Bear Head Lake State Park
Check pricesSwim, fish and paddle a Northwoods lake near Ely with Boundary Waters scenery, then sleep in a heated camper cabin any time of year.

Photo: ShakataGaNai, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.
Ride a 1924 cage 2,341 feet down Minnesota's oldest iron mine, then take a train through the tunnels to its last working area.
Summer mine entrance, 1302 McKinley Park Road, Soudan, MN 55782 · Soudan, MN
The Soudan mine ran from 1882 to 1962 and is a National Historic Landmark. The 90-minute tour drops 2,341 feet by cage to the 27th level, then rides a train nearly a mile underground. Tours cost $15 for ages 13 and up and $10 for ages 5 to 12; the mine stays at 51 degrees, so bring a warm jacket. Above ground there are more than seven miles of trails, a campground and access to Lake Vermilion. A $7 one-day vehicle permit is needed except in the mine visitor center lot.
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