[Editor’s Note: Based out of Duluth, Minnesota, Tryg Solberg is a trail runner and Nordic skier who loves to explore new trails and familiar ones alike. After four years on Michigan Tech’s Nordic Ski Team, he’s hoping to continue training with some more trail running and racing.]
Vacation spot? Positive. Filth? Completely. Positioned squarely within the U.S. Midwest, it might be apparent that Duluth, Minnesota, doesn’t have mountains, however what it does have is high quality trails simply accessible from a bigger city space. Positioned on the far southwestern tip of Lake Superior and on the border of Minnesota and Wisconsin, what Duluth lacks in alpine terrain, it greater than makes up for with accessibility, character, and group. After path operating in loads of areas throughout the U.S., Duluth stays close to the highest of my checklist as a metropolis with nice path operating prospects.
The Duluth Traverse path overlooking Duluth’s carry bridge into Lake Superior and Park Level. Photograph: Tryg Solberg
Duluth — the westernmost port metropolis with delivery entry to the Atlantic Ocean and a inhabitants of about 86,700 folks — has extremely accessible trails within the coronary heart of the town. Greater than 150 miles of filth trails crisscross the city space, and plentiful lakes and streams all through supply a novel expertise in a pretty big inhabitants heart. Maybe what makes Duluth distinctive amongst different cities is its location on Lake Superior, the world’s largest freshwater lake by floor space. Town largely hugs the southeast to northwest trending shore, and the lake’s blue and gray hues peek out from the vistas that sit atop Duluth’s 1.1-billion-year-old bedrock hillsides.
Town covers 80 sq. miles and has 12,000 acres of parks distributed amongst the sprawl. These parks reap the benefits of topography, difficult the stereotype of the Midwest being flat. The hillsides bordering a lot of the town on the northwest climb 400 to 600 toes above the water. Town and native path non-profits have prioritized path accessibility — creating areas with a excessive density of trails inside native parks, and connecting completely different parks with paths, as effectively. Such is the geography of the lengthy and slim metropolis that just about each neighborhood in Duluth lies inside a half-mile of singletrack.
The Duluth Traverse’s “Westchester” part simply west of Chester Park. Photograph: Tryg Solberg
The realm is dwelling to a robust group of path runners of all talents who collect at path races and informal runs alike. A good-knit weeknight race collection brings runners collectively often throughout the city-operated parks. Organizations similar to Duluth Operating Firm, Northern Minnesota Observe Membership, and Journey Operating Firm host races on the roads and trails within the space.
From the skin, Duluth could not look like a path operating vacation spot, however its distinctive geography, hills, and operating group make sure that high quality trails and paths are simply accessible to runners of every kind.
Simple Path Runs
Hartley Park
Duluth is an ideal spot to get out for a fast run earlier than or after work. The accessibility of the paths actually turns into obvious while you solely have 30 or 60 minutes door-to-door. The paths within the metropolis parks are a superb possibility, and Hartley Park is pretty centrally positioned on the town, with quite a lot of trails starting from completely flat to troublesome, like Rock Knob. Hartley Park, which was previously a farm, gives 10 miles of multi-use filth trails inside its 640 acres. There are 4 primary trailheads on the park’s completely different sides, and the paths create an online of choices for exploration. It’s straightforward to create runs of any size within the community of trails. The realm caters to runners, hikers, and mountain bikers in the course of the non-snowy months and offers cross-country snowboarding alternatives within the winter. The Hartley Nature Middle, a non-profit environmental group, gives instructional and leisure applications within the space.
Hartley Park Urged Route – 3.0 miles (Strava)
A competitor in Northern Minnesota Observe Membership race collection operating by golden hour in Hartley Park. Photograph: Tryg Solberg
Chester Park
Chester Park, positioned within the metropolis’s East Hillside space, is one other central possibility that provides some quick routes with difficult terrain. The two.5-mile Chester Park Loop goes up one facet of the creek and again down the opposite, and there are different trails round with a little bit of elevation achieve. Each the Duluth Traverse and the Superior Mountaineering Path mentioned beneath undergo this park. Within the winter, the park is dwelling to groomed cross-country snowboarding trails.
Chester Park Urged Route – 3.9 miles (Strava)
Reasonable Path Runs
Spirit Mountain Recreation Space
The Spirit Mountain Recreation Space on the west facet of city is a ski space within the winter and generally is a start line for a number of one- to two-hour path runs with some vertical in the summertime. Whereas many of the mountain is roofed in mountain bike trails, the Superior Mountaineering Path’s Spirit Mountain Loop path is simple so as to add onto longer runs by the neighboring path programs.
