Audubon Center Of The North Woods

Osprey Wilds Environmental Learning Center sits on a 780-acre campus along Grindstone Lake in Sandstone, Minnesota, 90 minutes from the Twin Cities. Founded in 1971 as the Audubon Center of the North Woods and rebranded in 2020, the center operates as an accredited nonprofit outdoor school and conference and retreat center surrounded by old-growth pine forest, wetlands, and restored native prairie. The campus hosts weddings, corporate retreats, private events, and conferences with lodging for more than 162 guests across modern dormitory facilities, lakeside lodges, and rustic cabins. In-house chefs prepare locally sourced, scratch-made meals for groups of up to 200. Event spaces include the Blandin Dining Hall — a 205-guest gathering space with lake and woodland views on three sides and a stone fireplace — and the Crosby Lounge, suited for groups of 30 to 80. Beyond the gathering itself, guests have access to nine miles of hiking trails, canoe rentals, a high ropes course, a climbing wall, archery, and fishing.