Lester Park
Managed by Duluth Parks & Recreation
656 acres11.8 mi of trail
Ski TrailDuluth Cross City East Snowmobile TrailLester River Trail / Duluth Traverse
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Tony Webster from San Francisco, California · CC BY-SA 2.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Duluth
Duluth has 173 miles of mapped trails, 2.4 for every square mile of land
5,349 acres are parks and preserves, 61 per 1,000 residents. 92% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 10% of Duluth’s land is conserved, about 4,371 acres.
Ahead of 95% of U.S. towns · #28 of 274 in Minnesota. What drives it
Conserved land
10%
4,371 acres · of 71.7 sq mi of land
Trails
173 mi
2.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
5,349 ac
61 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
92%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
156 mi
17 mi lanes · 134 mi paths
Highest peak
1,148 ft
Moose Mountain
Lakes & rivers
12
11 beaches · 14 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Duluth?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Duluth have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Duluth is ahead of 95% of U.S. towns, #28 of 274 in Minnesota. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, conserved land lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Duluth’s overall grade.
Conserved land10% of the land · typical MN town 5% · U.S. 4%A−Trails2.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (173 mi) · MN 0.5 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land61 acres of park per 1,000 residents (5,349 acres) · MN 24 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home92% of residents within a half mile of a park · MN 95% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 95%
LessMore
Minnesota towns of 2,500+ (274)Ahead of 90%
Water is 11% of Duluth’s area (9 of 80 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 9%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Lester Park, with 11.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Hawk Ridge
Managed by Duluth Parks & Recreation
423 acres7.3 mi of trail
Snively TrailDuluth Cross City East Snowmobile TrailRidge Loop Trail (yellow)Tea Kettle Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Hartley Park
Park
692 acres7.2 mi of trail
Superior Hiking TrailNorthField ConnectorOld TunnelRock Knob SHT Spur+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Chester Park
Managed by City of Duluth
125 acres5.2 mi of trail
West Chester Creek TrailEast Chester Creek Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Bagley Nature Area
Park
62 acres2.8 mi of trail
Bagley Ski Trail West LoopSuperior Hiking TrailBagley Ski Trails West Loop
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Enger Park
Park
119 acres1.6 mi of trail
Superior Hiking Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Lincoln Park
Park
51 acres1.2 mi of trail
Lincoln Park TrailSuperior Hiking Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Quarry Park
Managed by City of Duluth
44 acres1.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 70 parks & preserves
Lester Park656 acres · 11.8 mi of trail · Duluth Parks & Recreation
DirectionsHawk Ridge423 acres · 7.3 mi of trail · Duluth Parks & Recreation
DirectionsHartley Park692 acres · 7.2 mi of trail
DirectionsChester Park125 acres · 5.2 mi of trail · City of Duluth
DirectionsBagley Nature Area62 acres · 2.8 mi of trail
DirectionsEnger Park119 acres · 1.6 mi of trail
DirectionsLincoln Park51 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsQuarry Park44 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · City of Duluth
DirectionsJay Cooke State Park122 acres · 1 mi of trail
Congdon Park36 acres · 1 mi of trail
DirectionsShort Line Park87 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · City of Duluth Parks & Recreation
DirectionsWeb Woods18 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · City of Duluth
DirectionsCanal Park15 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · United States Army Corps of Engineers
DirectionsPortland Square4 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Wheeler Athletic Complex25 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsChambers Grove Park12 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsGrassy Point101 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsMinnesota Point Pine Forest Scientific and Natural Area15 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Blackmer Park13 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Bayfront Festival Park11 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsGichi-Ode' Akiing4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Duluth Department of Parks & Recreation
