Day Trip Adventures:
Whatever the time of year or preferred mode of travel, Minnesota's North Shore and Superior National Forest offers anyone looking for a great day trip adventure a wide variety of trails, waterways, and lakes to explore. It is the best one stop, multi-sport, adventure playground that we know of. There are endless opportunities for paddling, biking, skiing, and hiking in the area and here are some of our favorites….
Biking
Mountain Biking
Some of the best mountain biking in the area can be found at Pincushion Mountain in Grand Marais. The trails are part of the cross country ski trail network and offer many different loops that vary in length and difficulty. The trails are fairly wide and have lots of ups and downs. The ride to Pincushion summit is a local favorite and a challenge that will reward you with an amazing view of the harbor, lake, and surrounding mountains. There is some excellent single track just behind the mountain and some new trails have recently been cut in along the main loop as well. There is a parking lot and trail access just a little ways up the Gunflint Trail, though many locals ride the almost 800 ft. climb from town on the snowmobile trail.
The Sugarbush Ski Trails here in Tofte are open for mountain biking and offer some enjoyable loops. Some single track trails are being planned for this area and it has the potential for some great riding.
Bike Path
Each year a little bit more of the Gitchi-Gami State Trail is completed and we are fortunate to have a beautiful section completed that connects Tofte and Schroeder. One of my favorite outings is to ride the trail from the town park here in Tofte down to Schroeder for doughnuts and coffee (or lunch) and then ride back through Temperance River State Park taking a break to search for agates at the beach.
The 14 mile section south of here that connects Beaver Bay with Split Rock Lighthouse and Gooseberry State Park is the longest continuous section of the trail and another great ride. Take the time to visit the lighthouse and the beaches at both of the parks, they are well worth it.
The Gitchi-Gami State Trail is still in development and well worth supporting. This trail is an amazing asset to the North Shore and will eventually connect Two Harbors and Grand Marais running through five of the State Parks along the North Shore. Visit www.ggta.org to become a member and learn more about future construction.
Other Biking
The North Shore has miles and miles of secondary and forest service roads and lots of possibilities for biking.
One great ride from Tofte, known here at the shop as Jeff’s ride, is to ride up the Sawbill trail to Forest Rd. 166, on the left crossing over the Temperance River. Crank the hills up and down until you get to 343, the Temperance River Rd., on the left. There is a little bit of a climb until you crest the hill and then it is down hill to the lake. Be sure to slow down enough to check out the beautiful views of Carlton Peak and the river valley on the left. The best route back is to take another left on the Gitchi-Gami Trail and ride that back to Tofte. Round trip is a little over 20 miles and will take a couple hours (unless you are Jeff and you are trying to get a ride in before your staff person needs to leave to go kayaking, then it is just over an hour, but you better be hammering!)
Another great ride is the Timber Frear Loop. It is located about 20 miles from the shop and is a 20 mile loop on some maintained forest service roads but mostly on unmaintained forest service roads. Whitefish Lake Access is a great place to start from and a great place to swim when you are done.
Brought your road bike up? There are some great road rides on the shore as well. These include the Gunfint Trail out of Grand Marais, the Caribou Trail in Lutsen, and Forest Hwy 11 out of Silver Bay. If you want a real adventure and like seeing your life flash in front of your eyes take a ride on Hwy 61. Riding North on Friday afternoons and South on Sunday mornings provide the highest traffic levels and your best opportunity to get blown off the road by a Monson truck. Some sections have little to no shoulder, cracks in the pavement, and pot holes that add to the excitement....bottom line hwy 61 is not the place to plan on riding.
Sea Kayaking
Lake Superior is an inland sea and an amazing place to kayak, but you better be ready for it. The water is always cold and the wind and weather have a huge effect on the lake. We have seen it go from being completely calm to 2 ft. waves quicker than we thought was possible and we have seen waves coming from multiple directions at the same time. Things can change quickly and you have to be prepared and able to deal with the unexpected. If you are not prepared to do a cold water rescue, go on a guided trip, or visit one of the inland lakes.
If you do have the experience and skills to be out on the lake, check out the area around Shovel Point/Palisade Head and Split Rock Lighthouse. You won’t believe that you are in the Midwest and a thousand miles from the ocean. These are amazing areas. Both of these places offer huge cliffs, rugged shoreline, sea caves and arches, beaches at the mouth of the rivers, and little development. The put-ins are at the State Parks, and Tettegouche has a long carry down to the mouth of the Baptism River but the closest access to the Shovel Point area. If the lake allows you to go around Shovel Point head to the next bay for a great beach and sea cave.
The inland lakes in the area offer some great paddling without the risk and dangers that Lake Superior brings. Brule Lake is a huge lake and has miles of shore to explore in a sea kayak and is highly recommended. Get a map and know how to use it before you go out because this is a big lake with lots of bays and islands. Overnight trips without portaging are an option as well, but you will need a BWCA permit.
Canoeing
There are endless places to go canoeing up here, however Lake Superior is not one of them, too dangerous.
The BWCA entry points range from 25-35 miles from our shop. Anyone can enter the BWCA for the day at no cost. We have the day use permits here as well as maps and info. If you would like to camp overnight you will have to get an overnight permit for a fee (we can help you with that as well)
If you would like to go some place a little closer, there are many lakes in the Superior National forest to choose from. Four Mile is one of our favorites and also one of our most popular moose lakes. It is a great wilderness lake with rustic campsites available for overnight camping or a stop for lunch.
Hiking
The Superior Hiking Trail follows the ridges of the Sawtooth Mountains along the entire North Shore and is one of the best trails in the country. This well maintained trail is rugged and has spectacular views as it crosses over the many high points and waterfalls. You will see signs along the drive up hwy 61 for trail access and there are numerous areas to explore.
One of our favorite hikes in the Tofte area is Temperance River to Carlton Peak. The trail starts at the roadside parking area at the Temperance River and follows the river for a ways passing many falls and the river gorge. Once the trail turns away from the river it starts to climb up the ridges towards Carlton Peak and gets progressively steeper. The views from the top of Carlton are some of the best around and the peak just about has a 360’ view from the top. It is little over 3 miles to the summit and this makes for a wonderful afternoon hike. This is a very popular hike and the area around the river can be quite busy at times, but usually thins out once you leave the river.
The Oberg loop is also one of the more scenic spur trails off of the Superior hiking trail. It can be easily accessed 6 miles north of Tofte at the Oberg Mountain trailhead and provides several spectacular vistas of the Sawtooth mountains and Lake Superior. This is one of the most popular fall color loops on the shore.
Another option is to drive up to the edge of the BWCAW to the Eagle Mountain trail head. This enjoyable hike will take you several miles into the wilderness area and up to the highest point in Minnesota.
These are just some of the great day trips in the area, stop in for more info, maps, or more ideas. |
