The official Superior Hiking Trail guidebook is fairly understated in the way it describes various sections of the trail. Therefore, when I read “rugged, challenging terrain with dramatic views” and “bridges over stunning Manitou River”, I knew this was a section of the SHT worth checking out.
The portion of the Superior Hiking Trail that runs along the Manitou River lies within George H. Crosby Manitou State Park. Unlike other points of interest, this park is not immediately accessible from Highway 61 along Minnesota’s North Shore. Instead, it lies about 20 minutes inland off a quiet dirt road and is one of the more remote state parks along the Superior Hiking Trail. Since we knew this would be a crowd deterrent, my wife and I packed up our son on the first really summery day of the year to finally explore this beautiful area and avoid the throngs of people sure to be found at Tettagouche, Temperance, and other areas.
Thankfully, the extra work to get there was well worth it. After our hike to the bridge spanning the Manitou River, we knew this had become one of our favorite areas of the North Shore. The remote feel, beautiful forest, and some of the North Shore’s most beautiful waterfalls make this a spot you need to visit!
If this sounds appealing, here’s everything you need to know to tackle this stunning stretch of the Superior Hiking Trail as a quick out and back day hike.
Manitou River Day Hiking Guide
Parking
George H. Crosby Manitou Start Park is accessed via County Road 7, also known as Cramer Road. If you are coming northbound from Duluth or Tettagouche State Park, turn left on Highway 1 towards the town of Finland. You’ll find a right hand turn onto Cramer Road as you’re passing through Finland.
Alternatively, from the north, traveling southbound, Cramer Road can be accessed near the town of Schroeder. The road changes names a few times, see instructions at the end of this post.
Whatever way you approach, you will find the entrance to the park about 8 miles away from the town of Finland. A short dirt road brings you to a parking lot where you can buy your day pass. Remember, this is a State Park, so you need to have an annual pass or pay to park each day you enter.
Like the newbies we were, my wife and left our car at the entry point and started walking up the road. That added about a quarter mile to our hike unnecessarily, because there is a separate Superior Hiking Trail trailhead parking lot further up. On the plus side, however, this initial stretch has a well pump with clean water. Watch for signs on the right hand side of road leading to the trailhead.
The Trail
Trailhead to Rim of Manitou Gorge
From the trailhead parking lot, keep your eyes peeled for Superior Hiking Trail signage. There is an extensive park trail system that I am looking forward to exploring, but this time you’ll stick to the SHT. It will also be signed as “Middle Trail” according to the park’s naming conventions.
The first section of the trail consists of rolling terrain that gradually descends toward the Manitou River over about .9 miles. Although I don’t have pictures, some of these descents are quite rocky and rooty, so watch your step.
Despite the descents, you don’t really feel like you lose a lot of elevation on this part of the trail. This creates a nice surprise when you come to a “T” in the trail and suddenly find yourself on the rim of the Manitou River gorge.
Detour to Cascades
Technically, you’ll take a right-hand turn at this “T” junction to stay on the Superior Hiking Trail. However, Maggie and I like to live on the wild side and went left along the “Humpback” state park trail. The map showed just a short distance to something marked “Cascades”, which sounded promising. Trust us, you’re going to want to check it out, as this is the first taste of the Manitou River’s beautiful waterfalls.
The Cascades can be viewed from multiple vantage points as you follow the Humpback trail away from the Superior Hiking Trail. Since we were on a leisurely family day hike, we took our time and soaked it in – recommend!
After taking the detour to the cascades, head back the way you came and get back on the Superior Hiking Trail.
Reaching the Manitou River Bridge
You’ll now be heading along a ridge above the Manitou River, which dances along in and out of view to your left. The map we picked up at the park entrance lists the distance from the “T” junction to the bridge over the Manitou at .6 miles, but we both felt it was slightly longer than that. Sadly, I wasn’t using Strava that day so can’t say for sure! The terrain in this section is fairly mellow with a few gradual climbs and descents. It is easy enough to let the beautiful scenery capture your attention and remain top of mind.
As you progress down the river, you will come across a few numbered campsites that sit right next to the Manitou. Remember, although the Superior Hiking Trail itself is full of free, first-come first-served backcountry campsites, that isn’t the case inside State Parks. If you want to use these campsites, you need to reserve them ahead of time here.
