Backpack Trail Guide

Trails / Minnesota / Superior Hiking Trail

Superior Hiking Trail: Section 13 and Sonju Lake (Finland to Crosby-Manitou)

Superior Hiking Trail (Lake County Road 6 to George H. Crosby Manitou State Park)

North of Tettegouche, the Superior Hiking Trail turns inland around the town of Finland. This stretch climbs to the Section 13 cliffs above the Sawmill Creek and Baptism River valleys, then drops into maple and cedar forest to reach Egge and Sonju Lakes before ending at George H. Crosby Manitou State Park.

The Superior Hiking Trail Association (SHTA) lists nine campsites over these two sections, so it’s easy to break into a two- or three-day trip.

The hike

From the Lake County Road 6 trailhead, the SHTA says the trail “Climbs to Section 13 cliffs with breathtaking views from high cliffs overlooking Sawmill Creek and Baptism River Valleys.” The section also crosses a 440-foot boardwalk over a beaver dam and passes a glacial erratic more than 20 feet tall. In June 2026, crews replaced 400 feet of old puncheon near County Road 6, according to the SHTA’s 2026 projects page.

Section 13 is a steep cliff popular with rock climbers, according to an essay in Paul Lundgren’s “Sixteen Years on the Superior Hiking Trail” series on Perfect Duluth Day, describing a 2008 hike in the other direction. He passed Sawmill Pond, where a trailside log book sat, the big glacial erratic, and the Leskinen Creek campsite about 2.5 miles from the Finland Recreation Center. Susan Gleissner of This Big Wild World calls the Section 13 campsite “easily a favorite” but says the section is grueling and the site has no water, so fill up about a half mile before.

North of County Road 7 (Cramer Road), where the Clair Nelson Community Center has overnight parking and an outhouse, the trail runs 11.8 miles to Crosby-Manitou. The SHTA describes “spectacular Egge and Sonju Lakes” and “beautiful maple and cedar forests,” with a boardwalk to Lily Island on Sonju Lake. Gleissner calls South Sonju Lake “without a doubt, my favorite campsite on the Superior Hiking Trail so far,” noting the morning mist over the lake and a short walk to the island for sunset.

The section ends at Crosby-Manitou State Park, where a vehicle permit is required to park. In October 2025, a lightning-caused fire burned about 300 acres inside the park and briefly closed the SHT from Caribou Falls to County Road 7, according to Fox 9, which reported on Oct. 15 that the trail was scheduled to reopen the next morning.

To the south is Bean and Bear Lakes. For the park’s own riverside backpack sites, see Crosby-Manitou State Park.

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 park’s own backpack sites require a reservation.

The SHTA lists two campsites between County Road 6 and County Road 7, and seven between County Road 7 and Crosby-Manitou.

Inside Intel: Gleissner says South Sonju Lake is a large group site with tent pads running down to the shore and a chair with a back. At Section 13, she singles out a bench with a seat back as the “ultimate luxury on the trail.”

Trail facts

The Lowdown

Lumpy tent pads, lake views:

Sonju Lake's tent pads run down to the shore, and the Section 13 site sits on a rocky ridge. See the sleeping pads testers rate for uneven ground.

Read the full guide →

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.