Minnesota

Just an hour north of Duluth, Palisade Head is a go-to spot for artists, rock climbers and sight-seers in Northern Minnesota. The massive rock formation rises 932 feet above the North Shore of Lake Superior. The view from the top is both spectacular and spine-tingling. The cliff edge, which runs sou...

Hike the trails at Jay Cooke State Park in the autumn to see a stunning display of red, gold, and orange foliage colors lining the banks of the St. Louis river. Beginning at the River Inn Visitors Center at the park's headquarters, head over to the newly rebuilt swinging suspension bridge crossing t...

The Pike Island Loop, located in Fort Snelling State Park, is a beautiful urban hike that circles a lush island at the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers in the heart of the Twin Cities. In fact, Dakota leaders who inhabited this land considered the meeting of the rivers to be the ce...

From the Visitor Center Parking lot follow the Riverside Trail along the side of the lot and down the main road. You will go under the bridge and while walking next to the road you can see great views of Lake Alice. When you reach the bottom of the hill, turn right to walk alongside the lake. On the...

Great River Bluffs State Park follows a series of impressive bluffs along the Mississippi River just south of Winona. For those of you who think Minnesota is as flat as a pancake (and I'm not saying there aren't places in the state that are), Great River Bluffs will be a surprise. King's and Queen's...

Located within Tettegouche State Park, High Falls of the Baptism river is the highest waterfall entirely in Minnesota (High Falls of the Pigeon River is higher, but half of it lies on the Ontario border). The High Falls are one of the major highlights of Tettegouche State Park. Depending on where yo...

Getting there: From Duluth, follow Highway 61 until you reach mile marker 65 -- shortly after this you will turn left on Lake County Road 6. Continue for just over 2 miles and the trailhead parking lot will be on your right. There is a sign with mileage to nearby backpacking campsites if you want to...

Wild River State Park, located about 55 miles northeast of Minneapolis, is a fantastic getaway and caters to a wide-variety of visitors. If you have an afternoon and are looking for an easy hike through a variety of natural environments, take The River Trail north, then follow the Old Lodging Trail ...

To get to the trailhead coming from Grand Marais, drive northeast on highway 61 until you come to Grand Portage Village. Turn right onto Store Rd (73) and continue straight until you come to a T (Mile Creek Rd/17). Turn left and continue straight on Upper Rd until you come to a small parking lot on ...

An easy hour along the North Shore Scenic Byway from Duluth, Tettagouche State Park is a rugged, 10,000 acre park on Lake Superior. Although the interior of the park offers miles of trails to waterfalls and mountain tops, the best way to see the coast is to take the easy hike to Shovel Point. Begin ...

Barn Bluff in Red Wing, Minn., is an enjoyable and easily-accessible hike. Even at a slow pace, it takes just 30-45 minutes to reach the peak. There is ample parking on 5th Street near the Barn Bluff sign. Take the stairs to the trail head. From there, you'll have a few trail options: 1) South Trail...

Getting to the trailhead: From Hwy. 61, turn left onto Hwy. 1 (at milepost 59.3) and travel 0.8 miles to the Superior Hiking Trail (SHT) parking lot on the left side of the road (very easy to miss!). The Hike: Once you get to the parking lot, cross Hwy. 1 and walk up the road to meet the SHT that co...

Gooseberry Falls State Park is the first State Park you hit traveling up the North Shore after leaving Duluth. Located 13 miles north of Two Harbors on Highway 61, Gooseberry Falls State Park a quick turn off of the highway which is very well marked with signs. Follow signs for Falls parking. You ca...

Caribou Falls is a true hidden gem located along the Superior Hiking trail on Minnesota's North Shore. To access the falls, begin at the Caribou Falls State Wayside rest, off of Highway 61 just north of Little Marais. The trailhead is marked on the Superior Hiking Trail sign in the parking lot. The ...

Glacial Lakes State Park is located on the easternmost border of the once immense prairie that covered much of the Great Plains. This prairie oasis gives visitors a taste of what traveling across the that treeless wilderness would have been like for American Indians and pioneers two hundred years ag...

This hike is very short and rewarding. It doesn't take longer than 15 minutes if you wanted to make it a quick pit stop before or after you hike Carlton Peak . From Hwy 61 just near Tofte, MN take Sawbill Trail. Go roughly 2.5 miles and the parking lot will be on your right. Once you are on the trai...