A New Wood-Fired Sauna Is Coming to Little Sand Lodge - O'Connell Cabin Co.
By Brad O'Connell · September 17, 2026
Update: It’s open! Check out our October 6th blog post!
Last Friday we sent a sneak peek to our email list: Little Sand Lodge is getting its own wood-fired sauna. We're building it from the ground up. Same style and feel as the sauna at Cattail Chalet rustic, simple, and meant to be used after a day on the lake or the trails with one upgrade we're pretty excited about. This one will have an IKI Mini wood stove. It's one of the best wood-fired sauna stoves you can buy. Overkill? Maybe. Worth it? We think so.
Cedar walls and benches are already going in. We're aiming to have it ready by October 2 so guests can start using it this fall.
Why We're Adding a Sauna at Little Sand Lodge
Cattail Chalet's sauna has been one of those things guests mention again and again after a hike, after fishing, after a cold evening on the dock. Little Sand Lodge already has a lot of what people come here for: the quiet bay on Little Sand Lake, the big deck, fireplaces on both levels, the loft, the ping pong table, and plenty of room for a family or a small group.
A private sauna felt like the missing piece.
The idea is the same one that works at the Chalet. You heat it up, sit for a bit, step outside into the cool Northwoods air, and then either go back in or wander down to the fire pit. No spa schedule. No extra booking. Just part of the cabin.
What to Expect
A few things we can say now:
- It's a traditional wood-fired sauna, not electric.
- The look and feel will be close to the Cattail Chalet sauna simple, cedar inside, built to last.
- The IKI Mini stove is the big difference. It should heat well and hold heat the way a good wood stove is supposed to.
- We're building it on site at Little Sand Lodge so it belongs to that cabin, not as a shared add-on.
We'll share more photos as the build finishes. If you've stayed at the Chalet and used that sauna, this should feel familiar just on Little Sand Lake instead of Lower Holly.
When You Can Use It
Target completion is October 2. That lines up with the start of our best color window around Stone Lake and Hayward. The first two weeks of October are when the trees usually look their best, and a sauna after a cool hike or a quiet boat ride is a pretty good way to end the day.
Little Sand Lodge still has some dates in that stretch, including the weekend of October 9-11, which is rare for peak color. Mid-week stays at the Lodge (and at Cattail Chalet and Cattail Cottage) are also open during those first two weeks of October.
If you're booking Little Sand Lodge around or after October 2, plan on the sauna being part of the stay. If dates shift a little on the build, we'll say so we'd rather be honest than rush it.
How It Fits a Fall Weekend
A simple rhythm we're imagining:
- Morning coffee on the deck while the mist lifts off Little Sand Lake
- A hike at Hunt Hill or a loop on the Stone Lake color tour
- Back to the cabin, fire up the sauna
- Cool off outside, then sit by the fire pit
You can still use the fishing boat with the trolling motor, the kayaks, and the dock. The sauna just gives the evenings another reason to stay put.
Little Sand Lodge sleeps 10, is pet-friendly (up to two dogs, $150 fee), and sits on its own dock on a quiet 79-acre lake about two minutes from Stone Lake and 20 minutes from Hayward.
A Quick Note If You Love the Chalet Sauna
Cattail Chalet keeps its wood-burning sauna the four-person, reclaimed-lumber one with the lake-view window. That isn't going anywhere. This is an addition at Little Sand Lodge, so more guests have that same kind of evening without everyone trying to book the same cabin.
Check dates at oconnellcabinco.com. If you've been waiting for a sauna on Little Sand Lake, this is the one to watch.
Pro Tip: If you want the new sauna and peak color, look at Little Sand Lodge from October 2 onward especially mid-week in that first half of October, or the October 9-11 weekend if you need a Friday-Sunday stay.