Destination file 40 · Minnesota
Corporate retreats in Brainerd Lakes.
Hundreds of lakes, classic resorts and true Northwoods summers. The Renewal Office designs company retreats and executive offsites in the Brainerd Lakes, built around what your team needs to leave with.
At a glance
- From MinneapolisAbout 2.5 hr drive, or a short flight to Brainerd (BRD)
- From ChicagoFly to MSP, then connect to BRD or drive about 2.5 hr
- Nearest airportBrainerd Lakes Regional (BRD), about 20 min to Gull Lake
- Best monthsJune to mid-September. Some resorts are seasonal, and winter is for ice-fishing groups only
- Places to stay4 we’d book
- NearbyNisswa, Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area and the Paul Bunyan Trail
Why Brainerd Lakes
The classic Minnesota lake resort.
The Brainerd Lakes have been Minnesota's summer escape for more than a century. Gull Lake alone holds resorts that have hosted families and company outings since the 1910s and 1920s.
The resorts are built for groups. They have their own golf courses, beaches, boats and meeting space, so a team can arrive and never need to get back in a car.
The window is short and worth it. June through mid-September is warm, green and full of loons on the water. Madden's runs from spring into October, and by November the lakes start to freeze.
We bring teams to the Brainerd Lakes when they want a relaxed, unpretentious summer retreat with lots of time on the water.
Where we’d stay
Hotels and buyouts we’d actually book.
Tap any property to open its file.
Details from each property, checked October 2026. We confirm rates, space and dates for every file.
Sample retreat · 4 days
Gull Lake and the Northwoods, built on the TRO Six Pillars.
- Day 1Arrive
- Drive up from the Twin Cities and check in on Gull LakeThe Offsite
- Breathwork on the dock as the loons come outRenewal
- Lakeside welcome dinner and bonfireThe World
- Day 2Align
- Strategy session: the season aheadGuiding Star
- Team mountain bike challenge at CuyunaTranscend
- Hands-on walleye shore lunch class with a local guideThe World
- Day 3Connect
- Device-free morning on the water by canoeRenewal
- Archetypes workshop and peer coachingKnowing
- Pontoon cruise and open conversationThe World
- Day 4Commit
- Commitments session and 90-day planGuiding Star
- Closing sound bath in the pinesRenewal
- Lunch and drive homeThe Offsite
The outcomeA team that feels like a team again, and a plan simple enough to remember.
From the office
Why we bring teams here.
We bring Twin Cities companies and regional teams here for summer retreats that feel like the lake trips people remember from childhood, with real work done in between.
See the retreats we plan →“By the second night at the bonfire, we were having the conversation we had avoided all year.”
The Renewal Office
What it might cost
Starting points, not quotes.
- Cabin cluster buyout$4,500per night, a private group of lakeside cabins (about 12 bedrooms)
- Full-service resort$650per person, per day
- Luxury and reward$950per person, per day
Estimates for Brainerd Lakes, October 2026, before flights. Based on 2026 mid-season rates at Grand View Lodge, Cragun's Resort and Madden's on Gull Lake, summer 2026 estimates, plus taxes, meals, programming, production and local transport. Real rates move with season and group size, and every TRO budget is built line by line for your group.
Questions
Planning a retreat in Brainerd Lakes.
How far are the Brainerd Lakes from Minneapolis?
About 2.5 hours by car from Minneapolis and St. Paul. Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport (BRD) has Delta Connection flights from MSP and is about 20 minutes from the Gull Lake resorts.
When is the best time for a retreat in the Brainerd Lakes?
June to mid-September for warm water and long days, with late September adding fall color. Some resorts, including Madden's and Ruttger's, are seasonal, and from December to March the lakes are frozen, so we only plan summer and early fall retreats.
What size groups fit in the Brainerd Lakes?
From a dozen people in a cluster of cabins to several hundred at Madden's or Cragun's, which each have tens of thousands of square feet of meeting space.
What can a team do in the Brainerd Lakes?
Canoe and cruise Gull Lake, mountain bike at Cuyuna, golf on resort courses, ride the Paul Bunyan Trail and gather for a walleye shore lunch and a lakeside bonfire.
Who plans and runs the retreat?
The Renewal Office designs it around your goals using the TRO Six Pillars, then handles venue, programming, facilitators and production from the first call to the week after.
