| NATIONAL PARKS QUICKLINKS |
Also on Backpacker.com
Related Topics
Backpacker Magazine – August 2012
Rip & Go: Superior Hiking Trail, Beaver Bay to Gooseberry Falls State Park, MN
Wander through maple-birch-pine forest with pace-slowing views of the world's largest freshwater lake.
Photo by Peter Blahut
-
Tags:
The Superior Hiking Trail stretches 286 miles from Duluth to Canada, following the state’s most beautiful lakeshore. But you don’t have to quit your job to see one of its finest chunks, this 16.5-mile section boasting tranquil forests, commanding ridgetop vistas, and an easy-plan shuttle.
2. (Mile 1.4) Cove Point spur: Drop your pack and climb 200 yards to big lake views from atop a basalt dome.
3. (2.6) Fault Line Ridge offers edge-to-edge views of the 300-foot-deep valley. Feast on trailside blueberries (July and August) as you descend.
4. (5.1) Pass Beaver Pond campsite. Keep going to better camping in less than two miles.
5. (6.7) Camp at Chapins Ridge in the shelter of 90-foot pines.
6. (8.9) Cross Split Rock Creek via a wooden bridge and continue on a grassy ski trail, short-cutting the main SHT (which meanders several miles inland).
7. (10.8) Rejoin the SHT at an idyllic grotto where soaring cedars surround a 20-foot waterfall.
8. (11.9) Score the trip’s best panoramas on Bread Loaf Ridge, an open, weather-beaten rim of rock with clear-day views of the Apostle Islands, 30 miles away.
9. (13.1) Descend past Blueberry Hill campsite and cross into an immense birch forest.
10. (15.1) Pass through a clearcut area (private property) and into Gooseberry Falls State Park.
11. (16.2) Cross a pedestrian bridge over 80-foot Middle and Lower Gooseberry Falls. Continue .3 mile to the visitor center. Bonus: The beach at the lower parking area offers easy access to a post-hike swim.
Trip Planner
Get there Shuttle car: From Duluth, head north 40 miles on MN 61 to Gooseberry Falls State Park. Trailhead: Continue north 12 miles to Beaver Bay, then go west .5 mile on Lax Lake Rd. to trailhead parking.
Shuttle Superior Shuttle (218-834-5511; superiorhikingshuttle.com)
Gear up Trailfitters, 600 E. Superior St., Duluth, MN; (218) 722-6776; trailfittersduluth.com
Contact (218) 834-2700; shta.org
BUY THE PRO MAP
Subscribe to Backpacker magazine
Sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter
Reader Rating:
-
Editors' Choice 2013
412 trail-tested products
Boost Your Apps
Add powerful tools and exclusive maps to your BACKPACKER apps through our partnership with Trimble Outdoors.
Carry the Best Maps
With BACKPACKER PRO Maps, get life-list destinations and local trips on adventure-ready waterproof myTopo paper.
FREE Rocky Mountain Trip Planner
Sign up for a free Rocky Mountain National Park trip planning kit from our sister site MyRockyMountainPark.com.
Get 2 FREE Trial Issues and 3 FREE GIFTS
Survival Skills 101 • Eat BetterThe Best Trails in America
YES! Please send me my FREE trial issues of Backpacker
and my 3 FREE downloadable booklets.
Free trial offer valid for US subscribers only.
Canadian subscriptions |
International subscriptions
and my 3 FREE downloadable booklets.
READERS COMMENTS
This is the hidden gem of my state... It is such a beautiful area with so few people. I continue to adventure here whenever I get the chance. The Cove Point Crossing just south of Beaver Bay has the best pizza ever. Be sure to visit Palisade Head a few miles north of Silver Bay as it has breath-taking views of the 300' sheer cliff.
I did a smaller section this spring. Castle Danger to Gooseberry falls state park. This is a beautiful area with great views,water falls, and change in landscape. I highly recommend this area. I don't think people expect to see what they do when visiting the Midwest. Glad to see some local hikes in Backpacker.
ADD A COMMENT