Paulina Lake Lodge

I just returned from a fun winter weekend up at Paulina Lake Lodge, which is under new ownership. We had a nice experience, and I have a lot to share:

•Access is by snowcat. They were on time to pick us up, and it was a fun ride up to the lodge. Luggage and gear were brought up on another rig. Check in was swift and easy, and our cabin was warm. A few of the others (we were a group, 4 cabins total) had fires going when they walked in.

•There is a ton of wood available and axes, but no kindling. Be prepared to chop your own. We did find fire starters and matches in our cabin. Bringing some pitch wood would be super useful. (Wood fireplace is the only heat source, and is very efficient.)

•Cabins lack a lot of standard amenities. Bring EVERYTHING that you will want or need. No hairdryer. No tissues. No shampoo. Kitchens are basic and do not have any spices, oil, foil, or even baking sheets/pans. Pots and pans are teflon and very scratched. Bring what you need for your meals. Having a communal grill, or grills, available would be a nice amenity to add to the resort.

•The store was pretty bare bones. Some chips and drinks, 16oz bottles of water. BRING DRINKING WATER!!! The water is terrible, super sulphur-y. I wish I’d known so I could bring a few gallons. Hours are short too; 10-2:00. They could easily go to a cashless, card pay honor system with a camera in there; that would be really nice (and add more food things, and gallons of water).

•I wish they’d provide small area maps, either at the store or in the cabins. We had to rely on Gaia, which is fine, but so many people don’t have that app. Hot springs are 2.2 miles one way, and the waterfall is like 1/4 of a mile in the other direction.

•This time of year outside fires are allowed in their pits out front. (January.)

•Online reservations are easy, BUT customer service via phone could be much improved. I tried calling numerous times, for various reasons and only reached someone once…and then she couldn’t hear me and promptly hung up. When my husband tried calling back immediately they didn’t even pick up. Before that I’d left a message and never received a response.

•Food: We only ate at the restaurant once, for dinner last night. Drinks were good, and I appreciated the fun cocktail selection ($16 each!). The waitress listened to my dairy allergy and they accommodated me; also much appreciated. The cod was ok. Everyone else had prime rib and said it was ok. Not the best ever, but good. Service was great, and it was a cozy atmosphere.

•It would be super cool if they’d offer a package with the snowmobile company down the road so you could have your own transportation parked at your cabin for the weekend. Hint hint. 😉

I did not stay at the lodge but visited with my family for a quick stop. It was a great place to stop by if you need a meal or are looking to rent a little watercraft for the lake or just sit and have a picnic with your family. If you have a boat, there was adequate parking to pull in and turn around. There were a few wooden docs, but I am not sure if the slips were for public use or not. The walkways are gravel and dirt so it’s not super wheelchair friendly but you could definitely find a beautiful place to view the lake with a very close walk.

Had lunch on the last day of the season (Oct 12th, 2025) and had an elk burger, fries and a cup of homemade potato pork chowder. Absolutely delicious and awesome! 👌 Lindsey was great; extremely helpful and attentive, and very pleasant. The first snows were on the ground, and the lake was steaming. Beautiful. Watch for the orange cat, too. May try to stow away in your vehicle if the window is down...

Camping in a volcano, very neat. Lots of things to do on two lakes. Beautiful views from Paulina Peak you can drive or hike to the top, at 7,980 feet you can see for miles. Great view of obsidian field and lakes.

Our group of four families recently returned from a three night stay at Paulina Lake Lodge. We enjoyed our stay thoroughly. It truly is a rustic vibe with no cell service and log cabins. The cabins could all likely use a good scrubbing and some updating, but they were clean enough and my cabin of four were always enchanted by the beauty of Paulina Lake to care too much about a few cobwebs or bugs. One of the other cabins our friends were in had mice in the wall and one of the children in our party found a dead mouse in a trap under a bed, which wasn't a great look...mostly because it scared a few of the kids for a bit. The welcome books state that wildlife is part of the deal and explain that there is Decon (D -Con) in the cabins, but do not explain that it is rat poison. The D-Con wasn't out in the open, but it is something future guests might want to be aware of. Other than those issues, we all had a really excellent time exploring the lake and its surroundings. Paulina Falls was really pretty and a short hike from the resort. Staff were all super friendly and helpful. The live music on Saturdays was a lot of fun seeing all the people gathered on the lawn. I would recommend bringing some of your own eating supplies, especially cutlery, as our cabin only had 1 fork. We have plans to definitely return again. Thank you Paulina Lake Lodge!