Superior Hiking Trail - Grand Marais to Northern Terminus
The Pigeon River, boundary between the United States and Canada, from the 270 degree overlook. Northern terminus of the Superior Hiking Trail.
This post is the final in a series of 3 posts, the first two may be found below if you haven’t read them yet:
Part 1: Duluth to Grand Marais
Part 2: Two Harbors to Tettegouche State Park
A Note on Images
Images in this post are “lightboxed”, so if you click/tap on them, they will open in a larger view. Also, there are more selfies included than in previous years, I’m afraid there’s quite a bit of “cheese” included in the pictures this year. :)
Gear Evolution
Over the past 3 years, my backpacking kit has changed a bit as I’ve learned more, and gotten a few things narrowed down. Again, I’m not an ultralight backpacker, so the gear below is what works for my needs, yours may vary.
Pack:
Osprey Atmos AG 65
Sleep System:
Superior Gear 20° Hammock, Superior Gear Tarp
Insulation:
UGQ Synergy 20° topquilt
Cook Kit:
MSR PocketRocket Deluxe stove, 100g isobutane stove fuel cannister, SnowPeak titanium 700mL cup, Sea to Summit long-handled spork, Ursak AllMitey bear bag, OpSak odor-proof bags (2x)
Water Kit:
Sawyer Squeeze water filter, 2L CNOC Outdoors water bag, 1L Nalgene, 1L SmartWater bottle, Portable Aqua backup chemical water treatment
Clothing:
KUHL Engineered hoody, KUHL Renegade convertible pants, SmartWool merino wool base layer, DarnTough mid-height hiker socks, REI PolarTec gloves, REI Groundbreaker rain jacket, Mountain Hardwear puffy jacket, NOLS beanie, Buff neck gaiter, MN Wild ballcap
Safety, Navigation, & Repair:
Black Diamond Storm rechargeable headlamp, Suunto compass, Tenacious Tape, AMK first aid kit, Superior Hiking Trail paper maps & guidebook, Bic lighter, Leatherman Signal multi-tool, Black Diamond Trekking Poles
Tech:
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, Zoleo satellite PLB, Garmin Fenix 7X Solar, Anker GaNPrime power brick, NiteCore NB1000 battery bank, Amazon Kindle Paperwhite, assorted charging cables.
TEST YOUR GEAR!
This is absolutely critical. Anything safety-related should be tested prior to heading out. On this trip, my Sawyer Squeeze water filter was taking an extremely long time to filter water (15+ minutes/liter), barely a dribble. The filter had only been used on one previous trip, and was cleaned and prepared for storage according to the manufacturer’s instructions. I believe the issue was caused by my hard water at home leaving mineral deposits behind in the filter media after it dried, plugging it permanently. No amount of backflushing could restore flow. I think flushing the filter with a distilled water/bleach solution prior to storage would prevent a repeat of the problem, but I’ve not tested out this theory yet with a new filter.
The bottom line, test your gear. I carry backup chemical water treatment just in case of a filter failure like this, but it leaves an unpleasant after-taste. I also had to fashion a pre-filter to remove larger particles using a Buff neck gaiter prior to sterilizing water with chemical treatment. Shoulder-season backpacking also has the potential to expose your filter to freezing temperatures, sleep with your filter at night to prevent it from freezing and damaging the filter medium, rendering it useless.
A dry, dry autumn
The upper midwest has been experiencing one of the warmest and driest Septembers on record. Many water sources have dried up, necessitating longer water carries that have been required in the past. Fire danger was extremely high (in fact, the USFS issued a backcountry fire ban during my trip), so due care when handling anything hot was crucial.
Water was an unexpected challenge on this trip, given my previous experiences with abundant water sources on the Superior Hiking Trail. The primary water sources at many campsites were dried up, creeks and rivers reduced to stagnant pools, or completely devoid of water. I expected to be able to fill my bottles at Judge C.R Magney State Park, however the water spigot along the trail was marked “Out of Order”, apparently due to slow replenishment of the spring-fed water supply at the park.
Day 1: Pincushion Mountain to Cliff Creek Camp
Mileage: 9.7
Campsite: Cliff Creek
It had been a busy weekend leading up to this hike, I was a groomsman in a friend’s wedding on Saturday, so we had rehearsal/decorating on Friday night, the wedding Saturday, then I had to turn and burn to change out my gear on Sunday to get to Duluth for the night. I decided to stay Sunday night in Duluth to cut my 5 hour drive from home to the northern terminus down to a 2 hour drive on Monday morning. Once again, I booked a shuttle through Superior Shuttle to take me from the northern terminus to Grand Marais so I could hike back to my truck. Charles and the crew at Superior Shuttle have been great to work with, and have always been punctual, friendly, and clear communicators.
