🌤 Weather at Superior Vista State Trail by season
| Spring | Summer | Fall | Winter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18–63 °F | 50–78 °F | 22–67 °F | 2–25 °F |
Each range runs from the coldest monthly average low to the warmest monthly average high in that season (1991-2020 climate normals), measured at Duluth, 5 mi away, elevation 1,428 ft. Conditions at the park can differ from the station, especially where elevation differs — check a forecast before you go.
📜 Authorized, Not Built — Minnesota law has authorized a Duluth to Two Harbors lakeshore trail since 1991; a 2004 DNR map shows it as not developed
The Superior Vista Trail exists in Minnesota law, not on the ground. In 1991 the Legislature added it to the state trail statute (Minn. Stat. 85.015, subd. 16). The law says it shall start in Duluth and run northeast along the Lake Superior shoreline to Two Harbors, and that it is designed for bicycles and hikers. Building and running state trails is the job of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
We found no record that the trail was ever built. The DNR’s December 2004 state trail map draws it as a dashed line among “legislatively authorized” trails, not among trails open to the public. It is also missing from the DNR’s current GIS layer of constructed state trails and from the federal Protected Areas Database (PAD-US). There is no trailhead, no trail pass requirement and no address to drive to.
Visitor Information
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Status | Authorized by law in 1991; not developed |
| Planned route | Duluth to Two Harbors along the Lake Superior shoreline (St. Louis and Lake counties) |
| Planned use | Bicycles and hikers |
| Responsible agency | Minnesota DNR, Division of Parks and Trails |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I hike or bike the Superior Vista Trail?
No. There is no developed Superior Vista Trail to use. For a trail along this stretch of the North Shore today, look at the North Shore State Trail, a separate DNR trail on the North Shore.
Why does an unbuilt trail have a name?
Minnesota designates state trails by statute first and develops them later, often over decades. In 2011 the DNR noted that only half of the authorized state trail system was developed.
Keep exploring: The closest neighbors are North Shore State Trail (a short drive away) and Jay Cooke State Park (within about an hour’s drive).
Sources: Minn. Stat. 85.015, subd. 1 and 16; Laws of Minnesota 1991, ch. 254, art. 2, sec. 13; DNR state trail report, February 2005 (map 7, December 2004); DNR state trails GIS layer; DNR “Directions for the Future” (2011); PAD-US. As of October 2026.
📜 The 1991 Authorization
The Superior Vista Trail is not open. You can read the law that authorized it in the Minnesota Statutes, section 85.015, subdivision 16.
Park Map
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