The following text is excerpted from the book Following the North Country Trail written by the North
Country Trail Association's former magazine editor Wes Boyd. The book is now out of print, but you may read the entire text on our web site.
Minnesota may not have the longest mileage of trail of the NCNST states, but it will have some of the finest and most memorable, especially if and when the Arrowhead reroute takes place.
The 1982 Comprehensive Plan for the North Country National Scenic Trail called for the trail to proceed west out of Jay Cooke State Park through the Savanna and Hill River State Forests, to the Chippewa National Forest. Nothing was ever done about this plan, due to extensive private landownership along the way, and the fact that much of the land that would have to be crossed is marshy -- it was once estimated that the route could require as many as 40 miles of bog bridges, an expensive and nearly impossible task.
By the late '80s, Minnesota interests in the NCTA could see that the Savanna Portage/Floodwood route was a non-starter, and started calling for the diversion of the NCNST several hundred miles out of the way onto the "Arrowhead" route (the north shore region is commonly called Minnesota's "Arrowhead"). A route through the Arrowhead Region using the Superior Hiking Trail, the Grand Portage, Border Route Trail, Kekekabic Trail, and what was then the Mesabi Range Trail was proposed. This relocation could add 400 miles to the trail route, but would take the route of the North Country Trail into territory that is superlative "North Country".
Ironically, before the North Country Trail was authorized, an early draft of proposed NCT routes across eastern Minnesota called for the route to proceed northeastward to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW), then eastward to the Lake Superior shoreline, then southwestward to the Duluth area and Jay Cooke State Park. This plan was rejected in 1976, because there was little existing trail along the way.
But, things changed after 1982. First, the Kekekabic Trail, a former trail in the BWCAW, had been dropped from the Superior National Forest management plan until the maintenance of the trail was taken over by theKekekabic Trail Club, formed in 1989. Then, the Minnesota Rovers, an outing group affiliated with the University of Minnesota, built the Border Route trail east from the Kekekabic Trail through the BWCAW to Grand Portage, on roughly the alignment proposed in 1976 for the NCNST. Finally, at about the same time, the Superior Hiking Trail Association was formed, to develop a quality hiking trail down Minnesota's "north shore" of Lake Superior. Development went forward rapidly, and the Superior Hiking Trail (SHT) quickly became a going concern. So, independent of the NCT Comprehensive Plan, about two-thirds of the 1976 proposed route became a reality, a route perceived in many ways to be better than the Savanna Portage/Floodwood route selected for the NCNST.
The Arrowhead is a huge deviation from the 1982 Comprehensive Plan -- the largest relocation ever considered for a national scenic trail. While smaller deviations from the plan -- both on the NCNST and elsewhere -- have routinely been approved by the Park Service, this one was just too big to swallow without further guidance, and NPS officials wanted to be sure that they were on firm ground prior to proceeding. In 1997, it was decided that an amendment to the Comprehensive Plan for the North Country Trail would have to be written and approved. This plan is in currently in preparation by the Madison office of the National Park Service.
The Arrowhead Route would begin at Jay Cooke State Park, where the NPS Northwest Wisconsin Plan ends. The park
is the first of several great state parks in Minnesota the NCNST passes through, and is one of the older ones,
established in 1915. The water-eroded gorge, steep valleys and massive rock formations are seen thoughout the park.
The rock formations along the St. Louis River are especially unique. Located on the old portage between the St.
Louis and Mississippi River Basin, the Grand Portage Trail in the park has been used for over 300 years. For information,
contact Jay Cooke State Park, Carleton MN 55718.
Getting to Duluth
may involve a rail trail that runs northeast from Jay Cooke State Park - the Willard Munger Trail. As it is open
to snowmobiles, it probably won't be the ultimate route of the NCNST; it's more likely the trail might follow the
Western Waterfront Trail to Jay Cooke State Park, but that trail is currently only open to New Duluth -- this is
one of those things that NPS planning will have to answer.
At one time, the fly in the Arrowhead Route ointment was seen as getting through or around Duluth. But, things changed when it was realized how highly trail-oriented the city is -- it appears there may be several opportunities to pass through the city. Though not all the trail may be instantly certifiable, there will be off-road trail clear through the city, except for a two-mile gap, and that sidewalked. This came about as a combination of a number of things: first, the development of the "Lakewalk", a popular urban trail right on the Lake Superior shoreline, leading to the heart of downtown, and set to be extended northeastward; a move by the Duluth City Council to extend a rail trail southwest to the trailhead for the Willard Munger Trail and Western Waterfront Trail. For information on the Munger Trail and the many state parks, contact Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Information Center, Box 40, 500 Lafayette Center, St. Paul MN 55146 (612) 296-6699.
