Winter on the Superior Hiking Trail

The more time I spend winter hiking and backpacking, the more I completely fall in love with it. Less people, zero bugs and everything blanketed in snow makes it all quite serene and picturesque. Yes, there are challenges you deal with in the cold and it’s not all picture perfect. But, as long as you are prepared it can be a really great way to beat the winter doldrums.

The North Shore of Lake Superior in MN is by far one of my favorite places to spend time outdoors in the Midwest. Known for its harsh winters and abundant snow I knew I had to make a trip there to see what winter brings to that area. I have hiked and camped there summer, spring and fall but never in the winter.

The North Shore is where the Superior Hiking Trail calls home along with abundant waterfalls, state Parks and the gateway to the Boundary Waters. This trail traverses from Duluth MN all the way to the Canadian Border covering 300 miles of wooded forests, rivers and spectacular views of Lake Superior.

Wanting to do some research for an upcoming event there I decided to head north and do some scouting. I was welcomed with lots of snow, winter serenity and beautiful temps. I love waterfalls but there is something unique about frozen falls that makes the journey incredible. Walking up to the belly of the falls and hearing the water roaring underneath and seeing it thru the ice is an experience so different than viewing them in the warmer months.

Among some beautiful miles of trail, I also found some amazing back country campsites that we will for sure be using this summer. We won’t be snowshoeing thru 30” of snow to get to them but summer will bring an entirely different type of beauty to that trail.

I look so forward to sharing this area with our guests on this trip and to show them why this is one of my favorite places to roam.