Back for another year, our amazing Duluth Winter Adventure is a can’t miss winter extravaganza!
Join us for this Scandinavian fever dream where we'll immerse ourselves in a winter wonderland up north on the banks of Lake Superior. This trip has everything a winter lover (or hater, we’ll work hard to convince you!) could dream of: a beginner's dog sledding workshop, a guided sauna & cold plunge experience right on (and in!) Lake Superior, an up-north distillery tour at one of Minnesota’s best locations for cocktails, beautiful state park snowshoeing and more!
Duluth is the Midwest’s winter playground for a reason: set along the shores of the mighty Lake Superior, Duluth knows how to do winter in style. On this trip, you’ll get to experience all the natural wonders of the area, partake in the local winter activities that keep Minnesotans happy and healthy during the winter months, and taste the best Duluth has to offer at delicious local restaurants. This is winter done right, with stunning frosty landscapes and bonding with new friends who share your adventurous spirit.
ACTIVITIES
This long weekend is full of classic Duluth experiences, including:
A beginner-friendly dog sledding experience, where we’ll head to a local dog sledding farm to meet the eager pups, learn about their lives and roles, set up the sleds, and mush around a track with the assistance of a professional guide. Each participant will get the opportunity to ride and drive the sled. This is an awesome experience for anyone who’s ever been dog sledding curious!
After dog sledding, we'll be led in a guided sauna and cold plunge experience, a relaxing treat after a physical session of dog sledding! The sauna experience, led by Cedar & Stone Saunas, Duluth’s premiere sauna experience, is in a contemporary shelter in the heart of Duluth. We'll relax in the different sauna rooms while drinking delicious tea, and taking plunges into the coldest body of water the north knows — Lake Superior! This experience is perfect for the brave or those just looking for a nice warming time — either way, we’ll bring our bodies into balance, the Scandinavian way!
The next day, we’ll snowshoe at Jay Cooke State Park, a crowning jewel of the Minnesota State Park system and just minutes away from our cabins. With over 10 miles of winter hiking trails alone, Jay Cooke provides an escape to the classic north woods landscape that surrounds Duluth and Lake Superior. We’ll snowshoe and then enjoy a lunch at the lodge in front of the big stone fireplace.
We’ll head back into Duluth and enjoy a tour of Vikre Distillery, one of Minnesota’s best, and Wander Women’s favorite place to grab a cocktail up north! We’ll learn about their special spirits inspired by the north woods and enjoy a cocktail as we warm up in their tasting room!
OPTIONAL: Depending on time, we may also have an optional snow tubing session at Mont du Lac Ski Resort, where we’ll be staying.
ACCOMMODATIONS
It doesn’t get more winter than this: We’ll be staying in slope-side cabins at Mont du Lac Ski Resort just west of Duluth. The cabins each have a communal gathering space complete with wood burning stove, amazing views of the ski slopes and kitchenette. Each cabin features one private room with a queen bed, and another bedroom with built-in bunked twin beds. The cabins are a short walk away from a modern bath and shower house. The ski resort also features a big, beautiful lodge up the hill with snacks and drinks available during ski hours.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
This is a high end trip with high adventure! Your registration provides you:
Sleeping accommodations & parking
1 dinner, 1 lunch, 3 breakfasts (2 dinners and 1 lunch will be paid for by participants)
A Wanderer swag bag full of goodies
Registration costs for the dog sledding experience, sauna & cold plunge, snowshoeing and distillery tour
Two Wander Women guides to help make the weekend as relaxing and fun as possible!
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED
Participants will be responsible for providing/paying for:
Transportation to/from Duluth (we always encourage carpooling and can connect you with other participants to ride with!)
Friday and Saturday dinners in Duluth; Friday lunch in Duluth
The optional snow tubing session will be paid for by participants wishing to partake
Post-distillery tour cocktails at the distillery
INVESTMENT
Twin in shared room: $625
Queen in private room: $665
PAYMENT PLAN
We offer payment plans for all our trips, so you can pay a deposit now and the rest over time! WeTravel (our booking platform) easily lets you make a downpayment (this is also your non-refundable trip deposit!) and set up automatic payments for the remainder. For the payment plan schedule, just check the WeTravel page for details. There is NO fee for choosing the payment plan option!
Deposit for this trip: $320
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Wander Women trips are designed to be restorative and relaxing, full of connection and knowledge building. Days are filled with activities ranging from skill-building workshops (like fire building or plant identification), hammock reading and card playing, to group hikes, impromptu yoga sessions and creek stomping. Nights are spent around the campfire sharing in storytelling, often digging deep into ourselves and our place in nature.
Please know that to us, there’s no right way to wander. We ask that you come as you are — you don’t need to have the gear, the knowledge or anyone else with you to make this trip great. We grant participants and ourselves the right to be imperfect or nervous, and encourage a “challenge by choice” mentality — letting you decide when you’ll step outside your comfort zone, knowing it’s often rewarding when you do. By the end of the weekend, we want you to feel confident in newfound skills, your place in the outdoors and your part in this community. That’s what these trips are all about!
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Each Wander Women trip has an Adventure Rating attached to the trip to give Wanderers a better idea of the activity level and physical requirements of the trip. These ratings are based on general Wanderer ability. If you have specific questions about a trip’s difficulty or specific accessibility questions, please reach out to us at hello@wanderwomenmidwest.com!
Beginner: This trip is designed for the low-key adventurer. Hikes will be taken at a leisurely pace and include small elevation changes on easy to navigate trails (wide, free of roots and other obstacles). Plenty of down-time built into this trip for participants to relax and create time for themselves. No prior outdoor skills required.
Moderate: This trip is designed for the adventurer looking for a jam-packed weekend or in-depth, hands-on skill building. Hikes will be longer (6+ miles) and taken at a moderate pace. There may be other recreation activities (paddling, paddleboarding, fishing, etc.) that are beginner-friendly but require moderate physical strain. There will still be plenty of down-time built in for participants to relax and create time for themselves, but there may be optional additional adventures offered. No prior outdoor skills required, unless otherwise noted.
Challenging: Participants are expected to hike, backpack or paddle long mileage days, often with weight on their backs or in their boats. Terrain will be challenging and have elevation changes or tricky parts to navigate. Previous hiking and paddling experience is strongly recommended.
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We offer payment plans for all our trips, so you can pay a deposit now and the rest over time! WeTravel (our booking platform) easily lets you make a downpayment (this is also your non-refundable trip deposit!) and set up automatic payments for the remainder. For the payment plan schedule, just check the WeTravel page for details. There is NO fee for choosing the payment plan option!
All participants are subject to the Wander Women Trip Cancellation Policy.