Guide Review: Guide to the Superior Hiking Trail

Over Mt. Trudee and Through the Woods

Pair this guide book with separate fold out maps and you have an easy navigational system at your fingertips.

We purchased this guide book and maps from the Superior Hiking Trail Association (SHTA) from their online store. You can purchase your own guide book or a set with maps included here. The guide book is put together by the SHTA with an astounding amount of information.

This book covers massive amount of information on all aspects of the trail. Interesting and beneficial sections include: description of trail (maps, shuttles, dogs, trail markings, permits), history of the trail, geology and scenery, habitats, birds of Lake Superior,  animals along the trail, North Shore history, all information for backpackers, and a guide to low impact camping.

All of this can be found in the front of the book. The majority of the book is the trail guide. This guide is a must have to go on your excursion through the trail! Very detailed and helpful talking points made reading the book at night fun and informative for the next day.

 

0 to 296 Miles

The best and purchase worthy section of this book is the trail descriptions. Each segment of trail from trailhead to trailhead is meticulously written out with mile by mile descriptions of what you will encounter along with exact mileage of distance to next feature. It is also accompanied by a detailed map showing parking lots, trailheads, campsites, and surrounding streets and cities.

Each section is written with easy to navigate directions to the parking lots at the trailhead and facilities you will encounter at each specific trailhead including bathrooms, water, or stores.

Also notable are the mileage markers next to each description. The first mileage, 0.0 is the distance traveled on this section. The second mileage, 9.1, next to the description is the miles to go to the next trailhead.

There's a lot of information inside each section. Pulling apart this information will help you plan your hike down to the last 1/10 of a mile.

Breakdown

This is how each section reads from Trailhead to Trailhead inside the Guide to the Superior Hiking Trail version 2013. We will be showing a clip of the first section we hiked.

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Castle Danger to Gooseberry Falls State Park

9.1 Miles

Section description: Lake Co. Rd. 106/Silver Creek Township Rd. (West Castle Danger Rd.) to Gooseberry Falls State Park Visitor Center

Access and parking: Directions to beginning trailhead: at Hwy. 61 miles post 36.6 turn left on Lake Co. Rd. 106/Silver Creek Township Rd. 617 (West Castle Danger Rd.) and go 2.4 miles to trailhead parking lot on right. Overnight parking okay.

Facilities at starting trailhead: none

Designated campsites on this section: five

Synopsis: This section starts with a short but steep climb to the ridge line and Wolf Rock. It is the quickest way on any section of the trail to get to outstanding ridge line views. After descending from the ridge line and going through mixed forest, the trail ascends once more to Mike's Rock with more scenic vistas. The true highlight of the section is four miles of trail along the Gooseberry River, with its meandering course and a series of dramatic waterfalls.

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Mile-by-Mile Description

0.0 (9.1) Silver Creek Township Road 617 Parking lot

SHT departs right side of parking lot and climbs steeply through cliffs. This is one of the most dramatic first half-miles of the SHT as the trail winds up to top of Wolf Rock with its pine-clad rock outcrops.

0.5 (8.6) Wolf Rock

Great views at 1,200 feet of Lake Superior, Crow Creek Valley, forests, etc. On ridge, SHT passes through mile of private land. Trail turns away from the valley as the woods alternate from open understory to dense growth. decomposed lava looks like gravel on trail bed.

           ▲ Crow Creek Valley Campsite

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           Tent Pads: 5

           Water: From small stream, unreliable in dry conditions

           Setting: In maple woods on small tributary of Crow Creek

           Next campsite: 3.4 Miles

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For the rest of the description please purchase the Guide to the Superior Hiking Trail HERE

*We do not own any of the above text. It is referenced from the Guide to the Superior Hiking Trail 2013 for review purposes only. Please purchase your own copy. No copyright infringement intended*

Full Confidence Minus One Thing

Our only drawback to the guide book is that they leave some things to common sense when it comes to intersecting trails. Many times the book would start and stop their comments about the trail at the sections without being precise on how to link up with the SHT. Again, we say common sense was our best friend, but when you’re tired and new to a trail you don’t want to be playing ‘guess which trail is yours!’ The book uses references like across, continue, or crosses trail which can be misleading with signs pointing in multiple directions. The easiest fix is to use your compass on the map if you're questioning which direction to move in.

We only encountered this a handful of times within our 60 miles but a few too many of them were in the pouring rain where our book wasn't exactly accessible!

 

Synopsis:

Rating: 9 out of 10 
Would I recommend these to a friend: YES

The guide was one of the best We've seen in terms of ease, detail, and descriptions. It gives serious detail that was correct in all cases including trail description, campsite description, and major features to check out.

We thoroughly enjoyed hiking from Castle Danger to Highway 1 and can't wait to hike the SHT again next summer from Canada to Grand Marais!

See you on the trail!