I had been walking steadily uphill when I landed at a lookout over the kind of marshy pond favored by moose. I sat down, ate trail mix and waited. I contented myself with a jittery deer and songbirds; no moose showed.
That didn't matter. My day hike on the Superior Hiking Trail had ample rewards: fresh air, steady exercise and expansive views of Lake Superior between white spruce.
The Superior Hiking Trail may be the best known of the region's long-distance footpaths, but there are others, too, that cut through prairie, climb hills, cross raging waterfalls and allow hikers to explore for two hours or two weeks. Good news for ambitious hikers: All of these trails may one day be part of the planned North Country Trail, a 4,600-mile walking path stretching from North Dakota to New York.
These paths could be considered a warmup.

Stretching 205 miles from Two Harbors, Minn., to the Canadian border, the Superior Hiking Trail runs parallel to Lake Superior's shore, and many spots offer stunning views of the water. Frequent trail markers, sturdy bridges over rivers and easy access from the well-traversed Hwy. 61 on Lake Superior's North Shore make hiking carefree, if not pain-free. The Superior Hiking Trail Association, which helps maintain the trail, plans to extend the path as far south as Duluth, where already nearly 40 miles of the trail have been completed. More than 80 back-country campsites await campers; a lodge-to-lodge hiking program is also available. No fees, reservations or permits are required for backpacking.

The 65-mile trail cuts across the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northeast Minnesota, following the border with Canada. It was built in the 1970s by the Minnesota Rovers Outing Club (www.mnrovers.org) to connect the Superior Hiking Trail to the east with the Kekekabic Trail to the west. Despite the Rovers' work, trails are sometimes difficult to follow and rugged. This trail is best used by experienced hikers interested in a wilderness experience. On portions within the BWCA, day hikers need a self-issued permit, found at trail heads. Camping overnight requires a wilderness permit from the Forest Service (call 1-877-550-6777 or go to www.bwcaw.org).

Hikers encounter beaver dams, thickets of trees and stunning quietude on the 40-mile Kekekabic Trail, which runs from east of Ely, Minn., nearly to the Border Route Trail (a few miles along the Gunflint Trail separates the two). The route was built in the 1930s as an access trail for firefighters and forest managers. Much of the way is more primitive than the Border Route Trail, and following the path can be difficult. A wilderness permit is required for overnighters (see above).

The planned 1,000 miles of Wisconsin's Ice Age Trail, from Potawatoni State Park in Door County to Interstate State Park in St. Croix Falls, follow the far reaches of the area's most recent glacier, more than 10,000 years ago. The well-marked trail -- 600 miles is complete -- is designated a National Scenic Trail. The path crosses mixed forest, open prairie and marshland, but the most interesting features may be the quirks of geology brought on by the retreating glacier. Among them are kettles (deep depressions in rocks created when chunks of ice melted) and dells (gorges cut by melting water). The Pothole Trail at Interstate Park in St. Croix Falls offers a nearby taste of the trail. No permits required.