Tucked away in the woods near Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, Maplelag Resort is a unique and welcoming destination. It is located on Little Sugarbush Lake, about an hour northeast of the Fargo, ND airport and 4.5 hours from Minneapolis/St. Paul, with prairie lands starting just five miles to the west. It’s not flashy or corporate; it’s personal and deeply rooted in tradition.
"Maplelag" is a word coined by founders Jim and Mary Richards, roughly translating into “Maple Community,” reflecting their interest in Norway and location in northwestern Minnesota’s sugarbush region.
This is a family-owned and operated area, with the 2nd and 3rd generations now running the place. The resort has a devoted “extended family” of long-time guests, such as 71-year-old Nancy Eisinger from Walker, MN, who with husband Larry has been classic skiing there since the mid- ‘80s.
Maplelag isn’t trying to be a trend. In all those many areas, I’ve found Maplelag unique (www.maplelag.com) to defy categorization- maybe “eclectic/entertaining/endearing” comes closest to the truth. For example, you can find day and destination areas or places that are both.
The Richards Family Legacy
Jim and Mary (along with Jim’s brother and two other couples) originally bought 56 acres of land on Little Sugarbush Lake for use as recreational property. In 1973, they made the decision to move from Edina, MN, with their two children, Debbie and Jay, with the idea of making maple syrup, which they did for twelve years. At one time, Maplelag was one of the largest producers in Minnesota, producing over 400 gallons in one season.
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Lodging began in 1974, at the suggestion of another maple syrup producer who asked if he could bring a group of friends and rent the Sugarhouse. It seemed like a great way to supplement the sugaring income. Flyers were printed and another business was created! The following year the interior of two small log saunas, which had previously been moved to Maplelag, were renovated and were also rented. At this point, guests brought their own food and it was similar to winter camping.
Maplelag started hosting the Concordia College Language Village programs in 1976. Russian, Swedish, Chinese, Finnish, French and Spanish Villages have all been hosted throughout the years. However, Spanish is the only language that has been on site since 1996. So, for eleven weeks in the summer, Maplelag is shut down as a cross country ski resort and conference center and the entire facility transforms into “El Lago Del Bosque”.
Jay Richards grew up on the land that would become Maplelag. His parents moved there in 1973 with a dream to live off the land and make maple syrup. Then Concordia Language Villages came knocking. Suddenly, this remote homestead had momentum. The Richards built a lodge, served meals with Scandinavian flair, and welcomed Norwegian students who helped run the place. Jay left for college, studied in Norway, and circled back after working at the Izaak Walton Inn near Glacier National Park. He returned to Maplelag in 1997 and never really left.
Jay, his wife Jonell and their three year old son, Jake, moved back to Maplelag in April of 1997. They had been working at Izaak Walton Inn which is located in Essex, MT. Their family has now grown to include sons Jon and Jack and the new additon Jens and the family dog, Lucky. They each have their own unique contribution to the operation of Maplelag.
July 15 Mountain Biking at Maplelag
A Focus on Trails and Hospitality
Maplelag’s trail network-about 90 kilometers of it-is built for skiing, biking, and snowshoeing. There’s only about 55’ of elevation change in the whole network, which is shared with snowshoers. Jay Richards grooms a total of around 70 kilometers, mostly one-way, with a lot of short routes and connectors. Trails are manicured so you can ski with just a few inches of snow.
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Deadfall is cleared. Leaves are removed. Grass is managed in layers. The moss bed underfoot holds snow better than most, which gives Maplelag an edge in lean winters. Jay knows every curve and slope. He also skis daily, not just for fun, but to feel how the trail responds to grooming and use.
Guests don’t just come to Maplelag to ski, mountain bike, or hike. They come to recharge. The Richards treat hospitality like healing. Their goal? To help people feel restored, grounded, and welcomed. The slower pace, the wildflowers, the quiet-these aren’t extras. “We call it the Maplelag family,” Jay said.
