[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. Grime? 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 working in loads of places throughout the U.S., Duluth stays close to the highest of my checklist as a metropolis with nice path working potentialities.
The Duluth Traverse path overlooking Duluth’s elevate bridge into Lake Superior and Park Level. Photograph: Tryg Solberg
Duluth — the westernmost port metropolis with transport entry to the Atlantic Ocean and a inhabitants of about 86,700 folks — has extremely accessible trails within the coronary heart of town. Greater than 150 miles of filth trails crisscross the city space, and plentiful lakes and streams all through provide a singular expertise in a reasonably large inhabitants middle. Maybe what makes Duluth distinctive amongst different cities is its location on Lake Superior, the world’s largest freshwater lake by floor space. The 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.
The town covers 80 sq. miles and has 12,000 acres of parks distributed amongst the sprawl. These parks benefit from topography, difficult the stereotype of the Midwest being flat. The hillsides bordering a lot of town on the northwest climb 400 to 600 ft above the water. The town and native path non-profits have prioritized path accessibility — creating areas with a excessive density of trails inside native parks, and connecting totally different parks with paths, as properly. 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 residence to a powerful group of path runners of all skills who collect at path races and informal runs alike. A good-knit weeknight race sequence brings runners collectively frequently throughout the city-operated parks. Organizations similar to Duluth Operating Firm, Northern Minnesota Monitor Membership, and Journey Operating Firm host races on the roads and trails within the space.
From the skin, Duluth might not look like a path working vacation spot, however its distinctive geography, hills, and working group be sure that high quality trails and paths are simply accessible to runners of every type.
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 whenever 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 a wide range 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 important trailheads on the park’s totally different sides, and the paths create an online of choices for exploration. It’s simple to create runs of any size within the community of trails. The realm caters to runners, hikers, and mountain bikers through the non-snowy months and supplies cross-country snowboarding alternatives within the winter. The Hartley Nature Heart, a non-profit environmental group, gives academic and leisure applications within the space.
Hartley Park Recommended Route – 3.0 miles (Strava)
A competitor in Northern Minnesota Monitor Membership race sequence working by means of 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 gives 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 acquire. Each the Duluth Traverse and the Superior Climbing Path mentioned beneath undergo this park. Within the winter, the park is residence to groomed cross-country snowboarding trails.
Chester Park Recommended Route – 3.9 miles (Strava)
Average 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 is usually 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 Climbing Path’s Spirit Mountain Loop path is straightforward so as to add onto longer runs by means of the neighboring path techniques.
Spirit Mountain Recommended Route – 7.4 miles (Strava)
Racers within the Wild Duluth Races coming by means of Spirit Mountain Recreation Space on the Superior Climbing 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 for those who’re searching for just a little extra climbing, head up Hawk Ridge for a panorama of Lake Superior and the Twin Ports area. On the way in which again, you’ll in all probability move by tons of of chicken watchers whereas looping again into the park.
Lester Park Recommended 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 may very well 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 means of Duluth, and the hope is to create a 100-mile path system primarily based round it.
Duluth Traverse Route – 38 miles (Strava)
Racing within the Wild Duluth 100k on the Superior Climbing Path. Photograph: Tryg Solberg
Superior Climbing Path
The Superior Climbing Path (SHT) takes hikers, runners, and backpackers 300 miles from the Wisconsin border in Duluth, practically to the Canadian border to the north. The path largely parallels the lakeshore, and 41 miles of it run by means of Duluth, connecting most 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 town and within the North Shore space, the SHT gives wonderful path working choices. The path could be reached from many trailheads and gives some gnarly, stunning sections overlooking the forest and Lake Superior. Extra details about totally different sections of the path could be discovered on the Superior Climbing Path Affiliation web site.
Racing in Duluth
Along with the favored Grandma’s Marathon on the street in June, Duluth has a vibrant and constant path racing scene.
In July, the Northern Minnesota Monitor 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 sequence. 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 provide 50k, 100k, half-marathon, and 10k path races. In addition they host a winter path working race sequence.
Jarrow Wahman, an organizer of Northern Minnesota Monitor Membership’s Fall Sequence, beginning a weeknight race at Hartley Park in Duluth in October 2025. Photograph: Tryg Solberg
The Midwest topography doesn’t provide 60-minute climbs or descents of a number of 1000’s of ft. As a substitute, these races primarily use singletrack with punchy climbs that may provide simply as a lot of a problem.
Duluth Fundamentals
Greatest Time to Go to Duluth
Early and late summer season are the very best time for path working in Duluth. Excessive temperatures in the summertime can hover round 80 levels Fahrenheit (26 levels Celsius), and the center of summer season could 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 provide among the most constant good climate.
From November to March, anticipate snow or chilly temperatures. Singletrack trails that have excessive use could be well-packed within the winter, creating among the smoothest and quickest working circumstances of the 12 months if you could find grip. Count on a mud-season thaw anytime from March till mid-Could.
Operating on the Superior Climbing 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 places. Like all metropolis, Duluth has an array of motels, rental automobile choices, and different facilities that make it simple to navigate.
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