In 2008, actor Josh Duhamel bought 12 acres with a rustic fixer-upper cabin in Minnesota, with no electricity or running water, then expanded to 52 acres; now he has built an off-grid family retreat
When he is not swamped with his Hollywood projects, Josh Duhamel retreats to his off-grid property in Minnesota, where outdoor barbecues, fishing and lake days offer him and his son a taste of the simple life.Duhamel bought his first parcel of Minnesota lakefront land around 2008. Soon enough, he purchased the property next to it, bringing the total to 52 acres. The land sat empty except for an old cabin. It was the kind of fixer-upper that most buyers avoid. The cabin had no electricity or plumbing. For most people, it would be a cautionary tale. For Duhamel, it became the most meaningful investment he had ever made. The land was in the woods near a lake, an hour-plus drive from Fargo and his home state of North Dakota. The property sits 40 minutes from civilisation in northwest Minnesota, nestled on a lake not far from where his father lives. So, for him, buying this land only made sense. The fixer-upper soon became his favourite getaway spot. Now with all the amenities, the Minnesota cabin is every bit the family retreat he dreamt of.
A perfect getaway
Before becoming the heartthrob of Hollywood, Josh Duhamel was an outdoorsy guy. As a kid, he chased salamanders in the woods of North Dakota. “My buddies and I were living our lives like Huck Finn,” the actor, 53, told Men’s Journal. His days were spent fishing in the summer and sledding in the winter. Those memories made him want a place in Minnesota’s wilderness, and that led him to purchase the fixer-upper cabin.“My father lives in Minnesota. The place that I got is near his, on the lake and out in the deep woods. There is nobody around for miles. I always come back with my spirit feeling lifted,” he told the outlet.When he bought the property, it was just a piece of land with a cabin on it. “It was just half a parcel of land at first, which had an old cabin on it with no plumbing or electricity,” he said. But he had no complaints. In fact, he found the place refreshing. Going back to a simple life only brought him joy. “Straight-up old-fashioned outhouse, and it was time to shower in the lake. There is something special about going back to the basics, and having that solitude.“
Building from scratch
While the wilderness of Minnesota and the fun the lake and outdoors had to offer were exhilarating, the challenges inside the cabin were real. The initial cabin offered nothing but the basics. Water came from the lake. Waste went into an outhouse. The first years were genuinely rustic. Showers meant a trip to the lake. Doing dishes involved carrying water. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was real.When the neighbouring property came on the market, the actor bought it, taking the whole property to 52 acres. That second parcel had electricity. Over time, a third parcel joined the portfolio, bringing with it another structure. The transition from outhouse to infrastructure took time. Digging a well became a priority once he could afford it. ‘I put in a well this year, so we finally have a working toilet and shower inside,’ he told the outlet during their 2017 interview. Running water meant no more shuttling to the lake. Electricity from the second cabin followed. With power and water secured, he could focus on other improvements: a boat dock for fishing, cleared areas for grilling, and the kind of installations that transform raw land into liveable space.His days at the cabin are pretty much unplanned. He would do everything: chop wood, go fishing and prep the barbecue. ‘I got a Toolcat, a Bobcat machine that has a digger and a grabber. So I will jump on that and literally just tool around all day. Then when it’s time for dinner, we’ll get the fire pit going and grill something up,’ the actor said. It’s the kind of life he expected from the place. For leisure, he goes swimming. ‘Oh man, there is great fishing in the lake. There is plenty of walleye and trout, which taste amazing when you cook them up. Now we have a boat too,’ he said.What started as a personal escape has become a genuine family retreat. His son spends time here. The property now hosts fire pits for grilling, boats for fishing walleye and trout, and wide-open space for the kind of childhood adventures Duhamel valued while growing up in North Dakota.
