Visit Ely, MN

  • Home
  • Visit Ely, MN

Visit Ely, MN Find your adventure in Ely! 🛶 BWCAW, Superior National Forest, and more 🌲 Ely is calling! (about 3000 animals).

Ely, Minnesota is the entry point to the world's premier lakeland wilderness area and is considered to be the "Canoe Capital of the World." National Geographic designated the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness as one of the world's "Top 50" scenic places that everyone should visit at least once in their lifetime. The BWCAW is the largest wilderness preserve east of the Rockies and the nation's

most popular one. Ely is surrounded by 2 million acres of national forest and protected wilderness. Over 500 lakes lie within 20 miles of Ely and the adjoining forest system includes over 2000 lakes. These lakes offer some of the world's best smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike and lake trout fishing and have produced many records. The Ely area's recreational resources include over 100 miles of hiking & ski trails, 200 miles of groomed snowmobile trails, 1500 miles of canoe routes and two golf courses. Ely-area wildlife includes bald-eagles, moose, black bear, deer, beaver, otter and the largest timber wolf population in the continental U.S. Ely is home to the International Wolf Center, a world-class research and education enclosure where visitors can observe both timber wolves and arctic wolves; and the North American Bear Center, an educational facility dedicated to replacing old myths with facts about bears. Ely Quick Facts:
- Ely is the Canoe Capital of the World.
- The watershed runs all the way to Hudson Bay.
- At one time there were 11 operating mines in Ely.
- Ely has the oldest outcropping of Greenstone in the world. The structure is characteristic of lava that solidified under water and is estimated to be 2.7 billion years old.
- 60% of the iron ore used in WWII Military efforts was produced on the Iron Range.
- Over 800,000 tons of iron came out of Ely's mines in 1889.
- In 1917 Ely had 52 liquor licenses at $1,000 a piece (hard and thirsty workers!)
- The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is the largest wilderness preserve east of the Rocky Mountains.
- The Tower/Soudan Underground Mine was the first underground mine in Minnesota and the deepest.
- Ely's Bob Cary ran for President of the United States in 1980 under the Independent Fishing Party.
- Ely is home of the International Wolf Center, North American Bear Center and Dorothy Molter Museum.
- The first snowmobile club in the USA is the Ely Igloo Snowmobile Club.

“The crust abides. More winter means more rides. Get your fat bike on at Hidden Valley in Ely!”📸: for ...
07/03/2025

“The crust abides. More winter means more rides. Get your fat bike on at Hidden Valley in Ely!”

📸: for


“Beautiful Sunset reflects in the open water, along the river with a small fishing boat covered in snow in Northern MN.”...
04/03/2025

“Beautiful Sunset reflects in the open water, along the river with a small fishing boat covered in snow in Northern MN.”

📸:

The 3rd Annual Ely Film Festival is less than two weeks away! Purchase festival passes or tickets to individual screenin...
03/03/2025

The 3rd Annual Ely Film Festival is less than two weeks away!

Purchase festival passes or tickets to individual screenings at ElyFilmFest.com. Get yours before they sell out! 🎟️

3rd Annual Ely Film Festival | March 12-16, 2025 | Ely’s Historic State Theater

The Ely Film Festival has a stellar lineup of workshops and special events! Get festival passes or tickets to individual...
02/03/2025

The Ely Film Festival has a stellar lineup of workshops and special events! Get festival passes or tickets to individual events and workshops at ElyFilmFest.com

3rd Annual Ely Film Festival | March 12-16, 2025 | Ely’s Historic State Theater

Schedule subject to change, visit the Ely Film Festival website for up-to-date info.

Food just tastes better when cooked over a campfire. 🔥 📸: for
02/03/2025

Food just tastes better when cooked over a campfire. 🔥

📸: for

Lineup for Sunday, March 16th 🎞11 AM | Mollie’s Pack12 PM | Shorts Block: Dibaajimowin. Thunderbird and Killer Whale: S-...
01/03/2025

Lineup for Sunday, March 16th 🎞

11 AM | Mollie’s Pack

12 PM | Shorts Block: Dibaajimowin. Thunderbird and Killer Whale: S-hwuhwa’us & Qul-lhanumutsun, Of Two Worlds, Born of the Ice, Azhe-mino-biinika migitoon: Return our Earth to its pristine condition, The Basket Lady, Silent Cries (Kiayunik Tuhanak, The Gift (Sweden), It’s Time

2:30 PM | Shorts Block: Death is the Road to Awe. Hello Goodbye, Still Here / Immerdar,
THE ISLE IS FULL OF NOISES, Last Year’s Tomorrow, Corona, Traces of Grief, Ponytail, The Happy Place

4:30 PM | Columbia River Canoe Project, Madulu: The Sea Man

6:30 PM | Itu Ninu

7 PM | Electric Indian, The Gift (Sweden)

Get festival passes or tickets to individual screenings at ElyFilmFest.com

3rd Annual Ely Film Festival | March 12-16, 2025 | Ely’s Historic State Theater

Schedule subject to change, visit the Ely Film Festival website for up-to-date info.

