Superior National Hiking Trail

Cascade Falls

      The Superior Hiking Trail runs along the northwest shoreline of Lake Superior in Minnesota.  Starting south of Duluth, MN the trail technically terminates at Otter Lake Road near the U.S. Canada border, but many people consider it a good idea to cut off the last 10-13 hike back down into Grand Portage, MN making the trail roughly 275-290 miles long.  Every section is well marked with signs and directions, and roughly every 10 miles there is a trail head with a parking lot, making the Superior Hiking Trail an awesome day hiking trail.  The trail also runs through 6 state parks making it very family oriented.
      Throughout the tail you see many gorgeous features of the north shore from magnificent waterfalls, to towering conifers.  Coming from an area with very few waterfalls, this is truly an amazing sight.  Many of the State Parks along the shoreline contain these waterfalls.  The waterfalls at Gooseberry and Cascade river were my favorite but nearly all of them are a "stop and take a few seconds to let it all in" kinda falls.  The geology of the Lake Superior basin is interesting.  There is not a whole lot of topsoil along the coast due to the glaciers that went through thousands of years ago and the rising and falling water levels of the lake the last few hundred years.  The exposed bedrock and glacial deposits are extremely prevalent.  When your not walking through old growth pine forests your on bare bedrock.  Due to walking on the rock often on angles a good pair of high or mid cut hiking boots with good insoles are recommended.  Also included on the trail is a short beach walk section between the Kadunce river and Judge Magney state park.  Skip it; unless you haven't seen a beach on the great lakes.  Walking in unpacked sand completely sucks and any experienced backpacker would want to avoid it at any cost.  Aside from that section of the trail almost every peak has a lookout over lake superior.  When your not near nature the trail still offers a few things.
      Whether your walking down the side of the road to avoid the beach walk or hanging out in Grand

Portage to catch a ride over to the island, the people and community keeps giving to the trail.  The trail itself is maintained like many of the trails in the U.S. by the people who live around it.  Near the terminus of the trail is the Grand Portage National Monument, that lies on the Grand Portage Indian Reservation.  A visitor attraction in itself, Its worth taking an hour or two and checking it out.  The interpreters are great, and you learn a lot of history surrounding the great lakes.  If history isn't your thing the Reservation boasts a casino, hotel, and restaurant, all of which I took advantage of during my thru-hike on the trail.  There are also a  few shuttle services that are offered along the trail.  The shuttles are great to use if you do want to go to the real terminus at Otter Lake or decide that you want to go into Grand Marais for a resupply.  Consider it a bonus if you pass through Lutsen during their annual folk music festival, as you can hear it a few miles up the hill at the campsites.

      The Superior Hiking Trail Association has a lot more information on the trail than I can give, but I would be more than happy to help you in planning a trip to the area, there is a lot more info I can give.  The pictures featured are of my last trip in 2011.  It was a good trip besides the fact that the one night we planned in Judge Magney State Park we had to skip due to a Minnesota government shutdown.  Avoid the mosquitoes and stay away from the bears, but most importantly get out there and stay active.
-Tattooed Adventure