As you keep going, you might be surprised to find that as the river begins to cascade downwards, the trail takes a steady incline. “Aren’t we supposed to be crossing the river?” we wondered to ourselves. After a bit of a climb, we got our answer – a very steep and rocky descent lay below us. You can see a photo below, which really doesn’t capture just how steep and rugged this was. If you are a hiker with balance or mobility issues, this might be your turn-around point.
The good news is, if your goal of your day hike is to reach the Manitou River crossing, that downhill scramble is the last thing between you and your destination. When you get to the bottom, the trail opens up along the river’s rocky shore, and you’ll see the bridge crossing the churning rapids in front of you. This side of the river is a great place to hydrate and fuel up. There is plenty of space to sit, stretch out, and relax. It would also be a fantastic place to string up a hammock and read a book!
While on the bridge, you can observe the stunning rapids of the Manitou River. This is especially true if you are on the Superior Hiking Trail early in the season. It is tough to put into words the power that you can sense from the water as it rushes beneath you. There’s something about North Shore whitewater that is different from the rivers in the Rockies or Cascades out West. The water seems angrier, tinged with a root-beer color as it crashes and foams beneath you. But at the same time, the mist rises up to cool you off. The trees lean over the water as if they are craning their necks to get a look for themselves. Somehow, it manages to be serene and exhilarating all at the same time.
After you’ve admired the river, you can continue on up the opposite side of the gorge, or head back the way you came. Either way, you’re in for a climb – that’s the price you pay on the SHT. Because we were just out for a short family day hike, we chose the latter, slowly making our way up the steep pitch of the ravine.
Another Detour, Well Taken
Looking back, I am glad we took our time getting up this section of trail. Our slow speed allowed us to notice something that we missed on our descent – a slightly overgrown spur trail about a third of the way up. We ducked off the main trail to give our legs a rest, and see what we could find.
In front of us, the Manitou zig-zagged down a series of stair-stepping cascades in the afternoon shade, the ravine sheltering it from the afternoon sun, which only kissed the trees on the far side of the river. It was absolutely magical, and the highlight of the hike. Make sure you don’t miss it! If you’re feeling adventurous, you can clamber down the ravine to the rocky shore for a closer look. This is where I snapped the photo below.
From here, finish the climb up out of the ravine and enjoy the walk back to the car the way you came.
Conclusion
My wife and I have spent a lot of time on the Superior Hiking Trail and various areas on the North Shore, and the Manitou area has quickly vaulted to one of the top spots on our list. Rugged, yes. Challenging, in spots. And payoffs that are truly memorable. We are looking forward to doing longer hikes in this area in the very near future. The only thing the section lacked was the sweeping views of Lake Superior that you often get on the SHT (like this one).
Finally, remember that the SHT makes up a small portion of what is available to hike in George H. Crosby Manitou State Park. From what we’ve seen, it is well worth exploring, and we’re looking forward to getting back there soon. Happy trails!
Manitou River Out & Back Day Hike – Summary & Trail Stats
- Trail System – Superior Hiking Trail
- Distance – 3.6 mi out and back, 1.8 mi each way
- Elevation Gain – uncertain, forgot to use Strava – will update next time
- Best For – day hikers who love waterfalls, and those looking to avoid crowds
- May Not Be Great For – hikers with low mobility may consider turning around before final descent to river crossing, or only hiking to Upper Cascades
- Camping on Trail? – Paid campsites (must reserve ahead of time). First-come, first-serve hike-in campsites further up this section of the Superior Hiking Trail upon exiting the state park boundaries
Getting There
From Duluth
- Follow Highway 61 northbound from Duluth, MN for 59.5 miles
- Go past Tettagouche State Park visitor center and pay attention for signage for Highway 1 towards Finland
- Turn left on Highway 1
- In the town of Finland, turn right onto County Road 7. Continue until you see entrance sign to George H. Crosby Manitou State Park
- Turn right to enter the park on Benson Lake Road
From Grand Marais
- Follow Highway 61 southbound from Grand Marais, MN for 30.6 miles
- In the town of Schroeder, turn right onto Cramer Road
- After 6.1 miles, turn left onto County Highway 8
- After 3.9 miles, turn left onto Cramer Road (yup, Cramer Road again)
- Turn left at the entrance to the park (Benson Lake Road)
For Your GPS
Superior Hiking Trail – George Crosby Manitou Parking Lot, Superior Hiking Trail, Silver Bay, MN 55614
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Love that state park. I’ll definitely be checking out this hike at some point.