SOUDAN — Visitors hoping to explore the depths of Minnesota’s historic Soudan Underground Mine this summer won’t have to wait much longer. Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park will resume public underground tours on Memorial Day weekend, with an official opening date of May 23, assistant manager Jim DeVries confirmed.
Online reservations open April 1, though visitors should note that science lab tours will not be available this season, as work on that portion of the facility is still ongoing.
The return of underground tours caps a lengthy restoration effort following significant flooding that occurred after a suspected lightning strike knocked out power to the facility’s pumping systems during a June 2024 storm. The outage left the mine without power for an estimated 11 to 12 hours, overwhelming pumps on the 12th and 22nd levels and submerging those on the 27th.
“So much water was coming in that pumps on levels 12 and 22 weren’t able to keep up, and 27 got all the excess water,” DeVries said at the time. “Then 27’s pumps were submerged and shorted out.”
The result was approximately nine feet of water on the 27th level. Restoration required replacing or repairing electrical components for the locomotives that transport visitors through the mine, the communication system, and numerous other pieces of equipment.
“Anything underwater is being replaced or repaired,” DeVries said. “There are lots of little pieces involved.”
The flooding had represented another setback for the popular tourist attraction, which had only recently reopened before closing again. The Timberjay previously reported that underground tours made a brief public return in May 2024 following a four-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a reconstruction project concentrated between the 19th and 24th levels.
The park also announced a new ATV amenity opening this summer. A brand-new campground with 24 pull-through sites, designed to accommodate visitors hauling trailers, is set to open June 12. Each site offers full electric hookups with 20, 30, and 50-amp service, along with Wi-Fi access. The campground will connect directly to the Prospectors ATV/OHV trail system. A planned trail connection to the cities of Soudan and Tower is in the works but is not expected to be completed this summer.