Lake Vermilion-Soudan Mine State Park

LAKE VERMILION-SOUDAN UNDERGROUND MINE STATE PARK

View of island at Lake Vermilion State Park

A field of wildflowers in the old stockpile area beneath the trestle at the Soudan Underground Mine. By Larissa Harris

lichen covered rocky lakeshore with evergreens in distance

View of island acquired for Lake Vermilion State Park

Shelter in the group site

About the park

In 2010 Lake Vermilion State Park was established with five miles of shoreline along the scenic Lake Vermilion in northeastern Minnesota. In 2014 the park was officially joined with Soudan Underground Mine State Park, which lies directly adjacent. This part of the park offers tours of the formerly operational underground mine. The tour involves riding a small elevator/crate half a mile below the surface to the old mines where you then hop into an old mining railcar and travel three-quarters a mile through the tunnels and learn what life was like for the miners.

Lake Vermilion is being designed as a “next generation” park with new technology focusing on energy-efficiency and accessibility. It also has a new kind of wayfinding signage, electronic pay stations and improved wi-fi coverage.

Our Work by the Numbers

1

LAND PROJECTS
completed or
in progress here

2.9

ACRES
of invaluable
land saved

2014

YEAR
current project estimated
to be completed

$275,000

DOLLAR VALUE
of land at time
of acquisition

Park Map Showing Project Sites

Project Stories

2014: Key island saved

2014: Key island saved

Saving a key island for the park

Project Year: 2014

Project Acres: 2.9

Purchase Value: $275,000

LOCATION: Island in Cable Bay

In January 2014, Parks & Trails Council saved a critical 2.9-acre island in Lake Vermilion for the state park. This forested island is on the edge of Cable Bay where it is visible from 60 percent of the park shoreland, playing a starring role in the ruggedly majestic viewshed of the park. The urgency to acquire this land stemmed from the transformation underway in Lake Vermilion where nearby islands are quickly being developed with housing. Working with the DNR, we were able to expedite this project so it was incorporated into the State Park the same year we acquired it.

Help save special places

Since 1954 we’ve helped to save nearly 10,000 acres of incredible land for Minnesota’s parks and trails. Each year this work gets harder and more critical to continue. Please help us continue this important work.

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