What Wintergreen Dogsled Lodge does

Wintergreen Dogsled Lodge, founded in 1987 by polar explorer Paul Schurke and based in Ely, Minnesota, operates guided dogsled vacations from a lodge on White Iron Lake adjacent to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The company maintains the largest working kennel of pure-bred Canadian Inuit dogs in the United States (65 dogs), which it breeds and trains specifically for recreational use, and employs roughly a dozen certified dogsled guides. Its proprietary equipment includes extra-wide duo sleds allowing two guests to drive side-by-side and heavy-duty freighter sleds for camping expeditions.

The product portfolio spans day trips ($250–$400/person), three- to six-night lodge-based trips at Good/Better/Best tiers (accommodating 4–8 guests), beginner and advanced camping expeditions, and specialty offerings including a photography workshop hosted by National Geographic photographer Layne Kennedy, a Dogsled Yoga Adventure with instructor Rachel Leshaw, a CME-accredited program for medical professionals delivering 15 AMA/AAFP Category 1 credits, and parent-child bonding trips. Premium Arctic Adventures run internationally to Svalbard, Greenland, and Hudson Bay. Pricing is all-inclusive per person, with $100 discounts for returning guests and early summer registrants, youth and family tiered pricing, and a $100 deposit with balance due two months pre-trip.

Revenue is generated direct-to-consumer via toll-free phone, email, and an online booking system with no intermediaries. The company operates seasonally (December–March) with bookings filling by early fall. An associated sub-brand, Wintergreen Northern Wear (originally co-founded 1987, sold 2009, repurchased by the Schurkes in 2015), sells and rents branded cold-weather apparel and was featured at the White House "Made in America" showcase in 2018. Distribution is wholly domestic U.S. with ancillary international Arctic expeditions.

Name

Wintergreen Dogsled Lodge

Legal name

Wintergreen Dogsled Lodge

Website

https://dogsledding.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Wintergreen Dogsled Lodge operates guided dogsled vacations from Ely, Minnesota, using the largest U.S. working kennel of Canadian Inuit dogs, serving individual travelers, families, private groups, medical professionals, and photographers through seasonal all-inclusive lodge, camping, day, and specialty trips.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Adventure Tourism and Outdoor Recreation Services

NAICS

All Other Traveler Accommodation (721199), Skiing Facilities (71392)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Winter Adventure Experiences (Ski Touring, Snowshoeing, Dog Sledding) (THAJABAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Mountain & Wilderness Lodges (THAAAHAE)

Keywords

• Guided dogsled vacations
• Winter adventure tourism
• Wilderness dogsled trips
• Lodge-based dogsledding
• Dogsled camping excursions

Headquarters

HQ city

Ely

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Dogsled Trip Packages: All-inclusive package pricing including meals, lodging, guides, dogteams, outfitting, trail fees and taxes. Pricing tiers range from 3-night to 5-night trips with Good/Better/Best lodging options. Day trips also available at per-person rates.
2. Clothing and Equipment Rental: Rental of winter apparel including parkas, snow pants, boots, mittens, hats, socks and thermal wear. Average rental cost per guest approximately $75.
3. Wintergreen Northern Wear: Associated clothing company selling winter apparel. Guest discount pricing available. Company featured at White House 'Made in America' showcase.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Wintergreen Dogsled Lodge offers all-inclusive guided dogsled vacation experiences, including lodge-based trips, wilderness camping expeditions, and day trips, operated with a kennel of 65 Canadian Inuit sled dogs. Guests drive their own dog teams across Minnesota's Northwoods near the Boundary Waters, with lodging, meals, guides, equipment outfitting, and clothing rental bundled into package pricing. The company also operates specialty trips such as photography workshops, yoga retreats, CME programs for medical professionals, and parent-child bonding trips.