Lodging and Amenities
At most Nordic destinations, you can predict what lodging will be, such as log cabins at guest ranches. Maplelag’s plan is to remodel and enhance cabins, making some kitchens available. They have also remodeled the Brant Cabin as a store and community area for day users and overnight guests.
Maplelag can now host up to about 85-90 people at a time. That smaller footprint allows for more personal stays, especially with flexible rentals and group offerings.
Maplelag offers year round lodging with full kitchens in the Candy Store, Six Swedes lodge, Big Dipper (formally the Lapland cabin) and Norwegian Log cabin and now the original main house "MapleHus". The Orange and Red Caboose have kitchenettes. We recently added another wood fired sauna to Maplelag.
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Every day is a great day to sauna and combined with a dip in the nearby Little Sugarbush lake, a rejuvenating and relaxing experiencing any time of the day and year!
Tradition is a part of Maplelag’s lifeblood. The rhythms of resort life become routine here. The walls of the main lodge bear bear the fruits of Jim’s explorations to learn the histories of ethnic settlement across the Midwest, with signs from small towns all over the region littering every open space. This being a Nordic skiing resort, the Scandinavian influence is obvious, with a Sunday morning smorgasbord rolling out a delectable array of cheeses to go with the lefse and those delicious little cookies. There is a piping hot sauna, of course, and a hole in the ice down on Little Sugarbush Lake where people with a higher tolerance for cold water than myself can purify themselves.
Maplelag pays homage to the best of Minnesotan culture, that inheritance that us children of this state are charged with passing on: simple beauty, restorative escapes, a culture of diligent craftsmanship, and, once the work is done, the freedom to both delight in the sports afforded by a harsh climate and to huddle around a hearth and find warmth in one another once the sun has gone down.
The Fire and Rebuilding
The resort, about 20 miles north of Detroit Lakes, closed in October 2022 after a fire destroyed the Maplelag lodge. Initially, the idea was to rebuild the lodge as a one-story facility, he noted. But, obtaining adequate insurance coverage would’ve resulted in increased prices.
After the fire, as the ashes were swept up and debris hauled away, the Richardses felt as if they were on a teeter-totter. One minute they were landing in the anguish of what was lost. The next minute, they were lifted up on the shoulders of former guests, community members or businesses. They expressed deep gratitude for the support they received because it eventually led them to see glimpses of what Maplelag’s future might be.
"We really thought about the things that we enjoyed, and that we thought we were good at,” Jonell said. For Jay, he found his heart was in the woods of the 450-acre resort. Beating back the brush from trails and keeping them groomed provided him with a sense of normalcy.
As Jay worked surrounded by nature, his thoughts shifted from desperation to inspiration.“Desperation would’ve been rebuilding a lodge because we want to please everybody,” he said. “But, it’s important to have success with a passion, or drive for what you’re doing - and that is what we’re going with.”
While Jay tended to the trails that serve mountain bikers in the warmer months, and skiers, snowshoers and fat tire bicycle riders in the winter, Jonell looked within and found her passion belonged to operating a store.
Jonell explained the store in the old lodge was often the location where visitors gathered to chat. Maplelag owners Jay and Jonell Richards recently completed renovating a cabin into a store. Upon entering the store, visitors are welcomed with a bit of Maplelag history.
“So in the old lodge, or the lodge that we lost, there was a wax room that had all these old trail signs,” Jay recalled. While those were lost in the fire, he said other signs were located in the maintenance building and other places. “So, we decided to put them on display.”
To the left of the store’s entryway is a room with ample seating.“Not everyone wants to ski for three hours,” Jonell recognized. “So, if a 30-minute skier comes out with a three-hour skier, they will have a place to sit, relax, read a book … There are also bathrooms in the entryway.”
On the other side of the guest sitting area is the new store. Inside are many locally made products, from maple syrup to honey, fur hats to gloves and much more.
Jonell hasn’t decided on store hours yet, but she said the day center will be open from sunup to sundown.
