22-acre resort on northern Minnesota’s Potato Lake lists for $4.9M

The last family resort on Potato Lake in Park Rapids, Minn., has hit the market for just under $5 million, and it’s quite a spread.

Northern Pine Lodge, which has operated since 1914, includes 1,800 feet of shoreline and a sprawling 22 acres containing 21 cabins, a main lodge, a mini golf course, a wood-burning sauna and courts for sand volleyball, shuffleboard and tennis (on clay).

Current owners Jon and Kelly Schupp have owned and operated the resort for the past 45 years but decided the time is right to step away from the 24/7 demands of the hospitality business.

“I’ll be 72 this summer,” Jon Schupp said. “It’s been a good run.”

And a labor of love, fulfilling Schupp’s childhood dream of owning a resort. To prepare, he studied hospitality in college and worked at resorts in Minnesota and Colorado, where he also learned to cook.

That culinary experience came in handy when the Schupps bought Northern Pines in 1980 from the Peterson family, who had owned it for 64 years.

“It was a full-American plan at the time, which meant we served three meals a day,” Schupp explained. “I did all the cooking.”

Along the way, he learned how to build log structures by taking a class at the now-closed Great Lakes School of Log Building in Isabella, Minn. With those additional skills, Schupp built the resort’s sauna, several cabins and, just off-site, his own family’s house (not included in the sale). He and Kelly raised their three children there.

That DIY spirit and willingness to tackle repairs and maintenance themselves or with the help of family enabled the Schupps to run the resort profitably through the years.

“We’re capable people,” Jon Schupp said.

Rising real estate value also influenced the couple’s decision to sell the resort. In Hubbard County, the average sales price of properties in the $750,000 or more bracket has increased by 28% since 2020, according to Northstar MLS. In 2024, eight sales exceeded $1 million, and a similar number have closed so far in 2025.

Listing agent Mike Lynch said while there are a handful of other resorts currently on the market in northern Minnesota, Northern Pine Lodge stands out for both the quality of Potato Lake and the sheer size of the resort. It’s private, too, thanks to a 100-acre tree farm that surrounds the property, which the Schupps will continue to own and operate.

“I can envision this property being sold to a resort owner who wants to take it to the next level, for a family or corporate compound, or to a developer who may create an association with individual cabin ownership,” Lynch said.

The cabins and main lodge are seasonal with plumbing that isn’t freeze-thaw tolerant. But Lynch said the new owner could update the system and use the property year-round, if desired.

In the meantime, with Northern Pine Lodge closed for the season, it’s business as usual for the Schupps: cutting firewood, staining Adirondack chairs and tackling roofing repairs before the snow flies.

They hope whoever buys the property will want to maintain the resort.

“We would love to see Northern Pine Lodge carry on, so the family traditions of our many returning guests can continue, along with new families looking for a northwoods vacation,” Jon Schupp said.

Laurie Fontaine Junker is a Twin Cities-based writer specializing in home design and architecture. Instagram: @fojunk