Hiking Minnesota: A Guide to the State's Greatest Hiking Adventures

by Mary Jo Mosher, Kristine Mosher

Overview

The classic guide to hiking the Land of 10,000 Lakes, now updated and in full color!

View the spectacular waterfalls, gorges, and canyons of the nationally known Superior Hiking Trail, step back into Native American history alongside the quarries of Pipestone National Monument, or see bald eagles and other wildlife in Bear Head Lake State Park. Highlighting the history and geography of each route, this book introduces more than forty of the finest trails the Gopher State has to offer.

Each featured hike includes detailed hike specs and descriptions, trailhead location, mile-by-mile directional cues, gorgeous full-color photography, and a detailed map.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781493080250
Publisher:	Globe Pequot
Publication date:	08/04/2026
Series:	State Hiking Guides Series
Edition description:	Fourth Edition, Revised
Pages:	280
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.65(d)

About the Author

Mary Jo Mosher is a freelance writer, retired journalist, and USDA Forest Service volunteer who has traveled extensively through the state parks, national forests, and outdoor areas of Minnesota. She lives in Becker, Minnesota.

Kristine Mosher has spent many years as a wilderness instructor and outdoor educator, having hiked throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico. She lives in Ely, Minnesota.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vii

Introduction 1

Minnesota Weather 1

Flora and Fauna 2

Wilderness Restrictions 5

Getting Around Minnesota 6

How to Use This Guide 7

Ranking the Hikes 9

Map Legend 11

The Hikes

The Confluence 12

1 Minnehaha Falls 14

2 Fort Snelling State Park 20

3 William O'Brien State Park 25

Honorable Mentions 30

Blufflands 32

4 Nerstrand Big Woods State Park 34

5 Barn Bluff 39

6 Frontenac State Park 43

7 Whitewater State Park 48

8 Great River Bluffs State Park 53

9 Beaver Creek Valley 59

Prairie Lands 65

10 Camden State Park 67

11 Pipestone National Monument 73

12 Blue Mounds State Park 80

Honorable Mention 85

Glacial Lakes and Landforms 86

13 St. Croix State Park 88

14 St Croix State Forest-Tamarack 92

15 Banning State Park 98

16 Mille Lacs Kathio State Park 102

17 Savanna Portage State Park 108

18 Pillsbury State Forest 113

19 Lake Maria State Park 117

20 Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge 122

21 Glacial Lakes State Park 127

22 Maplewood State Park 132

23 Itasca State Park 138

24 Scenic State Park 146

Honorable Mentions 151

Glacial Lake Agassiz Plain 152

25 Buffalo River State Park 154

26 Old Mill State Park 159

27 Zippel Bay State Park 164

Lake Superior and Border Lakes 168

28 Voyageurs National Park 170

29 Secret-Blackstone-Ennis Lake Trail 176

30 Bass Lake Trail 181

31 Bear Head Lake State Park 186

32 Border Route-Caribou Rock Trail 192

33 Eagle Mountain 198

34 Grand Portage State Park 203

35 Judge C. R. Magney State Park 208

36 Cascade River 213

37 Split Rock Lighthouse State Park 221

38 Park Point 226

39 Jay Cooke State Park 231

Honorable Mentions 237

Great Escape-The Superior Hiking Trail 242

40 The Superior Hiking Trail 243

The Art of Hiking 259

About the Authors 277