business owners want to expand the trails. Here’s the best opportunity each of us has to take expansion into our own hands. Every dollar we raise doubles. It’s time to take action. It’s time to invest in Cuyuna.”

Tickets for the event may be purchased online; please visit www.ForCuyuna.com. The Friday Night Red Bull Deck Party with DJ Indy is $25 to attend with 100% of the proceeds going directly to the #ForCuyuna matching grant. Limited individual seats for Saturday’s #ForCuyuna – The Event are $60 per ticket; tables of 8 may also be reserved at $560. $30 from every individual ticket and $320 from every table reservation goes directly to the #ForCuyuna matching grant. Madden’s is also offering weekend ‘ride-cation’ packages where the Friday and Saturday events can be combined with overnight lodging.

#ForCuyuna poster shows two days of activities starting a deck party Madden’s Resort. Then Saturday, June 4th, event rides the red dirt and paved trails of Cuyuna.

The Cuyuna Lakes Mountain Bike Crew is a group of local volunteers who gives back to the trails and community by hosting events, conducting trail maintenance, fundraising, and promoting trail advocacy. The Crew’s vision is to become an international, year-round, family cycling destination. To learn more about the Crew visit www.CuyunaLakesMTB.com.

Questions please contact Aaron W. Hautala, Volunteer President of the Cuyuna Lakes Trail Association at: [email protected] or 218-851-6749.