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Major city · United States

Meadowlands

Skip as a base: a 134-person former village on the Sax-Zim Bog edge. Go only as a half-day bog stop, or sleep 1 night if you are chasing winter owls.

Not yet checkedSourcesWhat these labels mean

Meadowlands is a near-ghost village in northern Minnesota, about an hour from Duluth and an hour from the Iron Range on US 53 and County 133. It has no hotel, no clinic and no restaurant beyond one bar and grill; what it does have is a seat inside the Sax-Zim Bog, one of the best winter birding areas in the lower 48. Treat it as a stop on a bog day, not a destination.

basic guide: no trip line yet
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
More ways in
Print / PDF guide
Local time, weather, currency, airports
Weather
see forecast
Currency
USD
Best months
Dec–Mar for winter birds; Jun–Aug for green bog and wildflowers
avoid Apr–May mud season (soft gravel, few birds); Jul–Aug mosquitoes and deer flies
Airports
DLH · MSP
Nights
0–1
Rules in force · 7Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs …Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but ta…
  • North America ↗Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs your passport even on a day trip; rental cars need the company's written permission to cross, and most US and Canadian rental insurance stops at the Mexican border.
  • North America ↗Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but taking any amount across the US, Canadian or Mexican border is a federal crime — including edibles and vapes.
  • North America ↗The busiest US and Canadian national parks need timed-entry, campsite or lodge reservations in summer; release dates are months ahead.
  • United States ↗Check whether you need an ESTA (Visa Waiver Program) or a visa on the official CBP and State Department sites; apply only through esta.cbp.dhs.gov, not third-party sites, and allow time before you book.
  • United States ↗Several popular national parks use timed-entry or vehicle reservations in peak season; check each park's page on nps.gov and book on recreation.gov before fixing your dates.
  • United States ↗Medical care is very expensive for visitors; buy travel insurance with high medical cover before you fly.
  • United States ↗Tipping is expected: about 15–20% at sit-down restaurants and bars, and a tip for taxis, hotel staff and guides.
What is in this basic guide9 covered · 4 not yet ▾

Not in this guide yet

  • Walking areas with bag rules
  • Day plans checked against opening hours
  • Airport-to-bed timings and the last safe connection
  • Field-checked times and prices
Emergency numbers for Meadowlands911 ▾

Tap a number to call from your phone. These are the numbers listed in this guide; a row marked check has not been verified.

EssentialsQuick answers and what things cost

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Meadowlands, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Show all 12 answers

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee or a diner breakfastUS$4–12
  • BeerBurger and a beer at the village bar and grillUS$18–30
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a weekUS$10–25
  • Budget bedCampground or state-forest site, a night, per personUS$20
  • Mid-range bedBog-road cabin or rented room, a night, per roomUS$150
  • High-end bedBog-road cabin or rented room, a night, per roomUS$260

A day, not counting the bed: Budget US$70 · Mid US$130 · High US$220

Prices in local money; change the currency in the header to see yours next to them. Every price and the budget calculator →

DecideWhat it is known for, and when the weather works

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Sax-Zim Bog birdingMueller's and Abramson's feeding stationsWinter owls and boreal birdsATV and snowmobile trails
Airports
DLH Duluth International (About 1 h by car via US 53 and County 133; the closest airport with scheduled service.) · MSP Minneapolis-St. Paul International (About 3 h by car; the usual arrival point for a Minnesota loop.)

Best months at a glance

From the guide's best and avoid lists

  1. Jan

    Best

    −7°C (19°F)

  2. Feb

    Best

    −4°C (25°F)

  3. Mar

    Best

    3°C (37°F)

  4. Apr

    Avoid

    11°C (52°F)

  5. May

    Avoid

    18°C (64°F)

  6. Jun

    Best

    23°C (73°F)

  7. Jul

    Care

    26°C (79°F)

  8. Aug

    Care

    25°C (77°F)

  9. Sep

    not flagged

    19°C (66°F)

  10. Oct

    not flagged

    11°C (52°F)

  11. Nov

    not flagged

    2°C (36°F)

  12. Dec

    Best

    −5°C (23°F)

Best: Jun, Dec–Mar. Mixed: Jul–Aug. Avoid: Apr–May. Month by month →

Warmest Jul (26°C (79°F)), coolest Jan (−18°C (0°F) low), wettest Jun (12 rain days), driest Feb (7). Averages, not a forecast.

