Roadside Attraction: Tom’s Logging Camp Still Stops Travelers

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It calls to you from Highway 61 just like roadside attractions of days gone by. But Tom’s Logging Camp has plenty to offer travelers looking for a break or local families seeking an afternoon of entertainment.

Wooded trails lead from the horse barn to the blacksmith shop, the bunkhouse, cook shanty and Finnish sauna. Poke your head in and check out tools and equipment, like saws and ice cutters, from a bygone era.

A re-creation of a northern logging camp, Tom’s gives a snapshot of loggers’ rugged life in the early 20th century. It’s also a fun stop where antsy youngsters can burn off energy. Kids will get a big thrill out of the llamas, goats and chickens that run up to the fence in hopes of winning treats from wide-eyed visitors.

For 30 years, Lauren and Bill Weckman have owned Tom’s Logging Camp, 15 miles northeast of Duluth on Scenic North Shore Drive. They took it over from Lauren’s father, Bob Fisher, who acquired the business from namesake Tom Deebach.

Tom’s opened in 1956 and has seen upgrades over the years. The Weckmans added a café that serves soups, sandwiches and ice cream. Their gift shop will get your attention because of all the furs, traps, antique rifles and animal mountings, giving the feel of a rustic trading post. It’s where you pay the small fee to see the camp and museum, and shop for moccasins, cribbage boards, jewelry, maple syrup and other souvenirs.

A memorable part of the tour, for both kids and adults, is the “gravity house” near the sauna building. The floor feels slanted, leaving visitors a bit off-balance. Just try to walk straight. Then you see yourself stretched tall and thin or short and chubby in funhouse mirrors. Like everything here, it’s quite a hoot.       

Tom’s Logging Camp, 5797 North Shore Dr., Duluth. Open May 1 through last weekend of October. tomsloggingcamp.com, 218-525-4120.