What is So Special About Ely?

So, no one “accidentally” gets to Ely.  We really are the end of the road, 20 miles south of the Canadian border and nothing between here and the border but the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness—the most visited wilderness area in the US with over 250,000 visitors a year.  It is a canoeing, hiking, dog sledding, fishing, camping, cross-country skiing mecca.  It is also the largest International Dark Sky Sanctuary in the world—more than a million acres. Visit Ely's website for more information.

Smithsonian magazine listed Ely as one of the 15 Best Small Towns to Visit in 2021. National Geographic include Northern Minnesota and the Boundary Waters in its “25 Amazing Journeys for 2022.”

Ely is famous for it’s festivals and events—The July Blueberry Festival which brings around 2500 to Ely for the weekend.  The Harvest Moon Festival in October brings in about half that number. The Winter Festival in February is a big draw and includes snow sculptures, a Beard Fest and 10 days of winter events including an Art Walk with local artists showcased in the downtown store windows.  Our September marathon is a qualifier for the Boston marathon.

Ely has been a special place for a long time and many folks know about our more famous residents.  In 1986, Will Steger and Paul Schurke led the first unsupported dog sled expedition to the North Pole—eight men and one woman.  It was the first of many such expeditions and both Will and Paul live in Ely.  Their wives began two of our pretty special stores, Steger Mukluks and Wintergreen Northern Wear.  Both stores are still here and all their offerings are made right in Ely.  Patti Steger (no longer married to Will) still runs Steger Mukluks and Sue Schurke just sold Wintergreen in late 2021.  Paul Schurke runs a dog sled business and takes guests on day trips, lodge to lodge trips and winter camping adventures. Ely is getting more and more winter traffic every year.

When we say Ely is the end of the road we really do mean it.  The nearest city of any size, Duluth, is about 110 miles away.  Our town population is only 3,390 but the surrounding area has lots of 1 to 3 million dollar lake homes, most of them second homes or summer homes.  This means that our town can support a lot of artists and excellent shopping.  Tourists certainly take advantage of that.

Well, I could go on and on but you get the idea.