The Centennial Trail In Minnesota Leads You Straight To An Abandoned Mine
By Trent Jonas|Published April 08, 2023
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Trent Jonas
Author
Trent Jonas came to Minnesota to attend college - and never left. He's a Twin Cities-based writer with a BA in English and a MFA in creative writing, a Minnesota Master Naturalist, and the proud father of two adult children. With more than a decade of freelance writing experience under his belt, Trent is often out exploring his favorite topics: Minnesota's woods, lakes, and trails. Rhubarb pie is his weakness, so discovering new diners is also a passion.
The Centennial Trail is a Minnesota hiking trail in the Superior National Forest. And you can follow it to explore an abandoned 19th century iron ore mining operation.
The Centennial Hiking Trail was built in 2009 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Superior National Forest.
It's a 3.3-mile loop that tracks along a former railway bed. It's also an interpretive trail with 14 numbered stops along the way. Pick up a guide at Superior National Forest ranger station or at the trailhead. You can also download a guide from the national forest's website.
The trail begins at the Kekekabic Trail head off the Gunflint Trail, about 50 miles northwest of Grand Marais.
You'll follow "the Kek" - which is also a segment of the North Country Scenic Trail - for the first part of your hike.
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This section of the trail will take you to the Paulsen Mine (the sign at the site is misspelled "Paulson"). It’s a 19th century iron ore mine that was abandoned before it was every really tapped.
The trail is mostly level, if a rocky and rooted, as it follows the Kek and the railroad bed. However, there is one stretch in this section where you'll encounter some steep terrain as a you traverse a ravine.
The Centennial Trail is a pretty easy hike – and leads to something you wouldn’t typically expect at the edge of a national forest wilderness area. If your legs are up for another few miles of hiking, the trail head for the Magnetic Rock Trail is basically just across the road, 300 yards or so west. Otherwise, Poplar Haus is only about 20 minutes away if it’s time to hang up the trekking poles for the day.
Have you hiked the Centennial Trail? Is there another Minnesota hiking trail that leads to surprising destinations?
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