Visiting The International Wolf Center and North American Bear Center

Exploring Ely, Minnesota

Known as the “Land of 10,000 Lakes”, Minnesota prides itself on its diverse wildlife, natural ecosystems and beautiful outdoor experiences. Large, pristine lakes and wild families of mammals are just a few of the natural wonders you’ll find during your journey in Minnesota. If you’re looking to take your love of outdoor conservation a step further, you can choose to explore two of the most popular animal attractions located in Ely, Minnesota. 

The International Wolf Center and the North American Bear Center are two of the State’s premier Wildlife Learning and Conservation Centers. Here's a comprehensive guide to understanding the International Wolf Center and the North American Bear Center to help you make the most of your exploration:

International Wolf Center

Due to overhunting and deforestation, the wolf species have been impacted in the United States in past years and populations have been decreasing. Thanks to conservation efforts worldwide, the population is no longer threatened and states like Minnesota have a thriving wolf population. Today, there are only a few places in the United States where gray wolves flourish and Minnesota is one of them.

Visiting the International Wolf Center

Located only 6 minutes east of downtown Ely, The International Wolf Center has a variety of programs and special features for guests to enjoy depending on the day. The main drawing point to visiting the Center is the large wolf enclose where guests can watch wolves eat, play, sleep, and interact with one another. When planning your visit, make sure you check the hours of operation as summer and wintertime hours vary during the year.

Meet the Wolves

The Center has a variety of North American Gray, Arctic, and British-Columbia Canadian wolves who live safely in large enclosures. All of the Center’s wolves are known as Ambassador wolves and they enhance the Center’s online and in-person programs for guests of every age. If you’re curious to see what the wolves are up to after hours, check out the Center’s live wolf cam.

Mission

The International Wolf Center seeks to advance the survival of the wolf species and educate people on the importance of wolf conservation. The Center provides up-to-date information on wolf species in the wild and educates guests on how humans, wolves, and wildlife are interlinked with the world around them.

Donations & Memberships

The International Wolf Center is an educational, non-profit organization. If you’d like to become a frequent visitor of the International Wolf Center, consider signing up for a membership. There are U.S. and International memberships depending on your location. The Center also has programs for volunteering, Wolf Guardian sponsorship, participating in auctions, and additional ways to get involved.

The North American Bear Center

Across the globe, some bear populations are considered stable while others are threatened or vulnerable. Each species faces unique threats, but with conservation efforts, any endangered species can return to a stable population. For black bears, populations are not threatened and are classified as being stable by the Pacific Forest Trust. For travelers looking to learn more about black bears and watch them interact with one another, they should head over to the North American Bear Center.

Visiting The North American Bear Center

The North American Bear Center is located in Ely, Minnesota just a few minutes drive past downtown. When planning your visit, be sure to check the hours of operation as they fluctuate depending on the season. 

There is a cost to enter the Center but because it is a non-profit organization, all proceeds go to conservation efforts and maintaining the facility. At the North American Bear Center, there are multiple programs for guests to get involved with including Behind the Scenes, Wilderness Webcast, and Critter Time.

Meet the Bears

The first few months a bear spends with his mom are critical for a bear’s confidence and developmental survival skills. The North American Bear Center fosters many bears who were born or raised in difficult circumstances and can no longer live in the wild on their own. 

The Center’s main attraction is the large 2.5-acre bear enclosure where guests can watch black bears live, sleep, eat, play, and interact with one another in a natural setting complete with man-made dens and ponds. If you’re curious to see what the bears are up to after hours, check out the Center’s live bear cam.

 Mission

The North American Bear Center’s mission is to advance the long-term survival of bears worldwide by replacing misconceptions with scientific facts about bears, their role in ecosystems, and their relations with humans. The special bears who live at the North American Bear Center are not able to survive in the wild and the Center provides the adoptive bears a safe and comfortable life in captivity.

Memberships & Donations

Becoming a member of the North American Bear Center is straightforward and they offer multiple types of memberships including individual, family, and group memberships. The North American Bear Center is a non-profit and relies solely on visitor admissions, retail sales, and the generosity of donors and members to continue serving the community. 

Donations go towards creating new exhibits, maintaining the facility, program improvements, providing education to students and visitors, and helping provide care for the Ambassador bears. The Center also has programs for volunteering, internships, and additional ways to get involved. For additional information on getting involved or to donate an item from the Center’s Amazon Wishlist, click here.

Bear Head Lake State Park

If you’re a true adventure buff, you can choose to see bears and wolves in the rugged wild at the Bear Head Lake State Park. The Park is 15 miles southwest of Ely and gives tourists multiple hiking trails where visitors can look for white-tailed deer, moose, black bears, wolves, birds, and snowshoe hares. The lush area is dotted with lakes and guests can walk through forest canopy trails, fish for trout, paddleboard, and canoe in this outdoor paradise.

Enjoy Relaxing Accommodation

Ely is a small town located in the heart of the Superior National Forest and is a wonderful place to enjoy a peaceful vacation in the great outdoors. As you’re passing through, consider stopping at some of the area’s best lodging accommodations. Lakeview Lodge rests right on Lake Shagawa and offers guests two types of luxury cabins with some accommodating large families of up to 15 guests. 

Enjoy fishing in Lake Shagawa in the morning, a relaxing pontoon boat ride in the afternoon, and a picturesque dinner on the lake in the evening. If you’re looking to take a break and truly enjoy the serene, natural landscape of Minessota, the Lakeview Lodge is the place to stay. Whether you're a nature enthusiast, an outdoor adventurer, or someone seeking a peaceful retreat, Lakeview Lodge has something to offer for every type of traveler. To view availability and browse Lakeview Lodge’s gallery click here.