I parked my truck at the Border Route Trail trailhead (the SHT parking lot further east was completely full) on Otter Lake Road near Hovland, Minnesota and caught my shuttle back to Grand Marais. I ended up getting on trail right around 12:30PM. The Pincushion Mountain trailhead was packed, as expected, with folks taking in the vista of Grand Marais and the changing of the leaves. I hit the trail and picked up a lovely boardwalk through the trees.
It felt good to be back in the woods, pack on back, feet on the ground, and the noise of the world melting away with the rustle of wind in the leaves. It’s a calming feeling to return to the rhythm of hiking.
The Superior Hiking trail crosses several mountain bike trails in this area, careful navigation is necessary to ensure you don’t end up on the wrong trail. Keep a sharp eye out for the blue paint blazes of the main Superior Hiking Trail, as well as the “Foot Travel Only” signage that is posted at most trail intersections.
A brief spur trail (white blazes) led out onto Pincushion Mountain, with a panoramic view of Lake Superior, and the forests to the north and east of Grand Marais.
The vista to the north and east from Pincushion Mountain, near Grand Marais, Minnesota.
The trail descends into the Devil Track River valley (Ojibwe name Manido bimadagakowini zibi, translated to “Spirits going along on the ice”), then climbs up and along the ridge on the north side of the river valley. Several SHT campsites are present in this section, but I had my sights set on Cliff Creek to keep with my planned schedule for the week.
Along the way, I came across a sign for the “Unimpressive Overlook”, and I must say, I agree! I enjoy the occasional levity offered by the SHT signage, as this location was completely hemmed in by trees and offered no vantage whatsoever.
The trail then meandered along a ridge above the lake, giving regular glimpses of Lake Superior off in the distance.
Along one of these meanders, I met two other northbound hikers who were heading for the same campsite. We leap-frogged each other, and I arrived to camp that night a few minutes after they had.
We sat around the camp common area for a few hours, chatting about hiking, the Superior Hiking Trail, and plans for the next few days. During the day, the wind was calm, however after sunset a front approached. I could hear gusts of wind approaching from far off in the distance, rattling the trees and leaves far away, and growing steadily closer. My hammock rocked with each gust, and the on/off noise woke me up several times during the night.
Day 2: Cliff Creek to Northwest Little Brule River Camp
Mileage: 10.6 miles
Campsite: NW Little Brule River
A small waterfall on the Kadunce River, near Colvill, Minnesota
The morning dawned cool and cloudy. It usually takes a day or so to get back in the groove of breaking camp and getting the pattern of loading my pack down again. I broke camp around 8am, and headed out. The trail crosses the Kadunce River on its descent to the “lakewalk” a 1.5 mile section of the trail along the shore of Lake Superior.
The trail reaches its lowest elevation at this point, 602 feet above sea level. This trip would feature both the lowest and highest elevations on the SHT. The lakewalk is famous for its energy-intensive push through the millions and millions of small rocks of the lakeshore.
Walking along Lake Superior, hearing and feeling the waves crash into the shore is always a humbling experience. This lake has been pounding the shore for thousands of years, my lifetime is a mere blip in its existence.
The "Tombolo", near Colvil, Minnesota.
I chatted with a few folks searching for agets along the shoreline, they were quite interested in my progress along the trail, and the Zoleo on my chest usually turns into a conversation piece as well. It’s wonderful to hear from others their connection to Lake Superior, and the pull that it exerts on others, not only on myself.
The north end of the lakewalk is not particularly clearly marked, I consulted with my Avenza map to confirm where exactly the trail diverted from the lakeshore and started heading inland once again. A small bridge crossed the lowest elevation on the Superior Hiking Trail (602 feet) before crossing Highway 61 on the way back inland.
The trail climbed along the Little Brule River, which seemed to be completely dry, a foreboding sign of things to come for camp that night.
There are three campsites in quick succession on this segment before entering Judge C.R. Magney State Park. I elected to spend the night at NW Little Brule River, the closest to the state park. I found a few stagnant pools in the Little Brule River, which I pulled my water for the night from. It was at this point that I gave up on my Sawyer Squeeze, and fell back to chemical treatment. Bleh, the chemical aftertaste stays with you for a long time after a swig. :( I was looking forward to filling my bottles at the spigot in the state park the next day, but alas, that was not to be.
Day 3: Northwest Little Brule River to Hazel Camp
Mileage: 12.6
Campsite: Hazel
The Brule River, upstream from the pedestrian bridge in Judge C.R Magney State Park.
Between the Little Brule River and Hazel camp, there are no SHT backcountry campsites. There is fee camping available in Judge C.R Magney State Park, subject to availability.
