Lude

Minnesota's ghost towns are lumber camps and Iron Range locations, most of them already half-digested by the north woods.

Lude was an unincorporated community in Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota, United States. The community was located southeast of Long Point on Lude Road, now Lake of the Woods County Road 52. A post office operated in Lude—with Alexander Lude as postmaster—from 1904 to 1934; all traces of the building have been removed. The community of Birch Beach has replaced what used to be Lude.

The on-the-ground condition of Lude is unverified — it's listed here with unknown status. That could mean standing buildings, or an empty field. Go prepared for either, and consider sharing what you find so the record improves.

Nobody has confirmed the access situation, so treat any visit as reconnaissance: verify land ownership first, and be ready to admire from the road.

Here's the honest truth: access to Lude is unverified. We couldn't confirm whether the site sits on public land, private property, or something in between — so verify land ownership and local rules before visiting, and respect private property at all times. The mapped point for Lude is roughly 48.9522, -94.9319 — use it as a starting point and cross-reference a current topographic map before leaving pavement.

Ghost-town etiquette is simple: take only photographs. Removing artifacts is illegal on public lands and disrespectful everywhere else — and on federal land it can be a serious offense.