Superior Hiking Trail

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Superior Hiking Trail
A sign at a Superior Hiking Trail trailhead near Finland, Minnesota
Length	235 mi; 375 km
Trailheads	Near Two Harbors, Minnesota; Canadian-U.S. Border near Lake Superior
Use	Hiking
Highest Point	1750 ft above sea level
Lowest Point	Lake Superior, 602 ft above sea level
Trail Difficulty	Moderate
Season	Late Spring to Early Fall
Sights	Lake Superior, Iron Range, State Parks
Hazards	Severe Weather, Black Bears

The Superior Hiking Trail is a 235-mile long distance hiking trail along the rocky ridgeline above Lake Superior in northeastern Minnesota.

The trail is located within the Superior National Forest on both public and private lands, and is privately maintained. The trail currently begins near Two Harbors, Minnesota, extends along Lake Superior through seven state parks, including Split Rock and Tettegouche state parks. The northern leg of the SHT passes near the town of Grand Marais, includes a two-mile stretch on the gravel beaches of Superior, and ends just before the Canadian border.

The Superior Hiking Trail Association (SHTA) is currently building 40 miles of trail through the forests and ridges of Duluth, MN. 22 miles of trail have been completed in and around Jay Cooke State Park and Duluth, MN. Future plans are to complete a segment of trail between Duluth and Two Harbors. When completed the trail will measure approximately 300 miles in length.

Ultimately the trail will begin on the Wisconsin border near Jay Cooke State Park, and will end by connecting to the Border Route Trail, which passes through the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The SHT is a proposed segment of the 4,000-mile North Country Trail.

Considered one of the best hiking trails in the country, Backpacker Magazine named the Superior Hiking Trail the trail with the "Best Trail/Camp/Shelter conditions", the trail with the "Best Signage" in the country, and one of the most scenic trails in the nation (Dec. 2000). Hikers enjoy views of boreal forests, the Sawtooth Mountains, babbling brooks, rushing waterfalls, and abundant wildlife.

The Superior Hiking Trail was conceived by a group of individuals in the mid-1980s who banded together to form the Superior Hiking Trail Association which promotes and maintains the trail.