The Ely Echo is the weekly newspaper known as the voice of the North Country, which was founded in 1972 by Miles Aakhus. Ownership passed to Anne Wognum Swenson in 1977 after she had worked for the paper for three years. At that time the editor was Bob Cary, a Chicago, Illinois writer. The Echo has been fortunate in attracting excellent journalists, photographers, designers and artists during its existence. It prides itself in welcoming all sides of any issue. It has had a diverse group of employees over the years. Currently, ownership is shared by Publisher Anne Swenson (thepub@elyecho.com), General Manager Nick Wognum (elyecho@aol.com), Editor Tom Coombe (tcoombe@aol.com) and Ad manager Lisa Vidal (ads@elyecho.com). Together they bring over 100 years of skill, service and training to Ely’s hometown newspaper. Their familiarity with Ely’s rich historical past gives the Echo insight into the changing times along the Canadian border.

Ely, Minnesota is a premier vacation destination for fishermen and families, where outdoors activities abound right out your front door. ElyLodging.com can help you find the perfect Ely, Minnesota vacation home rental or cabin rental to meet all your traveling needs.

More than 85 years ago, the National Automotive Parts Association (“NAPA”) was created to meet America’s growing need for an effective auto parts distribution system. Today, 91% of do-it-yourself customers recognize the NAPA brand name.

The Ely Chamber of Commerce is located on the east end of town on the corner of Hwy 1 & Sheridan Street. We’re the wonderful log cabin nestled among the pines. Need assistance with trail information, finding a room for the night, or directions to our many shops and restaurants? We are here to assist you.

Canned vacations are like canned food — uninspiring. You deserve an authentic experience. Ski trips are common as clover, but there’s only one dogsled vacation package — at Wintergreen Dogsled Lodge. Refresh, relax, rejuvenate in the sparkling snowscape of our Northwoods winter. Enjoy our fun-loving guides, sumptuous meals, lovely lodging and our furry 4-legged friends who love to pull. We’ll keep you warm, cozy & smiling! Our guests rank Wintergreen as their “BEST VACATION EVER.”

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.