Spirit Mountain Urged Route – 7.4 miles (Strava)
Racers within the Wild Duluth Races coming by Spirit Mountain Recreation Space on the Superior Mountaineering Path. Photograph: Tryg Solberg
Lester Park
Lester Park, positioned on the northeast facet of city, is good if you end up with one to 2 hours to run. There are a number of trailheads that supply entry to trails that may fulfill any of your coaching wants. There are a number of gradual trails that parallel two of Duluth’s 16 designated trout streams — Lester River and Amity Creek — and in the event you’re searching for a bit of extra climbing, head up Hawk Ridge for a panorama of Lake Superior and the Twin Ports area. On the best way again, you’ll in all probability cross by lots of of hen watchers whereas looping again into the park.
Lester Park Urged Route – 9.2 miles (Strava)
The view of Lake Superior from Hawk Ridge close to Lester Park. Photograph: Tyler Kobilarcsik
Superior Path Runs
Duluth Traverse
The Duluth Traverse is a 40-mile multi-use singletrack path that connects Lester Park on the northeast facet of city to Mission Creek Park on the southwest facet. Taking this path on could possibly be a enjoyable, full-day run. The path is purpose-built for mountain bikes, which makes it fairly flowy with some rocky, technical sections. It’s open to all human-powered customers, each in the summertime and within the winter. Continued efforts by Cyclists of Gitchee Gumee Shores (COGGS) have expanded this path to be a virtually steady strip of singletrack by Duluth, and the hope is to create a 100-mile path system based mostly round it.
Duluth Traverse Route – 38 miles (Strava)
Racing within the Wild Duluth 100k on the Superior Mountaineering Path. Photograph: Tryg Solberg
Superior Mountaineering Path
The Superior Mountaineering Path (SHT) takes hikers, runners, and backpackers 300 miles from the Wisconsin border in Duluth, almost to the Canadian border to the north. The path largely parallels the lakeshore, and 41 miles of it run by Duluth, connecting lots of the metropolis’s parks.
Just like the Duluth Traverse’s cross-city route described above — which follows a number of of the identical trails — the SHT takes runners throughout city with a various array of vistas, technical sections, and a portion alongside Duluth’s paved Lakewalk path.
As soon as north of the town and within the North Shore space, the SHT gives glorious path operating choices. The path might be reached from many trailheads and gives some gnarly, lovely sections overlooking the forest and Lake Superior. Extra details about completely different sections of the path might be discovered on the Superior Mountaineering Path Affiliation web site.
Racing in Duluth
Along with the favored Grandma’s Marathon on the highway in June, Duluth has a vibrant and constant path racing scene.
In July, the Northern Minnesota Observe Membership places on each the Eugene Curnow Path Marathon and the Voyageur 50 Mile race. The membership additionally hosts a spring and fall path racing collection. In August, the Summit North Race gives a number of sub-ultra choices. Come October, the Grand Traverse gives a number of 10- to 27-mile path race choices. Throughout peak fall colours in mid-October, the Journey Operating Wild Duluth Races supply 50k, 100k, half-marathon, and 10k path races. Additionally they host a winter path operating race collection.
Jarrow Wahman, an organizer of Northern Minnesota Observe Membership’s Fall Sequence, beginning a weeknight race at Hartley Park in Duluth in October 2025. Photograph: Tryg Solberg
The Midwest topography doesn’t supply 60-minute climbs or descents of a number of 1000’s of toes. As an alternative, these races primarily use singletrack with punchy climbs that may supply simply as a lot of a problem.
Duluth Fundamentals
Greatest Time to Go to Duluth
Early and late summer season are the perfect time for path operating in Duluth. Excessive temperatures in the summertime can hover round 80 levels Fahrenheit (26 levels Celsius), and the center of summer season might be muggy. Since fog created by Lake Superior can create a claustrophobic blanket across the metropolis within the winter and early summer season, August to October supply among the most constant good climate.
From November to March, anticipate snow or chilly temperatures. Singletrack trails that have excessive use might be well-packed within the winter, creating among the smoothest and quickest operating situations of the yr if you could find grip. Count on a mud-season thaw anytime from March till mid-Might.
Operating on the Superior Mountaineering Path close to Spirit Mountain Recreation Space on a foggy Duluth day. Photograph: Henry Campbell
Attending to Duluth
Whereas Duluth doesn’t have its personal main airport, getting there isn’t troublesome. The Minneapolis-Saint Paul Worldwide Airport is a 2.5-hour drive south of Duluth through I-35N and has many flight choices, and Duluth Worldwide Airport gives accessible flights to restricted areas. Like several metropolis, Duluth has an array of inns, rental automotive choices, and different facilities that make it straightforward to navigate.
Name for Feedback
- What are your favourite operating areas in Duluth?
- Does your metropolis have an important city path system?
