Cook County, Minn. – Travel– Businesses along the Gunflint Trail (also known as County Road 12) in Cook County, Minn. are hosting the second annual Biggest Blueberry Contest, which started on Friday, July 20. Blueberries will be measured by weight, and must be picked fresh and not store bought.
There will weigh stations at Bearskin Lodge, Golden Eagle Lodge, Hungry Jack Outfitters, Rockwood Lodge, Tuscarora Lodge, Gunflint Lodge and Chik-Wauk Museum & Nature Center, Way of the Wilderness, Poplar Creek Guesthouse, Gunflint Pines Resort, Seagull Outfitters, Poplar Haus, Nor’Wester Lodge, Trout Lake, Voyageur Canoe Outfitters, all of which are along the Gunflint Trail.
Berry pickers will be able to submit their biggest blueberry at these locations. In addition to three grand prizes for the biggest blueberry, all submissions will be entered to win random drawings for custom biggest blueberry PopSockets throughout the contest.
Blueberries in the Gunflint Trail area are already ripening and tend to peak around late July or early August. Wild blueberries are easy to identify, looking much like the grocery store variety, only smaller. The plants are woody shrubs, usually less than two feet tall and resemble miniature trees. They grow best in dry, well-drained, rocky soil with good sun and are often found in recent burn areas. For more information on berry picking and the biggest blueberry contest, go to https://www.visitcookcounty.com/event/biggest-blueberry-contest-gunflint-trail/.
The Gunflint Trail
Beginning in the center of the town of Grand Marais, County Road 12 (also known as the Gunflint Trail) is a 55-mile paved road that adjoins U.S. Highway 61. County Road 12’s route goes through the Superior National Forest to Saganaga Lake near the Canadian border. According to Explore Minnesota, there are no towns along the route, but side roads lead to resorts, campgrounds, canoe outfitters, and boat ramps. Many nearby lakes are within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, which is primarily accessible by non-motorized boats. There is great fishing along the Gunflint Trail, and miles of hiking and cross-country skiing trails. Wildlife abounds, so there’s a chance of spotting deer, moose or bear, seeing a wide variety of birds, or hearing the howls of wolves.
About Visit Cook County
Visit Cook County encompasses the northeastern Minnesota communities of Lutsen, Tofte, Schroeder, Grand Marais, the Gunflint Trail and Grand Portage, commonly referred to as “the Arrowhead” and the “North Shore of Lake Superior”. Grand Marais, Minn., has earned several national accolades — most recently it was named USA Today’s Best Midwestern Small Town, Outside Magazine’s The 16 Best Places to Live in the U.S. 2016, and Budget Travel’s 2015 Coolest Small Town in America. Rekindle your sense of adventure by exploring the Superior National Forest or paddling through the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Discover what makes the communities of Cook County, Minn. “Naturally Unforgettable.” Connect on social media using #visitcc, Twitter @CookCoVisitors, Facebook, or Instagram @donorthmn. Learn more at www.visitcookcounty.com.
