Three long trails and two state parks with backpack sites are within reach of Grand Marais, and they are very different trips. The Superior Hiking Trail is blazed, has a parking lot every few miles and needs no permit. The Border Route and Kekekabic trails cross the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW), where there are no blazes and no cell service. Pick the trail that matches your navigation skills.
The options at a glance
| Where | Length | Permit | Campsites | Finding the way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Superior Hiking Trail | About 300 miles. 54.2 from Pincushion Mountain to the north end | None | Free, first come, shared | Blue blazes, signed trailheads |
| Border Route Trail | 65 miles | BWCAW permit for the wilderness middle | Designated sites with a fire grate and latrine | No markings inside the BWCAW. Map and compass needed |
| Kekekabic Trail | 46 miles | BWCAW permit | Designated wilderness sites | Brush, blowdowns and beaver dams. Flagged in places |
| Eagle Mountain and Brule Lake trails | 3.5 miles to the summit. 6.7 miles from the Brule Lake trailhead to the junction | BWCAW permit | Designated wilderness sites | Rocky wilderness tread |
| Cascade River State Park | Backpack sites 0.5 to 1.5 miles from parking | Reservation and vehicle permit | 5 reserved sites | Park trails |
| George Crosby Manitou State Park | Sites 0.5 to 4.5 miles from parking | Reservation and vehicle permit | 20 reserved sites | Rugged park trails |
Superior Hiking Trail
Start here. Trailheads are mostly 3 to 11 miles apart, the route is blazed, and the 94 campsites are free with no permit or reservation. In return, every site must be shared with whoever shows up, and you may camp only at designated sites. The Superior Hiking Trail Association asks you to stay one night per site. Dogs must be leashed.
From Grand Marais you can walk north from the Pincushion Mountain Trailhead toward the Kadunce River and Judge C.R. Magney State Park, or south toward the Cascade River. Section distances, parking and the rules are in the Superior Hiking Trail guide. Check the association's Trail Conditions page before every trip.
Border Route Trail
The Border Route Trail runs 65 miles along the Minnesota and Ontario border. Its west end connects to the Kekekabic Trail and its east end to the Superior Hiking Trail, which shares the last mile to the 270 Degree Overlook. Roughly the middle 36 miles are inside the BWCAW. The Forest Service lists the trail at 53 miles, not 65, so use the association's map set for mileages.
This trail is very remote. The Border Route Trail Association recommends it for experienced backpackers with land navigation skills. Inside the wilderness there are no trail markings other than occasional signs at spurs. The tread can be heavily overgrown in summer with ferns and thimbleberries. Expect no cell service. Carry the paper map set and a compass and know where you are on the map at all times.
Read the association's Trail Conditions page first. It logs which stretches volunteers cleared recently and which still have blowdown or flooding.
Kekekabic Trail
The Kekekabic Trail is 46 miles long, with a trailhead at each end. Most of it is in the BWCAW. The east trailhead is on the Gunflint Trail, shared with the Centennial Trail, and is BWCAW entry point 56.
The Kekekabic Trail Chapter of the North Country Trail Association maintains it and posts a conditions report. The May 2026 report called the trail in good hiking condition. Even so, expect random blowdowns, brush that hides the tread in mid to late summer, crossings on top of beaver dams and wet stretches. The best months are May, late August, September and October.
Other BWCAW hiking entry points
Eagle Mountain, at 2,301 feet the highest point in Minnesota, is a 7-mile round trip from the Eagle Mountain Trailhead (entry point 79). The Brule Lake Trail (entry point 78) comes in from the west and joins it at Whale Lake after 6.7 miles. There is no cell coverage and no easy way to get help in.
Permits for the BWCAW
Everyone entering the BWCAW needs a permit, all year, on foot as well as by canoe.
- Overnight, May 1 to September 30: a quota permit for your entry point and entry date, reserved on Recreation.gov or at 877-444-6777. Permits are released at 9:00 a.m. Central on the last Wednesday in January.