I finally had my packing system down again, and was able to break camp efficiently and headed on to the state park. I didn’t refill my water bottles at the Little Brule again, expecting that I would be able to fill them in the state park. Unfortunately, Judge Magney’s water system is spring-fed, and the drought has resulted in the spigots being shut down. I ended up pulling water from the Brule River below the middle falls to refill my empty bottles.
The infamous "too many stairs" staircase, as referenced in the Superior Hiking Trail guidebook. Judge C.R. Magney State Park, Grand Marais, Minnesota. This image is only about a third of the whole staircase.
The drought conditions were clearly evident in the river, I have never seen the Brule River this low. The vantage from the bridge in the park offered a stark view of the river conditions.
My water bottles were empty, but I knew there was river access at the falls, so I hiked on. The SHT follows the trail leading to the Devil’s Kettle, steadily climbing above the river.
In another moment of levity for the Superior Hiking Trail guidebook writers, the infamous staircase in the park is simply labeled “too many stairs”. Solid choice to go northbound on the trail, then you get to go down the stairs. :)
After descending the stairs, I pulled and treated water from the pool below the middle falls of the Brule River, there’s an access point which provides a nice vista of the falls. There’s a brand-new staircase here, as the previous staircase was washed away in a flood. The water in the Brule was clear and cold, a nice change from the stagnant water from the shallow pools in the Little Brule River yesterday.
The middle falls on the Brule River, Judge C.R. Magney State Park, Grand Marais, Minnesota.
Climbing up from the middle falls, the trail ascends to the Devil’s Kettle, a unique split waterfall that disappears into a rock formation. I didn’t get any pictures of the Devil’s Kettle this time around (I’ve visited numerous times on day hikes), as there were a number of day hikers on the platform, so I elected to continue hiking on rather than wait for them to move along.
The trail climbs upstream on the Brule River ascending and descending through stream valleys until it intersects with Camp 20 Road. The longest roadwalk of the Superior Hiking Trail follows Camp 20 Road for 1.7 miles, until reaching the Hovland Woods trailhead.
The Hazel campsite does not have a defined water source nearby, so I picked up two liters of water in my CNOC from one of the Flute Reed River tributaries to filter at camp later. The water was again shallow, so it was difficult to scoop water into the bag without stirring up sediment and ending up with a bag full of muddy water. I was finally able to pull some semi-clean water from the stream, and strapped it to my pack to treat at camp.
The remainder of the hike to the Hazel campsite was fairly flat and I made good time. As I approached the campsite, I came across something that wouldn’t have given me pause in previous years, but given the dry conditions, it stopped me in my tracks. Mud. The mud surrounded a small seep that wasn’t marked on the map. I found a small pool, and the water appeared to be clearer than the water I pulled from the Flute Reed River earlier. I made a call to dump my CNOC and try pulling cleaner water from this source…that turned out to be a mistake. The bottom of this seep was a very fine sediment, which immediately clouded the water upon scooping. I ended up with a bag of dirtier water than I started with. Oh well, lesson learned.
I figured I would likely have other hikers at Hazel that night, since there is the big gap between the Little Brule River campsites and Hazel. I arrived to an empty campsite and quickly set up my hammock on the uneven ground in one corner of the site. I try to set up my hammock over ground that is uneven, rocky, or rooty, and leave the level, clear ground for hikers with tents. I settled into my hammock with my Kindle to read a couple of chapters of my book.
About an hour later, two southbound hikers arrived. They set up camp and we started chatting about the SHT and gear. They were both relatively new to backpacking, and we parried questions back and forth. Shortly thereafter, another southbound hiker arrived. He nabbed the last available tent pad and quickly set up his tent. Later, as we got to talking, I found out that he had LASHed (long-a** section hike) the Appalachian Trail and had been providing “trail magic” to hikers on the AT for a couple of years. He had just finished a northbound through-hike of the SHT, and was on his way back to Grand Marais to catch a ride to Duluth. He had many entertaining stories, and we talked hiker shop until the sun went down.
Day 4: Hazel Camp to Jackson Creek Camp
Mileage: 12.97
Campsite: Jackson Creek
The next morning, we all broke camp around the same time, and sent everyone on their way with well wishes. The hiker community is pretty incredible, you can strike up a conversation with anyone and get to know them very quickly. Soon you’ll be talking like you’ve known each other for years.
After departing Jackson Creek, the trail follows Tom Lake Road (basically a set tire ruts through the woods) before ducking back into the Hovland Woods in a beautiful stand of birch and maples.
The trail winds along, breaking out into a ridge that looks out to Lake Superior. Here is where I took what is probably one of my favorite photos of the whole trip. I was trying to think of a title, and I think “Superior Heart” fits pretty well. The trail overlooks a beaver pond that in the drought has shrunk into the shape of a heart, with Lake Superior in the far distance. The colors of the trees pop out surrounding the pond.