“Redpoll, another bird that calls Ely, Minnesota winter home!” 📸:
01/03/2025

“Redpoll, another bird that calls Ely, Minnesota winter home!”

📸:

Get your festival passes, or tickets to individual screenings, at ElyFilmFest.com. Buy passes or tickets early before th...
28/02/2025

Get your festival passes, or tickets to individual screenings, at ElyFilmFest.com. Buy passes or tickets early before they sell out 🎟️

Photo from the film Saving Silence, showing Thursday, March 13th at 3 PM as part of the Neighbor to Neighbor Shorts Block.

3rd Annual Ely Film Festival | March 12-16, 2025 | Ely’s Historic State Theater

The Ely Film Festival is a promise of exposure, exploration, and cultural enrichment, and we invite you to bring your creative energies! It’s an event that fuses the magic of cinema, the richness of our shared stories, and the pristine beauty of Ely, Minnesota.

Lineup for Saturday, March 15th 🎥10 AM | Coffee with the U.S. Forest Service - Filming on National Forest Lands. EHST Lo...
27/02/2025

Lineup for Saturday, March 15th 🎥

10 AM | Coffee with the U.S. Forest Service - Filming on National Forest Lands. EHST Lounge.

10 AM | Shorts Block - ABC (Animation, Bears, and Chuckles). Shakespeare for all Ages, STATIC, The Allergy Table, Lemonade Battle, GOOD MORNING MOONBASE, The Mistletoe Dart, CHOPSTICK, The Night with the Bear, F***y Pack Platypus, The Gift (U.S.)

11 AM | Ugra Tales

11:45 AM | Workshop: Creative Soul Retrieval with Sarah Siedelman. Self-expression is an important component to our vitality. Creative practice restores our well being. Together we will endeavor to connect with our own souls to retrieve something important and bring it to life. Register at: https://elyfolkschool.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/elyfolkschool/event.jsp?event=15199&

1 PM | Shorts Block: Identity Outdoors. Canyon Chorus, Mother River, Bitter Water, Protect & Conserve, A Line in the Snow, Postcards Road to 30: Owyhee Canyonlands, Beyond the Finish Line, Finding Our Wild

1:30 PM | Shorts Block: Drama, Drama, Drama. Aperture, Silent Disco, Blowout, FREY, Cowboy Boots, Bottles, After Thoughts and Prayers

2 PM | Workshop: Clowning Improv at Ely Folk School.

4 PM | Singing Back the Buffalo

4:30 PM | Shorts Block: Creative Expression. FOG, CHOPSTICK, Teach Me, Monolith, A(rt)DHD, Follow Your Feel Good, Leaf Man, 3 Poems by Dickinson, Adidas Owns the Reality

7 PM | Boundary Waters

8 PM | Shorts Block: Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid. Liminal Forest, NORTH PORT 1999, Bestie, Left Out!, Doppelganger II, The Wraith, Julienne of Light Bulbs, Haunt That Like Button, From The Story of Elin, Altruist/Masochist

Get festival passes or tickets to individual screenings at ElyFilmFest.com

3rd Annual Ely Film Festival | March 12-16, 2025 | Ely’s Historic State Theater

Schedule subject to change, visit the Ely Film Festival website for up-to-date info.

Native folk & blues rocker Keith Secola wraps up Opening Ceremony night at Ely Film Festival! Keith is an accomplished a...
26/02/2025

Native folk & blues rocker Keith Secola wraps up Opening Ceremony night at Ely Film Festival! Keith is an accomplished artist: award-winning musician, guitarist and native flute player, singer, songwriter, and producer. Opening ceremony starts at 6:30 PM on Thursday, March 13th. Get your tickets today! ElyFilmFest.com 🎸

3rd Annual Ely Film Festival | March 12-16, 2025 | Ely’s Historic State Theater

Lineup for Friday, March 14th 🎞9 AM | Event: Passholders Breakfast + Filmmaker Meet & Greet10 AM | Decolonizing Our Yout...
24/02/2025

Lineup for Friday, March 14th 🎞

9 AM | Event: Passholders Breakfast + Filmmaker Meet & Greet

10 AM | Decolonizing Our Youth, Life in the Land: The Mighty Few

10:30 AM | Shorts Block: Dibaajimowin. Thunderbird and Killer Whale: S-hwuhwa’us & Qul-lhanumutsun, Of Two Worlds, Born of the Ice, Azhe-mino-biinika migitoon: Return our Earth to its pristine condition, The Basket Lady, Silent Cries (Kiayunik Tuhanak), The Gift (Sweden), It’s Time

12 PM | Educator Lunch at Ely Folk School. Student Lunch at Ely Senior Center. Lunches sponsored by AAUW Empower, Waawaate Programs, and Ely Folk School.

