Minnesota’s First Off-Road Vehicle Campground Opens This Summer

SOUDAN, MN

In the forests of northeastern Minnesota, where iron ore once defined the land and its labor, a different kind of infrastructure is taking shape. On June 12, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will open the Pyrite Campground inside Lake Vermilion–Soudan Underground Mine State Park, marking the first time the state park system has built a campground specifically for off-highway vehicle riders.

It is, by design, a departure from tradition.

For decades, Minnesota’s state parks have prioritized quiet recreation: hiking trails, canoe routes, and campsites tucked into wooded stillness. But the opening of Pyrite reflects a shift already underway across the state’s northern regions, where off-road vehicle use has grown steadily and, with it, a demand for infrastructure that matches how people now experience the outdoors.

Built for a Different Kind of Traveler

The Pyrite Campground was not retrofitted to accommodate off-roaders. It was engineered for them.

The site will open with 24 electric campsites, updated from earlier plans, most of them built as extended pull-through pads measuring roughly 90 feet in length. The scale is intentional. Trucks hauling trailers loaded with ATVs or side-by-sides require space, maneuverability, and ease of entry that traditional campsites rarely provide.

The campground also includes modern shower facilities and a dedicated off-highway vehicle wash station, a feature that reflects both recreation and responsibility. The wash station is designed to reduce the spread of invasive plant species such as spotted knapweed and tansy, which can cling to mud and debris carried between trail systems.

From the outset, Pyrite has been conceived as a functional basecamp rather than a passive destination.

Direct Access to a Regional Trail Network

Turkey Bay Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Area. Courtesy of LBL

What makes the campground operationally significant is its immediate connection to the Prospectors Trail, a sprawling off-road network exceeding 300 miles and linking communities across the Iron Range, including Ely, Babbitt, Embarrass, Tower, and Soudan.

For riders, that access transforms the campground into a launching point. Instead of trailering vehicles between disconnected locations, visitors can ride directly from their campsite into one of the most expansive ATV systems in the Upper Midwest.

A new trail spur connecting the campground more directly into the town of Soudan is expected to be completed by fall 2026, further integrating recreation with local commerce.

A Deliberate Balance: Access and Preservation

The introduction of motorized recreation into a state park setting is not without tension. Minnesota’s park system has long maintained a clear boundary between motorized and non-motorized experiences, and Pyrite is structured to preserve that distinction.

Off-highway vehicle use will be confined to the Lake Vermilion State Recreation Area, a roughly 400-acre zone located south of Highway 169. North of the highway, the park’s historic and natural areas remain protected from motorized traffic, including the Soudan Underground Mine tours and shoreline hiking trails along Lake Vermilion.

The zoning reflects an effort by the Department of Natural Resources to accommodate a growing user base without eroding the character of traditional park spaces.

Still, officials acknowledge a difference in experience. Visitors reserving campsites at Pyrite are advised to expect higher levels of ambient noise and vehicle activity than in conventional campgrounds.

Economic Stakes on the Iron Range

The campground’s opening is as much an economic strategy as it is a recreational development.

The project was funded through approximately $5.8 million in state bonding approved by the Minnesota Legislature, signaling a broader public investment in outdoor tourism infrastructure.

That investment is grounded in measurable demand. A 2023 analysis by the University of Minnesota Extension found that more than 219,000 off-road riders visited the surrounding tri-county region, generating an estimated $36.1 million in economic activity.

For local communities, the distinction between day visitors and overnight guests is critical. By creating a dedicated campground, regional leaders aim to convert short visits into multi-day stays, increasing spending at gas stations, restaurants, lodging establishments, and small businesses throughout the Iron Range.

From Industrial Past to Recreational Future

Offroad vehicle campground. Courtesy: Soggy Bottom Trails Pub & Campground

The setting itself underscores the transformation.

The Soudan Underground Mine, once the oldest and deepest iron ore mine in Minnesota, powered a regional economy built on extraction and industry. Today, the same landscape is being reimagined as a destination for recreation, tourism, and environmental stewardship.

Pyrite Campground becomes part of that continuum. It does not erase the past. It builds upon it, repurposing a landscape shaped by industry into one shaped by movement, access, and experience.

What Visitors Should Know

Reservations for Pyrite Campground opened on March 25, 2026, through the Minnesota DNR’s standard reservation system. Demand is expected to be strong, particularly during peak summer months.

When the campground opens in June, it will do more than welcome riders. It will test a new model for how Minnesota balances recreation, conservation, and economic development in the decades ahead.

In Soudan, the shift is already visible. What was once a place people came to work underground is becoming a place they come to explore above it.

MinneapoliMedia | Community. Culture. Civic Life.