Lake Vermillion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park – Soudan, MN 09/01/2019

Kid Perspective:

• Running Wild – Nothing to worry about at this park folks. There were a few areas that had some steeper drop-offs but these were all fenced off, so no worries.
• The Trail – Mostly a winding up and down trail through the woods, that took us through and by old remnants of the mine that you would not see otherwise. The trail was mostly mowed underbrush with a few areas of packed dirt.
• Trail Conditions – Somewhat overgrown but nothing that impeded our progress.
• Bugs and Pests – A few mosquitoes bit us here and there but definitely manageable, especially compared to what we experienced earlier in the season.
• Plants – Lush green plants and trees surrounding the trail. It was a wonderland of green.
• Bathrooms – Located within the visitor center. The visitor center was CROWDED!
• Cell Service – Good.

Trail Information:

• Length – 2.9 miles but this includes the distance we covered checking out the mine itself. The DNR marks the hiking club trail as 2.5 miles.
• Moving Time – 01:35:52
• Elevation Gain – 170 feet
• Difficulty – Easy

Highlights:

• Combo – Seeing the mining stuff.
• Biff – Getting agates at the gift shop!
• Blaze – All of the cool equipment, history and stuff like that.
• Ripper – Seeing the old mine and all of the structures that had been preserved. I really liked that we were the only ones actually hiking the trail.

We decided to stay one more night with Grandma and Grandpa Goober, so of course we had to squeeze in one more quick and short hike to take advantage of the shorter drive time that our current location allowed us. After looking around we decided on Lake Vermillion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park because it was an easy hike that would have fun things for the kids to explore afterwards.

We had a slow start to our morning, even taking the time to make a hot breakfast. Biff was excited that he was actually given the opportunity to cook his own eggs and toast. He’s getting so big!

We took several back country roads to the park and it was quite bumpy, which only added to the fun. Passing through Tower, MN we noted a fun restaurant that had an ice cream parlor attached to it and made plans to stop later. Driving into the park, we immediately noticed the structures that were the main attraction for the park.

Everyone wanted a quick bathroom break after our bumpy ride so we stopped at the visitor center to take care of business. Of course we needed to take a moment to look around because something this exciting is far too tempting for the kids.

With the promise of finding more cool mine information, rocks, and a farewell stop at the visitor center we headed out. As we walked past the entrance to the mine, the temperature dropped significantly, only to climb back up once we passed the entrance. The kids were bummed that we were not going into the mine itself but it would have been a 1 1/2 hour trip, with significantly lower temperatures that we were just not dressed for. We promised that we would be back someday just to tour the mine. Satiated with this idea, for now, we all headed out and away from the throngs of people.

The first portion of the trail took us through a parking lot, the park headquarters, and unmarked buildings designated for park employee use. I was starting to get worried that we would be on a mostly paved path for the majority of our trip when Avenza directed us towards the woods.

**Side note – the trail is not well marked for the first portion and having a downloaded map was quite helpful. I would definitely recommend downloading a map ahead of time because we encountered a few areas that were not especially well marked and previously we have found ourselves searching for the correct route on other trails and this is not fun for anyone.

The kids were well rested and excited to finish up the hike so they could check out the cool buildings and visitor center upon our successful completion of the hike. They were sprinting around us, yelling and giggling about farts, butts, and Daddy Tree.

Not too far into our hike we encountered the first of the old mine structures. It was unclear exactly what it was due to lack of signs but we imagined it was another entrance to the mine or an air shaft. Either way, it was pretty cool to imagine what the area looked like when the mine was active.

Progressing further into the woods, it was apparent that few people actual take to the trail in this park. While the mine is definitely the biggest attraction at the park, it is unfortunate that people do not venture the short 2.5 miles to experience what else the park has to offer. That being said, it was nice being out in the woods by ourselves.

We noticed a few fenced off areas along the way and could only speculate as to why the areas were fenced off. Our best guess was that they were keeping folks away from potentially dangerous or unsteady areas, which seems to have proven to be true. We found another such fenced off area and noted the steep drop-off that followed the fence. I wish we knew more about what these areas were used for and how they were formed.

We are always on the lookout for cool rocks and Combo was especially excited to point out this beauty!

Biff was starting to get a bit antsy at this point. We are nearing the end of our friendly weather hiking season and have been taking EVERY opportunity we have to get out and explore, which means less time for playgrounds and traditional kid fun. Of course the kids go along with the hiking (and have fun along the way) because they know it makes me happy but they do start to get a bit stir crazy towards the end of the season. Couple that with the fact that Combo and Biff have been spending a TON of time together and you get sibling squabbles (to say the least). Grandma Goober decided Biff could use a new Superman cape made out of the sweatshirt that he had gotten too hot to wear. This definitely helped to boost his spirits and lessening the squabbles. Nice work Grandma!