Duluth is perhaps best known as a port, shipping iron ore from Minnesota and wheat from the great plains all over the world. But, it's also a north country town, although a rather cosmopolitan one, and oriented toward outdoor recreation. There is a wide array of sightseeing opportunities near the trail, including the William A. Irvin, a museum ship, the Marine Museum at Canal Park, a scenic railroad, Glensheen Mansion tours, Duluth Omnimax Theater, and much besides. For information, Duluth Convention and Visitor's Bureau, 800-438-5884 can fill in most needs.
From the north of Duluth, the NCNST potentially follows what will be one of the real jewels of the trail: the Superior Hiking Trail (SHT). The SHT is indeed well-named; in every respect, it's a superior trail. Iit's become a model of how things should be done in hiking trail development, and how a trail should be managed. With the first trail cleared in 1987, ten years later off-road trail extended over 200 of the projected 240 miles through the rugged, beautiful hills overlooking Lake Superior on Minnesota's scenic "North Shore."
The trail is generally a
few miles inland from the Superior shore, but occasionally comes out to it. It includes long, isolated river walks,
many waterfalls as the short, steep streams descend quickly from the highlands, distant views of the big lake,
historic lighthouses, rugged gorges, and stands of dense timber, passing through or near seven very good state
parks along the way. Over 40 bridges span the streams. Some spots are steep, requiring a little scrambling in order
to follow the trail. The SHT goes through several state parks, and is noted for the number of waterfalls on the
short, steep rivers leading down to Lake Superior. Grand Marais and Two Harbors are the only two towns of any real
size along the route.
The SHT is a volunteer project, coordinated by the Superior Hiking Trail Association (SHTA), with a small paid staff in a basement office in Two Harbors, MN. SHTA is continuing to push ahead with the development of the trail, which now is reaching toward Duluth from the Two Harbors area; a couple of roadwalk gaps remain along the trail to the north of Two Harbors, but work is proceeding to fill those in.
One of the items that has allowed the SHT to develop a high degree of public awareness is its location; US61 parallels the trail, usually a few miles away, for virtually its whole distance, with many developed trailheads and trailhead parking areas. This has caused a degree of use that has allowed the development of a service nearly unique along the trail: a regular private shuttle service. The Superior Shuttle is a van that makes the round trip from Castle Danger, north of Two Harbors, to Grand Marais and back on a strict schedule every Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday from late May through late October. For more information, contact (218) 834-5511. Also, a lodge-to-lodge hiking program has been developed, although it's not possible to lodge-to-lodge the whole trail, at least yet. For more information, contact Boundary Country Trekking at (218) 388-9972.
Another standout item about the SHT is the quality of its maps and guide, "Guide to the Superior Hiking Trail". It's available from the Superior Hiking Trail Association, PO Box 4, 731 7th Ave., Two Harbors, MN (218) 834-2700. The cost is $14.95. The SHTA also has a set of four pocket-sized folding maps of the trail, at the same scale of the maps in the Guide to the Superior Hiking Trail, printed on waterproof paper, and available at 50 cents each; these too come highly recommended.
At Hoveland, northeast of Grand Marais, the SHT turns inland, and heads northward to a connection with the Border Route Trail. It was the original intent of the Superior Hiking Trail to connect with the Border Route and the Grand Portage Trail at Grand Portage, but permission problems forced the connection at this point, outside the Grand Portage reservation. The route taken is not a compromise, and has scenic value of its own.
If the north country reaches its epitome in the lower 48 states, it's in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) of northern Minnesota. Wild, rugged, dotted with lakes and craggy hills -- it just doesn't get any better than this. It's a land of rugged, forested hills, sweeping vistas of blue, green, autumn red and gold, and winter white, rocky headlands and crashing waves, cozy valleys and surging waterfalls. The Appalachian Trail may have its hundred-mile wilderness, but this will be the North Country Trail's hundred mile wilderness, wilder by far. The trail only crosses one road in the entire section, and passes the roadhead of another toward the end.
