Hill-Annex Mine State Park offers something you won’t find anywhere else in Minnesota’s state park system: a walk straight into the iron-rich heart of the Mesabi Range. This former open-pit iron ore mine near Calumet operated for decades, pulling millions of tons of ore from the earth before transitioning into one of the state’s most unusual parks.

The main draw is the guided mine tour, where visitors descend into the massive open pit aboard a bus while interpreters explain how the mine shaped the lives of Iron Range communities. The sheer scale of the pit — layers of exposed rock stretching hundreds of feet deep — is genuinely striking. For fossil enthusiasts, the park hosts fossil and geology days during summer, when participants can search exposed shale beds for plant fossils, gastropods, and clam shells dating back roughly 500 million years. It’s one of the few places in Minnesota where you can take home what you find.

Beyond the mine, the park grounds include trails through recovering boreal forest, interpretive exhibits on mining history and immigrant labor, and a clubhouse that once served mine executives. Birding is productive here, as the pit lake and surrounding wetlands attract a surprising variety of species.

Summer is the only practical visiting window — guided tours typically run from late May through September, and fossil programs have limited dates. Check the schedule before you go, as tours require advance arrangement. There is no camping at Hill-Annex, but nearby parks and campgrounds on the Iron Range provide plenty of options for overnight stays.

Explore Nearby

• Edge of the Wilderness Scenic Byway — Scenic Byway in Minnesota
• Chippewa National Forest — National Forest in Minnesota
• Lake Vermilion Public Islands — Public Land in Minnesota
• North Shore Road — Scenic Byway in Nevada
• Duluth North Pier Light — Lighthouse in Minnesota