Overview
The Iron Range is a rural area in Northeastern Minnesota where iron ore (and taconite) has been mined for generations. This area has some cultural aspects more similar to the U.P. of Michigan than the surrounding area of Minnesota. It was settled largely by Finns and some other Scandinavians and Russians.
4 things to do · 2 places to eat · 3 bars & cafés · 1 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Iron Range
Land of the Loon
A festival held in Olcott Park the third week of June, the Land of the Loon features a parade, ethnic foods and dancing, and an arts and crafts fair.
Big Aspen Recreation Area
This is in the Britt area about 9 miles northwest of town and is great for summer hiking and biking, and for cross-country skiing from late fall through early spring. Groomed trails, wide range of skill levels.
Lookout Mountain
The trailhead for Lookout Mountain hiking and cross-country trails is located 4 miles north of town. Sights along the highway include glacier-scraped granite hill-tops and vestiges of taconite mining operations. A Lauren…
Iron Range Off-Highway Vehicle State Recreation Area
Open area once used for mining operations, now full of holes, boulders, and various obstacles to damage your pretty little souped-up four-wheel drive.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: May–Sep. Summer highs reach about 78°F; winter lows dip to about 2°F. Cold months (Jan, Feb, Mar, Nov, Dec) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: Jun and Jul. (climate data from nearby Duluth)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- HIB Range Regional Airport, Hibbing — 7 mi away. Directions
- DLH Duluth International Airport, Duluth — 55 mi away. Directions
- MSP Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field, Minneapolis — 179 mi away (major hub). Directions
Take I-35 north from Minneapolis to Duluth, then US-53 North from Duluth. Take US-53 south from International Falls, or north from Duluth.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 1-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Big Aspen Recreation Area, Lookout Mountain
- Lunch Natural Harvest Food Cooperative
- Afternoon Iron Range Off-Highway Vehicle State Recreation Area, Land of the Loon
- Dinner La Cocina & Cantina
- Evening Sawmill Saloon
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Understand
Towns include Chisholm, Hibbing, and Virginia.
Virginia is a city of 8,500 people (2018). "The Queen City of the North" is in St. Louis County on the Mesabi Iron Range. In 2005, Virginia gained fame as the city in which the movie North Country was filmed. The town was laid out in 1892, and named after Virginia, the native state of a large share of the lumbermen in the area at that time. It was a logging community first, then it was developed as an iron mining community. The mines in the Virginia area were prosperous and setting new records consistently by the late 1890s. The main population boom began after mining camps were built for entrepreneurs and financiers including Andrew Carnegie, Leonidas Merritt, Jay Cooke, John D. Rockefeller, William J. Olcott, and James J. Hill. With the use of diamond drills, mules, and a massive labor force, the mines were able to move millions of tons per year and ship them out of the Twin Ports of Duluth and Superior, as well as Two Harbors.
Get in
By car
Take I-35 north from Minneapolis to Duluth, then US-53 North from Duluth. Take US-53 south from International Falls, or north from Duluth.
US-169 enters Hibbing from the south, including Grand Rapids and the Brainerd lakes area. MN-37 enters from the east, bringing traffic from Duluth.
By plane
Get around
Take US 169 North from Hibbing to Virginia.
See
- The underground Soudan Mine tour, where the temperature is a constant 52°F year round.
- The Iron Range Interpetive Center in Chisholm, describing the lives of the first miners in NE Minnesota.
- The Greyhound Bus Museum in Hibbing, exhibiting early coaches and telling the story of how Greyhound got its start.
- Bob Dylan's Boyhood home on 7th Avenue East in Hibbing.
- The Paulucci Planetarium in Hibbing, on US 169.
- The Loon In the summer, Virginia sets a large fiberglass loon (Minnesota's state bird) afloat on Silver Lake, in the middle of town.
- Mineview in the Sky A scenic overlook that features a huge mining truck, a visitor's center and gift shop, and a playground. The Mineview offers a view on the entire city of Virginia.
- Hibbing High School, on 21st Street and 8th Avenue East, offers tours. This school was built in the 1920s and is architecturally and historically significant.
- The Hull-Rust Mahoning open-pit iron mine is among the largest in the world.
Do
Do Land of the Loon
A festival held in Olcott Park the third week of June, the Land of the Loon features a parade, ethnic foods and dancing, and an arts and crafts fair.
Do Lookout Mountain (Laurentian Divide Recreation Area)
The trailhead for Lookout Mountain hiking and cross-country trails is located 4 miles north of town. Sights along the highway include glacier-scraped granite hill-tops and vestiges of taconite mining operations. A Laurentian Divide geological marker is found about a mile north of the trailhead, near where MN 169 turns toward Ely while US 53 heads for Britt, Cook, Orr, and International Falls.
Eat
Eat La Cocina & Cantina
A great, reasonably-priced Mexican restaurant.
Eat Natural Harvest Food Cooperative
This popular co-op sells organic, locally-grown and health food.
Drink
Sleep
Nearby
Meadowlands
City / town · 3 listings · 29 mi away
Grand Rapids
City / town · 13 listings · 32 mi away
Cloquet
City / town · 5 listings · 56 mi away
Hermantown
City / town · 12 listings · 56 mi away
Ely
City / town · 31 listings · 59 mi away
Duluth
City / town · 58 listings · 61 mi away
Superior
City / town · 3 listings · 64 mi away
Two Harbors
City / town · 6 listings · 67 mi away
My experience
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