Split Rock Lighthouse Hiking Trails in Minnesota

Northeast Minnesota, bordering the giant Lake Superior is beautiful year-round, but the best time to visit Lake Superior is definitely during autumn, when the spectacular fall colors appear. The Lake Superior Hiking Trail system offers a number of great hikes with gorgeous panoramic views of Lake Superior, the bluffs, and best of all, the fall colors. The trails are well maintained by a volunteer association called "Friends of the Lake Superior Hiking Trail," and there are many places to camp as well as several options for hotel lodging or cabin rental.

One area of the Lake Superior Hiking Trail system that is especially popular is Split Rock Lighthouse State Park. The park features several great sections of the Lake Superior Hiking Trail as well as the distinguished Split Rock Lighthouse. If you are hoping to combine a trip to Split Rock Lighthouse with a hiking tour of the fall colors on the Lake Superior Hiking Trail system, you will find a number of great options. Here are the best hikes near Split Rock Lighthouse in the Lake Superior Hiking Trail system:

1. Split Rock Lighthouse State Park to Beaver Bay

With 11 miles of difficult hills, this hiking tour is definitely not for the beginner. But if you have some experience with hiking and feel confident about tackling a more difficult hike, the scenery will be well worth the effort. Follow the beginning of the trail through Split Rock Lighthouse State Park, where you will see a wide variety of vegetation, including trees such as birch, conifer, silver maple, sugar maple, aspens and oaks. The broadleaf trees have the best fall colors around late September and early October. After leaving Split Rock Lighthouse State Park, there are many steep inland ascents, which earn the trail its classification as "difficult." One site of interest is the Merrill Grade Historic Logging Railroad. Near the historic railroad is a campsite area built by the Friends of the Lake Superior Hiking Trail. This is a great stopping area for those who wish to complete the hike in two days. There are also campsites available near Beaver Pond (about 4 miles away from the Beaver Bay trailhead).

2. Split Rock River Loop

At 5 miles, the Split Rock River Loop trail is much shorter and easier than the trail described above. It makes a great day hike, with wonderful overlooks that make it one of the more popular trails in the Lake Superior Hiking Trail system. The Split Rock River Loop trail traverses along the Split Rock River, with interesting views of bluffs and washouts. A few miles in, hikers are greeted by steep red rock cliffs that look magnificent against a backdrop of fall colors. Halfway through the Split Rock River Loop, hikers cross a bridge over the rushing Split Rock River. This outlook is one of the best spots on the Superior Hiking Trail to take pictures. After the bridge, the Split Rock River Loop slowly descends through the Split Rock River Valley before returning to the trailhead at Split Rock Lighthouse State Park. There are several campsites available near the bridge crossing the Split Rock River.

3. Corundum Mine Hiking Trail

This trail is not a part of the Lake Superior Hiking Trail system, but it is still a good hiking option, especially if you want a shorter hike, or are hiking with a family. The trail is only 3.5 miles, and does not have too many steep ascents or descents. The trailhead is located near the front entrance of Split Rock Lighthouse State Park. Near the beginning of the trail, you can take a short path the beach on Lake Superior and get some nice pictures of Split Rock Lighthouse. Next, you'll take a quick ascent of 100 feet up a hill with an even better view of Split Rock Lighthouse. On clear days, you can see the Apostle Islands off the coast of Wisconsin. At this point, you have the option of finishing off the scenic loop or continuing on to the historic Corundum Mine. Interestingly enough, the turn of the century miners actually were mining anorthosite, but mistook it for Corundum. This trail can easily be completed in an afternoon, but if you wish for a longer hike, you can explore the other 8 miles of short trails in Split Rock Lighthouse State Park.