- Overnight, October 1 to April 30: a free self-issued permit from the kiosk at the entry point or a Forest Service office.
- Day hikes, all year: a free self-issued permit.
As of 2026 the fees are $16 per adult and $8 per youth per trip, plus a $6 reservation fee. A group is at most nine people. You must enter at the entry point and on the date on the permit, and you pick the permit up the day before or the day of entry. On the Border Route Trail the entry points are 81 (west), 82 (center) and 83 (east). Enrolled members of the Grand Portage, Bois Forte and Fond du Lac bands do not need a BWCAW permit and carry an 1854 Treaty Authority ID card instead.
Three wilderness rules surprise hikers. Cans and glass bottles are illegal. Dogs must be on a leash of 6 feet or shorter. Fires are allowed only in the steel grates at designated sites. Hikers may camp at designated sites or at least 200 feet from trails, water, portages and other campsites. Canoe parties do not have to share a site with you. The full list is on the Forest Service's BWCAW rules page.
State park backpack sites
Cascade River State Park, 10 miles southwest of Grand Marais, has five backpack sites between half a mile and 1.5 miles from parking. Each has a tent pad, fire ring, picnic table and a small shelter. The fee is $22 a night as of 2026, plus a vehicle permit ($7 a day or $35 a year). As of June 2026, sites 2 through 5 were closed for maintenance, so confirm at 218-387-6000 before you plan around them.
George Crosby Manitou State Park, near Finland, is a backpack-only park with 20 sites from half a mile to 4.5 miles in, at $20 a night. There is no cell service and no office.
Judge C.R. Magney State Park has no backpack sites. Its 27 drive-in sites close for the season in mid-October.
Reserve state park sites up to 120 days ahead at mndnr.gov/reservations or 866-857-2757. There is an $8 online reservation fee.
Water
There is no tap on any of these trails. Treat or boil everything you take from a lake or stream. Smaller sources can dry up in late summer. Read the conditions pages for water notes.
Bears and food storage
This is black bear country. In the BWCAW a Forest Service order applies from April 1 to November 30: food, food containers, scented items and trash must be hung at least 12 feet off the ground and 6 feet out from the trunk, or kept in a certified bear-resistant container. On the Superior Hiking Trail, use a bear canister or hang your food. Never keep food or toiletries in your tent.
The Minnesota DNR's BearWise advice is plain. If a bear sees you, back away slowly and never run. If it approaches, hold your ground, make noise and use bear spray if it keeps coming. If a black bear makes contact, fight back.
Ticks and bugs
Blacklegged (deer) ticks are active whenever it is above freezing, and the tiny nymphs are most active from mid-May through mid-July. The Minnesota Department of Health's advice is to treat clothing with permethrin, use a repellent with up to 30 percent DEET, and check yourself at least once a day. Black flies and mosquitoes are most bothersome in June and early July.
Shuttles
All three long trails are point to point. Shuttles here are small private operators, lodges and outfitters, most of them seasonal and by reservation. Each trail group keeps a current list: the Superior Hiking Trail Association, the Border Route Trail Association and the Kekekabic chapter.
Seasons
- May. Snow can linger into mid or late May and the ground is wet. Ticks are out.
- June and July. Peak bugs. Wilderness trails grow in.
- Late August to early October. The best stretch. Fall color on the Border Route Trail peaks in late September and early October. Bears are more active as they feed for winter.
- November. Firearms deer season. Wear blaze orange. Hunting is allowed in the national forest, including the BWCAW.
- Winter. For experienced winter backpackers only. Trailheads may not be plowed.
Before you leave town
Tell someone your route and when you will be out. For fire restrictions and wilderness questions, the Gunflint Ranger District is at 2020 West Highway 61 in Grand Marais, 218-387-1750. Check the forecast. In an emergency call 911.