For the hiker, the wild aspect is increased by the fact that this is the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness; most recreational use of the area is by watercraft, and few hiking trails penetrate the backcountry. The Border Route and Kekekabic (Kek-uh-kab-ic) Trails will be one of the few places on the NCNST where permits are needed for entry. Permit reservations can also be made at (800) 745-3399. There is a $9.00 fee for the reservation. The permits are designed to control use on popular canoe routes, and getting a permit, at no charge, for using these trails is hardly ever a problem. These trails are wild, and while kept open, are not immaculately manicured park trails. They're rough, remote, challenging and some of the wildest and most primitive to be found on the NCNST route. Users should expect to have to use map and compass, search out faint or missing trail, bushwhack, and ford unbridged streams and wet areas.These trails aren't designed for casual day-hikes, and even accessing the trails can be a problem. What with everything, these trails aren't for beginners. Good map and compass and backcountry skills are necessary. Rather than USGS topographic maps, the use of the privately-developed McKenzie Maps, (McKenzie Products, 8479 S. Frye Road, Minong, WI 54859 (800)749-2113) is highly recommended.
It could be that the NCNST will use about 75 of the 95 miles of the Border Route. The Border Route was constructed in the late '70s by the Minnesota Rovers Outing Club with the cooperation of the US Forest Service, the Minnesota DNR, and various volunteer and private groups. Towering cliffs, the call of the loon, and views into Canada are common sights and sounds along this trail. From the junction with the SHT, the Border Route winds northwestward for a dozen miles until reaching the roadhead for the Arrowhead Trail, an auto road reaching southward to Hoveland. Once past the Arrowhead, the trail is in the BWCAW, and permits are needed. Permanent trail markers are not permitted in the BWCAW, so trail maintainers get by with blue flagging tape. The trail winds westward through lake-studded wilderness, eventually reaching the Long Portage between Rose and Rove Lakes; if the Arrowhead relo is realized, this likely will be the northernmost point of the NCNST. Many miles to the west, at the Crab Lake trail junction, a private land crossing problem forces a four-mile roadwalk on the Gunflint Trail, a highway that is the only major road to penetrate the Boundary Waters area, although for a buffer zone on either side of the Gunflint it's not officially wilderness area. The trail winds around west of Loon and Gunflint Lakes, eventually coming to a trailhead on Gunflint Trail. An excellent guide to the Border Route is believed to be out of print, but some information about the broder route and general information about the BWCAW is available from Superior National Forest, 8901 Grand Avenue Place, Duluth MN 55080-1102 (218) 626-4300.
Two hundred yards south of the Border Route trailhead is the trailhead for the Kekekabic Trail. The Kekekabic Trail Club recommends planning four to six days to hike the 38-mile Kek, so you know it's not an easy trail. It winds through lake country, passing several lakes, goes through several marshy areas, occasionally uses beaver dams to cross streams, and toward the eastern end passes some old mine shafts. Parts of the Kek are hilly and rocky; it passes through patches of old growth white pine. A high point is the gorge of the Agamok River, with several waterfalls. This river is crossed on a KTA-built footbridge. Camping is only permitted at prepared campsites, and the KTA has built several. For more information about the Kekekabic, and information on the club's excellent guide to the trail, contact the Kekekabic Trail Club, 1627 W. County Rd. B, Suite B, Roseville MN 55113 (800-818-HIKE)
The Kekekabic Trail comes to an end at Snowbank Lake, 21 miles east of Ely. At the moment, it's a roadwalk to Ely, but NPS officials are examining possibilities for an off-road route through the area.
Where trail exists, the route Arrowhead relocation is obvious, but a route from Ely to the Chippewa National Forest is still unresolved. The plan at this point is to develop a 5-mile wide "general corridor" for the trail in this area, similar to the 1982 plan, and identifying existing trail that might be worked into the process. It's anticipated that detailed planning would come later, possibly by the NPS as has recently been completed in northwest Wisconsin.
Currently, park service thinking has been aimed at a new route west from Ely through the Superior National Forest and George Washington State forest, running into the Chippewa National Forest north of Grand Rapids, then taking a new route south through the Chippewa to intersect with the existing trail there. East of the Chippewa National Forest there is fair coverage of state forest lands and a couple of interesting state parks, including McCarthy Beach State Park, which was once listed as one of the seventeen best beaches in America. This is a rather superficial early idea, and will be thoroughly investigated; that's something that will have to be done during the planning process. Any route proposed will try to stay on public land where possible, avoiding large areas of wetland, but much of the route is higher and drier than to the south, and extensive public lands exist.
For the long-distance hiker planning to get through the area before the new trail construction, possible routes exist on two separate snowmobile/recreation trails, rejected early on by NPS planners because they're open to snowmobiles. The Mesabi Trail, a rail-trail, runs from Ely through the towns of Hibbing and Virginia to Grand Rapids; there's also the Taconite Trail, a separate snowmobile/recreation trail between the same endpoints, but generally laying to the north. The Taconite can not be completely followed in summer due to marshlands, but the Minnesota DNR Taconite-Arrowhead Trail Office (406 Main Street, Box 388, Tower MN 55790, [218] 753-6256) can suggest detours on roads through these areas.
