Exploring North Shore on foot

The 211-mile Superior Hiking Trail provides Minnesota's best and biggest through-hiking challenge.

Star Tribune

Last update: December 4, 2007 - 2:13 PM

At 211 miles, Minnesota's Superior Hiking Trail doesn't have the length or following of the more famous Appalachian Trail, but its notices are growing.

Readers of Backpacker magazine put it in second place behind the Wonderland Trail in Washington state on a list of the nation's top hikes in 2000. The Appalachian Trail came in ninth.

Each year, about 50,000 people hike segments of the trail, which stretches from Two Harbors to the Canadian border along the shore of Lake Superior.

"The trail is still a work in progress -- one that we've been working on for 20 years this year," said Gayle Coyer, executive director of the Superior Hiking Trail Association. Coyer said the association is working to extend the trail by about 80 miles in the next three years, from Two Harbors through Duluth to Wisconsin.

Coyer said it was hard to know how many people attempt to through-hike the Superior each year, but she said the most common estimate is about 100.

Trail mix

The trail follows the contours of the Sawtooth Mountains that rise above Lake Superior. It crosses wetlands, maple and aspen groves and stands of white and red pine. Along high ridges and from hilltops that rise 1,000 feet above the lake, it affords stunning views of Lake Superior and forest valleys. The trail is well-marked and maintained, but big hills make it a challenge for even experienced hikers.

A taste of the trail

One of the most stunning (and most commonly used) segments starts at the mouth of the Temperance River and follows its rocky banks, passing deep chasms, waterfalls and whitewater rapids on its way to the massive, monolithic summit of Carlton Peak. The hike to Carlton Peak and back is about 6 miles.

Shuttle

For those who want to do one-way hikes, the Superior Shuttle provides pickups at the end of trail segments or dropoffs at trailheads (for a fee that varies according to the distance traveled). The shuttle service operates from mid-May to mid-October. For more information on the service, go to http://superior hikingshuttle.com or call proprietor Dan Sanders at 1-218-834-5511.

Lodge to lodge

Boundary Country Trekking organizes lodge-to-lodge hiking programs on the Superior Hiking Trail. A three-night program costs $295 per person and includes lodging, breakfasts, trail lunches, trail maps and a shuttle ride to each day's trailhead. (You leave your car at the end of that day's segment, so you can drive to the next resort or hotel.) More information: www.boundarycountry.com or call 1-800-322-8327.

More information

The Superior Hiking Trail Association organizes volunteer labor for trail building and maintenance and is the primary source for information on the trail. The association organizes guided hikes (on snowshoes in winter) and other activities. The group publishes the "Guide to the Superior Hiking Trail," which is available for $15.95. www.shta.org or 1-218-834-2700.

Chris Welsch • 612-673-7113 • By CHRIS WELSCH welsch@startribune.com

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