Miles of forested trails meet stretches of sandy beach in Duluth, Minnesota, home to OWAA’s 2017 conference. Mark your calendars for June 24-26, 2017, when OWAA returns to Duluth, where it hosted conferences in 1969 and 1996.
Whether you prefer kicking back with a pale ale or kicking up dust on the Superior Hiking Trail, Duluth is a renowned destination for accommodating every kind of pace in a stunning natural setting.
There’s a reason Outside magazine named Duluth winner of its annual “Best Town Ever” contest in 2014, and the town has produced more than 150 Olympians. Situated on the shore of Lake Superior, the largest freshwater lake in the world, Duluth is a thriving community that values recreation, with almost 7,000 acres of parkland, 178 miles of wooded trails and 16 designated trout streams in the city limits.
Visitors and locals alike flock to the water. They fish on it, swim in it, admire the views of it, and, of course, drink beverages created from it. Perhaps more than any other city in Minnesota, Duluth has embraced the craft beer craze, with many of the state’s more than 100 breweries flourishing in the immediate area.
Nestled in North America’s midsection in the heart of the Upper Midwest, Duluth is home to the largest shipping port along the entire 2,400-mile Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway. Canal Park, adjacent to the Duluth Harbor, is a perfect spot to watch, and listen to, the massive cargo ships measuring more than three football fields in length.
But the adventure goes beyond the shores.
Mountain bikers know Duluth as home to some of the best maintained trails and beautiful scenery anywhere, designated as one of just six gold-level ride centers in the world by the International Mountain Biking Association. Pedal pumpers of all abilities descend in droves upon the expansive trail system that includes 45 miles of single track. The Duluth Traverse, 100 miles of purpose-built trails scheduled to be 80 percent complete by 2017, will be one of the largest urban mountain-bike trail systems in the world.
Duluth blends its natural features and burgeoning urban scene like few places in the world. Visitors can comfortably explore one of Duluth’s many art galleries, catch an entertaining show downtown in the emerging historic arts and theater district, indulge in the finest cuisine in the area, or listen to music on the waterfront.
The result is the perfect place to host OWAA’s conference. We hope to see you there.
For more information visit visitduluth.com. ♦
Destination Duluth
