Gentle Hikes of Minnesota’s North Shore: The Area's Most Scenic Hikes Less Than 3 Miles

By Ladona Tornabene, Lisa Vogelsang and Melanie Morgan

The Minnesota hiking guide for everyone!

Minnesota’s North Shore, from Duluth to the Canadian Border, is renowned for its beauty. Picturesque waterfalls, winding rivers, rocky landscapes, and, of course, Lake Superior attract visitors from across the Midwest. With Gentle Hikes of Minnesota’s North Shore, there’s no need to fill your backpack with gear or plan an overnight camping trip to see the best of this unparalleled region. Authors Ladona Tornabene, Lisa Vogelsang, and Melanie Morgan present the top outings under 3 miles in length. Are you short on time? Did you bring the kids? Does your group come with a range of physical abilities? No problem! With this revised and updated guidebook, you have details about more than 45 short hikes at your fingertips.

Each trail entry includes full-color photos, a map, and the information you want to know: total length, surface type, resting areas, trail highlights, and more. As an added bonus, the book includes details on 15 scenic walks less than a mile long, 18 waysides and scenic locales, and 11 picnic sites. Plus, there are special sections for people traveling in RVs and for people with physical challenges.

Plan the perfect outdoor adventures for your entire family, including small children and seniors. These gentle yet spectacular hikes are inviting for everyone!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Adventure Publications
• Release date: Jul 17, 2018
• ISBN: 9781591937296

Book preview

The Trails

Duluth to Two Harbors

Beyond Two Harbors to Little Marais

Beyond Little Marais to Grand Marais

Beyond Grand Marais to the Canadian Border

How to Use This Section

TRAIL RATING:

To accommodate hikers of all levels, each trail follows a rating system. The rating system is governed by a set of criteria (see below) and offers three levels. Trails range from the Lighter Side of Gentle, which includes all paved trails (and more), to the Rugged Side of Gentle, which offers more challenge to those who desire it. The Moderate Side of Gentle, as you might expect, falls somewhere in between. All trails are less than 3 miles in total length.

Regardless of the rating, each trail will always state the trail surface and width, the number of inclines more than 10 degrees, the steepest and longest incline, safety concerns, and all step and bench locations.

Our trail descriptions are very detailed and correspond to the trail in increments of tenths of a mile. We have made every attempt to locate and note trail aspects that may challenge (e.g., inclines, rocks, roots, steps, etc.) as well as features that may be helpful (e.g., benches, hand railings, paved trails, etc.). With this information, our readers can make an informed decision based on their abilities/circumstances as to how far to go on a certain trail or whether to choose another altogether.

ICONS:

The following icons represent our trail-rating system.

The Lighter Side of Gentle must meet all of the following criteria (excluding options):

INCLINES: 10–12° (or less)

ROCK/ROOT: Minimal (intermittent moderate sections)

TOTAL NUMBER OF STEPS ENCOUNTERED THROUGHOUT THE TRAIL: <25

TRAIL SURFACE: Even (intermittent uneven sections)

The Moderate Side of Gentle meets ONE or more of the following criteria:

INCLINES: 14–16° (or no more than 2 inclines between 18–22°, not exceeding 35' in length)

ROCK/ROOT: Moderate

TOTAL NUMBER OF STEPS ENCOUNTERED THROUGHOUT THE TRAIL: <175

TRAIL SURFACE: Even or uneven

The Rugged Side of Gentle meets ONE or more of the following criteria:

INCLINES: 18–22°

ROCK/ROOT: Moderate to significant

TOTAL NUMBER OF STEPS ENCOUNTERED THROUGHOUT THE TRAIL: <325

TRAIL SURFACE: Even or uneven, laid-log paths possible.

ICONS IN THE DESCRIPTIONS:

These icons, embedded in the trail description and mileage section for each trail, allow you to quickly see what’s ahead on the trail.

INCLINE

DECLINE   Indicates the location of the steepest incline or decline on the trail.

STEPS   We note in the description if they ascend/descend, their composition, and if they have handrails or not. Non-continuous indicates a brief resting area between sets of steps.

BENCH   Indicates the location of benches on the trail.

PHOTO   On our trails, we have chosen places where we thought the views were photo-worthy. Some are obvious, others are purely subjective; we hope you will be pleased with our suggestions. We have found it to be a great way of preserving and sharing memories for years to come, as well as a whole lot of fun taking