The entrance to the park was full of tourists everywhere, flip-flops on foot and cameras in hand. Parking was scarce and families were bull dozing one another to get to the next item to explore. Walking away from all that chaos, we found ourselves on a peaceful trail with only plants, trees, bugs, animals, and birds as our hiking companions. Much better! It was so peaceful on the trail that you would not believe that the throngs of people were just a short distance away.

Soon we noticed paper on the ends/tips of baby pine trees and began to wonder why would someone do that? Then we noticed that the trail was covered with the paper tipped trees so they must have been placed there by the park rangers. Were these newly planted trees? Trees they wanted to track? What purpose did the paper serve? It is a mystery we have yet to unravel, so if you have an idea, please let us know!

Minnesota during the early fall season is absolutely gorgeous, as the leaves change to brilliant colors of yellow, red and orange. The best part is that the leaves change at different times, depending where on the state you are. Combo pointed out some plants that were changing colors and we began to talk about an upcoming trip to Duluth and later to the Temperance River (further up the North Shore) where we would be sure to encounter beautiful colors. Mother nature is impressive in so many different ways and I revel in the opportunity to soak it all in.

Biff continued to have some issues along the way but still found ways to entertain himself. Unfortunately for Grandma Goober, he chose an opportunity to stick his head right against her bottom – being a butt-head (see what he did there? pretty clever). Taking it all in stride, Grandma Goober yelled out that she wished she had the fart of all farts to let loose!

Ploughing (Grandma Goober – get it?) forward, we sang Daddy Tree and Grandma Tree to entertain ourselves. Grandma Goober was surprised with this newest version of a Christmas classic, but I think she liked it deep down.

Before we knew it we were at the password. Biff had spotted it in the distance, with Combo following close behind. Oh the excitement! Finding the passwords is definitely a motivator for the kids, as they love to be the first one at the sign. If you are just starting to hike, this might be a good way to get them interested. It gives them an incentive and an end goal. We used to provide a special treat for the one that found the password first but have now made it a collective goal – as long as we all make it, we all get a treat. Treats are essential folks…ESSENTIAL.

Shooting off of the marked trail was a spur trail (not marked for use but clearly others had taken it). I paused for a moment and told Combo that I thought something cool was at the end of the trail. Combo definitely wanted to check it out but because we work to never stray from the trail (if we can avoid it) we continued on, much to her disappointment. BUT we soon came to a marked spot on the trail that showcased just where the spur trail went! Good things come to those that wait and follow Leave No Trace rules.

This marked the last of the trail winding through the woods. The rest of the trail followed the road that led to the parking lot and was a steady uphill pull. This was the only portion of the hike that concerned us, as cars traveled the road and some drove a little too quick for comfort but we have all walked in our neighborhoods right? Along the way, Biff found a cool treasure on the road and stopped to examine it for several minutes.

We reached the end of the trail and that is where exploring the mine structures began. The kids were anew with energy and we could hardly keep up with them as they ran from site to site. We indulged their fervor to race to see everything as they have been such great sports hiking across the state this summer.

We did make them slowdown to check out the map so they could know exactly what we were looking at. Combo examined the map carefully, while Biff was more flippant about it and eager to move on.

Here is the Engine House – the size of the machinery housed within was absolutely incredible!

The Conveyor Belt and Headhouse was definitely a favorite because it gave the kids an opportunity to explore, climb, duck and dive.

The Crusher House was a Biff favorite because he loves “Blaze and the Monster Machines” and the antagonist is named Crusher. He was pumped to see just where Crusher lived…we did not have the heart to break it to him that this was not the case.

The Drill House was cool because we could actually touch the machines and tools. The kids were surprised that everything was SO HEAVY.

Our last stop was just outside of the Drill House where we learned that this was declared a National Registered Historical Monument. Pretty awesome!

On our way home we stopped at Benchwarmer’s (Tower, MN) for appetizers and ice cream. The food was amazing and the service was delightful – a perfect end to our adventure.

And of course, Biff ended the night feeding Goober. Now you know who Grandma and Grandpa are named after:)

That’s it for this adventure – I hope you enjoyed following us on our adventure! Thank you to all that have taken the time to follow this blog – I appreciate it more than you know. If we help even one family take the plunge and get out there on the trail, our goal has been met. As always, please let us know if there is a trail or park that you would like us to check out and we will! We love new adventures and challenges. Take care!

ALERT: We now have an email address where you can contact us for questions, feedback, recommendations, etc. We would love to hear from you! hikingwithkids@outlook.com