Open acreage on one side, Upper Lake shoreline on the other
Minnetrista is the big, mostly rural city on the west end of Lake Minnetonka. Much of it is still farmland and woods, with corn, soybeans, hay and horses on the land. On the east side the city meets the lake at Halsted Bay, Priests Bay, West Upper Lake and Jennings Bay. Inland it holds Whaletail Lake, Ox Yoke Lake, Little Long Lake and Saunders Lake.
On acreage, a sauna nearly always fits. The real decision is where it goes: how long a walk it is from the house in January, and how far power has to travel if you want an electric heater. A long run from the panel is real work for an electrician, so we raise it at the first visit instead of after you have picked a spot at the back of the property.
On the lake side, lots are tighter and shoreline rules come into play. Those projects start with a call to the city.
The Tuli we built for a Minnetrista family
Our Minnetrista project is a custom Tuli heated by an IKI Pillar electric stove. It was designed with a family in mind, for gatherings and for quiet sessions alone.
The Tuli is 8x12 and seats 6 to 8, which is why it is the model we build most. On acreage there is room to go bigger, but the Tuli remains our most popular model for a reason: it is big enough for company and small enough to heat for one.
Six Mile Creek and spring ground
Six Mile Creek runs through the western part of Minnetrista and carries runoff toward Halsted Bay. Around the creek and the smaller lakes there is low ground that stays wet in spring.
A sauna wants a dry, level site. On a rural lot we ask where water sits in April before we agree on a location, and we look at how a truck and trailer would reach it when the ground is soft.
Which sauna fits a Minnetrista lot
Acreage in Minnetrista has room for the Superior (8x16, 8 or more bathers) or a Custom build with a changing room or covered porch. The Tuli (8x12, 6 to 8 bathers) is what we built here and what most families pick. On the narrower lots near Halsted Bay and Priests Bay, the Kota (6x8, 4 to 6 bathers) keeps the footprint small.
More on how we build them: custom outdoor saunas. What they cost: pricing.
Delivery and site prep in Minnetrista
We deliver the finished sauna from St. Bonifacius, which for Minnetrista is a short trip. Long driveways and soft ground in spring are the usual things to plan for, so we look at access during the site visit and plan the set around it. The site needs a level, solid base, and an electric heater needs power run to it by an electrician we can coordinate with.
Start with Minnetrista's Community Development department, which reviews building and land use applications. For lakeshore and creek-side lots, ask about shoreland rules and whether the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District, which covers part of the city, is involved on your property.
We can also handle the site work: the gravel pad or piers, the electrical trench and hookup, and building on site where a finished sauna will not fit through. The full rundown is on our site work, delivery and installation page.
Around Minnetrista
- Halsted Bay
- Priests Bay
- West Upper Lake
- Jennings Bay
- Whaletail Lake
- Ox Yoke Lake
- Saunders Lake
- Little Long Lake
- Woodland Cove
A build in Minnetrista
Questions from Minnetrista
Saunas in Minnetrista, answered
Have you built a sauna in Minnetrista?
Yes. We built a custom Tuli for a family in Minnetrista, heated by an IKI Pillar electric stove. The Tuli is our 8x12 model for 6 to 8 bathers, and this one was planned around family use, for gatherings and for quiet sessions alone. Photos are on our projects page.
Can I put a sauna close to the water on Halsted Bay or Priests Bay?
It depends on your lot and on Minnetrista's shoreland rules, which control how close a building can sit to the lake. We do not guess at those. Ask the city's Community Development department what applies to your parcel, and we will plan the sauna's size and position around the answer. Bring us a survey if you have one.
How far from the house can a sauna sit on a Minnetrista acreage?
As far as you are willing to walk in January. A wood-fired IKI stove needs no power for heat, so distance is not a limit. With an electric heater, an electrician has to run a circuit from your panel to the sauna, and a long run adds work. We talk through both at the site visit before you settle on a spot.
Is wood-fired a good choice for a rural Minnetrista property?
It suits acreage well. There is room to stack firewood, and there is no long electrical run to plan for the heater. We build with IKI wood-fired stoves. Electric is the easier day-to-day choice, and it is what our Minnetrista Tuli uses, so it comes down to how you like to sauna.
Nearby
We also build for St. Bonifacius, Mound, Orono and Victoria. See everywhere we work, or the project map.