Discover Duluth Redux: Lester Park, Vol. I-III

Originally published Nov. 9, 2008, on DuluthBudgeteer.com.

When in need, Lester Park is a friend indeed.

If you have family visiting from out of town and are having trouble deciding how to best showcase Duluth’s natural beauty, the park (in the eastern neighborhood of the same name) is the best all-encompassing recreation area I can think of.

It caters to all levels of nature enthusiast, with routes through the neighboring wilderness ranging from impartial — highlights for this crowd include playing fields and a playground that’s respectable for the park’s size — to a mile-and-a-half worth of simple hikes.

Lester is also somewhat of a “gateway park,” as it sports 12 kilometers of cross country ski trails, four miles of trails for bikers and snowmobilers and a little more than four miles of trails for horseback enthusiasts.

From the park proper, located near the intersection of Lester River Road and East Superior Street, you can also venture north up to Seven Bridges Road and, even further up the hill, Amity Creek and Hawks Ridge. Or, you can follow South 61st Avenue East down a few blocks to Lake Superior, which is required viewing for any visitor — no matter how many times they’ve been to the Zenith City before.

Lester Park is also an interesting research subject for history buffs, as it once housed a double-decker bridge and an amusement park.

“Discover Duluth” is an ongoing photo essay series that highlights points of interest in and around the region. For more photos from this set, click on the accompanying photo galleries.