Was in town, shopping for souvenirs. I probably should have purchased the hot sauce they were…read moreselling, but at $6 a bottle, I thought it was overpriced. I would have been thrilled if you could get all 3 bottles for a discount, but that wasn't happening. They have a ton of t shirts for sale here. We picked up one for Ely, MN for about $25. They have a men's side and a women's side. The women's side had a ton of apparel. I found a cute shirt and shorts on sale. The fitting room is right there by the stairwell. I love a good sale. These times were not for Ely, they were just hiking/camping brands of clothing, but that's ok. A lot of the women's stuff was fairly plain. The back of the store has restrooms, art, and camping/fishing supplies. The front of the store has weapons and shoes. In fact, the gal who makes the moccasins was right there in the store, putting them together in real time! It was so cool to see how she was manipulating the leather. We did not take the stairs up to the second level; it appeared to be more of a bookstore up there. Parking is on the street.

A have to stop at shop while in Ely, wonderful quality items, candles, clothing, gifts, outdoor…read moregear, books and SO much more! Today I bought a new life jacket, very nicely made , happy with my purchase!

Doesn't get any better then, local and family owned…read more My cousin from Ely had previously bought a outfit for her grand baby and realized it was too small. We went in to exchange it and they could have not been more accommodating. She did not have the receipt and had removed the tags. They knew it was their product and were happy to make the swap for a larger size. As she made the swap, I browsed through the store with my other cousin. Oh my, the variety of merchandise was mind blowing. They had everything you'd need for a camping trip. They even sell camping packages for the boundary waters and when you check-in on Yelp they offer a 15% off coupon. If you're a fisher, they also offer live bait to help you catch that big fish. That way your "big fish" story will be truth instead of a made up one. My other cousin who was traveling with us, caught so much fish during our trip, that when we left Ely, we had to stop at Spirit to buy dry ice. When in Ely, I highly recommend that you shop, Spirit.

Best outfitter in Ely. Knowledgeable friendly staff. Would recommend them especially for people…read morenew to the BWCA.

Just finished four nights fully outfitted by North country. Amazing company. John knows the BWCA…read morelike the back of his hand. The equipment was top notch and the foot provided was tasty. I will definitely repeat!

Can't imagine that any other place is more knowledgeable or accommodating when getting outfitted…read morefor a BWCA trip in this area. John has his operation extremely dialed and helped make our trip the best experience possible. I would highly recommend NCCO for planning a boundary waters excursion. Best parts: Help plan best route based on your desired experience and ability Personable Flexible Get a shower and a beer when you come out!

Very large souvenir shop. They have a selection of clothing for men, women and children/babies…read more Their stock was a bit low for the season, and there were many empty shelves. Most of the souvenirs are related to minnesota, but they also have a small area for cat and dog lovers as well as a permanent christmas area. In the back, they have a small bookstore with stuff for all ages. They also have cooking tools etc for the hobby chef. At the front, they have camping and fishing supplies. I was looking for more food related items, such as local made jams, baked goods, etc. There wasn't much of this. They did have candles and soaps. In the end, i picked up a magnet and some funny socks. I would recommend this place for getting gifts related to minnesota and boundary waters. They had a lot of cute stuff.

We got outfitted for our boundary waters trip through these folks- pretty honest and professional…read morebunch. We inquired about several items (Kevlar canoe, water purifiers, etc.)- they gave us their honest opinions and never tried to sell us on any of the items we wouldn't need. The life jackets and chairs we rented were a bit on the retro side and have had a bit of wear and tear but all highly functional nonetheless. They helped us load the canoes onto our cars safely, sold us fishing licenses in advance (in preparation for a government shutdown) Returns were quick and they even offered free showers to us (maybe the offer was extended just to our stinky group, for everyone's benefit). I would recommend this outfitter to a friend. FYI, the satellite phone only caught a signal when in a wide open space for at least 15 minutes. We had to canoe to the middle of the lake to use it.

I'm not one to write reviews but I feel compelled to in the case of…read moreCanoe Country Outfitters. I just don't see why anyone would go anywhere else. I'm the third generation (my kids are now the fourth) to regularly visit the Boundary Waters. My father and uncle switched to CCO for their partial outfitting about 30 years ago and we have never looked back. They are efficient, friendly, no-nonsense, responsive, and knowledgeable. Never had even an inkling of a problem. Everything just works, every single time. The Olson's are great people and you can trust them to do their part to make your trip fantastic.

My Boy Scout troop had an amazing experience in the Boundary Waters (June 2025) with the fantastic…read morehelp from Canoe Country Outfitters. From taking care of our permits, to preparing our gear, food, and everything, CCO was the best from start to finish. They made planning the trip so easy for my group. The food they provided us for 1 week in the Boundary Waters was great and easy to carry and prepare. At the end of our trip when one bag was left at the final portage, Brian took a boat back and found it for us. What amazing service and care! Thank you to the whole CCO team for organizing our trip.

I received outstanding support from SpokeNGear after my online purchase. I Highly Recommend them!read more

Top notch independent bike shop. Great service, excellent staff people. Awesome selection of…read morebikes and accessories. This is THE place to gy o north of Duluth

Great customer service! The canoes were in perfect condition and the people take pride in their…read morework here! Would definitely recommend to people coming to the boundary waters!

Cliff Wolds made our boundary waters trip the best trip ever! We had exactly what we needed and…read morePLENTY of food! They were so friendly and gave us advice that we were so thankful for! Cliffs is the way to go!