Iconic Northern Minnesota BWCA Outfitter For Sale After 60 Years Of Business

It was announced earlier this week that one of the iconic Boundary Waters outfitters that has been operating for more than half a century is hitting the market.

Williams and Hall Outiffers, about 20 miles northeast of Ely on the southern shore of Moose Lake, just hit the market for $1.8 million.

The 3.45-acre lakefront property includes 500 feet of shoreline along the southeastern shore of Moose Lake and includes lodging, retail, and dining facilities for guests and people looking to head out into the BWCAW.

The outfitter is just outside the BWCAW boundary, with the part of Moose Lake within the BWCAW's borders just a slight paddle northward.

Williams and Hall traces its history back to guide Don Beland, who moved to the Ely area at the age of 16, coming to Moose Lake in 1964 to create a wilderness outfitting operation. This was before the BWCA was even formally established.

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From there, Tom Ware and Woods Davis bought the business and operated it for many years, selling it in 1994 to Blayne & Charlene Hall and Lyle & Shirley Williams, which is where the business's current name comes from.

The property includes lodging space for up to 120 guests to sleep on location, as well as a full-service dining room, and a retail facility for people to rent or buy items for a trip into the wilderness of the Boundary Waters or Quetico Provincial Park across the border. The staff has also become well known over the years for being able to craft trips for adventurers based on their skill level and the duration of the trip they're looking for.

The Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal says the business has seen revenue jump 30% above what Williams and Hall had seen prior to the 2020 pandemic, which can be a big selling point for anyone looking to buy this business.

Besides the lodging, retail, and dining facilities, the property also has a 5 bedroom/3 bathroom home.

The property is listed with SVN Northco out of the Twin Cities. You can see the full listing for the property here.