Thursday, November 4, 2010

Deer season hike #2: Gitchi Gummi Trail

The deer season opens in two days across Minnesota. Good luck to all the hunters, and be safe!
If you're not hunting, you can still get out and enjoy the North Shore. The state parks all have safe no-hunt zones between Lake Superior and Highway 61. A few days ago, I wrote about a nice hike at Split Rock Lighthouse State Park. Today, I'd like to encourage you to visit Gooseberry Falls State Park...away from the crowds AND the hunters.

The park's Hiking Club Trail is known as the Gitchi Gummi Trail. This is very easily confused with the Gitchi Gami Trail, which is the long-distance bike trail. 

 

The Gitchi Gummi Trail is a 2 mile loop that starts at the park visitor center and leads across the river to the seldom-visited southeast corner of the park. It leads to the park's best view of Lake Superior, and to some interesting historic artifacts. Who knew that the only known surviving CCC outhouse is in this park?? If you're not safe from deer hunters when you're sitting on the stool, where would you be safe?

If you don't have any blaze orange to wear, you should stop at a Holiday store or other convenience store on the way to Gooseberry and pick up a blaze orange hat or vest for cheap. I stocked up on blaze orange bric-brac one year at a hardware store in Red Lodge, Montana when we showed up for hiking in elk season.

1 comment:

Bayfieldwis.com said...

Those CCC workers were tough. Back when there were real winters and concrete toilets.