Best trails near Sturgeon Lake/Willow River

Upper Willow River Trail. Map courtesy of USGS.

Northern wildlife, one of Minnesota’s best walking/bicycling paths, and even a possible Bigfoot sighting await day hikers in the Sturgeon Lake/Willow River region.

The two small towns sit between Minnesota’s largest metropolitan areas of Minneapolis-St. Paul and Duluth-Superior. Interstate 35 runs between those metro areas and close to Sturgeon Lake/Willow River, which boasts three state forests nearby.

Among the great day hiking trails in the Sturgeon Lake/Willow River region are:
g Dago Lake Day-Use Area Trail – Does the legendary Bigfoot stalk Minnesota’s Northwoods? Your best bet for spotting one might be a hike through General C.C. Andrews State Forest, an epicenter of Sasquatch sightings since the 1970s. With more than 7700 acres of jack and red pine woodland, the state forest near Willow River marks the perfect place for Bigfoot to hide. The 1.6-mile round trip trail at Dago Lake Day-Use Area is roughly equidistant from several major sightings over the years.
g East White Pine Forest Road Trail – An ATV trail runs for six miles between East White Pine Forest Road and Split Rock Forest Road at Solana State Forest in neighboring Aitkin County, west of Sturgeon Lake. The trailhead is at the end of the forest road, which is north of Pliny on Minn. Hwys. 27/65.
g Solana Forest Road Trail – Day hikers are likely to spot a variety of northern Minnesota wildlife on this 1.5-mile round trip out-and-back trail in Solana State Forest. Park off the road at the trailhead along County Road 2 (aka 220th Street).
g Upper Willow River Trail – The Upper Willow River Trail for ATVs runs five miles one-way through the Nemadji State Forest, over the Willow River, and into the Klondike Trail Grouse Management Area east of Sturgeon Lake. The trail is off of Erickson Road on the state forest’s west side.
g Willard Munger State Trail, Sturgeon Lake segment – A dirt parking area for the premier bicycling/walking path sits off of County Road 61 north of Second Street in Sturgeon Lake. Going south takes hikers into General C.C. Andrews State Forest.
g Willard Munger State Trail, Willow River segment – A parking lot is located at the end of Church Street, west of County Road 61 in Willow River. The north-bound trail heads into the General C.C. Andrews State Forest.

Learn about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

Look for Bigfoot while hiking Minnesota trail

Dago Lake Day-Use Area, General C.C. Andrews
State Forest, Minnesota; photo courtesy Minnesota DNR

Area near Willow River
a hotspot for sightings

Does the legendary Bigfoot stalk Minnesota’s Northwoods? Your best bet for spotting one might be a hike through General C.C. Andrews State Forest, an epicenter of Sasquatch sightings since the 1970s.

With more than 7700 acres of jack and red pine woodland, the state forest near Willow River marks the perfect place for Bigfoot to hide. A 1.6-mile round trip trail is roughly equidistant to several major sightings over the years.

Albino Bigfoot?
To reach the state forest, from Interstate 35 take Exit 209, heading east on Laketown Road/County Road 46E. The road curves around Sturgeon Lake. On the lake’s south side, turn right/south onto Pumpkin Seed Road, which angles west. Upon coming to State Forest Road 340E, go left/south onto it. Take the very next right, heading west into the state forest. You’ll pass four more road junctions; at the last of these, turn right/north into the Dago Lake Day-Use Area and park in the gravel lot at road’s end.

Hike back to the gravel road from which you turned to find the parking lot. Go left/east on the road, and in about 300 feet, take the (unnamed) sand ATV trail heading southeast. This pathway heads through a wooded area of gently rolling terrain and sandy soil.

Bigfoot sightings in the area date to August 1972 when a witness reported two white creatures – one nine feet tall, the other seven feet – in an open field just south of the state forest. The witness said the two creatures froze mid-stride like deer caught in headlight glare. During that time period, reports of a white Bigfoot were filed across the region from Duluth to Webster, Wis.

Strange vocalizations
More recently in February 2007 on a gravel road south of Sturgeon Lake, immediately east of the state forest, a driver spotted a large black, human-shaped figure in the middle of the road. The creature was so tall that it appeared like a large person from a quarter mile away.

Later that summer, several residents living south of Sturgeon Lake were awakened in the middle of the morning by strange vocalizations. One man who heard the screams later said it sounded exactly like the famous recording of a whoop-howl allegedly made by a Bigfoot in 1973 near Puyallup, Washington.

Other Sasquatch sightings have been made north of the state forest near Moose Lake.

Presuming you don’t spot one of the giant hominids and run in terror, in about 0.8 miles from the parking lot the trail reaches Willow River North Road, which runs north and south and marks the state forest’s boundary. At the road, turn back for your vehicle.

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

Day trail heads to impressive Willow Falls

Falls on the Willow River at Willow River State Park.

Water tumbles over
600 million-year-old rock
at Willow River State Park

Walking alongside a scenic river, a waterfall, and some impressive overlooks await hikers on the Burkhardt Trail in Willow River State Park near Hudson, Wis.

The trail actually is three miles of connecting paths. It’s also known as the Pink Trail because of its color on state park maps.

To reach Willow River State Park, take Exit 4 from Interstate 94, heading north on Hwy. 12 for about 1.6 miles. Take Hwy. U for about 0.3 miles to Hwy. A, where you’ll continue for another 1.5 miles. Pass the park’s entrance on the road’s left side and turn left onto on Hwy. I. Take a left onto River Road (aka 115th Avenue) and then make a quick left into the River Road parking lot (You’ll need to pay an entrance fee or sport an annual state park pass.). The trailhead is on the parking lot’s south side.

Butterflies, dragonflies
The path begins by heading southwest along the Willow River bottoms. The marsh-like region boasts tall grasses and during summer a number of wildflowers. Watch for whitetail deer in the brush, eagles soaring overhead, and during summer butterflies and dragonflies flitting about. Frogs and a variety of birds also are abundant along the riverfront.

Upon coming to the first fork, go left into a wooded area. The trail then crosses a large meadow. Aspen, oak, maple and of course willow trees abound. At the next fork, again go left. You’ll head onto a bluff to an impressive overlook of the waterway and the gorge it has cut.

The trail then heads downward. At the next fork, veer left for the multi-level Willow River Falls. The rock on the gorge walls’ lowest levels is about 600 million years old.

You can take a stairwell about 100-feet down to the falls. Sometimes you’ll catch people wading through the falls; this is not advised for small children.

Wood footbridge
You can treat the trail to the falls as a spur and simply head back the way you came, or you can continue onward. If doing the latter, cross the wood footbridge over the river, but then turn back or you’ll find yourself on another trail on the wrong side of the waterway!

Upon turning back, the trail meanders northward but ultimately forms a loop.

At the next trail intersection, go left. You’ll then be heading back to the parking lot. At the next fork, turn left again, and you’ll find yourself on the trail winding along the river bottoms, which is where you started.

Depending on whether or not you turned around at the falls, the hike ranges from 2-4 miles in length. The park is open every day of the year from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Read more about day hiking the scenic riverway in my guidebook Hittin’ the Trail: Day Hiking the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway.