Story Portage is a non-profit, centered in Ely, Minnesota, created to foster the art of personal narrative and to promote literacy and reading here in the Northwoods. Current and future projects include:
Ely, Minnesota Chapter of the League of Minnesota Poets
The Maud Hart Lovelace and Star of the North Children’s Choice Book Award Program
Random Acts of Poetry
VCC Visiting Writers Program
Visit our website and take a look at our current projects to learn more, and contact us if you’d like to be part of Story Portage’s future!
Story Portage
P.O. Box 286
Ely, MN 55731
The Ely Nordic Ski Club is a 501(c3) non-profit organization run by volunteers.
We focus our efforts towards the Hidden Valley Recreation Area (HVRA) located on the east end of Ely, Minnesota. As a club, we are responsible for the building & maintaining the HVRA trail system for year round use as well as maintaining and managing the Hidden Valley Chalet/facilities. While open to the public, this trail system is most heavily used in the winter in particular by youth ski programs such as, the Minnesota Youth Ski League and the Ely Nordic Wolves ski team.
The Hidden Valley Recreation Area trails are for non-motorized use and are part of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) Grant-In-Aid program. As such, you are required to have a the Minnesota Ski Pass when using the trails in the winter.
Your membership dues represent support for our thriving northern community which embraces life sports that enhance the health and well being of individuals and families. Our operating expenses depend on your membership dues. Please become a member of the Ely Nordic Ski Club!
Mailing Address
Ely Nordic Ski Club
PO Box 346
Ely, MN 55731
Boundary Waters Connect fosters sustainable wilderness edge communities where you can live, work, and play; a program of Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness.
Boundary Waters Connect sponsors Tuesday Group, a gathering that takes place on Tuesdays at noon at the Grand Ely Lodge in Ely, Minnesota. We provide a space for people to be in the community and learn something new, featuring speakers and topics relevant to northeastern Minnesota. Presentations are available to view live via Zoom, and recordings will be posted on our YouTube channel.
The mission of the Ely Area Food Shelf is to provide a resource for people living in Ely, Minnesota, and the surrounding communities who have run out of options to alleviate hunger.
The food shelf is located at 15 West Conan Street and is open on the third Wednesday of each month from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
People who need assistance can shop between 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
Home delivery is available for people who are homebound and have no other options for receiving food, such as having a friend or relative shop for them. A volunteer will call to help you “shop by phone” and your food will be delivered. Call (218) 235-8527 to register for this program.
Emergency assistance is available during the month by calling (218) 235-8527.
Built by people who love bikes. Roadie, mountain, free-ride or just cruising with the kids. All cyclists are welcome here in Ely.
We have scenic road rides, a growing trail system and a fun group of locals that love their bikes. Come north and join us for a ride!
Never miss a ride. Follow us on Facebook and stay in the loop for all things cycling related in Ely, MN. You’ll get updates on group rides, races, special events and more.
Join us on Thursday nights for our weekly group ride. We leave town at 6:00 pm. See the community page for more details.
We’re building our first dedicated trail system for mountain biking in Ely, and we need your help! Please consider donating. Click here for more details.
Peruse our website for all things bike in Ely, MN.
The purpose of the Trust shall be for the enhancement, growth and improvement of:
The Ely Public Library
The arts and artisans of Ely and surrounding area, to include the
performing arts, the visual arts and literature
The creating and funding of scholarships, educational and artistic grants
The cultural and aesthetic environment of the City of Ely and its surrounding area
To date the Trust has awarded more than $625,000 back to the community artists and art organizations to enrich life in Ely.
Sustainable Ely is the home of the Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters in Ely, Minnesota.
Visit Sustainable Ely when you are in Ely to learn more about the Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters, the risk posed to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness from proposed sulfide-ore copper mining and talk about your trip to the Boundary Waters. Our Ely staff and volunteers are ready and willing to help.
The Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters and Sustainable Ely are projects of Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness.
Kiwanis International is a global community of clubs, members and partners dedicated to improving the lives of children one community at a time. Today, we stand with more than 550,000 members from K-Kids to Key Club to Kiwanis and many ages in between in 80 countries and geographic areas. Each community has different needs, and Kiwanis empowers members to pursue creative ways to serve the needs of children, such as fighting hunger, improving literacy and offering guidance.
Kiwanis clubs host nearly 150,000 service projects each year.
From the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northeastern Minnesota, Widji is uniquely situated to provide access to some of the finest wilderness areas in North America. Four generations of young lives, spanning over eighty years, have been transformed by a Widjiwagan experience. Through wilderness travel and environmental learning experiences, they have built leadership skills, gained confidence and explored extraordinary listings.
Camp Widjiwagan offers programming for teens, ages 11–18.
Up North Jobs Inc. is a nonprofit advocacy organization formed to stimulate regional economic development, job growth and to preserve the mining, forest products and other natural resource based industries that carry on operations in our region.
We are committed to counter the radical environmental organizations opposing proposed copper/nickel mining operations in Northeastern Minnesota.
