Great day hikes await Tower/Soudan visitors

Soudan Underground Mine State Park.
Photo courtesy Minnesota DNR.

Wild rivers, scenic lake shores, and peaceful conifer forests await day hikers in the Tower/Soudan area of the Minnesota Northwoods.

Several national forests and state parks and forests surround Tower/Soudan. The two small communities can be reached by taking U.S. Hwy. 53 north from the Duluth/Superior metro area than Minn. Hwy. 169 northeast.

Among the many great day hiking trails in Tower/Sound are:
g Arrowhead State Trail segment – Though a snowmobile trail, the 135-mile trail running from near Tower to just shy of International Falls can be walked during the other seasons. Park in the lot off of Minn. Hwy. 1 west of Holter Road and take the trail south about 0.9 miles (1.8-miles round trip) to Lehtinen Creek, which empties into Pike River Flowage. Hike it in autumn when the trail won’t be so wet.
g Bear Island-Lake Trail segment – At one time, mineralogists drilled for diamonds near a lake along this trail. From Minn. Hwys 1/169, southeast of Soudan, take Murray Road south to the trailhead; hike 0.4 miles (0.8-miles round trip) to Skeleton Lake’s northern shores.
g Iron Ore Trail segment – The snowmobile trail in winter and hiking trail in summer runs south of Tower, passing through Wahlsten and Embarrass until connecting with the Taconite Spur Trail. Park at the pullout on Sherman Road east of Minn. Hwy. 135; hike south along the creek that flows into West Two River. It’s just under a mile round trip from the trailhead to the river.
g Mesabi State Trail segment – The unfinished bicycle/walking trail runs from Grand Rapids to Biwabik with a small section completed in Tower. Park at the Civic Center and hike the trail northwest about a mile to Tower Park on Lake Vermilion.
g Putnam Lake Trail segment – The route connects the Iron Ore Trail and the Fishing Lakes Trail in Bear Island State Forest, south of Tower and Soudan. Park at the turnout when Sherman Road curves northeast at the fire break, east of Minn. Hwy. 135; take the jeep trail southeast to trailhead. Hiking the trail west includes a bridge over West Two River and walk alongside the waterway; turn around at the junction with Iron Ore Trail for a 2-mile round trip.
g Open-Pit Mines Loop – The aboveground trail at Soudan Underground Mine State Park heads 2.3 miles through a northern hardwood conifer forest. Park at the picnic area lot; the trailhead leaves from the entrance road west of the lot.
g Soudan Underground Iron Ore Mine Historic Tour – Day hikers can walk tunnels a half-mile underground at Minnesota’s oldest iron ore mine. The unique historic tour at Soudan Underground Iron Ore Mine State Park takes visitors through 2.7 billion years of geological history and includes a short aboveground segment.
g Taconite State Trail segment – Primarily a snowmobiling trail running 165 miles from Grand Rapids to Ely, a segment of it in Tower can be day hiked during the summer. A 1.5-mile round trip route starts between Pine and Birch streets south of South Third Street and heads over the East Two River; turn back at the second crossing of the river.

Read more about day hiking Northeast Minnesota in my Headin’ to the Cabin: Day Hiking Trails of Northeast Minnesota guidebook.

Variety of trails available in Ely, Minn., area

Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness near Ely, Minn.
Photo courtesy City of Ely.

Classic Northwoods lakes, beautiful wildflowers, and seemingly endless stands of pines await day hikers in the Ely, Minn., area.

Surrounded by the Superior National Forest and several other state forests and parks, Ely offers a plethora of trails. Some are right in town while others can be found in the remote wilderness.

Among the many Ely-area trails are:
g Angleworm Trail segment – The first mile (2-miles round trip) of this Superior National Forest trail heads through red and white pine stands; in spring, look for blossoming pink ladyslippers. Parking and trailhead are in a turnaround off of Echo Trail (aka Ely-Buycks Road) about 14 miles north of Ely.
g Bass Lake Trail – This 5.6-mile rail loops around Bass Lake in Superior National Forest. The trailhead and parking lot is off of County Road 116 some six miles north of Ely.
g Burntside Lake North Arm Trail – A number of trails connect Burntside State Forest to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Chippewa National Forest, including this 2-mile loop from North Arm to Slim Lake. To reach the trailhead, take County Road 644 to the parking lot near the highway’s end along the North Arm of Burntside Lake.
g Hidden Valley Trail – Several day hiking trails ramble across rolling, forested hills at the Hidden Valley Recreation Area immediately east of Ely. One of those trails – the Bambas Loop – runs 2.1 miles through the rec area’s heart. Parking and the trailhead is at the chalet area on Hidden Valley Road east of Minn. Hwy. 169/East Sheridan Street.
g Kawishiwi Falls Trail – Day hikers can see a 70-foot waterfall on the 1.6-mile round trip Kawishiwi Falls Trail in the Superior National Forest. From Ely, take Fernberg Road/County Hwy. 18 for about five miles; watch for signage marking the parking lot and trailhead.
g Milt Stenlund Trail – The bike path for the unfinished Mesabi State Trail, which would stretch from Grand Rapids to Ely with various spurs, locally runs about 1.25 miles one-way (2.5 miles round trip) between the International Wolf Center (on East Sheridan Street) and North Savoy Road through a wooded area past a pond.
g Taconite State Trail segment – The lengthy 165-mile snowmobile trail runs from Grand Rapids to Ely but can be day hiked in the summer. A good segment to walk heads just a bit under a mile one-way from a dirt lot off of South Second Avenue from Ely Hospital to the shores of the Pioneer Tailings Basin in the Superior National Forest.
g Tomahawk State Trail segment – The 85.5-mile snowmobile trail connects the Taconite State Trail east of Ely to the C.J. Ramstad/North Shore State Trail near Split Rock River. A good segment to walk heads just a bit over a mile one-way between Minn. Hwy. 169 and Section Thirty Road and in the Superior National Forest.
g Trezona Ski Trail – This 4-mile (one-way) trail heads around Miners Lake, which used to be an open pit iron ore mine. Hikers can use the route in summer. Parking and the trailhead is off of Miners Drive East less than a block east of Pioneer Drive in Ely.
g Tri-Lake Loop Trail – This combination of trails runs past three glacial lakes in the heart of scenic Bear Head Lake State Park. Begin the 2.8-mile loop at the Norberg Lake parking lot off of County Road 128.

Read about Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness day hikes close to Ely in Saturday’s blog entry!

Read more about day hiking Northeast Minnesota in my Headin’ to the Cabin: Day Hiking Trails of Northeast Minnesota guidebook.