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Meadowlands: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

−7°C (19°F)

−18°C (0°F)

8 rd

Feb

−4°C (25°F)

−16°C (3°F)

7 rd

Mar

3°C (37°F)

−9°C (16°F)

8 rd

Apr

11°C (52°F)

−1°C (30°F)

9 rd

May

18°C (64°F)

5°C (41°F)

11 rd

Jun

23°C (73°F)

10°C (50°F)

12 rd

Jul

26°C (79°F)

13°C (55°F)

11 rd

Aug

25°C (77°F)

12°C (54°F)

10 rd

Sep

19°C (66°F)

7°C (45°F)

10 rd

Oct

11°C (52°F)

1°C (34°F)

9 rd

Nov

2°C (36°F)

−7°C (19°F)

8 rd

Dec

−5°C (23°F)

−15°C (5°F)

9 rd

High / low, both scales · rd = rain days

Arrive & moveAirports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

A car is the only realistic option: roads are paved and gravel, the terrain is flat, and there is no local transit beyond the Arrowhead Transit route. Winter tyres or four-wheel drive matter after heavy snow or a freeze. Fill the tank before you leave Duluth or Virginia.

See & doDay-trips, door to door

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Sax-Zim Bog feeding stations

go

Door to door: 10–30 min from the village

Drive the bog roads from Meadowlands; Mueller's and Abramson's stations are minutes away

Go at first light in winter; the stations are the reliable birding stop.

Duluth

go

Door to door: About 1 h

US 53 south, then County 133 east

The nearest full-service town: food, beds, hospitals, Lake Superior.

Virginia and the Iron Range

go

Door to door: About 1 h

County 133 east to US 53 north

Mining-land towns, motels and a fuel stop before a bog morning.

Boundary Waters Canoe Area

overnight

Door to door: 2–2.5 h

US 53 north to Ely, then an outfitter

Permit country: plan a night, not a day return.

Eat & sleepWhich area to sleep in

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Meadowlands village

No hotel or motel in the village. Lodging is rented cabins and rooms on the surrounding bog roads; book ahead in winter.

Duluth

About 1 h east. Full range of hotels; the practical base if you want a bed and a restaurant.

Virginia and the Iron Range

About 1 h north via US 53. Motels and chain hotels; handy for an early bog start.

PracticalWhat a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
US$60–100 excl. bed
Mid
US$100–170 excl. bed
High
US$170+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Bog-road cabin or rented room1 × 1 night × US$150US$150
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × US$130US$260
Rental car, one day1 × US$70US$70
Fuel, Duluth round trip1 × US$30 · checkUS$30
eSIM, about a week of data2 × US$15US$30
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeUS$54
Trip total≈ US$297 per person per day, bed includedUS$594

check availability; winter weekends book out

2026 estimate in US dollars; there is no hotel in the village, so the bed line assumes a cabin or a Duluth motel. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee or a diner breakfastUS$4–12
Burger and a beer at the village bar and grillUS$18–30
Gallon of fuelcheckUS$3.00–3.60
Campground night, state forestcheckUS$15–30
eSIM or data SIM, about a weekUS$10–25

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Very low crime; the risks are cold, distance and isolation. No clinic in the village, patchy phone signal, and Duluth hospitals about an hour away — carry water, a blanket and a charged phone in winter.
  • No hospital or clinic in Meadowlands; the nearest hospitals are in Duluth, about 1 h away.
  • Cell coverage is patchy on the bog roads: download offline maps before you turn off US 53.
  • Winter cold is the real hazard: −20 °C (−4 °F) mornings are normal, and help is an hour away.
  • Gravel roads turn soft and rutted in spring thaw; do not take a low-clearance car far in.
  • Hunting seasons in autumn: wear high-visibility orange if you walk the bog trails.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
911
Poison control (US)
1-800-222-1222

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

MeadowlandsMeadowlands

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

Meadowlands, MN 55765To this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance911
  • Poison control (US)1-800-222-1222

Embassy

No consulates in the village; nearest are in Minneapolis-St. Paul (check).

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Duluth → Meadowlands by car: about 1 h, roughly US$5–8 of fuel (check)
  • Arrowhead Transit bus, Virginia route: check the current schedule and fare
  • Rental car, one day: US$45–110 plus fuel (check)

Say or show

  • Duluth, about an hour away — Where is the nearest hospital?
  • Ask before a winter bog morning — Is the road plowed?

No clinic, no hotel and one bar and grill in the village: carry what you need.

Deep diveWhat this guide covers so far, and its sources

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Meadowlands. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Dec–Mar for winter birds; Jun–Aug for green bog and wildflowers · avoid Apr–May mud season (soft gravel, few birds); Jul–Aug mosquitoes and deer flies · month by month →
  2. 2 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for DLH and MSP: last sensible drive times, winter road risk, Duluth overnight rung.
  2. Bog-day fixture: sunrise arrival, feeding-station stops, warm-up and food anchor in Duluth or Virginia.
  3. Place pages for the Sax-Zim Bog feeding stations and the village bar with verified winter hours.
  4. Winter and hostile-weather fixtures so cold-weather gates can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to United States

Sources