Live and Work in the Twin Ports

Campus from above with Lake Superior and fall colors

UMD and the Twin Ports of Duluth and Superior are great places to live and work. We share some resources to give you some idea about how we work, live, and play!

UMD and University of Minnesota resources

Make a difference in the community

  • UMD Office of Diversity and Inclusion

  • UMD Commission on Equity, Race, and Ethnicity: The Commission on Equity Race & Ethnicity (CERE) works to create an equitable campus community for people of all racial, ethnic, and intersecting identities through education and institutional change at UMD.

  • UMD Commission on Disabilities: The mission of the UMD Commission on Disabilities is to advocate for meaningful access and inclusiveness across campus for all people; to promote educational awareness of both visible and invisible disabilities, and to assure legal compliance with all regulations in the area of equity for individuals with disabilities.

  • UMD GLBTQAI Commission: The GLBTQAI Commission is committed to creating a safe, welcoming, and enriching climate for the UMD GLBTQAI community that enables GLBTQAI students, faculty, and staff to thrive intellectually, socially, and emotionally at the university and in surrounding communities.  We strive to accomplish this through education, advocacy, collaborative planning with other University and community groups, and outreach and support to members of the UMD GLBTQAI community.

  • UMD Employees of Color and American Indians: The Employees of Color and American Indians (EOCAI) association's mission is to foster a community of support and interdependence to assist members to navigate the university systems, so that members can thrive and, ultimately, be successful at UMD.  The association organizes mentoring programs and shares resources to support the professional development of its members, engages in campus diversity inclusion and equity activities, takes actions for racial and social justice issues, and works to promote infrastructure change to better serve its members. Contact: [email protected]

  • UMD Commission for Women: The Commission for Women provides support to women employees with an emphasis on advocacy, development, and connection, to enrich the professional working and learning environments at UMD.

  • Swenson College Action Committee for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (AC-DEIJ)

  • University of Minnesota Office of Equity and Diversity

  • U of M affinity groups

  • Duluth NAACP

  • Twin Ports APIDA Collective (TPAC)

Practical Duluth information

Family related (e.g., child care, schools, camps)

Get involved in the community and fun activities

Outdoor Playground

  • Duluth Parks: Chester (waterfalls, playground, ski hill, hiking & biking trails, cross-country skiing trails), Lester (waterfalls, picnic area, playground, hiking & biking trails, cross-country skiing trails), Hartley (Nature center, programming, winter gear rental, hiking and biking trails, pond and forest), Congdon (waterfall, hiking trails, scenic walking bridges), Lincoln Park (playground, picnic area, trails)
  • Enger Tower - great views of Duluth, picnic area, hiking trails, rock garden and landscaped flower gardens
  • Rose Garden: beautiful garden on the edge of lake superior with views of lift bridge
  • Superior Hiking Trail: hiking trail through the city of Duluth and up the North Shore 
  • Rail Trails for biking/walking: William Munger Bike Trail (starting Duluth, MN, 70 mile paved trail ), Osaugie Trail (Superior, WI, 5 mile paved trail) and Tri-County Corridor Trail (starts in Superior, WI, gravel trail for bikes and ATVs)
  • St. Louis River Estuary National Water Trail
  • Cyclists of Gitchee Gumee Shores (COGGS): mountain biking trails throughout the city (Duluth Traverse); one of 6 Gold Level Ride Centers in the world
  • Day Tripper of Duluth: day trips around the city and up the shore (kayaking, hiking, biking, etc)
  • Bagley Nature Center Trail: can go hiking between teaching classes over at Bagley; it is so close to campus and makes UMD a rare gem of a campus where hiking/skiing are easily accessible.
  • Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory: great place to see migration of raptors and other birds, special events on Hawk week
  • Boundary Waters Canoe Area
  • State parks: Minnesota and Wisconsin
  • Learn to fly! Duluth Flying Club: either just starting out or needing to rent a plane for an afternoon flight, DFC has several programs for everyone
  • Join the Duluth Curling Club: learn to curl at the DCC, leagues and teams are available to all levels
  • Join Parks and Recreation for lots of outdoor activities
  • Duluth Cross Country Ski Club
  • Park Point beach: 7 miles of sandy beach in downtown Duluth, weather and wave conditions 
  • Wisconsin Point beach: nice sandy beach in Superior, WI
  • High ropes and zipline course in Silver Bay
  • Around 40 streams flow through Duluth into the St. Louis River or Lake Superior and a large fraction of the total stream run is greenspace/park.  Notably, most of these riparian areas also are wildlife corridors, so sighting of deer is nearly an everyday occurrence. Bears are spotted quite regularly.

Family activities

Music/Art

CSA and farmer’s markets

Restaurants, bars, etc.