Route: Duluth Traverse (MN)

Overview 

The Duluth Traverse ("DT") is trail that completely traverses the entire length of the City of Duluth. It is progressing toward completion with each trail-building season that passes. It is the result of a shared vision that COGGS and the City of Duluth have for a multi-use, singletrack trail that is purpose-built for mountain biking.

Consisting of mostly beginner-level singletrack, the DT connects extensive and more difficult trail networks in clusters at Lester Park, Hartley Park, Piedmont-Brewer Park, Spirit Mountain, and Mission Creek. This route is drawn strictly using sanctioned, purpose-built singletrack and public roads.

As mapped here, the route is roughly 75% singletrack. Much of the non-singletrack is on gravel road, doubletrack, or paths. The longest section of pavement is a neighborhood cut-off between Chester Park and Hartley (near UMD).

This route will be updated periodically when additional sections of sanctioned singletrack are filled-in.

Description 

Wild Woods: Mission Creek to Spirit Mountain
Start in Chamber's Grove Park and head north on the rolling climb of St. Louis River Trail - Duluth Traverse. At the junction, keep left. Cross Highway 210 and keep left to stay on Valley West. Descend into the valley of Mission Creek, and turn left for a short jog on Mission Creek Pkwy (gravel doubletrack). Take the singletrack on the right. Keep left at the junction. At the top of the singletrack climb, you'll come back out on Mission Creek Pkwy, with bridges over a paved trail and several railroad tracks. Continue north on this, cross Becks Road and onto Skyline Parkway (gravel road) going east. Ride the Skyline Parkway for about 5 miles and enjoy the views from the overlooks. Just before Spirit Mountain's Adventure Center, look for the obvious entry to Happy Camper on your right(downhill). Only ride this down when lifts are running!

If the bike park lifts are not running, stay on the road just past Happy Camper, take the grassy doubletrack (Bardon Peak Boulevard on the map) that veers off to the right. Ride this for a few hundred yards until you come to the intersection with Candyland and take this down. At the bottom of those singletrack bike park trails, you'll reach a doubletrack (DWP railroad grade). Turn left on this.

Big climb: Spirit Mountain to Brewer Park
Across from the patio of the lower Spirit Mountain chalet, enter the woods on the singletrack Kingsbury trail. Then continue northeast on a paved recreational trail. From the I-35 underpass, follow the Keene Creek trail across Cody Street, past the florist and left onto Westgate Boulevard. The singletrack will pick up again on the right (uphill) side of the road, in the trees. Keep climbing on this trail, crossing Skyline Parkway onto Lollygagger in Brewer Park.

Hills and Harbor: Piedmont Park to Observation Hill
Follow Lollygagger down and through the Haines Road tunnel onto Lower Burner of Stovetop, climbing gently to the top of Piedmont Park. Then head down Skyline trail, crossing Skyline Parkway, continue descending on Lincoln Trail until you are spit out onto Lyman Street. At the corner, turn left onto the singletrack and continue on the Lincoln trail. This section will spit you out onto West 9th Street. Take this to its end where you hit the singletrack of the Miller Creek section. Climb along the wild little creek and turn right at the top. Cross Piedmont Avenue on the Skyline road bridge then duck into the Enger Trail on your right. Roll along here to Twin Ponds and ride around the lower pond to the little parking lot on the other side. Climb up and over Observation Hill.

Observation Hill to Hartley
Follow West 9th St for about 0.25 miles until you see the singletrack trail "Antenna Farm". Cross neighborhood and Central Entrance and get back onto singletrack: Hilltopper and Chester Bowl Rim. Brainard Avenue to West Arrowhead Road, to the Hartley trails. Watch for the DT entrance into Hartley Park on the north side of Arrowhead Road. At the junction with Root Canal, turn right to "Old Hartley Road"(gravel doubletrack) for the easiest option through Hartley Park to Woodland Avenue. Take Root Canal for an intermediate singletrack option.

Ridgelines and Rivers: Hartley Park to Lester Park
Cross Woodland Avenue and follow the Duluth Traverse singletrack through the woods. Turn right on Allendale Avenue, and take St. Paul, Woodland, and Carlisle Avenues to Vermilion Road (go north). Ride the gravel road between cemeteries and watch for Morningside trail on your right (east) after the beaver swamp. Continue across Jean Duluth Road. For the easiest option, follow the gravel road around the corner and take Snively Trail, for intermediate option go right onto Hawkridge Trail. From the end of either of those trails, cross 7 Bridges Road and take Lester River trail down to the park.

https://www.mtbproject.com/trail/7021011/duluth-traverse-dt

https://www.coggs.com/duluth-traverse-project

- Submitted by Ryan Soule