Superior Hiking Trail
| Superior Hiking Trail | |
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| A sign at a Superior Hiking Trail trailhead near Finland, Minnesota | |
| Length | 275 mi; 442 km |
| Location | Cook / Lake / St. Louis counties, Minnesota, USA |
| Trailheads | Near Jay Cooke State Park ; Canadian-U.S. Border near Lake Superior |
| Use | Hiking |
| Highest point | 1829 ft above sea level |
| Lowest point | Lake Superior, 602 ft above sea level |
| Trail difficulty | Moderate |
| Season | Late Spring to Early Fall |
| Sights | Lake Superior, Iron Range, State Parks |
| Hazards | Severe Weather, Black Bears, Lyme Disease |
The Superior Hiking Trail, also known as The “SHT,” is a 275-mile (442-km) long footpath in Northeastern Minnesota, which for most of its length follows the ridgeline overlooking Lake Superior. The path is 18-inches wide and is set in the middle of a 4 foot clearing. The footpath travels through forests of birch, aspen, pine, fir, and cedar. Hikers enjoy views of boreal forests, the Sawtooth Mountains, babbling brooks, rushing waterfalls, and abundant wildlife. The lowest point in the path is 602 feet above sea level and the highest point is 1,829 feet above sea level.[1] The footpath is intended for hiking only. Motorized vehicles, mountain bikes, and horses are not allowed on the trail.[2] Many people use the footpath for long distance hiking. Facilitating this purpose are 81 campsites spread throughout the northern section of the trail.
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[edit] History
Construction began for the Superior Hiking Trail in the mid-1980s, beginning in Duluth MN and extending 275 miles to the Canadian border. Inspiration for building the trail came from the Appalachian Trail, which crosses through Georgia all the way to Maine. The Superior Hiking Trail Association (SHTA) was formed in 1986 to manage the construction, planning, and day to day care of the trail. They received several grants from the state, three of which were from the Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources. This money helped jump start the construction of the trail for the first few years.[3] In 1987 the trail had an opening ceremony to celebrate the beginning of construction by having a log-cutting event which had many state government attendees and founders at Britton Peak. Three years later in August 1990, the trail had reached a half-way mark and had yet another celebration. This included a 140-mile hike for about a dozen brave hikers, which took a total of 12 days to complete. A 100 miles marathon known as the "Superior 100", along with several other races, is hosted annually at the Superior Hiking Trail.[4] It celebrated its first marathon in September 1991. In 1995 Paul Hlina, who was paralyzed from the waist down, hiked the entire trail on crutches and is now known as the first hiker to thru-hike the trail. He raised $16,000 in pledges for the Superior Hiking Trail Association, the non-profit organization which maintains the trail.[5] The trail has gained national recognition through several magazines and has many future plans to expand the trail.
[edit] Sections of the Trail
There are two primary sections to the SHTA.
The southern section of the trail comprises 39 miles starting in the city of Duluth with the trail head at Jay Cooke State Park. The trail extends to the northeast through the Spirit Mountain Recreation area, through Brewer Park, Enger Park, the Historic Downtown Area, Canal Park, the Lakewalk, and Hartley Nature Center,[6] before it ends at a trailhead located on Martin Road on the north side of the city.
The northern portion of the trail is 235 contiguous miles and begins north of Two Harbors at a trail head on Rossini Rd (though there is a segment heading six miles south from this point as of May 2010). From there, the trail extends to the northeast along Lake Superior through seven state parks, including Gooseberry Falls State Park, Split Rock Lighthouse and Tettegouche State Park. This section of the SHT passes near the towns of Lutsen and Grand Marais, and ends just before the Canada – United States border.
Work is in progress to tie the southern and northern sections together to create a continuous Superior Hiking Trail path. Other plans for extending the trail include connecting the northern section with the 65 mile long Border Route Trail which starts a short distance from the trail head on Otter Lake Road.[7] This would then connect to the 41 mile long Kekekabic Trail which would give hiker the ability to hike all the way through the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and end near Ely. There are also plans to lengthening the southern section by connecting with the North Country National Scenic Trail.[8]
[edit] The Superior Hiking Trail Association
The Superior Hiking Trail Association (SHTA) promotes and maintains the trail. It is a Minnesota based non-profit corporation with more than 3200 members. The association produces a quarterly newsletter called The Ridgeline for its members which contains noteworthy news of the trail, trail maintainer bios, and association financial information. The most visible activities of the SHTA are the popular organized hikes featuring leaders with interpretive skills, such as naturalists, geologists, photographers, and historians and ranging from day hikes to backpacking trips of several days' duration.
The trail was mostly built by crews of people that were hired from local towns or by the Minnesota Conservation Corps. Most of the trail is maintained by groups of volunteers, scout troups or other outdoor organizations. Some groups have chosen to take a section of the trail to do upkeep on, others participate in scheduled maintenance hikes. There is currently construction on a 5.1-mile section between Fox Farm Road/East Trailhead and Fox Farm Road/West Trailhead between Duluth and Two Harbors that is being done with volunteer labor.[9]
[edit] Accolades
In December, 2000, Backpacker Magazine named the Superior Hiking Trail the trail with the "Best Trail/Camp/Shelter conditions," the trail with the "Best Signage" in the country, and one of the most scenic trails in the nation.[10]
According to Andrew Skurka of National Geographic, Superior Hiking Trail is one of his ten favorite hikes in America [11]
In the May, 2005, Readers Digest listed Superior Hiking Trail as one of the "5 Best Hikes in America".[12]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Superior Hiking Trail Association: Guide to the Superior Hiking Trail, Page 1, Ridgeline Press, 2007.
- ^ Superior Hiking Trail Association: Guide to the Superior Hiking Trail, Page 1, Ridgeline Press, 2007.
- ^ Superior Hiking Trail Association: Guide to the Superior Hiking Trail, Page 10, Ridgeline Press, 2007.
- ^ http://www.superiortrailrace.com/
- ^ Superior Hiking Trail Association: Guide to the Superior Hiking Trail, Page 11, Ridgeline Press, 2007.
- ^ http://www.hartleynature.org/index.html
- ^ http://www.shta.org/Trail/TrailMaps/s085.php
- ^ http://www.northcountrytrail.org/explore/ex_mn/mn.htm
- ^ http://www.shta.org/Events/DuluthConstruction.php
- ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=9uIDAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PP1&lr&rview=1&pg=PA41#v=onepage&q&f=false
- ^ http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/hiking/best-trails-andrew-skurka-short.html#superior
- ^ http://www.rd.com/advice-and-know-how/5-best-hikes-in-america/article15045.html
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Superior Hiking Trail |
- Superior Hiking Trail Association
- Superior Hiking Trail from Minnesota Department of Tourism
- A Superior Hiking Trail Thru Hiker's Trail Journal and Itinerary
- Walking Guide To The Superior Hiking Trail, Trail Maps, and Trail GPS Paths
- Superior Hiking Trail Forums
Coordinates: 47°34′25″N 90°50′10″W / 47.57361°N 90.83611°W