DirectionsCascade Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Memorial Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsLeif Erikson Park15 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsPiedmont Park10 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsLakewalk4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Duluth Department of Parks & Recreation
DirectionsWashington Square Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Harrison Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsObservation Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsPortman Square3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCentral Hillside Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMerritt Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Sister Cities Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Duluth Department of Parks & Recreation
DirectionsHearding Island Wildlife Management Area30 acres · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsDuluth Heights Park19 acres · City of Duluth
Gary New Duluth Park14 acres
Keene Creek Park11 acres
DirectionsIrving Park11 acres
DirectionsSt. Louis/Red River Stream Bank Protection Area10 acres
DirectionsMorgan Park8 acres
DirectionsBrighton Beach Park8 acres
DirectionsGlenshhen Mansion Congdon Estate Grounds7 acres
Como Park6 acres · City of Duluth
Fond-du-Lac Park5 acres
Interstate Island Wildlife Management Area4 acres · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Russel Square4 acres
Manchester Square Park4 acres
Grosvenor Square Park4 acres
Lakeview Park4 acres
Fairmount Park3 acres
DirectionsPennell Park3 acres · City of Duluth Parks
University Park2 acres
DirectionsNorton Park2 acres
Waverly Park1 acres
Riverside Park1 acres
DirectionsOld Main Park1 acres
DirectionsLower Chester Park1 acres
Kelso Park1 acres
Endion Park1 acres
Birchwood Park1 acres
Frankline Tot Lot1 acres
DirectionsField 91 acres
DirectionsRev. LF Merritt Memorial Park1 acres
Ordean Court1 acres
DirectionsFitgers Courtyard and Rest Area1 acres
DirectionsHistorical Park1 acres · City of Duluth Parks & Recreation
Lilliput Park1 acres
DirectionsMunger Park1 acres
Mike Colalillo Medal of Honor Park1 acres
DirectionsGary New Duluth Community Park1 acres
Who protects it
4,371 conserved acres
10% of Duluth’s land. Water is left out: Duluth has 71.7 square miles of land and 8.5 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Duluth’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city4,201 ac
State fish & wildlife67 ac
Other state land52 ac
State natural resources51 ac
Local Conservation Area · 2,619 acLocal Recreation Area · 819 acLocal Park · 815 acState Conservation Area · 83 acState Resource Management Area · 30 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magney-Snivey Natural Area Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 1,536 | Open |
| Hartley Park, Hartley Nature Center Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 622 | Open |
| Brewer Park/Bellevue Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 527 | Open |
| Hawk Ridge Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 397 | Open |
| Chester Bowl Park Local Park | Town or city | 121 | Open |
| Short Line Park Local Park | Town or city | 64 | Open |
| Grassy Point Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 60 | Open |
| Jeannette Polley Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 55 | Open |
| Bagley Nature Area Local Conservation Area | Other state land | 52 | Open |
| Lester Park Local Park | Town or city | 49 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
142 places to go in Duluth
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Duluth
11 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Duluth
Laura MacArthur School Playground
DirectionsPortland Square PlaygroundIn Portland Square
Directions58 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Duluth
Jean Duluth Dog Park
DirectionsKeene Creek Dog ParkIn Keene Creek Park
DirectionsObservation Dog ParkIn Observation Park
DirectionsSmall Dogs
DirectionsBoat launches in Duluth
14 boat launches without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in Duluth
3 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Duluth
Bagley Nature Area viewing platformIn Bagley Nature Area
DirectionsBardon Peak Overlook
DirectionsChester Park Trail OverlookIn Chester Park
DirectionsEly's Peak Overlook
DirectionsGazebo PointIn Hartley Park
DirectionsHawk Ridge Bird ObservatoryIn Hawk Ridge
DirectionsLester River OverlookIn Lester Park
DirectionsRock KnobIn Hartley Park
DirectionsPlus 21 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Duluth
Moose Mountain1,148 ft elevation
DirectionsBardon Peak
DirectionsElys PeakIn Short Line Park
DirectionsPicnic areas in Duluth
3 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Duluth
Bagley CampgroundFee · In Bagley Nature Area · University of Minnesota-Duluth
DirectionsIndian Point Campground
DirectionsRiver Place Campground
