Getting out on the trail and camping out can be a bit intimidating for new comers. If this is you I’ll let you in on a little secret. For the most part it isn’t much different than camping at a drive up site. There are some key differences like not being in a tent next to your car and having to walk through the woods but these are also the best parts of it. Not much compares to the feeling of sitting next to a campfire in the wilderness with good friends and a shroud of stars above. Things are slower and people tend to be more laid back. For some people being in a place without the distraction of automobiles, cell phones and an onslaught of media at every turn its about the most relaxing thing they’ll ever experience. This is why many keep doing it year after year. I’ve been out with people who range from the ages of 13 – 60 and one thing is for sure. They all want to do it again.




You’ll need to be prepared in a different way for things. You’ll need a raincoat if it starts raining because you won’t be able to duck into the car. You may also want to bring something smaller than the big Coleman stove to cook with. Things really aren’t that much different they are just more simplified.



Carrying a backpack full of gear is a bit of work. Don’t pack things you don’t need. Don’t bring heavy stuff like lawn chairs. When you get to a campsite sit on a log instead or sit on the ground and use the log or your pack as a backrest. Carry the right food and enough of it. Do a little reading on backpacking trips so you know what to bring and be prepared for emergencies. Terrible things generally don’t happen out on the trail for backpacking anymore than they do during day hikes and sleeping in a tent 3 miles from the car isn’t really any different than sleeping in a tent ten feet from the car. It’s just sleeping. Cooking with a camp stove or over a fire isn’t any different either. You’ll probably want to use a smaller stove and you’ll have to forage for firewood but it’s still all the same. Bring a map and compass for emergencies but generally if you just follow the trail you won’t get lost. The trails are all marked pretty well. For the most part you’ll have to walk off the trail and start going straight into thick woods to get lost. This has been my personal experience with hiking in Minnesota. There are a few exceptions to this on more difficult and longer trails but for the most part backpacking is a pretty simple thing.



I’ve chosen three backpacking trails in northern Minnesota that I believe are good starters for people new to backpacking for three reasons.
1. Level of Difficulty.
2. Proximity of other activities in the area.
3. Views, things to do on the trail and campsites.



I’m not going to give much on the instruction of backpacking but rather direct you to some trails that I really like and that I feel a beginner could do. They are also great trails for people who have been doing this for years. Just in case you’re wondering all of these the campsites have toilets. Granted they are primitive but they are still toilets. They won’t have any walls around them but you won’t have to dig a cat hole. This is typical of nearly every backpacking site I’ve ever been to. They all have toilets now. (12 second Biffy video) If they didn’t it would be a big mess at every backpacking site and it would be pretty nasty and smelly. There are some exceptions for areas deep in the backcountry but it’s not around here. If you want to know the best time to go it’s in the fall. The bugs are gone and there are fewer people.



Bean and Bear Lakes section of the Superior Hiking Trail





Bean Lake view from the trail.



The Bean and Bear Lakes section of the Superior Hiking Trail is about 3.4 miles long and starts in Silver Bay about 2 miles off Highway 61 and the north shore of Lake Superior. I do this as an out and back trip. Out and back meaning I hike in, camp for the night and then turn around and go back the way I came in. The total distance from the parking lot and back is about 6.8 miles.



I like this trail for a few reasons. First, the Superior Hiking Trail is completely free. You don’t have to pay for campsites. There isn’t any reserving of campsites either. The campsites are on a first come first serve basis. That may be a bit of a downfall but it’s still free and who’s going to complain about free camping?



The second reason I like it is because it has some amazing views of both Bean and Bear Lakes from a high above on the trail. There are also two tent sites right on the shore at the north end of Bear Lake.





A view of the Bear Lake campsite from the trail above.

Campsites don’t get much better than this. You’re in a valley with the lake just a few feet in front of you and when the sun goes down it’s a beautiful view. There are a few hills on this trail but from the parking lot to the end of the second lake it’s literally about the same distance as a walk around Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis. You’ll have two days to hike 6.8 miles which will leave you plenty of time to stop and rest, enjoy the views and maybe even do some trout fishing on Bean Lake which is a designated trout lake.



The third reason I love this trail is the proximity of other activities in the area. You can head up to Silver Bay, hike out to Bear Lake and camp and then get back to the parking lot before noon the following day. This will leave you plenty of time on a three-day weekend to go explore other trails and maybe even do another backpacking trip. There is so much to do in this area that if you find yourself bored you must have your head stuck in a bucket of sand. From Duluth to the Canadian border there are 8 state parks. The only one that doesn’t have camping is Grand Portage, which is nearest to the Canadian Border. There are river trail day hikes and backpacking sites. There is camping just a few miles from Silver Bay at Tettegouche State Park right at the shore of Lake Superior. You can go visit Goose Berry Falls or Palisade Head and do some rock climbing. You can even go shopping for agates. The small towns along 61 like Grand Marais also have some great places to eat and shop at too. I keep going back to this trail every year because its one of the jewels of the Superior Hiking Trail. I’ll be doing it again in the fall this year.






Eagle Mountain Trail





Sam Bristilin off the trail at Whale Lake with Eagle Mountain in the background.



The Eagle Mountain Trail is about 25 miles off highway 61 from either Lutsen or Grand Marais and the north shore of Lake Superior. I’ve chosen this as my second selection for various reasons. It’s a bit further out from civilization but its gets a fair amount of traffic from day hikers. I’ve been there on at least one trip for every season and I’ve always seen someone there. This shouldn’t discourage those who wish to experience the wilderness without lots of other people around though. You’ll likely run into other folks along the trail but it will be brief. There are also only two camping areas on this trail and they are far enough apart that you won’t hear or see each other.



