Area History

Ely may be at the end of the road, but it's the center of the action for anyone who enjoys fishing and canoeing on wilderness lakes, hiking, mountain biking, hunting and a wide range of other outdoor activities. Retired CBS travel correspondent Charles Kuralt has called Ely one of his favorite spots in the entire USA.

Ely sits literally at the doorstep of one of the United State's premier wilderness areas, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. This beautifully rugged wilderness offers over one million acres with over 1,000 lakes, enough to keep a wilderness paddler occupied for months at a time. The Ely area is also a haven for wildlife watchers, with moose, bear, bald eagles, loons, deer, and many other species of birds and mammals commonly seen. It also is home to the International Wolf Center, which provides visitors the chance to view live timber wolves and go on naturalist-led tours to actually listen for howling wild wolves.

But Ely is more than just wilderness. It offers among the North Country's finest selections of eateries, shops, art galleries, and resorts. And Ely holds some great summer festivals, including the famed Blueberry Arts Festival each July and the increasingly-popular Harvest Moon Festival, in September.

Ely, however, is more than just summer fun. It is a four-season destination, with great fall colors and outstanding late season fishing and hunting. And Ely comes alive once the snow falls, with snowmobiling, skiing, dogsledding, ice fishing, and more. And don't miss Ely's Voyageur Winter Festival, which features one of Minnesota's best displays of snow sculptures. Whatever time of year, Ely offers a great get-away or family vacation.