"Superior Heart"
The fall colors were getting more pronounced the further north I traveled. There’s something about the blue blazes on the trees that mesh so well with the changing autumn scenery.
The SHT winds along near the top of a ridgeline facing Lake Superior, offering many panoramic views of the lake and the forest below before descending to Caribou Pond. Almost immediately, the SHT climbs and descends several more times before arriving at Jackson Creek.
Jackson Creek is located on top of a small ridge above a pond and the namesake creek. It’s the second to last campsite on the SHT northbound, and it notoriously rocky and covered in exposed tree roots. Just outside the campsite, two massive glacial erratics guard the trail.
It took a little bit of searching to find a place to set up my hammock, from one extreme to the other. At Hazel, I had my suspension straps nearly as far out as they could go, and at Jackson Creek, the slings on my hammock ends were almost touching the trees. Andy Creek, the final campsite northbound on the SHT is notoriously difficult for hammockers, so I elected to stay at Jackson Creek for the night. After dark, a pair of southbound hikers arrived in camp, having just started the trail at the northern terminus a few hours before.
Day 5: Jackson Creek to Northern Terminus
Mileage: 8.25
Campsite: None
My final day on the Superior Hiking Trail dawned cold but clear. I quickly packed up my gear, and chatted with the southbounders that had arrived the night before. I found out that they were from Arkansas, and headed south to Duluth. We exchanged information about upcoming water sources, and they inquired about scenic parts of the trail coming up.
The highest elevation on the SHT with a little extra cheese. Rosebush Ridge, near Hovland, Minnesota.
I hit the trail, heading northbound to the terminus. This final segment passes over Rosebush Ridge, the highest elevation on the SHT, at 1829 feet. There really isn’t a vista to go along with the highest elevation. The guidebook calls out a vista about a mile north of the marker, but I didn’t find anything too spectacular there either.
The remainder of the trail once over Rosebush Ridge traverses a swampy area on old logging roads, so it is very flat, and I picked up my pace significantly. The excitement was building to reach Otter Lake Road, and the gateway to the 270° overlook, the Border Route Trail trailhead.
I encountered a couple of southbound hikers just starting their section hikes, and we exchanged the usual info, water sources, campsite conditions, before parting ways and continuing our journeys.
It seems like a few minutes later that I reached Otter Lake Road, and started on the final 1.2 mile segment of the Superior Hiking Trail. The trail climbs from the aptly named Swamp River toward the terminus. Here the route is shared with the Border Route Trail, a 65-mile wilderness trail through the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (hmm..).
I’m breaking this last segment down into a couple of sections.
The final northbound blue blaze
The final blue blaze northbound on the Superior Hiking Trail, near Hovland, Minnesota.
The trail continues to climb, the rocky knob of 270° overlook is visible on approach, but the trail winds around behind the knob, blocking the view of the terminus sign. The Border Route Trail (BRT) splits and continues to the west. The SHT continues climbing the rocky outcropping, ever higher into the trees.
The Northern Terminus
Contact. The culmination of the last 3 years of sections hiked built up to this moment. 21 nights on trail. 274 total miles hiked. All to reach this point.
The northern terminus marker of the Superior Hiking Trail at 270° Overlook. A trail register lives in the blue box for visitors to sign.
270° Overlook
Just beyond the marker for the northern terminus, a short climb takes hikers up to the summit of 270° Overlook. Panoramic vistas to the north and east showcase the Pigeon River, the international boundary between the United States and Canada.
The view north and northeast from 270° Overlook, showcasing the Pigeon River, international boundary between the United States and Canada.
The view south from 270° Overlook, the Swamp River in the distance (with lots of lens flare).
My pack at the base of the sign marking the northern terminus of the Superior Hiking Trail.
A note of thanks
Thank you for reading this far, and for taking the time to “hike along” with me on this trip. Even though it took (much) longer than I originally anticipated to hike from Duluth to the northern terminus, I am so grateful for the opportunity and ability to traverse this gem of the north shore. Thanks to all those folks who sent me encouragement along the way.
Nerdy stats:
Note, this data is based on logs from my Garmin, so GPS variances and water carries/resupply hikes are included.
Total nights on trail: 21
Total distance hiked: 274 miles
Total calories expended: 55,928kcal (equivalent to 61.5 Culver’s Bacon Deluxe Doubles, or 180 Culver’s single-scoop vanilla custards)
Total time spent hiking: 140 hours, 26 minutes, 55 seconds
Total ascent: 42,749ft (Mt. Everest is 29,032ft)
Total descent: 42,775ft
So, what’s next?
I’m not sure yet, but there are a few half-baked plans that I’m ruminating on, more to come in the future!
Until next time, hike on!
-Scout
