page_title: Superior Hiking Trail
section_title: Sections of the trail
hierarchical_section_title: Superior Hiking Trail / Sections of the trail
caption_attribution_description: English: Crow Creek in winter, as seen from the Superior Hiking Trail, near Castle Danger, Minnesota, USA.
context_page_description: The Superior Hiking Trail, also known as the SHT, is a 310-mile long hiking trail in northeastern Minnesota that follows the rocky ridges overlooking Lake Superior for most of its length. The trail travels through forests of birch, aspen, pine, fir, and cedar. Hikers enjoy views of boreal forests, the Sawtooth Mountains, babbling brooks, rushing waterfalls, and abundant wildlife. The lowest point in the path is 602 ft above sea level and the highest point is 1,829 ft above sea level. The footpath is intended for hiking only. Motorized vehicles, mountain bikes, and horses are not allowed on the trail. Many people use the trail for long-distance hiking, and facilitating this purpose are 94 backcountry, fee-free campsites.
context_section_description: There are two primary sections to the Superior Hiking Trail.
  The Duluth section of the trail comprises 50 miles (80 km) and starts southwest of the city of Duluth at the Minnesota-Wisconsin border. The trail extends to the northeast through Jay Cooke State Park, the Spirit Mountain Recreation Area, Brewer Park, Enger Park, the Historic Downtown Area, Canal Park, the Lakewalk, and Hartley Nature Center, before it ends at a trailhead located on Martin Road on the north side of the city. The Duluth section is particularly suited for day hiking. There is only one backcountry campground, located near the Minnesota-Wisconsin border, along the Duluth section.
  The North Shore section of the trail is 260 miles (420 km) long and begins at the Martin Road Trailhead on the northern boundary of the City of Duluth. From there, the trail extends to the northeast along Lake Superior through seven state parks, including Gooseberry Falls State Park, Split Rock Lighthouse State Park and Tettegouche State Park. This section of the SHT passes near the towns of Lutsen and Grand Marais, and ends just before the Canada–United States border. The North Shore section provides backcountry experiences and is utilized by both day hikers and backpackers. The Superior Hiking Trail Association maintains 93 backcountry campgrounds along the North Shore section, and a traditional thru-hike of the Superior Hiking Trail typically spans this 260 miles (420 km) section. The total elevation gain along the North Shore section is 37,800 feet (11,500 m) and the elevation loss is 37,400 feet (11,400 m) for a northbound hiker.
  On the northern end the Superior Hiking Trail is connected to the 65-mile (105 km) long Border Route Trail which starts a short distance from the trail head on Otter Lake Road. This then connects to the 41-mile (66 km) long Kekekabic Trail which gives the hiker the ability to hike all the way through the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and end near Ely.
caption: Crow Creek in winter from the SHT
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