Soudan Mine

[SkunkedAgain]

I'm about to take my brother and niece over to experience the Soudan Mine tour this weekend. I've driven there before but he inquired about boating to the mine. With the new state park, is there a public boat dock anywhere nearby where one could hike a mile or so from the lake to the mine entrance? I don't make it to the east end too often so my knowledge of bays and landmarks is pretty limited.

[delcecchi]

1 hour ago, SkunkedAgain said:

I'm about to take my brother and niece over to experience the Soudan Mine tour this weekend. I've driven there before but he inquired about boating to the mine. With the new state park, is there a public boat dock anywhere nearby where one could hike a mile or so from the lake to the mine entrance? I don't make it to the east end too often so my knowledge of bays and landmarks is pretty limited.

Based on some searches, there is a public access at Stuntz Bay.    From google maps it appears to be about 0.9  miles and 22 minutes to the mine.  Your mileage may vary.   

This link might work...

 

[Skibo]

The landing at Stuntz Bay is private and for members only, and the docks are for landing and loading boats only.  No boats are allowed to be left at the docks, not even member boats.

[SkunkedAgain]

Del - That's what I noticed too but I've never been to that end of the lake. Looking on satellite view, it looked like a lot of private boat houses. Thanks Skibo, you confirmed what I thought. It looks like the walk from McKinley might be a little farther if that's even possible. The hike from the picnic sites on the opposite end in Cable and Armstrong Bays look a little long.

[delcecchi]

https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/park.html?id=spk00285#recreation_facilities

 

says there is a public access on stuntz bay.   further research pending.

 

https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/lakefind/was/report.html?id=69037801

 

Water Access Site Detail

Vermilion Lake, Stuntzbay Public Water Access Site

 

Administrator: Township

Location: 2.5 miles northeast of Tower, on Stuntz Bay, on the south shore of Vermilion Lake.

Facilities:

2 concrete slab ramp(s)

10 vehicle/trailer parking spaces(s)

1 dock(s)

Lat/Lon: 47.826428,-92.23896

 

Might be worth a call to the DNR to confirm one way or another.

 

Edited June 25, 2019 by delcecchi

[SkunkedAgain]

I called the Soudan Mine today and was told that you can't leave your boat at the landing in Stuntz Bay. She said that it was "strongly frowned upon" and that she wasn't aware of any way to boat to the mine. Maybe that will be something that happens in the future.

[delcecchi]

10 hours ago, SkunkedAgain said:

I called the Soudan Mine today and was told that you can't leave your boat at the landing in Stuntz Bay. She said that it was "strongly frowned upon" and that she wasn't aware of any way to boat to the mine. Maybe that will be something that happens in the future.

Stands to reason that clogging up the dock at a public access would irritate people.  Most of those docks aren't very big.  That problem didn't occur to me.    

[Skibo]

21 hours ago, SkunkedAgain said:

I called the Soudan Mine today and was told that you can't leave your boat at the landing in Stuntz Bay. She said that it was "strongly frowned upon" and that she wasn't aware of any way to boat to the mine. Maybe that will be something that happens in the future.

Even if you could park at Stuntz Bay, it would be quite an uphill walk to the mine tour.I was a member of the Stuntz Bay Association (which owned the docks and landing) for 20 years for a cabin on Ely Island.  Police Chief Jim Hill sold the permits, and would regularly patrol the landing.  If boats were left at the dock, cars were parked in the trailer area, or cars/trailers were parked in wrong areas he would write tickets.  We didn't have a boat house, so if we needed to go to town we had to use a friend's boathouse, or have someone drop us off at the docks and pick us up later.  Or, we could put our boat on the trailer and then put it back in the water when we returned.  It all worked very well, and the members were mostly polite and practiced common sense when using the landing and parking area.  So private was it, that when moving off of the island we had a barge haul a large covered trailer for us.  Because we were SBA members we thought it would be okay for the barge to use the SBA landing to unload our trailer.  Officer Hill happened to arrive on-site while we were unloading, and he had another opinion of us using the private landing for "commercial" use.  It all ended well, but he was a staunch supporter and protector of that iconic and vintage stretch of shoreline.  If not for the work of some local-born lawyers who over the past 10 years got the entire site designated as a historical district, thereby protecting them, all of those boathouses would have been torn down by the State of MN.  If you're on the east end of the lake, be sure to drive in and take a look at the boathouses.  They were mostly built by miners who were able to build there on the mine-owned land (which was most of the east end of the lake), and they are a tribute to the hard work and creativity of those early residents of the Tower-Soudan.   Lyle...

[SkunkedAgain]

I appreciate the history lesson Skibo. I'll add that to my list of things to see the next time that I'm on that end of the lake.