DirectionsSpirit Mountain Campsite
DirectionsDisc golf in Duluth
Quarry Park Disc Golf CourseIn Quarry Park · City of Duluth
DirectionsUMD Disc Golf CourseUniversity of Minnesota Duluth RSOP
DirectionsCommunity gardens in Duluth
Lafayette Community Garden
DirectionsLincoln Park Community Garden
DirectionsPlus 9 community gardens without a name on the map.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 12 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 12.6 miHorses · 3.4 miUnpaved · 111.7 mi
Superior Hiking Trail25.0 mi
Duluth Cross City West Snowmobile Trail7.6 mi
Ski Trail7.2 mi
Duluth Cross City East Snowmobile Trail6.6 mi
Waabizheshikana: The Marten Trail5.3 mi
Hermantown Missing Link Snowmobile Trail2.1 mi
Superior Hiking Trail Spur1.9 mi
Snively Trail1.9 mi
Waabizheshikana: The Marten Trail (Planned)1.8 mi
Park Point Nature Trail1.8 mi
15 more trails
Old Mission Creek Parkway
1.6 miSHT Spirit Mountain Loop
1.5 miSuperior Hiking Trail Loop
1.4 miEast Mission Creek Hiking Trail
1.2 miWest Chester Creek Trail
1.2 miHudson Boulevard
1.2 miWest Mission Creek Hiking Trail
1.1 miEast Chester Creek Trail
1.0 miSuperior Hiking Trail Ely's Peak Loop
0.9 miOld Mission Creek Parkway (unmaintained)
0.9 miOld Skyline
0.9 miClyde Connector Trail
0.9 miCJ Ramstad/North Shore State Trail
0.8 miMiller Creek Interpretive Trail
0.7 miBagley Ski Trail West Loop
0.7 miBiking & sports
156 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
17 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
134 mi
off-road bike paths
5.4 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Hartley Park MTB TrailsBike route
1.6 miThe LakewalkBike route
0.5 miDuluth TraverseBike route
0.4 miDuluth-Superior Metropolitan Bike RouteBike route
0.4 miCourts & fields
36Tennis
36Baseball
24Pickleball
23Basketball
20Soccer
13Tracks
5Softball
5Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →43 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 56 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Duluth Union DepotBuilding · listed 1971
About itDuluth Central High SchoolBuilding · listed 1972
About itAerial Lift BridgeStructure · listed 1973
About itMinnesota Point LighthouseSite · listed 1974
About itOliver G. Traphagen HouseBuilding · listed 1975
About itDuluth Missabe and Iron Range Depot (Endion)Building · listed 1975
About itKitchi Gammi ClubBuilding · listed 1975
About itEngine House No. 1Building · listed 1975
About itMoe, Bergetta, BakeryBuilding · listed 1976
About itMunger TerraceBuilding · listed 1976
About itDuluth Public LibraryBuilding · listed 1978
About itUS Fisheries Station, DuluthBuilding · listed 1978
About it31 more on the History page.
When to get out
The walking year in Duluth
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 8.9 | 10.2 | 11.8 | 13.5 | 15.0 | 15.8 | 15.5 | 14.2 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.3 | 8.6 |
| High (°F) | 21 | 26 | 36 | 47 | 60 | 70 | 76 | 74 | 66 | 52 | 37 | 25 |
| Rain (in) | 1.0 | 0.9 | 1.4 | 2.5 | 3.2 | 4.3 | 4.0 | 3.6 | 3.3 | 3.0 | 1.8 | 1.3 |
February is the driest month (0.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 76 °F). 4.3 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Duluth →
Next door
Duluth and its neighbors
Duluth has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Duluth173 miSuperior32 miSuperior30 miRice Lake13 miHermantown7.1 miLakewood Township4.9 miMidway Township3.2 miProctor1.9 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duluth | 10% | 2.4 | 61 | 92% | A |
| Hermantown | 2% | 0.2 | 39 | 61% | B− |
| Rice Lake | 5% | 0.4 | 5 | 6% | C |
| Midway Township | 1% | 0.2 | 96 | 14% | C+ |
| Proctor | 7% | 0.6 | 46 | 70% | A− |
| Lakewood Township | 2% | 0.2 | 7 | 13% | C− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Duluth
Where can I hike in Duluth?
The longest trail networks: Lester Park, 11.8 miles; Hawk Ridge, 7.3 miles; Hartley Park, 7.2 miles; Chester Park, 5.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Duluth is conserved land?
10% of its land, against a typical 5% for a Minnesota town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Duluth’s trails?
Lester Park and Hawk Ridge don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Duluth?
156 miles of bike routes are on the map: 17 of painted or protected lanes, 134 of off-road paths and 5.4 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: Hartley Park MTB Trails, The Lakewalk and Duluth Traverse.
Is there public land near Duluth?
43,199 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Duluth or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 5,386 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Duluth have?
Ahead of 95% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #28 of 274 in Minnesota. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Duluth neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →