Best Trails in Minnesota

Trying to find the best trails in Minnesota? Bivy has great hiking, biking, paddling, climbing, skiing, riding and more, with hand-curated trail maps, as well as detailed driving directions.

1

Minnesota, Lakeville

01 :35 hrs
4.5 mi
13.496185 ft
Easy

Trail hike and walk around Sprit and Cobblestone Lake

2

Wisconsin, Ashland County

02 :35 hrs
3.1 mi
10.80423 ft
Easy

Big Bay State Park is on Madeline Island, the largest of Lake Superior's 22 Apostle Islands. During winter, ferry service from Bayfield is available until the ferry is unable to break the ice on the lake. When ferry service is no longer available, an ice road or wind-sleds and passenger vans may be available to Madeline Island. This trail follows Lake Superior’s shoreline for its entire length. With the expansive lake to one side and beautiful woods to the other, the views are magnificent. The trail is flat and easy for any member of the family. The out-and-back nature of the trail allows you to turn around at any time.

3

Minnesota, Cook County

23 :43 hrs
64.3 mi
203.5105 ft
Extreme

The Border Route Trail follows 65 miles along the international border between Minnesota and Ontario, Canada crossing through the Boundary waters Canoe Area. It is a rugged wilderness trail that follows ridge-lines and the top of high cliffs. The scenery and views are spectacular as it provides solitude and a true wilderness experience. The trail can be accessed through several spur and connecting trails, allowing for short day hikes to multi-day backpacking expeditions. It is also part of the North Country Trail. You can choose to do it in either direction. For overnight trips a permit is required and can obtained by calling 1-877-444-6777 or accessed online.

4

Wisconsin, Superior

03 :46 hrs
9.2 mi
13.053986 ft
Expert

Located in the town of Superior, this trail system traverses the beautiful Superior Forest and has trails for skiers of all skill levels. All of the trails are wide and well-groomed for both classical and skate stride skiing. This trail has a spectacular view! It is better suited for advanced skiers as it is longer and more hilly with bypass side loops and more difficult terrain. This trail falls within a designated State Natural Area (SNA) valued for its unique biological resources and boreal forest. Part of the trail is shared with snowmobiles.

5

Wisconsin, Oneida County

01 :10 hrs
2.6 mi
22.379913 ft
Extreme

Minocqua Winter Park has over 6,500 acres of pristine terrain containing over 45 miles of groomed trails for skiers of all skill levels. Many other winter recreation activities are also available at Minocqua Winter Park. The VO2 Max is listed as one of the top ten trails in the United States by one popular source. This trail has been used as a race course for decades and has hosted the several well-known competitions. This trail has many twists and turns and includes some man-made obstacles to add to the intensity. It is narrow with trees very close on both sides to really test your skill.

6

Wisconsin, Clark County

02 :07 hrs
8 mi
56.25238 ft
Hard

This trail is just north of the Black River State Forest and is among the most exciting and rewarding in all the state. This cluster is often overlooked and offers climbing of a sort not normally found outside of mountainous regions. You will find stunning, unobstructed views, incredible singletrack, and beautiful medium-paced cross-country trails. Two towering mounds dominate the diverse terrain. Levis Mound to the south is covered with ribbons of narrow trails cutting back and forth on their way to the peak. Trow Mound to the north just out of the forest and has two trails leading to the top. Atop these mounds, views stretch out for miles over the surrounding forest. The trail is not very technical but the repeated climbing and descending is intense.

7

Minnesota, Pine County

01 :39 hrs
4.7 mi
37.74301 ft
Moderate

The section of the Kettle River that runs through Banning State Park is exceptionally beautiful. Kettle River has been designated as a wild and scenic river, and offers great paddling, fishing and views. There are several hiking trail options in this state park. This hiking adventure begins at a picnic area and runs through hardwood forests in the river valley and then dives down to run along the river. This is an excellent place for birding too, because of the wetland areas.

8

Minnesota, Cook County

02 :24 hrs
2.9 mi
69.182434 ft
Hard

This part of the Border Route Trail offers a short and easy section that provides an excellent sample of the remote and rugged terrain in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area wilderness. The BWCA is one of the most visited wilderness areas in the United States. The BWCA has over one-million acres of beautiful wilderness and lakes renowned for its canoeing and fishing. The scenery is spectacular with high ridges that rise out of scenic lakes, heavily forested areas and other dramatic terrain.

9

Michigan, Ontonagon County

03 :17 hrs
3.1 mi
188.58368 ft
Hard

The Escarpment trail is located in the Porcupine Mountain Wilderness area and follows a ridge over a scenic valley providing great views of the Big Carp River and Lake of the Clouds below. The trail travels in and out of forested areas providing both solitude amongst the trees and open views of the valley below. Hiking along the exposed ridgeline can be more challenging during bad weather, especially high winds and thunderstorms, so prepare and plan ahead if possibly hiking in bad weather. The trail connects to the Lake of the Clouds trail and overlook so there is an option of adding mileage by hiking all the way to this area or even doing the hike as a one-way trip by shuttling vehicles between trailheads. There are multiple connecting trails within the Porcupine Mountain Wilderness area providing visitors with a number of different trip options.

10

Minnesota, Cook County

02 :49 hrs
3.3 mi
169.79901 ft
Hard

The Boundary Waters hiking adventure explores Eagle Mountain that sits in the middle of Minnesota's beautiful Boundary Waters Canoe Area. A feature of this adventure is Eagle Mountain's peak which is the highest natural point in Minnesota. Another feature is Whale Lake, which does have some decent fishing for any hikers who want to fish off shore. Wildlife that may be seen in this area include fox, deer, a variety of bird species and many other animals.

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