RECREATION

Our environment of scenic beauty is one of our strongest suits:  vast forest, big timber, wilderness areas, surrounding picturesque lakes dotted with many islands connected with one another for vast networks of waterways.   Offerings in our four-season wonderland are excellent hunting and fishing, downhill and cross country skiing at Giants Ridge, five public and private golf clubs, many tennis courts and outdoor parks, racquetball, bocci-ball, volleyball, swimming, scuba diving in clear caverns of water, biking, hiking, and fitness trails, numerous baseball and softball fields, curling clubs, indoor hockey arenas, trap and skeet shooting clubs and many miles of connecting snowmobile trails.

Our seasons in Northeastern Minnesota make every day seem like a vacation, providing a myriad of activities.  Area residents and thousands of tourists consider our area "the best playground in the world."

PARKS

A highlight of Virginia is its beautiful and unique City Parks - Olcott Park with its exquisite fountain and a large greenhouse that is open year round.  

We have two lakes right in the center of town with walking trails around them, a "field of dreams" ballpark on the South Shore of Silver Lake and many small community parks throughout town.

The Superior National Forest and the Tower-Soudan State Park are located within a short distance.

GOLF

The Virginia Municipal Golf Course is one of the most beautiful and challenging eighteen-hole courses in Minnesota.  A  very unique log clubhouse overlooking the course from one of our panoramic mine dumps . Other golf courses in the area include a nine-hole course in Eveleth, a nine-hole course in Cook, a private course on Lake Eshquagama and two 18 hole courses at Giants Ridge.

TENNIS, RACQUETBALL & BOCCI-BALL

There are eleven outdoor tennis courts, three indoor racquetball courts, and twelve bocci-ball courts located in Virginia.

HIKING, SKIING, SNOWMOBILING & SKATING

The Giants Ridge Recreational Facility, designated as an official training location for Olympic athletes, offers some of the finest cross-country and downhill slopes in the Midwest.

Winding through the scenic beauty of the Mesabi Range, the Laurentian Fitness Trail offers 1.5 miles of hiking with a host of exercise stations for physical fitness along the way, and the Look-Out Mountain trail offers 15 miles for both hiking and cross country skiing. 

Virginia is a major stop on the hundreds of miles of snowmobile trails that criss-cross the Iron Range.

Virginia has four outdoor recreational skating rinks and 2 outdoor hockey rinks, in addition to the indoor hockey rink at the Miners Memorial Building.

CURLING

Curling is becoming more popular all the time.   For many years Virginia has had a curling club located in the city and curling has been a favorite winter sport for many of the citizens.

By working together,  the Quad cities of Virginia, Eveleth, Mt. Iron and Gilbert, , built the  Range  Recreation Civic Center.  The primary winter use of this facility  is curling.  As curling is now an Olympic event, the United States Curling Association supports this facility as a National Training Center.  The facility is capable of hosting National and Regional Championships.  This project is also endorsed by the Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission.  25,000 square feet of space will be available to host trade and car shows, concerts, and conventions.

FISHING, BOATING & HUNTING

The popular resort/vacation area of Northeastern Minnesota begins within a few miles of Virginia.  In this area are resorts catering to avid fishermen, families, and company fishing groups.  The area lakes provide excellent walleye, northern, bass, and pan fish fishing.  Other lakes offer lake and rainbow trout fishing.  Many of the abandoned main dumps have been stocked with fish and offer recreational facilities.  One can travel 40 to 60 miles in anything from a small boat to a large houseboat without the assistance of mechanical portage, and with such assistance, one could travel for days in one direction covering 250 miles along the border.  The vast forests of the area provide good deer, moose, and bear hunting.   Area bird and duck hunting ranges from good to excellent depending on the area.

For more information about other recreational opportunities in the Virginia area contact The Iron Trail Convention and Visitors Bureau.

  

VIRGINIA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
City Hall, 327 First Street South
Virginia, Minnesota 55792
TEL: 218-748-7535
FAX: 218-749-3585
email: veda@virginiamn.us

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           plenty of great housing next.
         
                                      

© 2001 Virginia Economic Development Authority
most photos courtesy of Lauren Nelson