A Nordic-meets-Northwoods trail sports chalet on 3 wooded acres, just off the main path between Hayward + Cable in Seeley, WI. Only 2 miles from the iconic “OO” Trailhead with quick access to the Birkie ski trails, mountain and fat bike trails, gravel roads, UTV trails, & more. This charming chalet - with a wood-fired sauna, large game room, firepit & more - puts you among the pristine woods, water, and all the iconic events, restaurants, shopping, & nightlife of two key Northwoods communities.
The space
Three split levels provide everything you need for a true Scandinavian chalet experience. From the vaulted main space, two sets of large patio doors welcome natural light, both opening to a wrap-around deck with dining and lounge space. In the living room, a wood fireplace stove adds warmth and comfort to the open living area and vaulted kitchen – handy for any crisp mornings or cool starry evenings. A spacious three-sided screened porch, overlooking the nearby wooded ravine, serves as a secondary dining or sitting area for games, reading, or conversation. For warm summer months, an in-wall air conditioner in the lofted bedroom provides a welcome reprieve for the whole space.
THE BEDROOMS
The main lofted bedroom, complete with king bed, sitting area with chaise lounge, and private balcony, looks out through a huge second story window to the surrounding woods, and down over the living area and deck. The large lower level bedroom features a two queen beds, a walk-in closet, and its own electric fireplace stove. In the living room, a pull-out sleeper sofa adds one more spot for rest, bringing the total up to eight possible guests. Two full bathrooms – one up and one down – make sure restroom access is always easy for any group.
THE AMENITIES
• Outdoor Sauna // Enjoy a Northwoods Scandinavian lifestyle with our traditional wood-fired cedar barrel sauna seating up to six. Plus an outdoor cooling shower available in season.
• Fire Pit // Just off the deck near the sauna is a large fire pit with ample seating for a classic evening campfire, surrounded by a string of outdoor lights.
• Game Room // Our game room is a spacious, converted two-car garage with in-floor heat. It features a bar counter with stools, ping-pong table, billiards table, shuffleboard table, and arcade machine with 12 vintage games. There is also a bluetooth speaker system, a TV with all the channels, and two Adirondack chairs. The space is in its early form as of early 2025 with more details to come!
• Ski Waxing & Laundry Room // A utility room with a bench set up for ski waxing (liquid paraffin only), is available just off the lower bedroom. It also includes laundry space with a washer, dryer, and supplies.
• Wrap-Around Deck // Enjoy meals on the deck with a patio table and chairs, along with a large gas grill just outside the kitchen.
• Outdoor Gear Storage // The elevated porch offers sheltered bike parking, and a rack on the front deck offers a handy spot for skis or snowshoes.
• Classic Hammock Nook // Just off the screened porch is a small clearing in the woods featuring a large, vintage-style rope hammock.
NEW OWNERS
Brand new owners with boutique hospitality experience have taken over in late 2024 and are currently in the process of updating the furniture, lighting, fixtures, and amenities between guests. This is a new listing with all new reviews and info.
EV CHARGING
The nearby Birkie Trail “OO” Trailhead just two miles down the road has multiple EV charging stations.
Guest access
PARKING: The roundabout driveway and parking area can easily accommodate 4-5 vehicles. Up to 2-3 vehicles with trailers can even use the roundabout to park one in front of the other, and continue around the circle to exit.
ADDITIONAL LOFT CHALET: The property features another chalet-style structure – a two-car garage with a second lofted private space above.
Other things to note
THE LOCATION
The chalet is perfectly situated to explore the region no matter your interest, halfway between Hayward and Cable with barely more than a 10 minute drive to either. It’s located just off the key Hwy OO route, which is less than half mile off Hwy 63, the road that connects it all. There you’ll find the main crossroads of Seeley, with the iconic Sawmill Saloon, and Silverthorn Lake and Park nearby. From our location you can quickly access all kinds of trails, the Namekagon River, and countless lakes and flowage systems for biking, skiing, hiking, snowshoeing, paddling, fishing, UTV-ing, snowmobiling, and more. Plus, the Chequamegon National Forest and Sawyer County Forest are close at hand, with more than a million acres of woods, lakes, and rivers to explore.