1 PM | Singing Back the Buffalo

1:30 PM | Shorts Block: Chuckleheads. With T**s, Standoff, Searchlight, The Therapy Room, She’s a Doll, The Ripper, The Girls at the Painted Bird, Two Bucks, Butts

4 PM | Shorts Block: Preserving Tradition. To Be A Good Home, Carousel of Time, Madulu: The Sea Man, Bitter Water

4:30 PM | Kam Theatre Lab - The Old Same Story

7 PM | Ultimate Citizens, February

8 PM | Shorts Block: Horror, Eh? Trip, To Live & Die in Los Angeles, Copycat, Plight, The Buried River, Hollow, Lungs

Get festival passes or tickets to individual screenings at ElyFilmFest.com

3rd Annual Ely Film Festival | March 12-16, 2025 | Ely’s Historic State Theater

Schedule subject to change, visit the Ely Film Festival website for up-to-date info.

“Tried some winter camping this weekend.” ⛺️ 📸:
23/02/2025

“Tried some winter camping this weekend.” ⛺️

📸:

23/02/2025

We have fantastic race line-up! There are thirteen 8-dog teams running. Their route is modified due to conditions. They will not run on the Cub Lake Trail or across Bear Head Lake. Bib #1 - Scott Edgett, #2 - Alyssa Sabatino, #3 - David Burge, #4- John Stumm, #6 - Kirk Weber, #7 - John Fisher, #8 - Lauren Stukenborg, #9 - Kendra Anderson, #10 - Matthew Schmidt, #11 - Kevin Mathis, #12 - Talia Martens, and #13 - Cindy Gallea. Good luck mushers!

Photo by Les Conrad

23/02/2025

We have twenty-seven mushers in our 6-dog class. Wearing Bib #20 - Steve Goedken, #21 - Linus Meyer, #22 - Elena Freking, #23 - Nicole Freking, #24 - Jen Freking, #25 - Ian Jablonski, #26 Dixie Crawford, #27 - Ryan Miller, #28- Tom Miller, #29 - Brian Bergen, #30 - Taylor Squires, #31 - Kara Grangroth, #32 - Hailey Moog, #34 - Robin Fisher, #35 - Alexandra Johnson, #36 - Chloe Rollo Dryke, #37 - Bryanna Gibson, #38 - Alex LaPlante, #39 - Dusty Klaven, #40 - Alice White, #41 - Kristine Woerheide, #42 - Mickey Knettel, #43 - Eric Nyren, #44 - Tom Clark, #45 - Neal Seeger, and #46 - Melissa Mendelson. We are excited to see your teams run!

Race day is tomorrow! ❄️
22/02/2025

Race day is tomorrow! ❄️

Are you ready for the WolfTrack Classic Sled Dog Race? If you can't attend in person, iFan Sports is starting their coverage at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, February 23, 2025. Here is the link: https://www.ifan.tv/page/show/872605-channel-6

Photo by LHR Images

Boozhoo akinaa wiiyaa,In Indigenous ways, sharing stories is the most powerful means in which wisdom and teachings are p...
22/02/2025

Boozhoo akinaa wiiyaa,

In Indigenous ways, sharing stories is the most powerful means in which wisdom and teachings are passed on through generations. We are humbled to facilitate programs that help restore our relationship with the land & promote a decolonized worldview.

Indigenous Students Day is one of our favorite EFF programs as we are able to connect students from our region with stories that share the values of our communities. Last year we gifted tickets to 115 students and educators from 6 area schools, followed by a lunch provided by local sponsors. We’re excited to continue this program again.

At EFF25 Indigenous Students Day we are excited to screen several Indigenous feature films including Singing Back the Buffalo, Electric Indian, Decolonizing Our Youth as well as a curated shorts program, Dibaajimowin. We encourage you to join us after the films for conversations with the filmmakers and subjects.

Miigwech!

Lucy Soderstrom & Ryan Bajan, EFF Program Directors

Purchase festival passes, or tickets to individual screenings, at ElyFilmFest.com.

3rd Annual Ely Film Festival | March 12-16, 2025 | Ely’s Historic State Theater

Address

MN

Telephone

+12183656123

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Visit Ely, MN posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Visit Ely, MN:

Shortcuts

  • Address
  • Telephone
  • Alerts
  • Contact The Business
  • Claim ownership or report listing

  • Want your business to be the top-listed Travel Agency?

Share