Wilderness Wind

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Ely, MN
Wilderness Wind

The Wilderness Wind mission is to provide rustic lodging accommodations on the shore of Armstrong Lake. All profits benefit the programs of Chicago Voyagers.

Chicago Voyagers Mission: Empowering at-risk youth through outdoor experiential adventures that Wilderness Wind is part of Chicago Voyagers, an organization that takes youth that might not otherwise have an opportunity on outdoor adventures, from biking to hiking to cross country skiing to wilderness paddling adventures. Wilderness Wind has an outfitting branch that provisions these outdoor advent

ures for at risk youth and it can also outfit your trip. From route advice to equipment to canoes to meal planning, let Wilderness Wild be your Boundary Waters outfitter. Wilderness Wind is also Ely area lodging, in the form of a small resort of 4 rustic cabins and a beautiful yurt. Enjoy a family vacation, a romantic getaway, a quiet retreat, or an active gathering. Book us via VRBO.

05/23/2023

Wilderness Wind resort is owned by Chicago Voyagers and all net revenue from operation goes to funding Chicago Voyagers programming for youth.

Learn more about Wilderness Wind at
WildernessWind.org

Learn more about Chicago Voyagers at
ChicagoVoyagers.org

Donate or book your stay (or both) to be part of it all!

05/22/2023

Wilderness Wind is open for reservations for 2023!
Use VRBO or AirBnB to book your stay by searching with the words "Wilderness Wind Ely MN". Add your cabin name if you want to claim your favorite!
Loon Cabin has one bedroom shared by a queen size bed and twin bunk beds. Bear Cabin has two bedrooms with queen beds Moose Cabin has a bedroom with a queen bed and there are two twin beds on the enclosed porch. Wolf is an adorable one room cabin with a queen bed. Eagle Yurt has two fully separate bedrooms with queen beds and two twin beds in a loft above that is open to the living room and dining and kitchen areas.
Our big achievement during opening week was the addition of a spacious grilling deck for dining, relaxing in the shade, and gathering. It is adjacent to the Chickadee Gathering Space where food prep and indoor dining or gathering can happen.
We've also added Blue Jay Lounge, a small yurt up the hill a bit, between the bath house and Moose Cabin, where you can read, do crafts, play board games, or visit with each other.
The bath house has latrine toilets and sinks and showers with ample hot water. At the end of the bath house is an outdoor kitchen sink for fish cleaning, food prep, or dish washing.
Fish in the lake with available gear, paddle our canoes or kayaks while wearing provided PFDs, enjoy a bonfire lakeside, swim at the mini sand beach, borrow our bikes for a ride thru gorgeous scenery, or take a walk around our trails to soak in the beauty in the details of nature.
Nearby Ely has fine and casual dining, art shopping, gift shopping, apparel shopping, gear shopping, wilderness canoe guide services and a movie theater. Visit the Wolf Center or the Bear Center to learn about wildlife, or absorb some history at the Soudan Mine Museum or the Dorothy Molter Museum.
Use Wilderness Wind as a stop before or after a Boundary Waters canoe trip, take a Boundary Waters day trips or just take a drive up north to enjoy the unique natural glory of this spectacular place in the universe!

09/01/2022

These beautiful photos were created by guest Christian Nielsen, a recent guest in Moose cabin. Thanks!

08/28/2022

What's there to do at Wilderness Wind?
Your cabin has a cute kitchen where you can cook up simple meals or make a big salad. Each has a dining area but I like to take our meal out to a picnic table under the trees or take my plate down to the chairs on the shore.
You can read a book and enjoy the views from your cabin's living area, or go relax outside on one of the comfy chairs. They have wide armrests for your cold beverage and your book or journal.
You can take one of our canoes out onto the lake for a pleasure paddle or to fish. You can use the outdoor grill and griddle to cook up the fish you catch or the burgers if you didn't.
You can swim off one of the little sand beaches. You can take s walk along the lakeshore or on the grounds or up on the roads that surround the camp. Enjoy lake views, woodland wildflowers, beautiful trees. Remember to look up into canopies. You might hear loons or see beaver in the lake. Hummingbirds visit our flowers and if you have your porch light on, it might attract a hungry tree frog looking for the insects attracted to the light.
You can watch the sunset over the lake from your cabin or from the outdoor chairs and you can enjoy a campfire at the fire ring ss long as you wish. Stay up to see the moon or the stars and enjoy the night sounds.
If you play music, it's nice to sit outside your cabin and if you ask, I bet the others at the bonfire would enjoy a song or two.
Pop into Ely for a little shopping. There are the usual tshirt and trinket shop, but also some really nice art galleries and some fabulous outdoor apparel and gear stores.
Good restaurants are there if you're not in the mood for cabin cooking.
You can take day trips into the Boundary Water, bike the regional trail, or drive the scenic routes in the area.
You can be a tourist at the Soudan Mine Museum, the Wolf Center, or the Bear Center.
No way you can do all that in one trip, so book again next year before you even leave!

05/23/2022

Some excerpts from the journals that are kept in each cabin for guests to use to provide feedback.

05/21/2022

Wilderness Wind is OPEN for the 2022 season! You can book on Airbnb or VRBO.

Let let me introduce you to Loon Cabin.
This cabin sleeps four in one bedroom on a queen bed and a pair of twins in an L formation. The enclosed porch has screened windows for views to the west of the lake and usually offers spectacular sunsets to enjoy. Flexible furniture allows relaxation, informal dining, playing games, reading, even work, but why would you? There are ample wall hooks and luggage benches to hold your stuff. The kitchen provides fresh water via a 5 gallon carboy and includes a gas stove with oven, a refrigerator, a microwave oven, toaster, and coffee maker.
The bath house is a couple hundred feet away so this is one of the more private cabins. Down by the lake is a public camp fire circle, and this cabin has a secluded private fire pit. Each cabin has two lounging chairs in front and a picnic table for outdoor dining.
Canoes, paddles, life vests, and fishing gear are available for you to borrow. Shallow water offers lovely swimming once the water warms up. Woodland trails provide chances to see our local flora and fauna.
Wilderness Wind is just a lovely place to relax and enjoy nature from the comfort of a lovely log cabin.

08/03/2021

It's pretty up here this week in spite of the haze.

07/20/2021

Need a peaceful getaway with beautiful sights and sounds of nature right out your front door? We have a few openings left scattered throughout the summer and fall. Head north!

06/02/2021

Our 2021 season is well underway with a full house over the holiday weekend. There are still open days at all cabins and the yurt if your timing is flexible. Reserve at WildernessWind.org or VRBO or Airbnb.

05/17/2021

Book your cabin for a fishing trip now. Wildernesswind.org or search for us on VRBO or Airbnb.

Address

1759 Bradach Road
Ely, MN
55731

Telephone

+12183655873

Website

http://www.wildernesswind.org/

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Our Story

Wilderness Wind is part of Chicago Voyagers, an organization that takes youth that might not otherwise have an opportunity on outdoor adventures from biking to hiking to cross country skiing to wilderness paddling adventures. Wilderness Wind has an outfitting branch that provisions these outdoor adventures for at risk youth and it can also outfit your trip. From guides to equipment to canoes to meal planning, let Wilderness Wild be your Boundary Waters outfitter. Wilderness Wind is also Ely area lodging, in the form of a small resort of 4 rustic cabins and a beautiful yurt for larger groups. Enjoy a family vacation, a romantic getaway, a quiet retreat, or an active gathering. Book us directly or via VRBO.