Product overview

Wintergreen Dogsled Lodge offers guided dogsled vacation experiences as the nation's oldest recreational dogsledding center (35+ years), featuring lodge-based vacations at three tiers (Good, Better, Best with 8/6/4 guests respectively), camping expeditions from beginner to advanced levels, and specialty trips including photography workshops, yoga adventures, CME programs for medical professionals, and parent-child bonding experiences. The company operates from Ely, Minnesota near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, maintaining a kennel of 65 Canadian Inuit dogs and providing all-inclusive packages with lodging, meals, guides, and equipment. Supporting services include clothing rental through Wintergreen Northern Wear and partnerships with nearby Timber Trail Lodge for accommodations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Wintergreen Northern Wear: A separate clothing company founded by Susan Schurke that designs and produces winter apparel. Originally founded in 1987 alongside the lodge, it was sold in 2009 and repurchased by the Schurkes in 2015. Located in Ely, MN with a store on Main Street.

Products and services

• 4-Night (Good) Lodge-Based Dogsled Vacation

Quantifiable outcome

• Guest satisfaction: 'Best Vacation Ever' ranking by guests
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Save The Boundary WatersminorOthersNon-profit organization working to protect the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness from proposed copper mining. Wintergreen helps support this cause they helped found. Located in Ely, MN.
• Wilderness InquiryminorOthersNon-profit adventure organization Paul Schurke co-founded in 1979 that provides Boundary Waters canoe trips for disabled persons. Wintergreen maintains close ties with this founding partner organization.
• Wintergreen Northern WearminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRelated family business producing winter outdoor apparel. Founded in 1987 by Paul and Susan Schurke. Located on Main Street in Ely, MN. Originally sold, then repurchased by Schurkes in 2015. Produces clothing specifically designed for dogsledding and winter recreation.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Sig's Husky Ranch: Long-established dogsled operation in Svalbard, Norway offering multi-day dogsled safaris with Greenland dogs; comparable as a guided dogsled vacation provider at a similar price point, though based in the Arctic and serving European/international guests rather than U.S. customers.
• Boundary Waters Outfitters: Ely, MN-based Boundary Waters outfitter offering canoe rentals, lodging, and guided trips into the BWCAW; serves the same Ely visitor base and competes for the same adventure-traveler wallet, though predominantly focused on summer paddling rather than dogsled/winter experiences.
• Ely Outfitting Company: Long-established Ely, MN outfitter providing Boundary Waters canoe trips, gear, and lodging; comparable as a regional Ely-based wilderness experience operator competing for the same tourist market, though with limited dogsled/winter programming.
• Spirit of the Wilderness Outfitter: Boundary Waters outfitting company based in Ely, MN providing canoe trips and lodging for the same Ely-based adventure traveler; comparable as a regional wilderness experience provider though focused on summer canoeing rather than winter dogsledding.

Direct peers

• Gunflint Lodge & Outfitters: Historic wilderness lodge on the Gunflint Trail in northeastern Minnesota, offering year-round cabins, dogsled trips, and guided Boundary Waters adventures — a direct competitor in the Minnesota dogsled/wilderness lodge segment with overlapping customer base and similar pricing tiers.
• Bearskin Lodge: Family-run wilderness lodge on the Gunflint Trail near Grand Marais, MN offering year-round outdoor experiences including cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and winter adventures in the Boundary Waters region — directly comparable as a Minnesota northwoods wilderness lodge targeting the same Upper Midwest adventure-traveler customer.
• Trapper's Cabin Lodge: Small winter-season wilderness lodge in northern Minnesota offering dogsled, snowmobile, and ice-fishing adventures; directly comparable as a small northwoods adventure lodge targeting similar Upper Midwest winter travelers with similar capacity constraints and seasonal operating model.

Broad incumbents

• Whiteface Lodge: Upscale all-suite resort in Lake Placid, NY offering year-round Adirondack adventure packages including dogsledding partnerships; broader luxury resort with year-round operations but comparable in targeting premium adventure-traveler guests with dogsled/winter components.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/wintergreendogsledlodge
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@wintergreendogsledlodge
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wintergreen-dogsled-lodge

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wintergreen Dogsled Lodge