New to Hanging and to Minnesota

**SMMarvin** · 04-24-2015, 04:07

My name is Mark. I am new to the state of Minnesota. I have heard many good things about the camping here. I am excited to take my 16 year old son out an start experiencing what this state has to offer. I am also new to hanging. Up until now I have only tent camped. I look forward to my first hang. If you know any good areas around the Duluth area, let me know.

**Bic** · 04-24-2015, 06:13

Welcome! As for good areas around Duluth....hmmmmmm I'll have to think.....KIDDING! If you're in Duluth you're by so many great spots! The SHT starts in Duluth and camping on the trail starts just north of you at the two harbors section. The superior national forest is great too. Oh and you also have a plethora of amazing state parks along the north shore too!

**OCDave** · 04-24-2015, 06:17

Welcome to MN SMMarvin and welcome to the forum.

**HappyHuskies** · 04-24-2015, 06:53

Lots of good places near Duluth, but need a little more information to answer your question. Car camping, backpacking, or paddling? Or maybe all of the above?

**Xdbass** · 04-24-2015, 06:56

Welcome to the forum and the state. It is a great state for outdoor activities but I am a little biased.

**SMMarvin** · 04-24-2015, 20:00

Originally Posted by HappyHuskies

Lots of good places near Duluth, but need a little more information to answer your question. Car camping, backpacking, or paddling? Or maybe all of the above?

I am interested in backpacking. I have car camped, but it is not as fun as backpacking (too much gear to haul around). I don't own a canoe so have never done that (although I think it would be very fun). I am open to anything that gets me out of the house. LOL

**HappyHuskies** · 04-25-2015, 07:29

Originally Posted by SMMarvin

I am interested in backpacking. I have car camped, but it is not as fun as backpacking (too much gear to haul around). I don't own a canoe so have never done that (although I think it would be very fun). I am open to anything that gets me out of the house. LOL

Well, not sure how close to Duluth you want/need to stay. The most accessible for you is going to be the Superior Hiking Trail that BIC already mentioned. Lots of very nice hiking to be had there and it runs right through Duluth. Getting further out you might want to check out the Border Route Trail, the Sioux Hustler Trail (very, very nice since it was brushed last year), the Angleworm trail (only about 15 miles so makes a good day hike or an easy overnight hike, the Kekekabic Trail (approx 45 miles) and Snowbank Trail (approx 24 miles and part of it is concurrent with the Kek). You can also add other loops off western portion of the Kek including the Old Pines trail and the Benezie Loop. There are others in the area as well, but these are the ones I've spent time on. I'm closest to the Kek and Snowbank trails, so I spend a lot of time hiking there and usually have them pretty much all to myself. I'm planning to hike the Snowbank trail tomorrow and Monday just as an excuse to get out before it gets buggy. All of these trails, with the exception of the Superior Hiking Trail are up near the Canadian border, so more suitable for a weekend or longer get away than just a short day hike.

A couple of links with more information and some hikes I did not mention:

http://http://www.canoecountry.com/hike/index.htm
http://www.shta.org/

For day hikes check out the trail on the end of Park Point, Lincoln Park (quite a bit of trash, but still worth the hike) and the trail at Chester Bowl if you haven't already. The river trail in West Duluth used to be nice, but I haven't been on it since the floods. I really have not been on any of the Duluth trails since 2010, so conditions may be different than I remember them. Oh, forgot to mention the trails at the Hartley Nature Center.

I'm sure others will add more information.

**Kaycee** · 04-25-2015, 11:26

The Superior National Forest Headquarters is in Duluth, stop in there and get a map. It is a large waterproof one, cost about $10. It will give you a good idea where to start, once in the NF area a good rule of thumb, not always get a plat book to be sure, is if a logging road does not have a fire number it is public. My favorite are is a 10 mile circle of where Hwy 2 meets Hwy 1 near Isabella. Lots of logging roads that you can hike down and camp when you find a good spot.
USGS, Makenzie and Fisher all have good maps that show the trails. And Google maps will give you a visual reference of clear cuts and reference points. Always carry a compass, but learn the area from maps too. There are areas that your compass will spin due to the iron content, it can freak you out the first time you see it happen.
You are in an area some of us call paradise, so many opportunities for things to do in all seasons.

**SMMarvin** · 04-25-2015, 21:04

I really appreciate all the information. Now for another question. Is there any groups around that do group hanging? Like I said, I am new to the area and have not made any friends yet.

**Rex Clifton** · 04-26-2015, 08:38

For backpacking the SHT is your best option. With other trails in the Arrowhead, you need good bushcraft skills since they are poorly marked and lightly traveled. I'm referring to the Border Route, Sioux-Hustler and Keck trails. The loop around Snowbank Lake is a joke and I would not recommend under any circumstances. It's really a shame there aren't more well marked trails in the region. I'm from back east (NY) where there are a plethora of trails within easy driving distance of the city. There is easily three times the trail miles within a 50 mile radius of NYC then there is in the whole State of Minn. The Arrowhead is really canoe country, so you may want to go that route. Awesome possibilities there.