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NEARBY ATTRACTIONS
The Seeley Hills Chalet is the perfect basecamp for a wide array of outdoor activities including:
NEARBY SKIING
• Birkebeiner Ski Trails // The 100+ kilometer Birkie trail system draws skiers, runners, and hikers of all ability levels year-round. But from roughly December to March, skiers can experience some of the world’s best ski trails, and the same ones used in the highly-acclaimed and internationally-attended American Birkebeiner Ski Race.
NEARBY BIKING
• CAMBA Mountain Bike Trails // The CAMBA mountain bike trail system features more than 300 miles of well-cared-for, signed, and mapped trails. It’s one of the most connected and extensive system of single track trails in the Midwest, and boasts a number of exciting events year round.
• Gravel & Road Riding // The forest roads surrounding the chalet, and well beyond, offer hundreds of miles of picturesque gravel road riding opportunities with well-signed routes and events drawing participants from throughout the Midwest. Similarly, many beautiful paved road bike routes are also nearby offering tours of northern forests, farms, and lakes.
• Winter Fat Biking // Much of the same network of CAMBA mountain bike trails – roughly 50 miles worth – are expertly groomed in the winter for some of the most incredible fat biking experiences and events in the state. The winter trail runs by within a couple hundred yards of the chalet. Bikes of all kinds – including fat tire bikes – can be rented nearby in Hayward at New Moon Bike & Ski or Riverbrook Bike & Ski.
NEARBY UTV/ATV TRAILS
• UTVs can directly drive in/out from the chalet to trails via a short half mile (and legal!) connection down Hwy OO. Additionally, a key parking trailhead for the region's robust trail network is right there too. With more than 140 miles of trails through the Chequamegon National Forest, a growing number of enthusiasts have made this area one of the top ATV destinations in Wisconsin and the Midwest because the trails are probably the best in the entire state.
NEARBY WATER RECREATION
• Silverthorn Lake Beach & Park Playground // Less than two miles from the chalet is the family-friendly Silverthorn Lake and Park, featuring a sandy swim beach and beautiful clear water, along with a large open air pavilion, picnic areas, pickleball and volleyball courts, playground equipment, a basketball hoop, and more.
• Namekagon River // About a mile from the chalet is the gorgeous Namekagon River, part of the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway. It’s an incredible place to paddle or fly fish.
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HISTORY OF THE CHALET
Our chalet – sometimes referred to as a Penman Chalet – is part of a well-known handful of stately and charming cabins along Hwy OO, known as the Double O chalets. Just a stone’s throw from the Birkie and CAMBA trail systems’ OO Trailhead, the chalet was built by Seeley’s beloved Gary “Gordy” Penman in the mid-80s, the man widely credited as having the vision and work ethic to help build the Seeley area into what it is today for biking, skiing, hiking, and other outdoor recreation. His list of projects and accomplishments for this area is simply amazing, despite passing away in 2008 due to cancer at only 57 years old. As David Schlabowske wrote on his blog Life Above 8, “Although he was known as the “Quiet King of Seeley” for his economy with words, [Mr. Penman] accomplished more in his short life than most people do who live to be 100 years old.”
Besides building the iconic and creative Sawmill Saloon in downtown Seeley, Mr. Penman was the first to build a community of cabins connected by ski trails, and he pioneered that trail-oriented style of development which still holds strong across the Cable/Seeley area today. With that vision on his land he built the Penman Trails which include a tunnel, three bridges, and a sauna. While on the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation board he designed and directed the construction of the first warming hut at OO and was instrumental in getting trails there illuminated. He was also elected to the Sawyer County board to advocate for silent sports infrastructure, and he helped initiate many outdoor events including The Seeley Hills Classic, Black Bear Biathlon, and many more. Today, the CAMBA bike trails called “Gordy’s View” and “Penman Plunge” – both not far from our chalet – are named after his legacy.
Beyond his countless community contributions, for years Mr. Penman raced the Birkie out of the elite wave and competed in many of the Worldloppet races across Europe. Upon his untimely death, Mr. Penman’s longtime friend Dennis Kruse shared these words about what Mr. Penman meant around these parts, “He brought passion, commitment, and honesty to everything he touched. Seeley and the ski community will never be the same.”
