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For the first time in two years, visitors will be able to descend into the historic Soudan Underground Mine. Tours at Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park are returning this summer after June 2024 flooding forced the site to close for extensive cleanup and repairs through both the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
Reservations for Soudan — and two other Minnesota state park tour destinations — open Tuesday, April 1 through the Minnesota DNR at mndnr.gov/reservations or by phone at 866-857-2757.
The 90-minute underground tour drops visitors 2,341 feet — nearly half a mile — down the mine shaft to the 27th level of the Soudan Underground Mine, which operated from 1882 to 1962. From there, visitors board a train and ride almost a mile to the deepest area that was ever mined.
The tour covers the real stories of the miners who worked there, the innovations they developed, and how safety practices evolved over the mine’s 80-year history.
Soudan is about a two-hour drive southwest of International Falls — a manageable day trip for families looking to explore a piece of northeastern Minnesota’s iron range history.
Two other Minnesota state parks are also opening tour reservations on April 1, though they’re located farther from the Falls:
Visitors to Blue Mounds and Forestville/Mystery Cave will also need a state park vehicle permit. These can be purchased at the time of reservation or on site. Permits are $7 per day or $35 for a 12-month pass.
Full schedules, tour details, and reservation links for all three parks are at mndnr.gov/tours.
