Minnesota Trails

“A trail eases our way, but it also narrows your focus,” Paul Gruchow.

        The 64-mile Border Route Trail can be merciless with its steep grades, thick forests and rocky trails.

    It can also be the most beautiful trail you’ll ever hike. Nestled between the Canadian border and the Gunflint Trail, it offers with majestic views of Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, with lots of plant and wildlife.

Chippewa National Forest HikingInfo Resource: www.fs.fed.us/r9/forests/chippewa/

Southeast Minnesota Blufflands/RJ Dorer Memorial Hardwood State Forest Hiking

Zumbro Bottoms Unit (Dorer) (3-mile bluff hike)Camping: state forest campgroundsStop at one of several breath-taking overlooks of the Zumbro River. Hike through the bluffs and valleys along both sides of the waterway. Check out the old iron trestle bridge, built in 1893, right before the Funk Ford.

Kruger Unit (Dorer) (5-mile big loop)Camping: state forest campgrounds

Metro Day Hikes

By Dave SimpkinsTrails EditorMedium to Hard205 milesSuperior Hiking Trail AssociationOffice and Store: 731 7th Ave, P.O. Box 4Two Harbors, MN 55616www.shta.orgsuphike@mr.netResources: Guide to the Superior Hiking Trail, $15.95Complete Set of Pocket Maps for the Trail: $1.95

Lake Country Road 301 to Castle Danger (6.3 mi.) No Camping, No Facilities