Gateway Lodge And Resort - Mercer

We stayed on 10 15 July. I highly recommend the Aspen cabin. It is not owned by the Gateway it’s privately owned and very well maintained. The owners are located just east of the cabin and are super friendly and helpful. The owners allowed us to fish off their private dock which was very nice.The location of the Gateway lodge is pretty convenient. It’s on a paved county road and is only a little over 5 miles from the Trail 17 intersection if you plan on riding your side by side.Although the Aspen cabin itself is great, it’s not located on the “property proper”. You have to access it via a private driveway that is about 100 yards past the Gateway bar. This isn’t so bad, but no one tells you this and (upon arrival) you have to scout it out to figure how to find it. Additionally, if you bring a trailer, you’ll have to back down a long, narrow driveway or park your trailer across the road. Not a big deal, but the Gateway should probably e mail you a map of how to get to your place. You’ll also have to walk across an abandoned property (that isn’t mowed) to access the restaurant/bar, docks, etc. The only 2 cabins that are actually situated on the lake inlet with pull up parking are the Honeymoon and the Hunter’s Den. When I mentioned my concerns to Missy (who I’ll get to later) that a map would’ve been nice, she was uninterested to say the least.I never met Wayne (the co owner) in person. We only communicated via e mail. Let me just say that communication isn’t one of his strengths. Prior to arriving, I had several questions and one small request…that he provide me a receipt after he received my payment. None of my questions were answered and I never got a receipt. He did tell me that he received my payment a week after my check cleared my bank and after I had to ask him for the 3rd time.We did get a chance to meet Missy (the other co owner) on Thursday afternoon at the bar. I want to be as nice as possible here….she’s just plain grumpy and unattentive. She seems like she could care less (or even put off) that you’re a paying customer. My wife and I were the only ones in the bar and the dog greeted us by licking our legs before she even acknowledged we were there. Finally she took our order for 2 Bush Lights (don’t judge..ha ha) and not so promptly served us 2 Coors Lights. She seems so put out and never engaged us in any way. We did tell her we were staying in the Aspen and at that point (4 days into our stay) asked us to fill out our check in paperwork. Wow! How was this going to happen if we didn’t walk into the bar and approach her? And with one day left to stay, why did it matter at that point? Either way, it seems that Wayne and Missy have a lot to learn about running a small business. We didn’t eat at the restaurant so I can’t comment on the quality of the food, but I’m sure it’s good after reading several positive reviews. I can tell you that you won’t find a place in the area that charges higher prices. We found that the restaurant at the Great Northern Hotel in Mercer was about the best deal around. Around the Corner pub was also very good.The parking is limited and like I mentioned earlier, if you bring a trailer, you’ll be asked to unhook it and park it across the road. The Aspen is great, but the 2 small cabins on the lake (Honeymoon and Hunter), which are fully owned/maintained by Missy and Wayne, are a little rough. I can’t speak to the larger, more expensive 2 story place (Pine Tree), but it looks newer.Wi Fi access was constantly in and out of service.If you’re bringing your boat, the docks are pretty flimsy and I only located one working power outlet. There’s a gravel/sand grade that goes into the water but it’s not suitable for launching. You’d have to put in at the State Park which is just around the corner about a ½ mile. We were here for an entire week and no one rented any of the Gateway’s boats.If I had to sum it up: The Aspen is great, the location is good, the facilities are satisfactory and the customer service is poor.

We stayed at the Gateway Lodge from 10 15 July in the Aspen cabin. There were a lot of good things and some not so good things. I’ll start with the good. I highly recommend the Aspen cabin. It is not owned by the Gateway it’s privately owned and very well maintained. The owners are located just east of the cabin and are super friendly and helpful. The owners allowed us to fish off their private dock which was very nice. The location of the Gateway lodge is pretty convenient. It’s on a paved county road and is only a little over 5 miles from the Trail 17 intersection if you plan on riding your side by side. The small cove/inlet that the Gateway is situated on is very scenic and quiet. Unfortunately, there are a lot more things that aren’t so good. Although the Aspen cabin itself is great, it’s not located on the “property proper”. You have to access it via a private driveway that is about 100 yards past the Gateway bar. This isn’t so bad, but no one tells you this and (upon arrival) you have to scout it out to figure how to find it. Additionally, if you bring a trailer, you’ll have to back down a long, narrow driveway or park your trailer across the road. Not a big deal, but the Gateway should probably e mail you a map of how to get to your place. You’ll also have to walk across an abandoned property (that isn’t mowed) to access the restaurant/bar, docks, etc. The only 2 cabins that are actually situated on the lake inlet with pull up parking are the Honeymoon and the Hunter’s Den. When I mentioned my concerns to Missy (who I’ll get to later) that a map would’ve been nice, she was uninterested to say the least. I never met Wayne (the co owner) in person. We only communicated via e mail. Let me just say that communication isn’t one of his strengths. Prior to arriving, I had several questions and one small request…that he provide me a receipt after he received my payment. None of my questions were answered and I never got a receipt. He did tell me that he received my payment a week after my check cleared my bank and after I had to ask him for the 3rd time. We did get a chance to meet Missy (the other co owner) on Thursday afternoon at the bar. I want to be as nice as possible here….she’s just plain grumpy and unattentive. She seems like she could care less (or even put off) that you’re a paying customer. My wife and I were the only ones in the bar and the dog greeted us by licking our legs before she even acknowledged we were there. Finally she took our order for 2 Bush Lights (don’t judge..ha ha) and not so promptly served us 2 Coors Lights. She seems so put out and never engaged us in any way. We did tell her we were staying in the Aspen and at that point (4 days into our stay) asked us to fill out our check in paperwork. Wow! How was this going to happen if we didn’t walk into the bar and approach her? And with one day left to stay, why did it matter at that point? Either way, it seems that Wayne and Missy have a lot to learn about running a small business. We didn’t eat at the restaurant so I can’t comment on the quality of the food, but I’m sure it’s good after reading several positive reviews. I can tell you that you won’t find a place in the area that charges higher prices. We found that the restaurant at the Great Northern Hotel in Mercer was about the best deal around. Around the Corner pub was also very good. As far as the logistics and appearance of the Gateway facilities, the photos and descriptions that you find on their web page might be leaving out a few details. The parking is limited and like I mentioned earlier, if you bring a trailer, you’ll be asked to unhook it and park it across the road. The Aspen is great, but the 2 small cabins on the lake (Honeymoon and Hunter), which are fully owned/maintained by Missy and Wayne, are a little rough. I can’t speak to the larger, more expensive 2 story place (Pine Tree), but it looks newer. Wi Fi access was constantly in and out of service. If you’re bringing your boat, the docks are pretty flimsy and I only located one working power outlet. There’s a gravel/san

Terrible service. 2 bag ice maximum is ridiculous. Edible food. Best thing about this place is the fuel. Would not recommend.Service: 1/5

We stayed at one of the cabins for a weekend and rented a boat as well. REALLY nice cabin, nice and close to the bar and the slip we rented the boat from. The bar had pretty good food options as well!Rooms: 5/5

Great food great people I always love coming here with my family