Minnesota Hiking Club
#39 - George C. Manitou State Park
Date Hiked: March 8th, 2025
Other Hikes That Day: Jay Cooke State Park, St. Croix State Park
Wanderloon Ranking System Score: 2.92
Okay, now this is what I was expecting from a Hiking Club trail!
Several trips to the North Shore for specifically knocking out Hiking Club trails, and I'd passed this one over on three separate trips. Mostly because it was winter on the North Shore, and while most were accessible right off the 61, this one was tucked back near Finland, Minnesota. After driving back the route to get there, calling it Finland felt very appropriate because it was far away, cold, and snowy. Of all the North Shore Hiking Club trails, this one is by far the most remote.
There were only five parking spaces and the gates were closed. Despite this being a relatively warm day on the two hikes bookending this one, I felt little benefit in that regard for either traveling or hiking. I'll say it now: this isn't the longest hike, it doesn't have the most elevation gain (though it's near the top of the list), and it's not the most difficult to find, but I would say it's the hardest trail of all 67 by a comfortable margin.
Other hikes in this Hiking Club can be done by anyone, especially the ones that are only a mile on flat terrain. This is one for which you'd better be prepared, and if you're not an experienced hiker, either work your way up to this one or take your time and be a little extra careful. On AllTrails it looks like a simple loop, it's only 2.6 miles, how hard could it be? But within those 2.6 miles, you gain over 400 feet in elevation, and even with spikes I nearly slid down a few times. I don't know how difficult it is without the winter conditions, but after this, St. Croix's mostly flat 4.7 mile felt like a cooldown on which to reflect my life choices that led me to do this trail in the winter. I didn't take pictures, not because there aren't gorgeous views and amazing scenery, but because I didn't want to risk breaking anything.
Reviews in better weather mention roots and stones on this trail, so there are more difficult obstacles than most in the Hiking Club to consider no matter when you hike, but winter is taking it up a notch, especially when you add the half mile of getting to the trail because the gates are closed, which was not unfamiliar to me by this point. I'm really glad I didn't try this on my previous North Shore trips, especially January 4th, as climbing up the Cascade's River trail in -20 was difficult enough. There are comparatively fewer guiding signs, and you're going up and down steep slopes constantly, so be prepared and follow the route closely on your map app of choice.
If more of the 67 Hiking Club trails were like this one, I don't think I would've attempted the 82-day speedrun than I did. Know what you're getting into beforehand with this trail.
I will probably never hike it, but good to know what I'd be getting into.
ReplyDeleteProbably not. Even now, knowing it's on the SHT, there are many other places there or even on this list on the North Shore, I'd take you before going out to Finland.
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