Best Day Hikes In Minnesota

Best Day Hikes In Minnesota

Bordering Lake Superior, Canada, and with 10,000 lakes to its name, the Midwestern state of Minnesota is a remarkable place to live, and hike.

In this article, we will showcase a selection of the very best day hikes across the entire state.

By featuring a varied list of easy, moderate, and hard hikes, we’ve ensured everyone with a penchant for the outdoors will be inspired to hike.

1. Fifth Falls and Superior Hiking Trail

  • Distance: 3 miles
  • Level: Easy

Located in Gooseberry Falls State Park nearby to the township of Silver Creek, Fifth Falls and Superior Hiking Trail is a 3-mile loop that comes certified suitable for all hiking abilities.

The trail features a long stretch of well-maintained boardwalk that can be slippery when wet, while the rest of the track is prone to getting muddy underfoot.

Best Day Hikes In Minnesota 1

This means the importance of good, waterproof hiking boots on this trail can’t be overstated.

Taking you past a stunning little waterfall and a picturesque lake, this trail has plenty to offer considering its ease.

However, as a result of its ease to beauty ratio the trail can be heavily trafficked on weekends, and especially in the summertime, so getting up early and beating the crowds is key to experiencing Fifth Falls in all its glory.

2. Superior Hiking Trail: Bean and Bear Lakes

  • Distance: 6.2 miles
  • Level: Moderate

This moderate out and back hike takes you past the two “buddy” lakes of Bear and Bean. The unspoiled nature that surrounds these lakes is supremely idyllic, to say the least.

Steep tree-lined hills rise up from both lakes’ banks to create a very impressive natural amphitheater that surrounds each.

Superior Hiking Trail: Bean and Bear Lakes

In the right weather, this natural phenomenon can be hiked to at all times of the year, with each season offering its own charm.

Look out for the well-trod rocky outcrop along the trail that gives you a sizzling photo opportunity of Bear Lake in the fore and Bean Lake behind it.

With 984ft of elevation to its name, this section of the Superior Hiking Trail is considered moderate and will require a decent level of fitness to comfortably hike.

3. Tettegouche State Park Trail

  • Distance: 1.6 miles
  • Level: Moderate

For a short hike, Tettegouche State Park Trail sure does pack a lot in. Waterfalls, steep ascents, rocky sections, though it’s only a 1.6-mile out and back trail, don’t be lulled into a false sense of security with this one.

When hiked in the springtime, this trail is also known for its gorgeous in-bloom wildflower meadows.

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Another cool thing about Tettegouche State Park is that it’s a pooch-friendly park, so long as your best friend is kept on a leash that is.

A short hike that is both parts charming and challenging and finishes at a waterfall to dip your toes in? Yes, that will do just fine.

4. Eagle Mountain Trail

  • Distance: 3.5 miles
  • Level: Moderate

If you’re into hiking, and you live in Minnesota, then surely hiking to its highest peak is the natural order of things?

Eagle Mountain Trail Minnesota

At 2,300ft, the summit of Eagle Mountain ain’t no walk in the park, but with uninterrupted views searing across Superior National Forest, it is well worth the sweat-fest.

On a super clear day, you can even see Lake Superior in the far-off distance, giving you a truer sense and appreciation for this unspoiled slice of Minnesotan state.

5. Silver Creek Trail

  • Distance: 3.4 miles
  • Level: Easy

Although Silver Creek Trail isn’t essentially identical to Eagle Mountain on the distance front, it is a world away in terms of level.

An easy 3.4-mile loop track in the Jay Cooke State Park that is a regular haunt of the Minnesotan Hiking Club, Silver Creek is an impressive stretch of trail that the whole family can hike.

Silver Creek Trail minnesota

Giving a great mix of forest hiking as well as jaw-droppingly beautiful views of the fast-flowing Silver Creek from all angles – this hike has it all.

With 300ft of primarily slow and meandering elevation and the occasional run of steps up from the river bed, you don’t need to be a hiking extraordinaire to see the best of Silver Creek.

Again, dogs are welcome in this state park but remember to always have them on a leash to minimize their impact on the native flora and fauna.

Read next 🐶 – Best Hiking Dogs

6. Angleworm Lake Trail

  • Distance: 13 miles
  • Level: Hard

Often described as the best hiking trail in the entire state, Angleworm Lake Trail encapsulates all that is good about Minnesota.

At 13 miles, this loop that features a predominantly primitive trail is not for the faint of heart, and should only be taken on by experienced hikers with a good level of fitness.

Angleworm Lake Trail minnesota

Of course, you could always stretch it out over two days by camping for a night at the lakeside (which will make it much less challenging), but to complete it in one day is a beast in itself.

The noticeable lack of trail markers also means having a compass and a map and knowing how to use them is essential on Angleworm Lake.

A rugged undertaking that passes by three pristine lakes, has 1500ft of elevation, and is surprisingly light on the traffic front, Angleworm is a monumental trail for the hiker’s hiker.

Summary

Name a more beneficial activity that pulls together exercise, personal achievement, nature, and accessibility better than hiking?

We’ll wait… Hiking the trails of Minnesota is an ideal way to explore the wild side of this great Midwestern state that leans on its water for beauty.

With surging rivers, gentle streams, quaint lakes, powerful waterfalls, and the largest lake of them all “Lake Superior” right there on its doorstep, it’s safe to say that Minnesota is a state shaped by its water.

We hope this article hit you with the inspiration you were looking for to get out beyond the line of society and dig your heels back into nature, the Minnesotan way.

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