As the store took shape, the Richardses also saw a plan to move forward without a lodge, at least for now. Through reviewing trend data and other research, the Richardses got to renovating a few cabins. Full kitchens were installed in two larger cabins that sleep about 18 people. “We'll see how that goes,” Jay said. “And we'll probably add more.”
Without meal service on-site, the facility can no longer host the Concordia Language Village camps, as it has been the past 40 summers.
Activities and Events
Maplelag Resort is known to outdoor enthusiasts as a premier place for mountain biking, cross-country skiing, fat bike rides and snowshoeing. The facility offers more than 70 miles of trails.
Maplelag is an ideal place for scrapbooking. With the resort staff handling all the meals and cleanup, participants can focus all their time on their projects. Of course, don’t forget the opportunity to explore the Maplelag grounds, visit the Spa including massage therapy and shop in our gift shop.
Christmas Eve family ski, December 24th, 2025. The ski trails are open and passes can be purchased here.
Cabins available to book now! Check the lodging and availability page to book a stay!
Grooming near the Cabooses, December 12th, 2025.
Maplelag Store
The Maplelag store carries, chapstick-on-a-rope for the skier, thermal mugs, and bumper stickers. We also have local harvested honey, maple syrup and coffee by Muskrat Coffee. I also have some jewelry made by local artists, guests of Maplelag, and even a kitchen staff gal, each piece is a one-of-a-kind.
And now, for the drum roll……………………Yes, it is true, this holiday season we will have our first Maplelag cookbook for all to enjoy!! It has been a long time in the making but we hope you think it was well worth the wait and find it unique!
Weddings at Maplelag
Another area of Maplelag which consumes much of my time is wedding planning! I never would have guessed I would get to plan so many weddings! Maplelag truly receives the “cream of the crop” as far as guests and this goes for our wedding guests, as well. We have had great brides and grooms to work with and their families become a part of ours, after spending such a special weekend with us.
We choose to offer a “wedding weekend” which provides the bride and groom, along with many of their family and friends an unforgettable reunion with a wedding bonus. We have had some long time, faithful, Maplelag guests as well as brand new guests choose Maplelag. The lodge has enough space to accommodate all the activities associated with a wedding. It is particularly fun when the majority of the guest stay at Maplelag.
Art at Maplelag
Over the past five years, we have had three original Maplelag posters done by Fergus Falls artist, Charlie Beck. They have been absolutely fantastic and each one captures a different aspect of Maplelag. We are thrilled that he was willing to depart from his usual art forms to create these for us.
Charlie is the wonderful artist who’s woodcut prints we have been showcased in the dining room of our lodge. We are honored that he has asked Maplelag to serve as gallery for his work. The prints certainly help to recreate the mood and feeling of the former Maplelag dining room.
Many of you have asked where you can see and/or purchase his prints and decoys. Just give Joyce or Charlie a call at their home in Fergus Falls, MN, where his studio is located. Maybe you can catch them on your way to or from Maplelag or you can make an appointment.
Depot Project
We are still moving ahead with our depot project as we persevere in our quest for depot signs. I must admit it is harder, as we have checked out most of the old depots and less of them are turning up. We have made some wonderful friends along the way and we have been amazed at their wealth of knowledge. At last, we have some on display.
For those of you who are not familiar with this project this is what I am trying to do: I have been taking pictures of old depots in the upper Midwest and the Prairie Provinces of Canada and researching their history. Whenever possible, I will purchase the depot signs of depots no longer in use. We will then have the signs on display and try to show how the towns fit into the various main and branch lines. I will also do a brief history of the town and try to find someone to write an interesting antidote about the town, as well.
“What does this have to do with Maplelag and its role as a destination cross country ski resort?” Absolutely nothing! But, I think it makes Maplelag a more exciting place to visit and it gives you a hands-on approach to history. The small depot and the subsequent rail service was often the birth and death of many a small town.