The road into Woodland Resort located on Creel Bay on Devils Lake starts out winding through farm fields, transitions into a natural North Dakota wooded area, and soon you will find yourself looking out over the expanse of Devils Lake, the 2nd largest, and largest natural lake, in North Dakota.
Signs will direct you to Woodland Resort, Devils Lake’s largest full service resort, owned by Devils Lake native Kyle Blanchard, and certainly an example of what can happen when you have a dream and a goal.
“We started Woodland Resort in 1987” according to Kyle “and we just kept expanding.” The latest of those dreams and goals that came to fruition is The Shores, the new convention center that just recently opened after almost a year of construction. “We’ve really been thinking about building this type of (convention center) facility for some time, but I guess we really got serious about construction about 3 years ago.”
Appropriately named The Shores because of the center’s location right on the shores of Devils Lake, the Woodland Resort website describes the new event center well…
Choosing The Shores means choosing a lakeside venue with stunning views, flexible indoor and outdoor spaces, and a dedicated team that’s here to make your event unforgettable.
With lakeside ceremony space for up to 100 guests, reception seating for up to 400 guests, and customizable setups, we provide the ideal backdrop for any occasion.”
Coming from Oregon to be the new Events Coordinator at The Shores is Laurel Brown. “I absolutely love it here. I am a hockey player at heart and of course there’s a lot of hockey tradition here in Devils Lake” explains Laurel. In our conversation Laurel was quick to point out that the new events center “has it all. They really didn’t cut out or scrimp on anything. That goes from the tables and chairs to the windows that overlook the lake and the audio/visual equipment that they’ve installed. You can bring your laptop and hook right in whether it’s for a wedding, or a trade show or some type of seminar.”
There is a patio area that also overlooks the lake and a walkway and stage area that allows couples a choice of having their wedding ceremony literally right on the shores of Devils Lake with unending natural scenery behind them.
Probably the most impressive part of Woodland Resort and The Shores is the amenities that are offered. “We have several options for lodging here, a full service restaurant, a complete rental and repair center for boats, and of course there’s the lake. There’s just so much opportunity” according to Brown.
And it seems that the word is quickly getting out that The Shores is open and ready to host events, “we just had a wedding, we have 2 weekends in a row with weddings and we have several other events booked and we are getting calls every day” according to Brown.
For Kyle Blanchard “yeah, it just kind of puts a cap on everything we wanted to do here (at Woodland Resort). There just isn’t a facility like this (The Shores) anywhere around here.”
There is a lot to like about a “stay” cation at Woodland Resort but also Devils Lake in general. For sportsman who enjoy fishing, there is not a better location than Devils Lake. You can pack your golf clubs and book a round of golf just up the road at Creel Bay Golf Course.
Woodland Resort takes pride in being military friendly. “They just have to ask about our military discount when they call. We’re happy to serve our military folks and let them have a little fun and recreation just up the road in Devils Lake” Kyle says with a smile.
For more information and to book an event at The Shores you can call Woodland Resort at (701) 662-5996.
