Recent Stories in Cook County
Check out our growing list of media mentions featuring Cook County communities and businesses. These stories have earned both regional and national media coverage on a wide variety of topics from wild outdoor places to our vast network of trails to stories about local entrepreneurs and issues impacting the visitor economy.
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- Midwest Living Magazine - "22 Magical Places to Ice-Skate This Winter—Including the Midwest’s Longest Ice Ribbons" by Ginger Crichton | January 4, 2026
- Minnesota Monthly - "The Midwest's 'Mountain' Escape" by Chris Pascone | January/February 2026
- Midwest Living Magazine - "Unplugged with Sauna Steams, Frozen Waterfalls, and Cozy Lodging in This Serene Minnesota Destination" by Julia Sayers Gokhale | January 7, 2026
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2025 Media Stories
- Duluth News Tribune - "Cook County A Growing Hub For Astrotourism" by Jay Gabler | December 4, 2025
- Minnesota Monthly - "Chill Out at Minnesota's Coolest Winter Celebrations" by Kate O'Neil | December 1, 2025
- MPR New - "Fireplaces of Minnesota: A roundup of the state's remaining public hearths" by Alex V. Cipolle | December 23, 2025
- Wideoyster - "Minnesota's Wild Road Along Lake Superior - North Shore Scenic Drive" by Hans (Johannes) Avontuur | November 2025
- Wideoyster - "Exploring Minnesota's Untamed North: Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness" by Hans (Johannes) Avontuur | November 2025
- Minnesota Monthly - "Experience North House Folk School" by Megan Padilla | November 2025
- MPR News - "Ojibwe artist George Morrison's family relishes his first solo exhibit at The Met" by Alex V. Cipolle and Melissa Olson | October 22, 2025
- WDIO - "Cook County gearing up for annual Moose Madness" with Linda Jurek and Murray the Moose | October 2025
- KBJR 6 - "Your Town: Grand Marais" a series of LIVE and prerecorded broadcasts in Grand Marais with WDIO News Team | September 12, 2025
- Dialed In "Road Trip Up The Gunflint Trail" by Tony Roach | September 12, 2025
- Eater - Twin Cities - "A Minnesota School Teaches Apocalypse-Proof Crafts & Cooking" by Nylah Iqbal Muhammad | August 25, 2025
- Charlie's Alpine Bistro Official Grand Opening - Star Tribune, WDIO | August 2025
- Minnesota Public Radio News - Morning Edition with Cathy Wurzer "Live from Grand Marais" | August 2025
- WDIO - Casting off for the 96th Fisherman's Picnic by Baihly Warfield | August 2025
- Star Tribune - "Gunflint Lodge, a classic Minnesota getaway, marks 100 years on the trail" by Simon Peter | August 2025
- Star Tribune "The 9 best attractions of the Gunflint Trail" by Lisa Meyers McClintick | August 2025
- WDIO - Canadian Traffic interview with Linda Jurek | July 2025
- Star Tribune - "Minnesota's wild blueberries are ripe for picking. Here is where to find them" by Lisa Meyers McClintick | July 2025
- Lake Superior Magazine - June/July Issue "You've Got Trail" by Bick Smith | July 2025
- Minnesota Monthly Ultimate Travel Guide 2025 - "Summer by the (Unsalted) Shore" by Emma Enebak | June 24,2025
- Star Tribune - "Northern Minnesota worried recent dip in Canadian visitors portends slow summer" by Christopher Vondracek and Christa Lawler | May 31, 2025
- Minnesota Conservation Volunteer - "Into the flow: With a host of new trails, the North Shore is another bright spot on the Minnesota" by Chris Pascone | May 2025
- National Geographic Traveller "10 Unforgettable Ways to Explore Minnesota" by Berit Thorkelson | April 15, 2025
- KSTP "Gunflint Lodge Nordic Skating" | February 25, 2025
- WDIO "Kenny's Winter Adventures: Gunflint Lodge nordic skating trails" by Kenny Johnson | February 21, 2025
- Midwest Living Magazine - "14 Spectacular Frozen Waterfalls in the Midwest" by Michelle Mastro | February 21, 2025
- WDIO - "How to Hygge in Cook County" by Baihly Warfield | January 30, 2025
2024 Media Stories
- Northern Wilds "Visit Cook County Cooks Up Creative Marketing" by Chris Pascone | December 23, 2024
- Minnesota Public Radio "New 100-kilometer ski race scheduled for northern Minnesota this winter" by Dan Kraker | December 15, 2024
- New York Times "In Search of Sauna Nirvana Around Lake Superior" by Stephanie Pearson | December 18, 2024
- Knoxville News Sentinel "Travel: Minnesota offers glimpse of Bob Dylan's origin, plus wild and wonderful North Shore" by Linda Lange and Steve Ahillen | December 14, 2024
- TB News Watch "NASA will be in Grand Marais for the 6th annual Dark Sky Festival" by Olivia Browning | December 2, 2024
- Echo-Online (German media outlet) "Minnesota - State of Unknown Possibilities" by Christina Kolb | July 21, 2024
