A1 Trails
Hiking in Minnesota

Hiking in Jay Cooke State Park

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Trails: 35 miles of trails are open to hiking.
Access fee: Park entry pass
Nearest town: Carlton, MN
Trail map: Available at the park
Web site: Jay Cooke State Park
Points of interest: Historic portage of the St Louis River.
Other activities: Mountain biking, horseback riding, xc skiing
Lodging: Duluth has several choices of accommodation
Camping: 80 sites in the park
Weather forecast: Duluth
Tourism info: Duluth Visitors Bureau
Getting to the trail: The park is southwest of Duluth. At Carlton take Hwy 210 east for 3 miles.
Map of local region: Carlton

Rate these trails

Number of ratings: 1
Average rating: 1.50

Trail Name: Jay Cooke State Park
I have hiked there: Once
I last hiked there in: June, 2005
Trails that I hiked: Silver Creek, Lost Lake, Summer Trail
Favorite trails: Silver Creek near trailhead and River Trail
Best time to go: Don't know - Spring was not great for backcountry
Trail marking: Very good
Trail maintenance: Very good
Rating: 1.5 stars
What I liked: The day-hikable trails are decent - worth walking. The back country trails feel like you are just constantly walking through long grass with nothing significantly more beautiful than you could see in a wood suburb.
What I disliked: They are almost too well maintained - it feels like someone goes over them with a 5-foot wide mower. The backcountry trails leave a lot to be desired.
Additional comments: Silver Creek trail is, in fact, a loop... the signs only face one way on part of it and you may end up going down the wrong way. Trust your instincts.
Avoid summer trail in the spring, just muddy 1-foot grass with the same views as the entire rest of the back country.
Submitted by: JWF
from: MN
Date submitted: June 13, 2005