Minnesota North Woods: iron mines to Voyageurs
From Duluth to the Iron Range mines, the canoe-country town of Ely and the water-bound Voyageurs National Park on the Canadian border.
- Distance
- 426 km (264 mi)
- Driving
- 4 h 43 min
- Suggested days
- 4
- Stops
- 7
- States
- MN
- Updated
- May 17, 2026
At a glance: 4-day road trip of about 426 km (264 mi) with 7 stops, from Duluth to Voyageurs National Park, Rainy Lake. About 4 h 43 min of driving in total.
Route description
Leave Duluth north-west on US-53 and MN-37 to Hibbing on the Mesabi Iron Range. The Hull-Rust-Mahoning Mine View looks into an open pit more than three miles long, still worked by giant trucks.
US-169 follows the range east through birch and pine to Soudan, where the state park lowers visitors in a mine cage about half a mile underground in summer. The road continues past Lake Vermilion to Ely, the main gateway to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
In Ely, the International Wolf Center has a resident pack, and outfitters can set you up for a day paddle. Then take MN-1 and US-53 north through Orr to International Falls; the forest is dense and gas stations are far apart.
Voyageurs National Park is mostly water. Stop at the Rainy Lake visitor center east of International Falls for a boat tour or a short trail, and stay up late: on clear nights the northern lights sometimes appear. Early summer brings blackflies and mosquitoes; August and September are more comfortable.
Stop-by-stop itinerary
In driving order. Distances are estimates between consecutive stops.
- 1Start
Duluth
MN - 2116 km
Hull-Rust-Mahoning Mine View
HistoryHibbing, MNAn overlook on the rim of one of the world’s largest open-pit iron mines, more than three miles long. Trucks and shovels still work in the pit below.
- 381 km
Soudan Underground Mine State Park
HistorySoudan, MNMinnesota’s oldest iron mine, where a cage lowers visitors about half a mile underground. Tours run mainly in summer; bring a jacket, since it is cold below.
- 435 km
Ely
MN - 54 km
International Wolf Center
NatureEly, MNAn education center with a resident wolf pack behind large viewing windows. A good introduction to the North Woods before heading into canoe country.
- 6169 km
International Falls
MN - 722 km
Voyageurs National Park, Rainy Lake
NatureInternational Falls, MNA park that is mostly water, with rocky islands and bays along the Canadian border. The Rainy Lake visitor center runs boat tours in summer; kayak rentals are nearby.
