Full Day, Half Day, And Private Group Trips

Day Trips

Dogsled Day Trips and Private Groups

Wintergreen dogsled day trips are "hands-on" experiences on which you'll be driving your own dogsled powered by a team of our friendly, handsome Canadian Inuit dogs. Our guides will accompany you on skis to help out as needed, point out signs of wildlife and sights of scenic interest and share northwoods lore. No experience is needed. Persons ages 5-75 have enjoyed these trips. Half-day morning (9-1) and afternoon (1-5) options are available along with full day trips (9-5) that include lunch. Full day trips also include the option of exploring more adventurous trail options in the afternoon if you choose.

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Clothing Options

Feeling a bit more adventurous? Consider one of our Lodge Based Trips or Camping Trips.

Lodge Based Trips
Camping Trips

Day Trip Rates

Wintergreen's dog teams and guides are fully booked most Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays December to March with our overnight vacation packages, so day trips options are generally limited to Sundays and Mondays as outlined below (although for groups of 4 or more we can sometimes arrange Tuesday or Wednesday trips).
NOTE: COVID GUIDELINES LIMIT OUR SUNDAY OPTION TO 12-4pm HALF DAY TRIPS ONLY

Half-day trips:  Morning 9 AM - 1 PM or Afternoon 1 PM - 5 PM
Full-day trips: 9 AM - 5 PM (includes lunch)

Half Day Rates

Kids (5-11): $100
Youth (12-17): $150
Adults: $200

Full Day Rates

Kids (5-11): $200
Youth (12-17): $275
Adults: $350

These rates are per person with 2 guests per sled on our extra-wide sleds. On these specially designed sleds (a Wintergreen exclusive), 2 guests stand side-by-side and drive the sled together (or one can sit in the basket while the other drives). For a one-person “solo” sled, the rates are 50% more. Groups of 6 or more get 10% off each (maximum group size is 12). Our day trips typically involve a mix of 6-8 guests traveling in a caravan of 3-4 sleds accompanied by 2-3 guides. No special fitness or experience is needed, but please note that persons over 250 pounds may find it difficult to balance on the sleds and younger kids generally prefer a half rather than a full day of sledding.

Reservations

Email us or call us (218) 349-6128 regarding your preferred date options. We'll alert you to availability, hold a spot for you and provide you with our Day Trip Registration Form by email, fax or mail. After you submit it, we'll respond with a confirmation letter that reviews details about your trip and outlines rental clothing/boot options. No deposit is required & payment can be made by cash, credit card or check following your trip. Price does not include a guide gratuity, so if your Wintergreen experience proves to be exceptional, our guides will appreciate the recognition of a job well done. Please be advised that you will be engaged in an adventure activity and sledding on remote wilderness trails where there is an element of risk. While Wintergreen day trip participants have never sustained serious injuries, all participants must sign a risk acknowledgment & liability release form before dogsledding.

Sample Itinerary

These trips all begin at Wintergreen Dogsled Lodge, 8 miles east of Ely on White Iron Lake near Ely, where our guides will make sure your clothing & boots are adequate, provide you with trail beverages & snacks upon request and take you through our "Dogsledding 101" orientation. Then you'll head to the kennel to meet the dogs. The big moment arrives as your guide helps you launch your sled. Off you go, driving your own dogteam on wilderness trails. Along the way, your guide (on skis) will point out wildlife signs and sites of scenic interest for photos, and provide rest stops & snack breaks upon request. On full day trips, the guides will provide a trailside campfire lunch or an indoor lunch break at the lodge. Our trail system includes a variety of scenic options: hilly woodland terrain, sheltered bogs, frozen lakes & ponds and trails that are both easy and challenging. Feel free to let your guide know your preferences. When you arrive back at the kennel, you're welcome upon request to help feed and water your dogs and to visit the lodge for a hot beverage before departing.

Private Group Dogsled Trips

Groups of 4 to 12 can book their own private, customized lodge-based dogsled vacations or dogsled camping trips -- generally at about 10% off our regular rates. In fact, nearly half the trips we offer each year are booked for family or classmate reunion trips, school groups, outdoors clubs, wedding parties, and corporate team-building trips. Just let us know your date options and the interests of your group and we'll suggest some itineraries. The many "variations on the theme" that we've arranged for custom trips over the years include these: 4-night lodge-to-lodge trip with 1 night of optional camping, 5-night lodge-to-lodge trip with 3 days of dogsledding and a 1 day ski/snowshoe trip to the protected Indian pictograph site, a 4-day winter skills trip capped off with an orienteering challenge course, and a "lap of luxury" honeymoon trip with a visit to the local spa and personalized tours of the wolf & bear centers. Call us (218) 365-6022 for more info.

Weekend Vacation Idea:

Wintergreen Dogsled Lodge is filled almost every night with our dogsled vacation package guests, but other lodging options are available for our day trip guests. Many of our guests come up on a Saturday and stay at the Grand Ely Lodge, which offers a substantial discount for Wintergreen day trip guests (www.grandelylodge.com, 218-365-6565, 877-472-6335). Another downtown option is "A Stay Inn Ely" which is new & very nice, has great rates PLUS a 10% discount for Wintergreen guests (www.stayinnely.com, 888-360-6010). Our day trip guests often visit Ely's International Wolf Center (www.wolf.org) and North American Bear Center (www.bear.org) on Saturday afternoon (winter hours for both are Fri/Sat 10-5 & Wolf Center Sun 10-2 ), and then they come out to Wintergreen on Sunday or Monday for a half or full-day dogsled trip. Other near-town lodging options that offer discounts to Wintergreen guests: Timber Trail Lodge (log cabins & motel units with kitchens, ski trails, just a few miles from Wintergreen) 800-777-7348, www.timbertrail.com

Flash news! Wintergreen guests are now eligible for discounted stays at our area's finest ski resort: The Lodge at Giants Ridge, with an on-site restaurant, superb downhill and nordic skiing (60km) & full ski or snowboard rental packages. Call toll-free 877-442-6877 and ask for their "Wintergreen discount rate" on lodging (15% off), http://www.lodgeatgiantsridge.com

Contact us anytime, we’re happy to answer all your questions!

  • (218) 349-6128

  • 1101 Ring Rock Road Ely, MN 55731

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