MINNESOTA

Few trails sum up a state’s hiking personality like Minnesota’s Superior Hiking Trail. Covering more than 300 miles along Lake Superior brings waterfalls gushing through granite outcroppings, towering headlands, and thick forestlands. Dogs can thru-hike the entire trail as they can just about any state park trail. With 267,000 acres of state parks nowhere is a Minnesota dog more than 50 miles from one of those trails. The biggest doggie downer is not being allowed on swimming beaches - and that is no small prohibition in Minnesota. The North Star State is a modest place, boasting of being the Land of 10,000 Lakes when it actually claims 11,842 lakes at least 10 acres in size - so many the state ran out of names for them all. More than 150 are named Long Lake. Minnesota is not all lakes and pine trees. The continent’s greatest river begins here where your dog can walk across the headwaters of the Mississippi in Itasca State Park. When the river reaches the Twin Cities Fort Snelling Park is the best urban canine hike you can take anywhere along the 2,340-miles of Ol’ Man River. When the Mississippi River really gets flowing the trail system in River Bluffs State Park takes your dog to memorable vantage points. The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is not just for paddling with your dog - a seven-mile round trip takes your dog to the top of Minnesota on 2,300-foot Eagle Mountain.

The Best Day Hike You Can Take With Your Dog In Minnesota

High Falls Trail
Tettegouche State Park • Silver Bay

The Baptism River has been working on the rugged rhyolite ridges above the Lake Superior shoreline for one billion years. There is still plenty of work to be done as witnessed by the highest waterfall wholly contained in the state of Minnesota (Canada claims half the droplets from the Pigeon River High Falls that helps form the international border).

The High Falls Trail is a broad brown brush stroke of dirt through a lush North Woods forest of birch, aspen, and pine. This is a 1.5-mile one-way canine hike to reach the 70-foot High Falls but there are side delights along the way, including multiple view-points of the vivacious Baptism River. A ten-minute side trail leads to a wide double drop in the river known as Two Step Falls.

The well-established trail reaches the High Falls at a wooden platform with a dramatic overlook of the plunging water. Seaman is not done yet, however. The trail continues down a long set of wooden steps to a swinging sus-pension bridge at water level leading your water-loving dog to the plunge pool. This will require a crossing on an open grate bridge that may give cautious dogs pause.

There are more falls to hunt on the Baptism River in Tettegouche on the opposite bank, a little less than one mile one way. Back at the visitor center, the half-mile ramble to Shovel Point atop the palisades high above Lake Superior is a quick must-do for your dog.

HIKING TIME: 1-2 hours

(from the book 300 Day Hikes To Take With Your Dog Before He Tires You Out: Trails where you won’t be able to wipe the wag off your dog’s tail)