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| Quaking aspen grove. Photo courtesy of Minnesota DNR. |
Lutsen Access
Trail follows
old forest road
Day hikers can head through a forest of aspen and birch overlooking Lake Superior near Lutsen, Minn.
The Lutsen Access Trail serves primarily as a snowmobile route (Some maps will show it as the Lutsen Access Snowmobile Trail.). The 3.33-mile round trip segment of the trail described here can be hiked during other seasons, though. By midsummer, however, you’ll want to wear pants and even long-sleeved shirts as the undergrowth flourishes.
From Lutsen, take County Hwy. 5 (aka Ski Hill Road) north. In about 1.5 miles, you'll come to a ditch crossing the road; park off the road here (If no parking is available, drive north and park on Moose Mountain Drive.). The trail, which used to be a forest road, heads east into the woods of Superior National Forest, skirting the bluffside with Lake Superior to the southeast while Eagle Mountain rises in the northwest.
Aspen-birch forest
Within short order, the trail enters an aspen-birch forest. The nearly pure stands of the two trees – popular in the making of paper and particleboard – dominate here, though balsam fir also can be found.
After a half mile, the trail crosses into the Lutsen Scientific & Natural Area. As with other SNAs, the Lutsen unit preserves three undisturbed woodland areas: the bluffside’s aspen-birch forest in its southern portion; a paper birch-sugar maple forest in its central section; and predominantly sugar maple forest across the rest.
The NF-1230 Ski Trail intersects the trail within the SNA. Continue heading straight/east.
Bigtooth aspen can reach up to 80 feet tall while the quaking aspen is a bit shorter at 65 feet. The three varieties of birch found in Minnesota can grow 60-70 feet high. Their leaves turn a golden yellow in autumn.
Perfect soils
About 800 feet from the NF-1230 Ski Trail intersection, the trail re-enters Superior National Forest. It curves northeast and in about 1600 feet comes back into the SNA.
Aspen and birch prefer limestone-derived soils, so they thrive on the bluffside, whose bedrock layers once formed the bottom of an ancient tropical sea. The moist but well-drained soils, typical of the North Shore blufflines, is an added bonus for the trees.
In about 3200 feet, the trail reaches an intermittent stream crossing. This marks a good spot to turn back, though the trail does continue northeast back into the Superior National Forest.
A final note: Scientific and natural areas typically don’t contain amenities like state parks do, and the Lutsen unit is no exception.
Click map for larger version.
