Backpack the Superior Hiking Trail
Backpack the Superior Hiking Trail with Wanderlust Group Trips:
September 2023
After 3 previous years of incredible backpacking trips along the Superior Hiking trail, I was excited to do this trip for the 4th time!
With such beautiful fall colors, I just never get sick of this route.
For the first year ever, no one on the trip was from Minnesota. So it was a blast having so many travelers come to my gorgeous home state for the first time.
Minnesota doesn’t receive a lot of tourism from other states and countries but I was so excited to show this hidden gem off to all the out-of-state visitors!
Read: SUPERIOR HIKING TRAIL GROUP TRIP HIGHLIGHTS 2022
Day 1
We kicked off the trip with a carpool from Minneapolis, stopping in Duluth to have a delicious lunch at Hungry Hippie Tacos. A favorite of mine along on the North Shore!
As we continued to drive north to Lutsen, we spotted gorgeous views of Lake Superior and various lighthouses along the way.
Before arriving at our hotel, we stopped at the stunning Palisade Head. You’d swear it overlooked an ocean not a lake!
That evening, we checked into the lovely Mountain Inn. The staff here are so friendly and they have a gorgeous outdoor area with a grill, fire pit, picnic tables and hammocks.
I made burgers and veggie burgers on the grill for everyone as we said our introductions and got to know one another.
After dinner, it was time for s’mores around the campfire!
We went over the info for the day to come and I went room to room to make sure everyone’s packs were sorted and a manageable weight.
Day 2
Around 9:00 am we left the hotel and departed for the trailhead. It was time to begin our trek!
First, we hiked the stunning Oberg Loop trail. This 2.6 mile spur trail is a popular day hike because it gives unparalleled views of the fall colors.
We stopped a lot in the first section of the hike to take photos of the beautiful fall colors and while everyone was still looking fresh, ha!
After the beautiful Oberg Loop, we continued north towards Mystery Mountain campsite where we would be setting up camp.
We stopped for lunch at a cute little bridge running over a stream.
There the ladies filtered water through their filtration devices to refill their water bottles and camelbacks.
After lunch, there is a challenging uphill section that the ladies absolutely crushed!
Despite a long first day of hiking, we made it to camp well before dark to set up our tents and start a fire.
Due to a bit of rain, the wood at camp was wet and difficult to start a fire. The ladies were very clever and used hand sanitizer on a tampon to get the fire going! We all had a good laugh and got a roaring fire started in no time.
That evening, we hung out at camp and cooked dinner.
I showed the ladies how to hang a bear hang to keep food safe from critters and potentially larger animals. The first campsite is more difficult to find a good branch so there was a lot of giggling and laughter as we attempted to toss the rope with all the bags over tree branches.
After several failed attempts, we finally got all the food hung safely!
Day 3
The next day, we made breakfast at camp and enjoyed the sun before the rain set to come later that day.
We made coffee and hot coco, fetched our bear hangs and packed up.
As we were leaving camp, it began to rain so we had a good laugh about how silly the ponchos look when over the enormous backpacks.
As we hiked, we passed along the Poplar River for some truly spectacular views!
Despite some rainy conditions, it was still such a fun day with a great group of women!
Day 4
We woke in the morning to dry conditions, yay!
The rain had stopped and we were able to enjoy a lovely leisurely morning together at camp.
We hung out, cooked breakfast and made coffee slowly as we packed up and got ready for the final day of hiking.
The last day of the itinerary is super short and scenic.
We passed gorgeous fall colors, the stunning Lake Agnes, a beautiful beaver dam and so many lovely overlooks.
We ended our hike with the White Sky Rock spur trail which is always a favorite of mine!
It’s a short, easy spur trail that packs a PUNCH!
Great views and a rewarding pay off for a short, final uphill climb.
We hung out at the viewpoint for awhile taking pictures and soaking in the final views of our hike.
Shortly after, the local celebrity and quirky, loveable shuttle driver, Harriet, picked us up to take us back to the hotel in Lutsen.
We all rode the Lutsen Gondola to the overlook peak (and despite some more rain!) had a very fun, celebratory farewell lunch.
We then said our goodbyes and made our way back to Minneapolis.
Thank you to everyone who made this weekend so fun and memorable!
You can sign up for the 2024 Intro To Backpacking trip here.
Watch a recap from the 2022 Superior Hiking Trail trip:
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