Winter is a time of year when the pressure’s off. No one will think less of you if you sit around the house reading and watching TV, because it’s cold and dark.
But living in the Twin Ports, I’ve been making a concerted effort in recent years to get on North Shore hiking trails as often as possible. After all, it’s one of the reasons I live here.
Options are more limited in the winter because, besides the cold temperatures and long shadows by mid-afternoon (if the sun even comes out), much of the Superior Hiking Trail is buried in snow and some trailheads aren’t plowed in the winter.
While some do enjoy going on long adventures in the deep drifts, my tolerance for the cold and snow is a bit more limited.
So, with my snowshoes and traction devices packed along with a variety of footwear and clothing options, I’ve found myself heading to a rotating series of reliable spots for two to four-mile adventures every winter.
Gooseberry Falls (river and lake overlook)
Most who go to Gooseberry go to the main falls area. For a longer adventure, park near the lake* and take the trail along the river to the main falls area, crossing over one of the bridges to connect with the little-used Gitchi Gummi Trail. The loop offers huge views of the river valley and two quiet overlooks of Lake Superior. (About 4 miles)
Gooseberry Falls (Fifth Falls)
Park at the main visitors center and take the Fifth Falls trail north along the river. A cacophony of highway noise and a powerline corridor give way to a wild area of frozen wonders that feels a lot farther away. The trail loops back on the other side of the river and includes a shelter. Keep your eyes open for an AirPod case, I lost it somewhere along this trail last weekend. (About 3 miles)
Split Rock (shelter on hill)
Park at the wayside in the southern part of the state park that is also a Superior Hiking Trail trailhead. Follow the route of the SHT on a paved path under the Highway 61 bridge and north for a bit before it crosses the highway at the surface level. It then becomes a real trail and quickly heads uphill. At the top, turn left (west/south) and a dilapidated and delightful old shelter is right around the corner. (About 2 miles round trip)
Split Rock (Day Hill)
Park at the nearly-deserted trail center in the state park.* Walk along the pebble beach to the campground (check out the overlook at site #1 if it’s vacant) and then continue to Day Hill. You’ll almost certainly need snowshoes to get to the top. After heading back down, snowshoe alongside the snowmobile trail to a ski trail that heads back down the lake. After a stop at the icy beach, you’ll need to trade the snowshoes for traction devices to make your way back up the snow and ice-covered stairs to the campground, but note that the stairs have been closed in some past winters, so you might have to double-back. (About 3 miles)
Tettegouche State Park (Palisade Head)
In the summer, you can drive to the top of Palisade Head, but in the winter, the gate is closed. Park in the lot along Highway 61 and walk right up without fear of getting run over by a tourist careening downhill. (About 1 mile round trip)
Tettegouche (Shovel Point and river)
Park at the main visitors center. The trail to Shovel Point begins behind the building. You’ll need traction devices due to the packed snow and ice on stairs. At the end of Shovel Point, you may not be able to complete the loop due to a spot that’s notoriously icy due to wind-driven waves — use caution (but enjoy the wonderland of ice-frozen branches kept stubby by the annual beating). After heading back, you can take a side trail down to the lake and/or continue to the mouth of the Baptism River. (About 2.5 miles round trip, less if you don’t go to the lake and river)
Tettegouche (High Falls)
The bridge over the Baptism River was washed out in May 2022, so the only way to get a good view of the frozen High Falls is to hike up the east side of the river. The trail begins at a parking area* just past the visitors center near the river. Be ready, though, because the stairs and hill down to High Falls can be very icy and may be impassable. There is also a trail down to Two Step Falls along the way, but it’s usually in even worse shape in the winter. (About 3 miles round trip)
Tettegouche (unnamed overlook)
Just past the “Drainpipe” on the Superior Hiking Trail is a small overlook that doesn’t seem to have a name. To get there, park at the state park’s trail center* and follow the SHT west for about a mile to the Drainpipe. You’ll need to switch from snowshoes to traction devices to walk up snowy stairs. Then, there’s a sketchy section of trail that is a short scramble even in the summertime. Getting back down the icy rocks is the real danger in the winter, so if you think it will be safe, go up and continue following the trail a little bit farther to the overlook. This is one that gets more and more difficult as the snow and ice pile up, so it may not even be possible by this time of winter unless you are a mountain climber. (2.25 miles round trip)
Tettegouche Camp
Park at the trailhead on Lax Lake Road* on the western side of this massive park. You have a few options here: The “trail” to Tettegouche Camp is actually a gravel road that’s only open to park vehicles, so it’s usually snow-covered but in good shape. I’ve seen people walking, snowshoeing, and skiing all on the same day. It’s about a 3.5 mile round trip if you go directly to and from the camp (there’s substantial uphill both ways). There are also trails north and south of the main trail; I like to take the southern trail past several overlooks to the camp and then walk back on the main trail (about 6 miles). But this trail is less-traveled and some steep but short hills may not be passable in the dead of winter, even with snowshoes.
*requires a Minnesota State Park sticker or daily admission. (Hikes beginning at the Gooseberry Falls and Tettegouche main visitor center parking lots don’t require admission because they are also rest areas.)
I list these hike options selfishly as a way to remind myself of my menu of options for short winter days. I’ve already been on all but one of them this winter, some two or three times.
Any ideas?
Read about more of my roadtrip adventures in the Off Topic category!