How a wood-fired sauna deepened the guest experience at one of Minnesota’s most intentional family-run resorts
Project Details
Project Type: Resort, Model 5+ Outdoor Sauna
Location: Callaway, Minnesota
Overall Size: 8′ 1″ × 14′ 10″ × 9′ 6″
Hot Room Volume: 292 ft³
Capacity: 4 – 6 people
Weight: ~ 6,000 lb
Hot Room Interior: 6′ 2″ width × 6′ 8″ length
Bench Length: 6′ 9″ length
Entryway: 8′ 1″ width × 3′ 5″ length
Finishes & Features: Arbor Wood Co. thermally-modified ash exterior cladding, IKI wood-fired stove, H Window Company picture windows, integrated solar system powering the lights, fan, and outlets for off-grid functionality, cedar interior and benches, changing room for added respite and space to kick off boots and hang robes, mass timber cross-laminated timber construction, matte black hardware, underbench LED lighting
Project Story
Some places are built with ambition. Maplelag Resort was built with heart.
In 1973, Jim and Mary Richards moved their young family to a piece of land they’d owned since the 1960s with a simple dream: to live off the land and make maple syrup. They hauled in old log cabins, opened ski trails through the maple forest, and charged a few dollars for guests to ski and stay in rustic quarters.
“The name Maplelag is a made-up Norwegian word meaning ‘maple community,’” Jay explained. “It comes from the beautiful maple forests here and the strong sense of community that’s grown around them.”
That community took shape quickly. When Concordia Language Villages came calling, the Richards family’s small homestead found new life. They built a lodge, served Scandinavian-inspired meals, and welcomed Norwegian students who helped run the place. What began as a humble syrup operation evolved into a full resort that could host up to 250 guests at its peak.
Jay left for college, studied in Norway, got married to his wife Jonell, and later returned home after working at the Izaak Walton Inn near Glacier National Park. In 1997, they came back to Maplelag with their three-year-old son Jake. A fire in 1999, and another in 2022, forced the family to rebuild not once but twice—each time with more purpose.
“Today, Maplelag is leaner, more intentional, and still completely family-run,” Jay said. “This isn’t a plug-and-play resort. It’s lived-in. Jonell and I do it all. Trails, bookings, maintenance, design. The former lodge may be gone, but the vision is alive and evolving.” He continued, “We have a small but dedicated team, deeply committed to seeing our vision take root and thrive. We’re supported by incredible service personnel that help make it all happen.”
That vision continues to evolve in quiet, deliberate ways.
The Richards have turned an old bunkhouse into a wellness and retreat space where guests gather for yoga, meditation, and strength training, anything that brings them closer to the land and themselves. Just down the path, a new Model 5+ Outdoor Sauna built in collaboration with Cedar & Stone carries that same spirit of renewal. Both spaces remind guests that restoration isn’t something added to the Maplelag experience. It’s the heart of it.
A Sauna Built from Necessity and Intention
Sauna has never been an addition at Maplelag, It’s where the story begins.
“When we first moved to the property, there was no hot water,” Jay said. “The first sauna here was built with intention, not as an amenity. It was how we bathed and cleansed year-round, with a dip in a hole cut in Little Sugarbush Lake. Many of the health benefits people talk about today were just part of the daily routine.”
That first sauna was built before any real comfort existed, a humble structure made for heat and cleansing. In Finland, saunas were often built before the family home, serving as both bathhouse and sacred space for gathering, healing, and even birth. The Richards’ story carried that same spirit. Sauna came first, because it was essential.
That same rhythm still flows through the property today. Sauna, cold lake, silence. A ritual that connects guests to something deeper and older than a trend.
“Guests don’t just come to Maplelag to ski, mountain bike, or hike,” Jay said. “They come to recharge. We treat hospitality like healing. Our goal is to help people feel restored, grounded, and welcomed. The slower pace, the wildflowers, the quiet, those aren’t extras. They’re the whole point. The saunas provide opportunity to fulfill this goal and vision.”
Partnering with Purpose
When the Richards family decided to add a new sauna to Maplelag, they wanted to honor that history while building something that reflected their present-day purpose.
“We visited Duluth to see Cedar & Stone’s saunas firsthand,” Jay said. “We talked to other owners who only had great things to say. We were absolutely satisfied with the whole process: meeting our desire to have solar and the particulars of design, construction, and materials. Delivery day was a complete blast. We were so excited to see it in place.”
The solar integration was especially meaningful to the Richards family. Maplelag has long valued off-grid resilience and sustainability, so Cedar & Stone designed a compact solar system to power the sauna’s lighting, fan, and outlets. The result is a wood-fired sauna that’s fully self-sufficient, combining tradition with environmental mindfulness, a natural extension of Maplelag’s values.
That collaboration resulted in a structure that fits perfectly into Maplelag’s landscape and lifestyle. Simple, sustainable, and thoughtfully designed for connection.
A Space That Feels Like it’s Always Been There
This customized Model 5+ sauna at Maplelag sits softly among trees and native grasses, looking out toward Little Sugarbush Lake through expansive windows from H Window Company. The warm cedar interior feels timeless, while the exterior, wrapped in thermally-modified ash from Arbor Wood Co., blends effortlessly into the surrounding forest.
Inside, a changing room offers a quiet pause between cold and heat, a place to kick off boots and hang robes before stepping into the hot room.
At its core is an IKI wood-fired stove, a nod to Maplelag’s beginnings and to the family’s deep relationship with the land itself.
“With over 90 kilometers of trail, we have quite a bit of blowdowns every year, and it just makes sense to use wood as our source,” Jay said. “Also, the original sauna was wood-fired, and we don’t know any other way. There’s something rewarding about cutting blocks, splitting them, and stoking the fire. The heat has a little extra meaning, which adds to the holistic experience of sauna.”
Guests have felt that too.
“The reaction to the new Cedar & Stone sauna has been fantastic,” Jay shared. “The big open view toward the lake, softly surrounded by trees, native grasses, and vegetation, provides an intimate experience with nature while enjoying the sauna.”
It’s not a showpiece. It’s a continuation of what Maplelag has always been: a place to slow down, reconnect, and belong.
A sauna for all seasons
This authentic Finnish sauna is a space that will serve these owners and their guests for decades to come. Their visitors use it daily, throughout all four of Minnesota’s unique seasons, often moving from ski trails or bike rides straight into the heat. It’s a space that supports the resort’s mission to help people slow down and reconnect with themselves and their surroundings.
Our customizable saunas are built for that same purpose. Whether they’re placed beside a lake, nestled in a forest, or part of a small resort or rental property, they bring warmth and meaning to any environment.
Each one is crafted with care to create connection: to the elements, to a slower pace, and to the people who gather inside.
If you’re building a place meant to help others find that same balance, we’d love to help bring it to life.
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