Backpack Trail Guide

Trails / Minnesota / Superior Hiking Trail

Superior Hiking Trail: Hovland to the Northern Terminus

Superior Hiking Trail (Cook County Road 70 to Otter Lake Road and the 270 Degree Overlook)

The Superior Hiking Trail’s final miles leave the lakeshore behind. North of Hovland, the trail climbs onto ridges with views of Lake Superior and, on clear days, Isle Royale, then heads inland through spruce and balsam to its official end at the 270 Degree Overlook above the Pigeon River valley, a mile along the Border Route Trail.

This is the quietest part of the trail. The Superior Hiking Trail Association (SHTA) calls the last section “Remote, with occasional logging,” and lists only six campsites over 22 miles.

The hike

From the small County Road 70 trailhead (room for six cars), the trail follows branches of the Flute Reed River and Carlson Creek, and the SHTA mentions wildlife viewing at many ponds.

Past the Arrowhead Trail (Cook County Road 16), the SHTA says “Half of section on ridgeline with nearly continuous views” through lichen-draped spruce forest, with views of Lake Superior and Isle Royale. Paria’s 2020 guide lists Carlson Pond (beaver habitat) and then Hellacious Overlook on a ridgeline. Susan Gleissner of This Big Wild World praised the South Carlson Pond campsite’s afternoon view, but the SHTA now says the pond is gone. Melanie McManus, writing as The Thousand Miler on a 2018 thru-hike, stopped at Hellacious Overlook, then walked a logging road with a flooded section and found a tilted trail post in a logged area that made the route hard to follow.

The 8.7-mile section from Jackson Lake Road to Otter Lake Road has overlooks of the Jackson Lake and Swamp River valleys and the trail’s high point at 1,829 feet, which the SHTA notes is “in balsam forest, but no view!” McManus camped at Jackson Creek, with glacial erratics right outside the campsite. Paria’s itinerary also stops at Jackson Creek Camp and passes Andy Creek Camp on the last day.

From the Otter Lake Road trailhead, a short road walk leads to the Border Route Trail, which carries the SHT about a mile to the 270 Degree Overlook. There’s no road at the terminus, so you walk back to Otter Lake Road. Paria’s directions to that trailhead: Highway 61 to Hovland, 11.5 miles north on the Arrowhead Trail, then four miles on Otter Lake Road.

Perfect Duluth Day writer Paul Lundgren started his 2000 hike south from here and camped first at Woodland Caribou Pond, where he saw a moose and his water froze overnight.

To the south is Grand Marais to Judge Magney. The overlook is also on the Border Route Trail.

Tips

Camping

SHT campsites need no reservations, fees, or permits, and every site must be shared, according to the SHTA. Camp only at designated sites (hammock campers too), never at trailheads, and limit your stay to one night. Fires go only in the fire ring, trash is packed out, and food goes in a bear canister or a hang. Most sites are designed for nine or fewer people; groups of eight or more must read the SHTA’s large-group page. The Border Route Trail beyond Otter Lake Road has its own sites.

The SHTA lists three campsites between County Road 70 and the Arrowhead Trail, one between the Arrowhead Trail and Jackson Lake Road, and two between Jackson Lake Road and Otter Lake Road.

Inside Intel: McManus ended a 15.5-mile day at Jackson Creek, noting the glacial erratics beside camp; Paria’s five-day itinerary also uses Jackson Creek as its last night before the terminus.

Trail facts

The Lowdown

Frosty nights near the Canadian line:

One SHT hiker's water froze solid overnight at Woodland Caribou Pond near the northern terminus. See the sleeping bags testers rate for cold North Woods camps.

See the picks →

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.