The Ely Igloo Snowmobile Club was organized in 1960 and became the first club of its kind in the USA. The Ely Igloos were also one of the founding members of the International Snowmobile Association (ISA), which later became known as today’s Minnesota United Snowmobile Association (MnUSA).
Members of the club have developed trails in the Ely area, and each year in preparation for the upcoming snowmobile season, numerous club members volunteer their time to clear the trails of trees and branches.
An important mission of the Ely Igloo Snowmobile Club has been, from the very beginning, training of young snowmobile riders with a Snowmobile Safety Class taught each year. These classes teach boys and girls of at least 11 years of age about the proper etiquette of snowmobiling and the rules of the trail.
In recent years, the Ely Igloo Snowmobile Club has taken on the task of grooming the Ely area trails. The club receives funding from the state to maintain and groom the grant-in-aid Tomahawk Trail. Other local trails like the Bianchi Trail (off the Taconite Trail), the Ely/Winton Railroad Grade, and the 13 Corners Trail are also groomed by our club.
In addition, our club has taken on the task of staking and grooming numerous lake trails including Shagawa Lake/Fall Lake Trail, Burntside Lake Trail, Bass Lake Trail, White Iron Lake/Birch Lakes Trail, Little Long Lake Trail, Fall Lake/Cedar Lake Trail, Grassy Lake Trails and the Mud Lake Trail to Lake Vermilion.
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.
We engage young people ages 18-40 through project management and social entrepreneurship. We meet the second Tuesday of every month, 7pm Grand Ely Lodge.
The North American Bear Center is the only black bear and wildlife educational facility of its kind. Dedicated to replacing old myths with facts, it lets people learn from the bears themselves about bear behavior, ecology, and their relations with humans.
Great things await you inside! Whether you visit us in Ely or here on our website, we hope your time with us gives you a better understanding of the world of black bears.
We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit that relies entirely on the support of visitors, merchandise sales and people like you. We do not receive any state or federal funding. Help support our mission.
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.
