We Hope You Notice — By Not Getting Lost

June 1, 2020

We’ve been working diligently this spring to refresh our signage and blazing in heavily traveled state parks, where the SHT’s intersecting with other park trails is, to paraphrase songwriter Tom Waits, a “merging nexus back and forth.”

At some of those junctions, you couldn’t tell if you were on the SHT, or you took a wrong turn putting you on a trail to International Falls. Our recent efforts will help you remain confident that you’re still on the SHT when you pass through the parks.

Blue Blazes lead to Blueberry Hill

This new sign will aid trail users in navigating the “Gooseberry Gap” detour. It’s well out of harm’s way of being eaten by a mower, a nasty fate which befell its predecessor.

We had to capitulate to reality in marking where the SHT meets the Gitchi-Gami State Trail near Blueberry Hill Road — part of the detour around the long-festering “Gooseberry Gap” reroute. Due to delays and uncertainty in with Minnesota DNR’s review of that project, we don’t know when we will close the Gap, so the detour is now signed well.

Farewell to Ancient “Twin Lakes” Signs

A sampling of the janky signs removed from the Bean and Bear Lakes Loop Trail.

And you’ll see the reference to “Twin Lakes” on the Bean and Bear Lakes loop is gone. Not that anyone was confused about where they were on that popular loop, but those lakes last had that reference when the French voyageurs were in this territory. It was time to get current, and the new map signs will help you stay on the right path.