Photo by Greg Lundgren
Throw a dart at a map of Minnesota from September through early October and you’ve got a good chance of hitting a “top” place to see fall colors. But if you dig a bit and follow the rabbit hole of recommendations, hiking the Oberg Mountain Loop Trail on the North Shore almost always lands in the top spot.
It’s not just the promise of prized reds and golds of one of the northernmost stands of sugar maples that packs the trailhead parking lot every fall weekend. The moderate 3-mile trail near Tofte is mostly level and delivers major payoff at each of the seven lookouts over the Superior National Forest and Lake Superior. Plus, the paper-white bark from the birch trees and evergreens of fir and pine trees add dimension to nature’s masterpiece mosaic splashed across the horizon.
Courtesy of Superior National Forest
As if the hike needs more pizazz, forest service naturalists keep things fresh by changing out an interpretive trail to teach visitors about different aspects of this place: native plants, wildflowers, the forces that shaped Oberg Mountain, and even crypto biology. Huh? “Big Foot and other big things that might be living up there,” explains interpretation and education specialist Steve Robertsen.
One thing you can’t control is the weather. Wet conditions may make the rocky overlooks slippery, and banks of fog can frustratingly block everything you came to see. North Shore weather is famously finicky, but if it’s not ideal, just wait a half-hour. Day trippers have less wiggle room for patience so if you really want to hike the Oberg Mountain Loop Trail, stay a night or two. If you must come on a weekend, reservations for campgrounds, hotels, and vacation rentals are essential.
The new owners of North Country Cottages have renovated and redecorated their three cuties near Cascade River (about 20 miles north of Tofte). Or check out Klarhet’s four-season geodesic domes in Lutsen.
Photo by Mallory Gregory Photography
Lockport Marketplace & Deli serves an all-around terrific breakfast. If it’s too cool for the patio, the dining room feels like a time capsule of a north-woods cabin. The Clearview General Store recently doubled its size and knows what its customers want and need: everything from dehydrated hiking meals (for those logging hundreds of miles on the Superior Hiking Trail) to premium steaks to throw on the grill. It also carries an impressive selection of puzzles, books, and goods by local makers (including scrumptious yarn colors by Jamie Rex, of North Road Knits, and game boards and butcher blocks by the wife-and-husband team Rebecca and Ian Barrett, of Wilder Woodshop).
For an unforgettable hiking day, drop a pin on your Google Map for the Trestle Inn, south of Tofte. Built as a restorative pit stop for snowmobilers, this borderline off-the-grid, cash-only restaurant and saloon satisfies with a worthy burger and fries. The outdoor seating is dog-friendly, too.
If you’re thinking, “We’re this far north, we may as well go on to Grand Marais,” you’d be right. It’s just 30 minutes from the Oberg Mountain trailhead. Arrive in time for a paper bag filled with cinnamon cake donuts at World’s Best Donuts. (They close when they sell out, usually between 1-3 p.m.) Then head next door and browse one of the smallest, best curated independent bookstores, Drury Lane Books.
Seasonal businesses grind to a halt in mid-October. You can always grab a coffee from Java Moose, skip rocks in the bay, and book a Nordic sauna session at the new Sisu and Löyly, which is right on the water and has two big picture windows overlooking East Bay and Artists’ Point. A fire pit is included, but bring your new North Road Knits hat.
Courtesy of Sisu + Löyly
The Oberg Mountain trailhead parking lot is located 2 miles up Onion River Road off Highway 61, just north of Tofte.
