Cook County recently added 11 weigh stations along the Gunflint Trail.

Not for trucks, but for blueberries.

From July 22-Aug. 14, berry pickers can stop at one of one of the 11 official weigh stations located at Gunflint Trail businesses to enter their largest find in the sixth annual Biggest Blueberry Contest.

Blueberries will be measured by weight, and must be picked fresh and not store bought. Cash prizes will be awarded to the three biggest blueberries with $100 for first place, $50 for second place and $25 for third place. 

"Late July and early August is when blueberries in the Gunflint Trail area tend to peak," Visit Cook County Executive Director Linda Jurek said. "Our lodges, resorts and all local businesses are ready to host you as you hunt for the biggest blueberry."

Find information on Gunflint Trail and Cook County lodging here: https://www.visitcookcounty.com/lodging-location/gunflint-trail/ 

Wild blueberries are easy to identify, looking much like the grocery store variety, only smaller. The plants are woody shrubs, usually less than two feet tall and resemble miniature trees. They grow best in dry, well drained, rocky soil with good sun and are often found in recent burn areas. For more information on berry picking in Cook County, click here.

 About Visit Cook County 

Visit Cook County encompasses the northeastern Minnesota communities of Lutsen, Tofte, Schroeder, Grand Marais, the Gunflint Trail and Grand Portage, commonly referred to as “the Arrowhead” and the “North Shore of Lake Superior”.  Grand Marais, Minn., has earned several national accolades -- most recently it was named USA Today’s Best Midwestern Small Town, Outside Magazine’s The 16 Best Places to Live in the U.S. 2016, and Budget Travel’s 2015 Coolest Small Town in America. Rekindle your sense of adventure by exploring the Superior National Forest or paddling through the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Discover what makes the communities of Cook County, Minn. “Naturally Unforgettable.” Connect on social media using #donorthmn, Twitter @CookCoVisitors, Facebook, or Instagram @donorthmn. Learn more at www.visitcookcounty.com. 

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