“Wow!” I exclaimed as we made our way to the top of a rocky pine-covered ridge. “This trail is so much better than I expected it to be.” We were about half a mile into a new hiking trail and were blown away by its beauty and a hint of challenge.
Over the last two decades, I’ve hiked a few miles of trails in Minnesota. I’ve visited and hiked nearly every mile of trail in every Minnesota State Park. I’ve hiked most of the Superior National Forest and a good portion of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. I’ve also thru-hiked the Superior Hiking Trail and hiked all of its spurs, overlooks, and loop hikes.
To say that I enjoy being out on the trail would be a bit of an understatement. Being out on a remote trail is where I feel whole and most at home. As John Muir so famously said, “Going to the woods is going home, for I suppose we came from the woods originally.” I can’t not go.
Having hiked so many miles of trail, I’m always delighted when I stumble across somewhere new that I was previously unaware of. And over the years, I’ve become skilled at finding these stunning hidden gems wherever I happen to be hanging out.
Stumbling onto Pine Ridges Trail
Last summer, while traveling to Lake Vermilion State Park for a long weekend of cycling on the Mesabi Trail, I searched Google Maps for hiking trails along the way where we could stop and stretch our legs and get some fresh air. When I pulled up Pine Ridges Trail, I initially blew right past it. There’s plenty of faulty information on the internet, and my first thought was that someone made this up. I’d never heard of it, and the one review sounded too good to be true. There were a couple of photos of maps that looked handmade, so I kept on scrolling.
As I continued to search for new places to hike, something pulled me back to Pine Ridges. I did a web search and found nothing. I searched the AllTrails app and again, nothing. By now, I was feeling curious and challenged. Did I just stumble upon a trail no one knows about? I wondered. So, I saved the trailhead in my map app and made plans to check it out on our drive to Lake Vermilion.
As we pulled up to the location I’d saved, it did not look promising. I was starting to feel frustrated. I was right, I thought to myself, I should have trusted my gut. But I hopped out of the truck anyway, climbed over a huge mountain of dirt, and found a sign for the trailhead. It was meant to be.
We studied the map, planned a route, and hit the trail. The trail started out pretty bland, along an old flat gravel road. But it wasn’t long before we were climbing rocky ridges covered with stunning red and white pines and scenic vistas of Lake Vermilion in the distance. The trail was breathtaking, and other than a curious young doe, we had it all to ourselves.
You can find the two-mile Pine Ridges Trail in Tower, Minnesota, at the dead-end of Birch Street North, just north of Vermilion Senior Living. The trail is well-marked and easy to follow. The Lower Ridge and Upper Ridge segments follow the rocky pine-covered ridges. For an easier, but less breathtaking, stroll, follow the Outer Ridge segment.
Don’t miss the Ancient Cedars Trail
While you’re in Tower, be sure and schedule another hour or two to hike the Ancient Cedars Trail. Completed in the summer of 2020, the trail passes through an old-growth white cedar forest that the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has identified as never being logged. They believe these trees, which cover more than 100 acres, started growing around 1880. While not the oldest cedars I’ve stumbled upon in Minnesota, they’re still magical and a must-see when you’re in the area.
The Ancient Cedars Trail is about two miles long and can be accessed from the Junction of Pine Street and South Second Street, across from the Train Museum Depot. Follow the Mesabi Trail toward Ely, and you’ll see signs along the south side of the trail that will lead you down the David Dill/Taconite State Trail to the start of the Ancient Cedars Trail. Like the Pine Ridges Trail, Ancient Cedars is well-marked and easy to navigate.
Why plan a hiking trip to Tower
When asked about hiking in Minnesota, my default is to recommend the trails along Minnesota’s North Shore. With the 310-mile Superior Hiking Trail (SHT), eight state parks, and the Superior National Forest, there are seemingly endless opportunities for epic hikes with scenic vistas. But if I stop for a moment to reflect, I’m reminded that there are equally stunning trails on the western end of Minnesota’s arrowhead region. While these trails don’t have the distances you’ll find on the SHT or in Tettegouche State Park, it’s not uncommon to have these trails all to yourself, even on busy holiday weekends.
If you’d like to stay a little longer, which I hope you do, you’ll find great camping and outdoor recreation in the area. From where you parked to access the Ancient Cedars Trail, you can hop on your bike and ride the Mesabi Trail all the way to Ely. Both Lake Vermilion and Bear Head Lake State Parks offer cozy campgrounds and camper cabins. Both of these parks have more breathtaking trails. And Bear Head Lake State Park has a swimming beach and watercraft rentals. Beyond that, I encourage you to search for yourself. Use Google Maps, a search engine, or a hiking app and see if you can find somewhere new you’ve never heard of.
Learn More:
- Pine Ridges Trailhead in Google Maps
- Depot Trailhead to access Ancient Cedars Trail in Google Maps
- Learn more about the Ancient Cedars Trail
- Ancient Cedars Trail map on AllTrails
- The Ancient Cedars Trail: An Old Growth Forest Hike In Tower, Minnesota
Holly Scherer is a Minnesota-based writer, photographer, outdoorswoman, and guide. She’s most at home in the great outdoors; camping, hiking, paddling, cycling, and gardening. When she’s not on an adventure, she and her husband live in the Twin Cities where they’re fond of saying, “home is where we store our outdoor gear.”