This trail is technically in the BWCAW (Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness). This is another out and back trip that takes you from the parking lot to the top of Eagle Mountain. The out and back length is about 6 miles total and the elevation gain is slightly higher than the Bean and Bear Lakes trail but you don’t have to hike all the way to the top of Eagle Mountain. Also when I say “Eagle Mountain” don’t envision climbing Mt. Everest. It’s basically a rocky trail going up a big hill. There are some amazing vistas of the surrounding landscapes on the way up that make the hike worth the effort. You’ll also be at the highest point in Minnesota at 2,301 feet above sea level when you get to the top. You won’t be hiking up that far though. The actual elevation gain in the trail is only about 550 feet and when you go back to the car its all down hill.





A view from the trail going up to Eagle Mountain.





Plaque on top of Eagle Mountain. (Geological marker is just a few inches directly behind the plaque.)



The trail itself can be a bit rocky at times but its very well marked. The first campsite is awful. I’m not going to lie to you. Its one of the worse I’ve ever camped at. Its in the middle of a tiny clearing which by mid-summer has various types of plants that have grown to about shoulder height. Its full of mosquitoes and on hot days you don’t get anything in the way of a breeze through it. It was basically an old logging camp and for the love of sanity I can’t understand why on earth they picked that spot when the lake is only about 200 feet away. Someone may like that spot for camping but it isn’t me.



The second campsite is absolutely amazing and the beauty of it is that because it’s in the BWCAW you can reserve it. It’s nestled in the trees right on Whale Lake and the view is wonderful.





Whale Lake Campsite on the Eagle Mountain Trail.



This is the quintessential campsite view in the BWCAW. It’s also only about 100 yards off the trail at the final part that takes you to the top of Eagle Mountain. You can drop your packs, set up your tents and hike to the top without the extra weight. The distance to the top from there is only about ¾ mile. It’s a pretty quick hike up from there. You’ll see some great views, check out the plaque and geological marker on top and then it’s an even quicker walk back to the campsite because you’re going downhill. If you find you’re just not up to hiking any further when you get to the campsite you can just stay put as well. The views are great on top but you don’t have to go up there to get a BWCAW backpacking experience.



I also like this hike for the same reasons I like the Bean and Bear Lakes trip. It’s close to Lake Superior and all the other activities along highway 61. I’ve done Eagle Mountain and the Bean and Bear Lakes trail in the same three-day weekend a few times. This is definitely a favorite and one I feel a beginner can easily handle.

Becky, Blueberry and Bear Head Lakes Trail





Campsite on Becky Lake in Bear head State Park.



The Becky, Blueberry and Bear Head Lakes Trail is in Bear Head State Park about 18 miles east of Tower Minnesota. I did this trail last year with a couple friends and immediately recognized it as a trail for both the beginner and people who have been backpacking for years. The trail is basically a three-mile figure eight that goes around Becky Lake then Blue Berry Lake and skims the much larger Bear Head Lake. All of the campsites are off the trail far enough that you probably won’t be seeing anyone from the tent area. They are also managed by the State Park and must be reserved.



There are a couple hills at the beginning and end but for the most part its relatively flat. The first lake is Becky Lake. There is only one campsite on Becky Lake so you’ll have the whole lake to yourself if you choose this as a place to camp. Then it’s on to Blueberry Lake and you’ll soon see why they called it Blueberry Lake. I have never in my life ever seen so many blueberries in one place. I don’t think I’ve ever even seen that many at a grocery store. There are three campsites on Blueberry Lake and all of them were stocked full on blueberries.





Blueberries picked at Blueberry Lake.



They were along the trail, by the lake right outside my tent door… They were everywhere. By the second day my fingers were stained purple. I liked all of the campsites on Blueberry Lake. They were big enough for two backpacking tents and they all had nice campfire areas and great lake views. The final campsite is at Bear Head Lake. This one is a bit further off the trail and on a lake that has great fishing.



The reasons I think this is great for the novices are because it’s in a state park and there are plenty of other activities. There is a beach, you can rent boats and canoes and there are also car camping sites and showers.



The trail is also marked very well and because it’s a figure eight you can reserve your campsite and take the fastest route to it if you don’t feel like hiking the whole figure eight. You can get to the first campsite on either Becky or Bear Head Lake by walking less than a mile. Even the furthest campsite on Blueberry Lake is only about a mile and a half.



Here is an interactive map we made that has video of all but two of the campsites on the Bear Head State Park backpacking trail.

If you want more information on any of these trails here are some weblinks and guidebooks I’ve used and liked.



Bean and Bear Lakes section of the Superior Hiking Trail
Superior Hiking trail website and map:
http://www.shta.org/Trail/TrailMaps/s067.php
Books:
Hiking Minnesota – John Pukite
Guide to the Superior Hiking Trail – Superior hiking trail association



Eagle Mountain Trail
BWCA website:
http://www.bwca.cc/activities/hiking/eaglemountain.html
Books:
Hiking Minnesota – John Pukite

Becky, Blueberry and Bear Head Lakes Trail (Bear Head State Park)

Bear Head State Park Website:
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/bear_head_lake/maps.html
Map of trail:
http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/maps/state_parks/spk00109.pdf
Books:
Minnesota State Parks-3rd Edition – Anne Arthur