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Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Listening Point - General Discussion :: Ely things to do
 
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LBtross
06/15/2023 06:49AM
  
A fun road trip up the Echo Trail (Ely-Buyck Road) with a layover for a meal or drinks @ Nelson's resort lodge on Crane Lake would be fun day trip. They have a pretty good menu and the view is spectacular from the deck. The piano is maybe worth the drive alone.
 
wxce1260
06/15/2023 09:14AM
  
This is all great info. Gonna be kinda awkward driving around without my Northstar on top. (I hope she forgives me for leaving her at home).
My wife claims I love my canoes more than her :)
 
bottomtothetap
06/22/2023 08:59AM
  
wxce1260: "fadersup: "Just curious, what town tops Ely in your book?"



My hometown of Amery, WI. :)"


WAAAAY back in the day I worked at WXCE in Amery, part time while I was going to Brown Institute in Mpls.! It was a brand new station back then having just gone on the air. Can't remember the guy's name but the GM made us wear a dress shirt and tie when doing our on-air shift. His (lame, we all thought) philosophy was that the better we looked, the better we'd sound! : )
 
Hammertime
06/13/2023 10:34PM
  
Breakfast at Brittons and dinner at the steakhouse. Never been in town for more than half a day so that’s all I got.

Hiking some EP portages could be good also.

Have fun!
 
flopnfolds
06/15/2023 10:17AM
  
I would second the following referenced things to do-


Hiking


Kawishiwi Falls trail - short, easy, nice little walk and area to explore.
Bass Lake Trails - longer, more challenging, several options. I would put this as one the top hikes in Minnesota. Nice swimming area if you want to hang out for a while.
North Arm Burntside trail system - I have only skied here, not hiked, but I imagine the hiking would be pretty great. Old growth forest is magnificent.


Biking
Hidden Valley Ski area has some short but very scenic mtb trails.


Eating
Dinner / drink at Burntside Lodge. Although call in advance, not sure if they are open to non guests for dining this year.
Stony Ridge Resort and Cafe. I think the food is ok, although I know some people really like it, but go here on a nice day, outside seating is just above the water surrounded by trees.
 
jdevries
06/16/2023 11:48AM
  
Lot of good biking opportunities, for the road/casual biker there's the Mesabi Trail or the trail around Miners Lake. For the mountain biker there's the previously mentioned Hidden Valley Ski Area in town and with a bit of a drive the Laurentian Divide trails just north of Virginia. For the really adventurous, Giants Ridge downhill trails in Biwabik and Spirit Mountain in Duluth.


JD
 
wxce1260
06/17/2023 08:26PM
  
fadersup: "Just curious, what town tops Ely in your book?"


My hometown of Amery, WI. :)
 
yogi59weedr
06/14/2023 10:58PM
  
Phil,
I checked out the Tuesday farmers market.
Bought a bottle of birch syrup.
Maybe not for pancakes but smoking salmon......
..
If ya can track him down, a guy drives around town in a old Willis jeep with a .30 cal mounted on top.
 
bobbernumber3
06/17/2023 12:08PM
  
100+ Things To Do. A checklist of activities in the Ely area. Pick up at the Chamber of Commerce.
 
fadersup
06/17/2023 02:06PM
  
Just curious, what town tops Ely in your book?
 
billconner
06/14/2023 05:29AM
  
Check out the Ely-Winton Historical Society museum at the community college campus in Ely. An interesting eclectic collection of artifacts.
 
schweady
06/17/2023 05:00PM
  
fadersup: "Just curious, what town tops Ely in your book?"
For outdoor recreation? Maybe Bend OR ... or Moab UT.


Or, were you phishing for a response of "Grand Marais MN" ?

 
HangLoose
06/17/2023 06:03PM
  
Maybe I missed it but I can't believe someone didn't mention dinner and or drinks at Grand Ely Lodge. I like their steaks and the view over the lake is spectacular
 
wxce1260
06/13/2023 08:37PM
  
After 20+ canoe trips, I have finally got my wife to spend 3 days in my second favorite ttown in America. The trade off to get her to head to Ely was "no canoes" (she doesn't like to paddle). So we will be doing "tourist" things for a couple days. After all the trips I've done, I've never really seen the non-paddling things either.

Figure I'd take her to see the Bears, the Wolves, Dorothys cabin, breakfast at Brittons and a hike to Kawashiwi Falls . We also thought maybe some time seeing the mine at Soudan?

Anything else you would recommend we see that doesn't include going on the water?

(I do head up the week following for my second permit of the summer, so I'm fine just being a tourist.
 
bobbernumber3
06/13/2023 08:57PM
  
Brain Storm Bakery, Ely Farmer's Market (Tues 5pm), Bass Lake Hiking Trail, visit Pillow Rock, have a drink at Burntside Lodge, have pizza at Sir G's, Boathouse Brew Pub, Ely library book sale, visit Ely Chamber of Commerce, tour Sig Olson's historic cabin, Ely-Winton History Museum, shop at Piragis, see a show at Broadway in the Boundary Waters, check out Little Free Libraries in Ely, Ely Golf Course, USFS Visitors Center...
 
Someday
06/13/2023 09:12PM
  
Underground mine tours have been suspended due to maintenance. Make sure to check for updates.


Site
 
andym
06/13/2023 08:49PM
  
Good list of activities. I would try to take a tour at Soudan. We’ve both taken the mining tour and sometimes just enjoy a stop up top with going down. Some time wandering the shops downtown is fun too.


We did a trip like that with my Mom and she had a great time. Only things we added were going out on a friend’s pontoon boat and the same friends invited us over for a fish fry. While she wasn’t up to canoeing, she was curious about the BW and so we also drove around some of the lakes to look at them from the entry points.
 
DougD
06/16/2023 04:49AM
  
Bear Head Lake State Park