In the spirit of National Trails Day on Saturday, give these trails a try. Some are close, some are farther. Some are easy. Some are more challenging.
* Up high in Duluth: Try this segment of the Superior Hiking Trail in Hartley Park. This 1.7-mile piece of trail takes you past Hartley Pond and up to Hunter's Hill at an elevation of 1,365 feet and a view of Lake Superior. Park at Hartley Nature Center parking lot and look for SHT sign post at sidewalk leading to nature center. Follow trail to pond, cross a dam and follow main trail signs (blue) into woods. Follow signs, crossing other Hartley trails at times, until you emerge on Arrowhead Road. Retrace your steps to Hartley Parking lot for a 3.4-mile round trip hike. An excellent hike to do near sunrise or sunset.
For more information, go to www.shta.org .
* Pack the kids and the bikes: You can go as far as you want on the Willard Munger State Trail. The section from Duluth to Hinckley, 63 miles, is all paved, making it the longest paved trail in the world -- at least according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Web site. It's open for bicycling, inline skating and hiking this time of year. Try the 14-mile stretch from Duluth (access near 75th Avenue West and Grand Avenue) to Carlton.
* Take it easy: Looking for a gentle hike? Here's one suggested in "Gentle Hikes," by Ladona Tornabene, Melanie Morgan and Lisa Vogelsang. It's a 0.8-mile hike to an overlook of Tettegouche Lake in Tettegouche State Park near Silver Bay. Stop in at park headquarters on Minnesota Highway 61, about five miles northeast of Silver Bay, to pick up a daily or seasonal vehicle permit. Park officials will give you directions to the trailhead. It's up a service road, then a short distance over relatively level trail to the overlook. Doubling back puts total distance at 1.6 miles. Well worth the view of Tettegouche Lake and Lake Superior.
ADVERTISEMENT
* On the edge of the wilderness: Hiking the 5.9-mile loop trail around Bass Lake in Ely will give you a feel for the nearby Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Lots of nice overlooks and some beautiful pines. This trail is highlighted in Howard Fenton's book, "50 Circuit Hikes, A Stride-by-Stride Guide to Northeastern Minnesota." Drive east out of Ely on Minnesota Highway 169, then turn left onto County Highway 88. Follow that two miles to County Road 116 (Echo Trail), turn right and go three miles to the Bass Lake parking area on the right. For more information, go to www.fs.fed.us/r9/forests/superior .
* Ride the North Shore: The Gitchi-Gami State Trail is being completed in bits and pieces along the North Shore. When finished, it will be an 86-mile, nonmotorized trail from Two Harbors to Grand Marais. Several segments are complete. Load the bikes and drive to Twin Points Public Water Access (just northeast of Gooseberry Falls State Park) and bike the four miles to Split Rock State Park. Either shuttle another vehicle to Split Rock or ride back to Twin Points. For more information, go to www.ggta.org .
* Canada, eh? For some spectacular day hiking or backpacking, explore Sleeping Giant Provincial Park, about an hour beyond Thunder Bay on a peninsula reaching into Lake Superior. The park offers 40 miles of trails, an inland lake, car-camping and remarkable views of the big lake. For more information, go to www.ontar ioparks.com or call (888) 668-7275.
