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Fire and Ice Geology Presentation, Great Lakes Ghost Stories Presentation, Gunflint History Presentation, Gunflint History Tour, The Life of a Voyageur Presentation, Orienteering Interactive Presentation, Saturday Night Sing Along, Shipwrecks of the Great Lakes, Stories of the Northwoods Presentation, Wildfire Ecology Presentation.
Click Here to Jump to Educational Endeavors
Dog Walk, Intermediate Nordic Skiing Lesson, Introduction to Nordic Skiing Lesson, Skijoring Demonstration, Skijoring Run.
Click Here to Jump to Activities Upon Request
Amperage Run Trail Ski, Ancient Cedars of the Lonely Lake Trail, Big Pine Trail Ski, Geology of the West End Trail, Jack Pines of the Ham Lake Trail, Moose Tracks of the North Star Trail, Rabbit Run Ski, Spectacular Views of the Highlands Trail.
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Celestial Legends Night Hike, Full Moon Hike, Full Moon Ski, Hike Under the Northern Lights, Ski Under the Aurora Borealis, Ski Under the Stars, Wolf Howling.
Click Here to Jump to Night Time Wilderness Excursions
Animal Tracking, Geology of the High Cliffs, Photography of the Lost Cliffs Overlook, Winter Ecology of the Hidden Trail, Winter Wetland Ecology of Lonely Lake.
Click Here to Jump to Daytime Hiking/Snowshoeing Excursions
Birch Bark Bookmarks, Candle Making, Dream Catchers, Northwoods Candle Holders, Northwoods Magnets, Northwoods Pencil Holders, Peanut Butter Bird Feeders, Wreath Making.
Click Heret o Jump to Crafting Endeavors
This part of Minnesota is one of the most geologically stable places on Earth. However, this was not always so. Learn about the incredible events of the past 2.5 billion years that have shaped this beautiful landscape.
The tales of ghost ships, haunted lighthouses, and other restless spirits which inhabit the five Great Lakes are told in this enlightening activity.
Gunflint Lodge was built in 1925 as a small fishing outpost. Justine and her family first came up here in 1927, and took full control of the resort in 1929. We will explore the history of the Lodge from that time, all the way to the present, in this fascinating presentation.
Take an interactive journey through the history of Gunflint Lodge. We will start our tour back in 1925, and journey all the way to the present. The walking on this activity will be minimal, but the experience will be great.
Did you know that the Voyageurs paddled right through Gunflint Lake, and along much of the U.S. / Canadian border? Learn who these adventurers were, and what their lives were like centuries ago.
Did you know that most of the college campuses in Minnesota are reputed to be haunted? How about that you most likely passed several haunted sites on the way up here. Learn about these stories and much more at the Minnesota Ghost Stories program.
Learn how to read a map and compass, two of the most important skills in wilderness travel, in this informative, hands-on activity.
Sit around the fireplace in the Gunflint Nature Center, and enjoy a night of singing led by the naturalists. We have a diverse group of songs available in order to have something for everyone to enjoy.
Learn about many of the major shipwrecks of the Great Lakes through stories, songs, and pictures. Some of the ships that will be discussed are the Griffon, Lady Elgin, Eastland, George M. Cox, Carl D. Bradley, Daniel J. Morrell, and the Edmund Fitzgerald.
Winter is the time that the Anishinaabe (Ojibwe/Chippewa) pass on stories that have been told for generations and are an integral part of their culture. Learn some of these stories, along with many other stories that are indigenous to the Northwoods, while sitting by the cozy fireplace in the Gunflint Nature Center.
Wildfires are a major part of the ecology of the boreal forest of the Gunflint Trail, and surrounding wilderness areas. Come to this informative program and learn how wildfire ecology works, and hear about the recent wildfire history of this beautiful region.
These Activities will generally not be on the weekly schedule. If you would like us to schedule them for you or your group, have the front desk contact a naturalist, and we will be glad to accommodate you in any way we can. These activities will be available approximately 5 days per week.
Join John and his dog Rudy for a fun dog walk/human snowshoe on our vast system of snowshoe trails.
This is a great course for those who have had the introductory course, have skied for a while and would like to improve their technique, or just need a little refresher after a long absence from this great sport.
This is the course for people who have never skied before, or have gone skiing a little, but never had a lesson. In this session, we will focus on the basics which will start you off on a lifetime of great Nordic skiing. We will not be using the ski poles in this type of lesson, so you can leave them in the rental shop.
Skijoring is the Norwegian sport where one to three dogs pulls a person on skis. Join John and his chocolate lab Rudy as they talk about, and demonstrate this unique sport. Due to liability concerns, John will be the only one to be pulled by Rudy.
The great sport of skijoring is really taking off. More and more people and their dogs are getting into it. If you and your canine friend would like to go skijoring with John and Rudy, then this is the activity for you. It is best to have your own skijoring equipment, but we have a limited amount of equipment available if needed. Due to liability concerns, John will be the only one to be pulled by Rudy.
This trail runs through a scenic wetland valley between the Lonely Lake Trail and Gunflint Lake. There are several small hills which make this trail moderate in difficulty.
Take a fascinating skiing excursion through some of the oldest white cedars in the state. This is a great trail for all levels of skiers.
The Big Pine Trail winds through forest, by a cedar swamp, and along ridges which give you a nice view of Gunflint Lake. This trail has a big uphill at the beginning, and a big downhill at the end. The rest is easy, giving it a moderate difficulty rating.
