If you've already worked your way through the Minnesota day-hike checklist, this is the list for what comes next. We ranked the state's hardest trails using a composite of difficulty tag (hard or expert), distance, and elevation gain, drawing from the 9,691 mapped Minnesota trails in our database. These ten routes are reserved for hikers with the gear, the navigation skills, and the honesty about their own limits to tackle them safely.
Minnesota's North Shore (Lake Superior) and Boundary Waters define its hiking identity — rocky shoreline, boreal forest, and the rolling Sawtooth ridges. A full SHT thru-hike, the Border Route-Kekekabic linkup, and serious BWCAW shore-bushwhack routes are Minnesota's defining challenges. Black bears, hypothermia even in summer near Lake Superior, and intense mosquito and blackfly seasons in early summer.
Our rankings here are data-driven — pulled from the 9,691 mapped entries OutsideAtlas tracks in Minnesota — but the data has limits worth being honest about. A composite score weights expert and hard difficulty tags alongside total mileage and elevation gain. The result favors long, vertically aggressive routes with documented technical sections — there are surely tougher off-trail objectives in the state, but those are outside the scope of a trail directory.
The Ranking
Ranked from #1 to #8. Click through any entry for the full trail page — map, elevation profile, weather forecast, and direct OpenStreetMap source link.
#1. Nerfherder DH
Nerfherder DH sits near La Crosse in La Crosse County and is rated expert — our pick for the toughest trail on the list. Expect dirt surface on a expert-only grade. Local trail-association reports tend to agree this is one of the better-maintained options in the area, which matters more on a hike of this length than on a quick walk. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. Best attempted by hikers comfortable with long days, route-finding when the path gets faint, and weather that can turn fast. Not a casual outing. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Nerfherder DH trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#2. Canadian Shield Trail
Canadian Shield Trail sits near Grand Marais in Cook County and is rated hard — the #2 entry in a roster of hikes you don't take lightly. Expect ground surface on a genuinely demanding grade. The route is well documented in OpenStreetMap, which is what put it on our radar — community-mapped routes tend to be the ones that get hiked enough to stay open. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. Best attempted by hikers comfortable with long days, route-finding when the path gets faint, and weather that can turn fast. Not a casual outing. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Canadian Shield Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#3. Humfield Summit Trail
Humfield Summit Trail sits near Onalaska in La Crosse County and is rated hard — the #3 entry in a roster of hikes you don't take lightly. Expect grass surface on a genuinely demanding grade. It earns its ranking on the data, but trail conditions can change quickly after storms or fire seasons, so verify before you commit a full day. Best attempted by hikers comfortable with long days, route-finding when the path gets faint, and weather that can turn fast. Not a casual outing. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Humfield Summit Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#4. Humfield Summit Trail
Humfield Summit Trail sits near Onalaska in La Crosse County and is rated hard — the #4 entry in a roster of hikes you don't take lightly. Expect grass surface on a genuinely demanding grade. Compared to similar trails in Minnesota, this route trades difficulty for either solitude or scenery — sometimes both. Best attempted by hikers comfortable with long days, route-finding when the path gets faint, and weather that can turn fast. Not a casual outing. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Humfield Summit Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#5. Humfield Summit Trail
Humfield Summit Trail sits near Onalaska in La Crosse County and is rated hard — the #5 entry in a roster of hikes you don't take lightly. Expect grass surface on a genuinely demanding grade. What makes this one earn its spot on the list is the combination of mapped detail and the kind of through-and-through experience that justifies a longer drive. Best attempted by hikers comfortable with long days, route-finding when the path gets faint, and weather that can turn fast. Not a casual outing. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Humfield Summit Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#6. Long Trail North
Long Trail North sits near Eau Claire in Eau Claire County and is rated hard — the #6 entry in a roster of hikes you don't take lightly. Expect dirt surface on a genuinely demanding grade. Local trail-association reports tend to agree this is one of the better-maintained options in the area, which matters more on a hike of this length than on a quick walk. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. Best attempted by hikers comfortable with long days, route-finding when the path gets faint, and weather that can turn fast. Not a casual outing. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Long Trail North trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#7. Long Trail South
Long Trail South sits near Eau Claire in Eau Claire County and is rated hard — the #7 entry in a roster of hikes you don't take lightly. Expect dirt surface on a genuinely demanding grade. The route is well documented in OpenStreetMap, which is what put it on our radar — community-mapped routes tend to be the ones that get hiked enough to stay open. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. Best attempted by hikers comfortable with long days, route-finding when the path gets faint, and weather that can turn fast. Not a casual outing. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Long Trail South trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#8. Summit Trail
Summit Trail sits near Saint Paul in Dakota County and is rated hard — the #8 entry in a roster of hikes you don't take lightly. Expect dirt surface on a genuinely demanding grade. It earns its ranking on the data, but trail conditions can change quickly after storms or fire seasons, so verify before you commit a full day. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. Best attempted by hikers comfortable with long days, route-finding when the path gets faint, and weather that can turn fast. Not a casual outing. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Summit Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.Planning your Minnesota trip
A few pieces of context are worth keeping in mind specifically for Minnesota. Late May through early October — summer brings mosquitoes; fall colors in late September peak the visual experience. Black bears, hypothermia even in summer near Lake Superior, and intense mosquito and blackfly seasons in early summer.
Always cross-reference the official land-manager page before driving out — closures, fire restrictions, and seasonal road access can change quickly. Our trail pages link directly back to the OpenStreetMap source so you can see the tags we're working from.
If you're new to hiking generally, our beginner's guide covers footwear, layering, and the day-pack basics. For safety planning on bigger objectives, the ten essentials guide is worth twenty minutes of reading.
More Minnesota hiking guides
If you found this useful, the rest of our Minnesota coverage continues below.
- Top 10 longest trails in Minnesota — Multi-day routes and through-hikes ranked by distance.
- Steepest trails in Minnesota — Hikes with the most elevation gain in the state.
- Best beginner hikes in Minnesota — Easy, well-marked trails for first-time hikers.
- Best national parks in Minnesota — Federal parks and recreation areas ranked.
- Best waterfall hikes in Minnesota — Trails leading to named falls, ranked by accessibility.
- Best dog-friendly hikes in Minnesota — Where leashed dogs are explicitly welcome.
- Best family hikes in Minnesota — Short, easy trails sized for kids and grandparents.
Rankings like this are starting points, not verdicts. Trail conditions change, new routes get tagged, and what was the toughest trail in Minnesota last year might not be next year. We refresh these articles when the underlying data shifts meaningfully.
Got a correction, a route we missed, or a question? Drop us a note via the contact page. We read every email and we'd rather hear it from you than miss it.
