Minnesota

This is a great 24 mile loop if you are last minute planning or are only doing a weekend kayak/canoe trip in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, MN. The starting point is at Moose Lake boat launch and parking lot, which is about a 30 minute drive north of Ely, MN on Co Hwy 18. You must obtain a permi...

Once you pull into the Visitor Center Parking Lot, drive down towards the Baptism River and park before crossing the river. The trailhead is just on the other side of the river.  The trail follows the river towards the falls with several small trails down to enjoy the river and rapids at differen...

Every Autumn, Superior National Forest in northern Minnesota designates some of it's best roads as official Fall Color Routes. These roads go deep into the forest, far from towns and cell phone reception to show off the best Minnesota has to offer. Peak season is short, only a week or two sometim...

Quick and easy parking right on the north side of the northern break wall. It could be a few hundred foot walk if you want to walk out the entirety of the break wall.  

If you want a quiet, secluded paddle, this may not be the adventure for you. The Cannon River is a very popular destination in the summer months for groups of canoers, kayakers and tubers. Drinking on the river is not discouraged.Book a reservation with Welch Mill. They provide shuttle service, l...

A trip to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area requires some planning ahead. First, you'll need acquire a permit/reservation via recreation.gov . Specify how many people are in your group, the number of watercraft you plan to use and how many days you'll be in the BWCA. You'll also need to select a gro...

Lake Kabetogama is located in Voyageurs National Park and is one of the main attractions for the park. We saw so many vehicles with boat trailers in every parking lot. There are houseboat campsites, lots of fishing, tour boats, rental canoes and kayaks. Since we don't own our own boats, we rente...

Cuyuna Lakes Recreation Area has put a lot of time, money and resources into building this amazing IMBA trail system. There are 5 different trail sections with varying degrees of difficulty and length. They boast "over 30 purpose-built routes to choose from" and "everyone from beginner to pro can...

Brewer park loop is located in West Duluth just above Skyline Parkway. The hike is a part of the Superior Hiking Trail that also has many mountain biking routes nearby and also intersecting the hiking route. The hike is well marked and easy to follow.  From 40th avenue West/Haines Road there's a...

The easy 2.4 mile hike follows the route of the Dakota Valley trail. Beginning at the swimming beach, located at the very bottom of the Redwood River Valley, the trail slowly climbs, winding its way through all of the different ecosystems the park has to offer. It summits at an overlook where you...

Cool off in the summer on Kadunce River Wayside Trail, a hike with small waterfalls that is accessible for the whole family. Follow the trail itself, or navigate down to the riverbed and wade your way upstream!

Big Wolf Lake is a relatively little lake in comparison to neighboring waters (Leech, Cass, or even Bemidji).  Start out at the access point on the southwestern part of the lake. The southern bay mostly consists of summer residences. If you paddle north, you'll cross a point that separates the la...

Cuyuna is widely known for its world class mountain biking. However, did you know it's also one of the best places to watch the sun rise and set. Not to mention it's so rarely frequented that only the locals use it as a campground. There are two different options when going to Cuyuna to watch a s...

Near the border of South Dakota in Minnesota, 30 minutes north of I-90 on County Route 23 or State Route 75 is the historic town of Pipestone. From the center of town heading north on Hiawatha Avenue is the entrance into Pipestone National Monument. Entrance into the monument is free, but may be ...

Begin your trip at the Seagull Lake boat launch at Trail's End Campground. The campground, located in Superior National Forest at the very end of the Gunflint Trail, is an hour and half drive from the nearest town of Grand Marais and is a great place to stay the night before. There are no motors ...

This trail starts either in the parking lot near the Ash River Visitor Center, or from the Kabetogama Lake overlook. We started from the Visitor Center since we were already there for a ranger program. The begins with some uphill but soon levels out and is mostly just a rolling trail that winds ...