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Hiking in Duluth

The city sections of the Superior Hiking Trail are spectacular.

If Duluth wasn't already one of the best hiking cities in the nation, it definitely is now.

Creeks, ravines, bays and lakefront have given it spectacular terrain for the Congdon Park, Park Point and Western Waterfront trails (See Walking in Duluth).

Now, 45½ miles of the Superior Hiking Trail stretch from Jay Cooke State Park to the northeast end of Duluth, roughly following the same ridges and glacial beach terraces used by Skyline Parkway.

Along the way, the trail passes such landmarks as Ely's Peak, Spirit Mountain, Enger Tower and the Rose Garden.

"We never thought we'd be able to put a trail like that through the city of Duluth, but we did," says Gayle Coyer, director of the Superior Hiking Trail Association. "Duluth is so amazing. In so many areas, you're going to think you're in a remote forest on the North Shore."

At the grand opening of the westernmost section, which now starts from the visitors center in Jay Cooke State Park, I saw just how remarkable the trail is. Following blue blazes, we found ourselves high above ravines on a little ridge, just wide enough for a trail.

I wondered aloud how scouts could have found such a perfect place to put it, and it happened that maintenance supervisor Mark VanHornweder was hiking just behind me.

"It's easier if we wait until the leaves are down, and then we just kind of roam around," he said. "Sometimes, we're guided by maps; and sometimes, it's just dumb luck."

Thimbleberries, trilliums, buttercups and blue-bead lilies lined the wooded trail, which also passed old-growth pines and cut through glades of thigh-high ferns so dense it made the woods look like rain forest.

At Mission Creek, we crossed an old stone bridge and walked half a mile on Duluth's Mission Creek Trail, once part of a western boulevard that linked Grand Avenue and Skyline Parkway.

We crossed Sargent Creek on a brand-new wood trestle-style bridge, then climbed wooden steps lined with yellow lady's-slippers. Soon, we were back at the 123rd Avenue parking lot; a few yards away, bicyclists and in-line skaters whizzed by on the Willard Munger State Trail.

The trail becomes a little more difficult to the east, climbing Ely's Peak on its way to the Magney-Snively trailhead. Then, it passes through Spirit Mountain to Kingsbury Creek, where a spur heads downhill to a trailhead behind the Lake Superior Zoo,  across Grand Avenue from the Willard Munger Inn and the Willard Munger State Trail.

The eastern section of trail goes back and forth over Skyline Parkway (See Duluth's Skyline Parkway). From Skyline Parkway at Highland Street and Getchell Road, it has great overlooks and passes many rock outcroppings called knobs.

It goes through Enger Park and past Twin Ponds before descending to the Rose Garden and Lakewalk on Lake Superior.

From there, it climbs back up to Chester Creek and through the University of Minnesota-Duluth campus to Hartley Nature Center. It continues to Amity Creek and the Martin Road trailhead, with a 1¾-mile spur trail to Hawk Ridge.

"It's beautiful," says trail scout Bill Dryborough says. "You get all the lake views and all the harbor views; it's fantastic."

Trip Tips: Superior Hiking Trail in Duluth

Maps: Information on the Duluth segments of the Superior Hiking Trail is online, or pick up maps around town. The "Guide to the Superior Hiking Trail," $15.95, also includes maps of the Duluth sections.

Shuttles: For tips on self-shuttles and more about hiking the trail in Duluth, see Duluth's hiking heaven.

The SHTA offers occasional guided hikes where leaders organize a shuttle. 

The Willard Munger Inn, a hiker-friendly motel near the trail in West Duluth, provides complimentary shuttles to guests who want to go to any point on the Superior Hiking Trail within Duluth city limits (some parts of the trail between the inn and Jay Cooke State Park are in townships, however). It's $15 for shuttles to Jay Cooke. 800-982-2453.

What to bring: Water, snacks, sturdy boots and insect repellent. In spring and early summer, be sure to wear long pants and watch for ticks.

Tourism information: For more about  lodgings, dining and attractions, see Duluth 101 and other Duluth stories.

Last updated on August 22, 2011