Given Minnesota’s mine history, it should come as no surprise that there are several mines that you can visit in the state. All of them are up north, on Minnesota’s Iron Range. The Hull-Rust-Mahoning Mine is an interesting place to visit. Its large, open pit makes it look like a huge canyon in the middle of the woods. The mine we’d like to introduce today is equally impressive, though in a different way. To see it, you have to venture more than 2,000 feet underground! It’s part of a Minnesota state park, and you can take a tour of it. Read on below to learn more about this interesting place.
Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park is a fascinating park in northern Minnesota. It’s about 90 miles north of Duluth, on the south shore of Lake Vermilion.
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The park has a lot to see and do, including hiking trails, water access, and campsites. Just for the landscape, it’s worth a visit.
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However, the park is most famous for being home to the Soudan Underground Mine. Operations began in the late 1800s, making it the oldest iron mine in Minnesota. It started as an open mine, but operations soon moved underground. It is the deepest mine in Minnesota!
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Guests have a chance to explore the mine’s depths for themselves. Tours of the mine take visitors 2,341 feet below the earth’s surface, where miners extracted iron from the land for decades until operations stopped in 1962.
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Visitors strap on hard hats and climb aboard an old tram, which takes them deep into the earth, where the stone walls of the narrow caverns make it clear that you’re a long way from the surface.
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Visitors can get an idea of what it was like to be a miner here all those decades ago. There is still old equipment in the mine today.
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If you’re looking for a place to visit that is full of both beautiful sights and interesting history, consider taking a trip to Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park. This fascinating place will take you to an important time in Minnesota’s history, over 2,000 feet underground!
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Have you ever visited Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park? For more information about the park, including booking a tour, visit the park’s page on the Minnesota DNR website. And if you’re interested in learning about some southern Minnesota history, check out our article about Minnesota’s flour-milling history.
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Address: Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park, 1302 McKinley Park Rd, Soudan, MN 55782, USA