The "Arrowhead Route" rejoins the planned route in the Chippewa National Forest. Several wilderness campsites and one developed campsite are located along the trail, which is marked with the NCT marker and blazes. In addition, trailside camping is permitted. Surprisingly, in the Land of Lakes, there is a water access problem at points along this trail, and hikers sometimes must go long distances between good water access.
As of now, the trail begins on the obscure Forest Road 2303 at the Aitkin County Line; trail users will need a map from the National Forest Service to find the trailhead. One notable area along the trail is the Shingobee Recreation Area, near the end of the section, with some nice overlooks. For more information, users should contact Chippewa National Forest, Route 3, Box 244, Cass Lake, MN 55663. The North Country Trail Store stocks "The North Country Trail -- Chippewa National Forest", by Rod MacRae. Written by an experienced Chippewa National Forest backpacker, it is intended to accompany the excellent U.S. Forest Service map. "Certified Sections of the North Country Trail" also has a segment on the Chippewa National Forest, available from the North Country Trail Store for $3.50.
Through hikers will have to use maps for Hubbard County to get across the next stretch, to Lake Itasca State Park. However, NCTA Headwaters Chapter is presently developing a route across the Paul Bunyan State Forest that would connect the two.No date for opening any section of this trail has been set. Potential hikers, or potential trail workers, should contact the North Country Trail Association.
Itasca State Park, containing
the headwaters of the Mississippi River, is a highlight of a trip on the NCT through Minnesota, and hikers on the
NCT may wish to make a side trip to the headwaters monument. The NCT utilizes about ten miles of the park's extensive
system of more than 60 miles of hiking, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling and bicycle trails. A major portion
of the park is maintained as "backcountry" and many miles of trail and two walk-in campgrounds are located
in this section. There are also two primitive group camps, two modern campgrounds, a lodge, and cabins located
within the park. For information, contact Manager, Itasca State Park, Lake Itasca, MN 55640.
Development of a new trail on private lands west of Lake Itasca is under way. The Bad Medicine Trail is sponsored by the Bad Medicine Lake Association, a group of homeowners and resorters, and utilizes a network of abandoned logging rail grades, extending at the west side of Itasca park and proceeding in a westerly direction toward Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge. Among the first of the new NCTA map series will be this segment, so contact the North Country Trail Store for details.
It is hoped that the NCT will utilize about 12 miles of the 50 miles of trails and backwoods service roads in the Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge. Hikers wishing to use the Tamarac segments must obtain a permit from the manager, but access has recently been restricted in the northern two-thirds of the refuge, and alternate routes on surrounding county lands have been considered. For information about the refuge and permission to enter the back country, contact Refuge Manager, Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge, Rochert, MN 56578.
In the area around Tamarac, the pattern of land ownership begins to shift to private ownership, and the NCNST now generally returns to roads, for the first time since the Grand Rapids, Michigan area, about 1700 miles away. Good, moderate use county roads extend southwest to Maplewood State Park, near Pelican Rapids.
Approximately four miles of existing hiking, cross-country skiing and horseback riding trails serve as a portion of the usable route of the NCT in Maplewood State Park. The park is noted for its scenic tree-covered hills and small clear lakes nest led in deep valleys. A total of about 35 miles of trails provide access to the various features of the park, including two modern campgrounds and a primitive group camp site. For information and a map of the trail system, contact Park Manager, Maplewood State Park, Rt. 3, Box 281, Pelican Rapids, MN 56572.
The final route south and west from Maplewood to the North Dakota state line is uncertain, but the long-distance hiker will not put many miles behind him after leaving Maplewood State Park before they abruptly leave the heavy forest country behind for good, and enter a new phase of the North Country Trail, one that is mostly yet to be realized, that of a hiking trail across the great plains.
For more on the Trail in Minnesota, try these choices:
| Slide Show | A visual tour of the trail in Minnesota |
| Trail Condition Reports | Up-to-date news on any trail problems in the state |
| Star of the North Chapter | A local club of the NCTA working to build, protect and promote the Trail in Minnesota |
| Itasca Moraine Chapter | A local club of the NCTA working to build, protect and promote the Trail in Minnesota through the Paul Bunyan State Forest and west of Itasca State Park to the Bad Medicine Headquarters |
| Kekekabic Trail Club | A great source for information on the Kekekabic Trail, as well as hiking in the Boundary Waters in general |
| Superior Hiking Trail Association | An independent nonprofit organization that supports and promotes the Superior Hiking Trail, following the north shore of Lake Superior |
For information on a different state, click on the map below:
