Gitchi-Gami State Trail Nominated for USA TODAY Best Recreational Trail Award
The Gitchi-Gami State Trail is competing against 20 nationally nominated trails for USA TODAY's Best Recreational Trail title — and daily votes count through April 6.
The 36-mile paved trail connecting Silver Bay, Schroeder, Lutsen, and Grand Marais along Lake Superior's North Shore is now in contention for a national title, after USA TODAY 10Best nominated the Gitchi-Gami State Trail for its 2026 Readers' Choice Award in the Best Recreational Trail category.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources announced the nomination March 9, the same day voting opened. The public can cast one vote per day through April 6 at 10:59 a.m. at the trail's dedicated USA TODAY 10Best page.
The nomination was selected by a panel of experts and USA TODAY 10Best editors, placing Gitchi-Gami among 20 trails nominated nationwide as the best in the country. Competition includes trails in Hawaii, Arizona, California, and the Carolinas, as well as the Capital City State Trail in Madison, Wisconsin, the Great Allegheny Passage, and the Catskill Scenic Trail, a 26-mile multipurpose trail north of New York City.
The Gitchi-Gami trail's nomination description calls attention to its views of the Temperance River Gorge, the Beaver Bay Bridge, and the North Shore Mining Railroad, as well as sweeping Lake Superior scenery. Built and managed by the Minnesota DNR, the trail currently spans 36 miles but is still under active construction. When finished, it will stretch 86 miles from Two Harbors to Grand Marais, passing through five state parks, four scientific and natural areas, and multiple historic sites.
Minnesota State Parks and Trails noted on its Facebook page that this is not the trail's first appearance in the contest, calling it a return nomination. Minnesota's state trail system includes over 1,500 miles of developed routes across more than 25 major corridors, with 647 miles paved. Regional parks and trails in the state draw more than 69 million visits annually, according to trail system data.
Voting runs once per day through April 6. More information on the trail is available at mndnr.gov/state_trails/gitchigami/index.html.
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