This trail abounds with glacial till, scenic views, beautiful wetlands, and tree lined corridors. Due to the hilly nature of this excursion, it is rated as challenging.
Snow covered jack pines form broken green and white curtains on one of our most remote ski trails. Come and enjoy one of our more timeless Northwoods skiing experiences. A moderate difficulty rating should be considered when signing up for this activity.
This is one of the best animal tracking ski trails in the Northwoods. It is not uncommon to see signs of moose, deer, and wolves on this well groomed trail. Due to the presence of some hills, this excursion is moderate in difficulty.
If you enjoy a challenge, then this is the trail for you. Much of the trail goes down an invigorating slope on the front side of the Highlands Ridge. Upon crossing the Gunflint Trail, Rabbit Run becomes easier overall, but still has some challenging hills upon which great views can be seen. Due to the hilly nature of this excursion, it has been rated as challenging.
This trail was voted best overall view of Gunflint Lake by the Gunflint Lodge Naturalists. It also has a wonderful view of the neighboring Cross River Valley. Most of the trail is of moderate difficulty, and if you are up to the challenge, you can try “Wipeout Hill” at the far end of this incredible trail.
Have you ever heard the song “Follow the Drinking Gourd?” Did you know that the song acted as a map for escaping slaves who were trying to gain their freedom, or that the drinking gourd is actually the Big Dipper? Learn about this, along with other fascinating celestial facts and legends as we take a snowshoe trek under the stars. Due to the lower light conditions, this activity is moderate in difficulty.
Snowshoe by the light of the silvery moon, and enjoy our snowshoe trails from a whole new perspective. Due to the lower light conditions, this activity carries a moderate difficulty rating.
The full moon appears to be incredibly bright during the winter. It is almost as though you are skiing during the day. Come see and ski under this incredible sight. There is a moderate difficulty rating due to the slightly dimmer light conditions.
Let the dancing lights of the Aurora Borealis guide you as we learn the facts and legends behind the Northern Lights. Our destinations of this excursion are Lookout Point and Lonely Lake. Due to the lower light conditions, this activity carries a moderate difficult rating.
The Gunflint Trail is the best place in Minnesota to see the Northern Lights. Skiing under the Aurora Borealis is an experience that you will never forget. Due to the lower light conditions, this activity carries a moderate difficulty rating.
One of the best ways to get away from the lights of the resort for some spectacular stargazing is on Nordic skis. Due to the lower light conditions, this activity has a moderate difficulty rating.
Join a naturalist on a night time trek through the wilderness as we communicate with one of the most spectacular of all northern animals, the gray wolf. Along the way, we will learn about the wolf, and why it likes to howl. This activity carries a moderate difficulty rating due to the lower light conditions.
Winter is the best time of the year to track animals. Not only do the animals use our trails, but a fresh coat of snow is like a clean piece of paper with which to see the tracks.
The boreal forest is a fascinating place to view birds. Some of the unique birds which inhabit this area in the winter are the black-backed woodpecker, gray jay, pine grosbeak, and the common redpoll. This activity will be a journey in which we will learn about, and hopefully see many of these amazing birds.
Did you know that the High Cliffs were formed well underground as geological sills about 1.8 billion years ago? They remained underground until the glaciers exposed them about 20,000 years ago. Did you know that on top of the High Cliffs, we can see the path of the glaciers? Come on this challenging hike and see one of the best geological views in the lower 48 states.
Learn the basics of wilderness photography on our easiest scenic overlook trail. This is a great hike for adventurers of all ages.
Many people say this view is even greater than that of High Cliffs, because you can better see the contours of the land. Come of this challenging, yet worthwhile excursion and judge for yourself.
This trail remains hidden throughout the summer, and is a beautiful backwoods trail to travel in the winter. Join us as we travel through an ancient cedar swamp, a young forest, then through the wetland adjoining Lonely Lake. This is one of our easiest winter hiking excursions.
In the winter, we have a much bigger trail system around Lonely Lake on which to explore the wetland ecosystem. Due to the spring fed nature of the lake, it is not safe to go on the ice, but it is safe to walk on the surrounding trails. This is one of our easiest, yet most secluded hikes.
This is a rewarding craft in which we take thin pieces of birch bark, and craft a nice bookmark which will mark your pages for many years.
Learn how to make your own sand and dip candles in this fun and educational craft. Due to the length of time it takes to heat the wax, please sign up at least two hours in advance.
Making dream catchers is an Anishinaabe tradition in which you make a willow frame, weave a web of sinew, and decorate it with beads and feathers. The good dreams find their way through the small hole in the center, while the other dreams get caught in the outer web and disappear in the morning.
Craft a beautiful new candle holder out of birch, balsam fir, aspen, or other wood we may have on hand.
Create a great refrigerator magnet out of natural materials from the area. Some of the things that have been made in the past have been birch bark signs, animals made of pine cones, and small rocks which have been put together is various forms.
In the activity, we will saw, drill, and sand a piece of wood into a pencil holder you can be proud of the many years to come.
We make these creative bird feeders by taking white pine cones, spreading on peanut butter, rolling them in sunflower seeds, and placing them on a mobile. There is not a wrong way to make your feeders, and the birds love them.
This is a great new December craft in which we hand pick balsam fir boughs, and attach them to a ring using our wreath making machine. After completion of the wreath, you can make a bow, and take it home to decorate for the holidays.
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