Jay Cooke State Park Backcountry

Jay Cooke State Park (near Carlton)

Jay Cooke State Park, just southwest of Duluth, protects the rocky gorge of the St. Louis River. Its four backpack sites all sit on the quieter south side of the river, reached by crossing the park’s swinging bridge or by hiking in on the Superior Hiking Trail from the Wisconsin border.

The Superior Hiking Trail Association names the four sites as Lost Lake, Ash Ridge, High Landing, and Silver Creek. They’re the only places to camp on the trail’s southern 50 miles, which otherwise has just one trail campsite near the state line.

The hike

From the park’s visitor center area, the swinging bridge crosses the St. Louis to the south-side trails. The bridge has a long history with floods. Northern News Now (2025) says a rope bridge first went up in 1924 and the Civilian Conservation Corps built a sturdier one with stone pillars in 1934; floods destroyed versions of it in 1940, 1950, and 2012. The station calls the current bridge, the fifth, the entrance to 25 miles of trails, and says park leaders plan to keep it open despite the flood risk.

The other way in is the SHT. The SHTA lists a 5.9-mile section from the Wild Valley Road trailhead to the Jay Cooke Visitor Center that starts on SHT-only trail and then joins state park trails; it calls the section remote and rugged, with steep climbs. The four backcountry sites are in this section. The SHTA notes that the Wild Valley Road lot is closed from mid-March to late May and isn’t plowed in winter. With a car at each end, the section makes a one-night point-to-point trip.

Backpacker’s writer camped at Silver Creek, describing “a clear trout stream flowing softly nearby,” and spent the next day on the Spruce and High Trails to a bluff above the river, about 18 miles round trip from the tent. The article recommends the Carlton Trail, west from the south end of the bridge, as a scenic detour along the gorge. Elevations run from about 650 feet by the river to a bit over 900 feet on the ridges, with real ups and downs on both sides.

The rocks are old. Wikipedia says the Thomson Formation slate and graywacke exposed here is about 1.9 billion years old, cut by younger gabbro dikes visible around the bridge. Part of the 6.5-mile Grand Portage of the St. Louis, which fur traders used to bypass the rapids until 1870, is now a hiking trail.

Backpacker suggests early spring, when the trails are often snow-free before most of northern Minnesota, and says that while dayhikers crowd the park on summer weekends and peak fall weeks, the longer trails and backcountry sites stay quiet.

Tips

Reserve your site before you go; the SHTA warns against camping at these sites without a reservation.
Check in with the park for overnight parking at SHT trailheads; a state park vehicle permit is required.
Treat all water, or carry what you need.
Expect ticks and bugs in summer; Dyrt reviewers mention both.
Watch the river after big rains. The bridge and riverside trails have flooded before.
Check hunting dates in late fall. The DNR’s 2026 muzzleloader season runs Nov. 28 to Dec. 13, and the SHTA says state parks may restrict hiker access during hunts.

Camping

Camping is allowed only at the four designated backpack sites. DNR rules say all state park campsites require a reservation, made online or at 866-857-2757 up to 120 days ahead; each site is limited to one group of six or fewer. Pets are allowed on a leash of six feet or less. Lake-Link describes the sites as having a picnic table, latrine, and fire ring, and says to bring water or treat it on site. Backpacker asks campers to stay on trails and use the latrines.

Inside Intel: In a 2010 Hammock Forums trip report, one hiker called High Landing “the most luxurious backpacking site I’ve been to,” and a second poster called it “the best campsite in my opinion.” That poster said Ash Ridge has easy river access but few good hanging trees and gets muddy, and Lost Lake has level tent ground but is swampy. A 2025 Dyrt reviewer said Lost Lake fits four backpacking tents and has a picnic table, fire ring, bear locker, and a latrine a short walk away.

Trail facts

Distance: 5.9 miles point to point (SHT, Wild Valley Road to the Jay Cooke Visitor Center); site distances from the bridge not confirmed
Route type: Point to point with a shuttle, or out-and-back across the swinging bridge
Difficulty: Moderate; steep climbs in the Wild Valley section
Campsites: Lost Lake, Ash Ridge, High Landing, Silver Creek
Water: Streams and the St. Louis River; treat all water
Permits: State park reservation; vehicle permit; check in for overnight SHT parking
Food storage: Bear lockers reported at some sites
Dogs: Allowed on a 6-foot leash
Trailheads: Jay Cooke Visitor Center (swinging bridge); SHT Wild Valley Road trailhead
Last verified: October 17, 2026

The Lowdown

Cold air rising off the St. Louis River:

On one April trip to High Landing, cold air blew up the slope from the river and the next night dropped below freezing. See the sleeping bags testers trust.

See what testers chose →

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.