As Minnesota’s first iron ore mine, the Soudan Mine opened in 1884 and produced high grade, extremely hard ore until it closed in 1962. The next year, the United States Steel Corporation donated 1,200 acres including the mine to Minnesota for a state park, and in 2010, the state bought 2,848 more acres from U.S. Steel to protect the Vermillion Lake shoreline. In 2014, the Lake Vermillion State Park and Soudan Mine State Park were merged into the Lake Vermillion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park.
Today visitors can visit the underground mine by riding in a cage suspended on a cable down to the lowest level where miners worked. It takes three minutes to descend to Level 27, some 2,341 feet, half a mile, below the surface. There, guides take visitors to see the rooms carved out of stone by the miners as they worked to remove the iron ore.
New cabins will open at Lake Vermilion state park hometownsource.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from hometownsource.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
New Cabins in Northern Minnesota Available for Rent
SOMETHING NEW FOR YOU
Looking for a new getaway in Minnesota? This might be the perfect location to add to your year round Minnesota visits.
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EIGHT NEW CABINS
Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park has added 8 brand new cabins this year, which are accessible year round, and are ready to be rented out. They feature Wi-Fi, an outdoor fire ring and table, and an outdoor food prep counter.
All of the cabins will sleep up to 6 people. There are combinations of either two or three full size bunks, and two twin size bunks.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is ready to open their new camper cabins at Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park, which is great news for outdoor enthusiasts.
The DNR says that guests can begin making reservations for four cabins at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, December 28 for stays beginning beginning on December 31. The remaining four cabins will be ready for guests beginning Wednesday, January 13.
These eight new, year round cabins reportedly reflect the latest in green-building practices. Also, in honor of the history and culture of the area’s Indigenous people, the cabins are named with the Ojibwe words for the four seasons and four cardinal directions.
New cabins to open at Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park
The new camper cabins at Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park, in northeastern Minnesota, are ready for visitors! Campers can begin making reservations at 8 a.m. Monday, Dec. 28 for stays beginning on Dec. 31 (four cabins) and Jan. 13 (the remaining four cabins).
These eight new cabins, which will be open year-round, reflect the latest in green-building practices. The cabins feature rustic tamarack interiors and are equipped with heat, electricity and Wi-Fi, and an outdoor food prep counter, fire ring, and table. Outfitted with either three full-size bunks, or two full-size and two twin-size bunks, each cabin can accommodate up to six people. A new shower and restroom building, as well as an adjacent vault toilet, serve the cabins.