Forty premier hikes through the scenic beauty of America’s rugged northern heartlands

Explore the silence of lake country in the Boundary Waters' long, cold winter. Stop to enjoy the amazing spring wildflower show under the hardwood forest's canopy in the Chippewa National Forest. See a hawk swoop down over the vibrant green prairie to grab a mouse. Take a break in an oldgrowth pine forest older than our nation in Itasca. Stop to watch a raging river plummeting down toward Lake Superior on the North Shore. Enjoy the beauty of Minnesota's four seasons on this Trail that connects amazing scenery, culture, and history across northern Minnesota.

Explore the silence of lake country in the Boundary Waters' long, cold winter. Stop to enjoy the amazing spring wildflower show under the hardwood forest's canopy in the Chippewa National Forest. See a hawk swoop down over the vibrant green prairie to grab a mouse. Take a break in an oldgrowth pine forest older than our nation in Itasca. Stop to watch a raging river plummeting down toward Lake Superior on the North Shore. Enjoy the beauty of Minnesota's four seasons on this Trail that connects amazing scenery, culture, and history across northern Minnesota.

For many people, hiking 4,600 miles in one "go" may seem like a crazy-- even foolish idea. But for some others it is an opportunity to see isolated places, to discover oneself, and of course to have fun doing it! Such is the case with me. A few years ago I had never even heard of the North Country Trail. I had no idea that such a daunting task of building a continuous footpath across seven northern states was underway, and had been for more than thirty years. I was immediately excited and fascinated with the idea. After doing a little research and finding out what the trail was all about, I began to feel a sense of longing, a desire to hike beyond Minnesota and see what else the North Country had to offer. This is my story of that journey, filled with first-hand accounts of the trials and triumphs faced during this 6-month adventure.