- Business North "North Shore business married to destination weddings" by Melissa Cox | July 1, 2024
- AARP Magazine "The Back Roads Wanderer: Minnesota's North Shore" by Rachel Walker | July 25, 2024
- Forbes "5 Can't Miss Destinations Across Minnesota's North Shore" by Jared Ranahan | April 27, 2024
- Minnesota Public Radio "Network of entrepreneurs and creatives sustains local businesses in Grand Marais" by Cathy Wurzer and Ellen Finn | March 13, 2024
- Minnesota Monthly "How to spot the Northern Lights in Minnesota" by Megan Padilla | February 26, 2024
- Conde Naste Traveler "In Minnesota, the Thrill of Wild Ice Skating" by Cinnamon Janzer | February 29, 2024
- Star Tribune "After Lutsen Lodge, what is that state of classic lodges in Minnesota?" by Simon Peter Groebner, Rachel Hutton, and Erica Pearson | February 8, 2024
- Outside Magazine "Where to start wild ice skating in the United States" by Columbia | December 4, 2023
- KSTP TV "The economic impact of winter on the North Shore" with Chris and Megan | January 16, 2024
- Fox Business "Warmer winter weather creating headaches for businesses that rely on seasonal tourism" by Mills Hayes | January 5, 2024
- Minnesota Monthly "Night Lights" by Macy Harder | January 1, 2024 *features the Dark Sky Festival
- Wall Street Journal "The 10 Best Places to Visit in 2024" by Jacqueline Kehoe | January 5, 2024
2023 Media Stories
- Lavender Magazine "Your Go To Guide on What to do in Cook County this winter" | December 14, 2023
- Minnesota Public Radio "Fifth annual Dark Sky Festival highlights arts, traditions and threats to Cook County's darkest skies in the world" by Cathy Wurzer and Ellen Finn | December 5, 2023
- Midwest Living Magazine "The Spirit of Solitude" by Julia Sayers Gokhale | February 2023
- Chicago Tribune "6 Midwest Cities to visit in 2023" by Jaclyn Jermyn | January 5, 2023
- KSTP "Meg goes Up North" by Megan Newquist - a 7 day segment series | August 2023
- Fox9 "Spring weather creates icy spectacle at Grand Portage State Park" | April 19, 2023
- Forbes "10 Wildlife-Filled Resorts To Explore Across The Americas" by Jared Ranahan | November 21, 2023
- Fox 21 Duluth "Fox Along the North Shore in MN State Parks" by Ken Slama | June 2, 2023
- Marketplace.org & MPR News "In an ever-brighter world, tourists travel north for truly dark skies" by Dan Kraker | January 2, 2023
- MPR News "When conditions align, skaters seek out 'wild ice' on northern Minnesota lakes" by Dan Kraker | December 3, 2023
- MSP/ST.Paul Magazine "How to Hygge" by Julia Schiff | February 23, 2023
- Star Tribune "9 new Minnesota vacation rentals: Domes, 'tiny' cabins and glamping tents" by Lisa Meyers McClintick | June 2, 2023
- Star Tribune "Papa Charlie's will rebuild at Lutsen Mountains" by Christa Lawler | June 26, 2023
- Travel & Leisure Magazine "America's Best Small Towns of 2023" & "Grand Marais in Minnesota is America's Best Small Lake Town" by Jacqueline Kehoe | August 2023
- Travel & Leisure Magazine "Minnesota's North Shore Drive in Fall" | September 2023
2022 + earlier Media Stories (partial list)
- Minnesota Monthly's Ultimate Travel Guide 2022 "Leafing Large: Minnesota's Best Leaf-Peeping Spot" by Megan Padilla | January 2022
- MPR News "Staff-strapped Grand Marais businesses brace for a tourism boom" by Dan Kraker | April 5, 2022
- Star Tribune "These Minnesota cities are winning the fight against light pollution" by John Reinan | December 1, 2022
- Kare 11 " 'Sense of awe': Astrotourism takes off along the shores of Lake Superior" by Julie and Belinda | November 22, 2022
- Duluth News Tribune "Explore Autumn Offerings Along North Shore: Fall tourism plays a larger role in many small communities along Lake Superior's North Shore" | September 23, 2022
- Midwest Living "Get Crafting - for free - with North House Folk School's Online Classes" | April 7, 2020
- Twin Cities Business "A Hands-On Craft School Stays in Touch Online" by Gene Rebeck | April 27, 2020
- Milwaukee Journal "Grand Marais' Hygge Festival embraces winter coziness" by Brian E. Clark | January 10, 2020
- Red Lake Nation News "In Cook County, Minnesota, Businesses and Community Rally Together Amidst Crisis" | April 20, 2020
- Minnesota Monthly "There's New Room to Breathe in Grand Marais" by Reed Fischer | July 8, 2019
- Great Lakes Scuttlebutt "Autumn is Naturally Unforgettable in Cook County, MN" | September 3, 2018
- Business North "Younger Generation invests in North Shore resorts" by Kitty Mayo | July 24, 2017
- KSTP "Minnesota North Shore Hopes Dark Sky Will Attract New
Visitors" | November 15, 2017
Media Inquiries
Kjersti Vick Marketing & Public Relations Director
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