Hiking the Superior Trail—Rugged terrain, Lake Views, and Remote Beauty
Named one of America’s top ten trains by Backpacker Magazine, the Superior Hiking Trail delivers a rewarding blend of remoteness, striking scenery, and challenging terrain. Stretching more than 300 miles along the ridgelines of Minnesota’s Sawtooth Mountains, this iconic trail offers sweeping views of Lake Superior and leads us through a mosaic of northern hardwood forests, rocky outcrops, and diverse ecosystems.
With cooler summer temperatures and crisp, fresh air, it’s an ideal setting for a more physically demanding hiking adventure. We’ll hike 5 to 8 hours each day over rocky, root-filled, and often uneven terrain, with moderate to significant elevation changes. Each evening, we return to lakeside lodging to rest, relax, and refuel.
Rated 4 in activity level, this trip is perfect for experienced hikers looking to push themselves and explore one of the country’s best-kept hiking secrets.
Maximum group size: 12
Looking for a less strenuous option? Check out our Autumn on the Superior Hiking Trail trip!
Trip Info
We have rated this trip as a 4 as we will hike 5 to 8 hours a day with moderate to significant elevation gain and loss.
Rating: 1 2 3 [4] 5
Curious about how we rate our trips and how to prepare for yours? Explore our AGC Fitness Guide for more details.
This is primarily a hiking trip on a wooded trail, full of roots and rocks, that runs along the ridge overlooking Lake Superior. The trail is rolling in nature, with moderate ascents and descents and may be muddy/slippery depending on recent rainfall. This is an excellent trip for experienced hikers who are looking to escape the summer heat. We spend the last night in the beautiful small town of Grand Marais, Minnesota, where there are interesting small shops and bookstores.
Wondering what kind of gear works well for our trips? Our AGC Gear Guide highlights some of our go-to favorites.
We will spend the first night at the Inn on Lake Superior in Duluth. From here, we will spend the next three nights at Cove Point Lodge in charming shore-side cottages. On the final two nights, we will enjoy our slumber in a comfy bed at the Best Western in Grand Marais, a charming artistic town.
All participants are guaranteed their own bed. A limited number of single supplement rooms may be available for an additional cost and can be selected during booking if available.
See the FAQs below for more details about accommodation options.
Ready to picture yourself on this adventure?
Download the detailed trip summary for a closer look — daily highlights, travel notes, and everything you need to know before you go. It’s the perfect way to dream, plan, and share with a friend!
Below is the proposed itinerary for the trip. As is true on any adventure travel trip, plans for any specific day may be modified due to weather considerations, unforeseen circumstances, new opportunities, and group interests.
Beautiful challenging hiking trails. A wonderful group of women who love to hike. Great leaders and beautiful accommodations.
The plus of it was I got to visit the Lake Superior area and it pushed me to increase my fitness to do a level 4 hike. The downside of the trip was we saw and learned little of Lake Superior area, rather we spent the vast majority of our hike looking at our feet to avoid stumbling over the numerous rocks and roots, and in dense, but beautiful woods.
I reconnected with 3 other ladies who had met in the Canadian Rockies. Great to both hike with them & see them. I also was looking forward to seeing Lake Superior area. It was beautiful.
We covered a lot of miles and beautiful scenery. Fun to explore a new area. Guides were experienced - wonderful accommodations and good food. Lively group of women who came ready to hike!
Great guides and participants! Would have enjoyed it more in the spring or fall. Heat and mosquitos made it less enjoyable, therefore only a very good instead of excellent.
I loved the trail, the guides, the participants, the food and the accommodations.
| Year | Departure Date | Availability | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2026 |
July 18 to July 24 |
FULL |
$3895.00 |
|
|
2027 |
July 17 to July 23 |
Available |
$3895.00 |
Turn any trip into a private experience for your group, or let us design a custom itinerary just for you! Whether it’s friends, family, or colleagues, we’ll make your journey unforgettable.
All participants are guaranteed their own bed on our trips.
A Single Supplement (SS) means you will have your own room with your own bed, and no other participants will share that room with you. Single supplements are limited, offered at an additional cost, and will appear as a booking option at the time of registration if still available.
A Double Accommodation means you will share a room with another participant. You will still have your own bed. Shared beds can be requested but cannot always be accommodated depending upon the property.
Bathrooms: Bathroom arrangements vary depending on the trip and lodging. A single supplement guarantees your own sleeping space but may still include a shared bathroom. Double accommodations typically share a bathroom with a roommate and sometimes additional participants, depending on the property. Private or ensuite bathrooms will be noted in the trip details when available.
The guides will be cooking breakfasts and some dinners at your lodging; other dinners will be at restaurants where you can order off the menu. At breakfast the guides will put out 'fixings' for lunch and you will pack your own lunch and snacks.
If we know well in advance, we can accommodate vegetarian, lactose-free, and gluten-sensitive diets. We cannot guarantee a completely gluten-free diet and we cannot provide a kitchen guaranteed to be free of cross-contamination. If you are vegan, we ask that you bring some additional protein bars; and if you are gluten-sensitive, please bring some gluten-free snacks. If you have severe allergies, Celiac disease and/or other significant dietary restrictions, please call the office before you register.
You only need to pay a single supplement if you want to guarantee you have your own room the first and last nights. Otherwise we will stay in condos where everyone has her own bedroom. Some bedrooms will have their own bathroom and others will share a bathroom (maximum 2), rooms will be assigned randomly, unless you request a roommate.
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