Day Trips: Gunflint Trail Scenic Byway

The historic Gunflint Trail Scenic Byway, a 57-mile two-lane paved road surrounded by the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, has a rich history of prospecting, mining, fur trading (this is Voyageur country), CCC camps, and colorful pioneers. It is famous for moose sightings, and an excellent area for birding (in fact, the entire Superior National Forest is designated as a Globally Important Birding Area by the American Birding Conservancy). The Laurentian Divide (the continental divide for water flowage) crosses the Trail, and you can hike over some of the oldest exposed rock on earth.

Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center tells the story of the Gunflint Trail. Interpretive and interactive displays in the museum present the Gunflint Trail’s cultural and natural history from its prehistoric beginnings to the development of today’s unique, rural community. A network of nature trails on Chik-Wauk’s 50-acre grounds provides the opportunity for visitors to immerse themselves in the beauty and wonder of this special place.