I’m not picky about the type of water. It can be a narrow trout stream, views of the world’s largest freshwater lake or a cascading waterfall.
Waabizheshikana (pronounced "wah-ba-zhay-she-kuh-nuh") — Ojibwe for the Marten Trail, in honor of the Indigenous Marten Clan — fits that criteria as it follows the St. Louis River in Duluth’s Irving Park neighborhood.
On a warm June day where a light fog covered Lake Superior, the sky over the river was surprisingly clear and sunny. I parked at the trailhead near the Munger Trail off the intersection of Grand Avenue and Pulaski Street. The parking lot was filling up around noon, but mostly with small SUVs with bike racks on the bumper.
The 3.3-mile multiuse path is easily marked with new bright-blue signs, mile makers and maps. The crushed stone path is smooth, with few gradual hills, making it compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The trailhead of Waabizheshikana is clearly marked with a trail map and mile markers along the 3.3-mile multiuse path. (Samantha Erkkila / serkkila@duluthnews.com)
As I started on the trail, I was greeted by geese near the outlet of Kingsbury Creek and a loud splash of what I’m going to say was some sort of otter or muskrat. I didn’t get a good eye on it, but whatever it was it was large.
As I made my way around Indian Point Campground, wildflowers, mostly roses, lined the trail. About 1 mile in, a fishing pier and small dock jut out into the St. Louis River. I walked out to the end of the pier and took in the expansive views of the river and the western Duluth hillside, which at that spot on the trail is mostly Spirit Mountain Recreation Area. A few fishing boats were trolling the area, perhaps trying to catch walleyes.
Insects gather on a smooth wild rose along Waabizheshikana on June 10, 2021. Many wildflowers were in bloom along the trail. (Samantha Erkkila / serkkila@duluthnews.com)
After a slight pause, I continued up the path to the tune of red-winged blackbirds. Turtles basked in the sun near some cattails and a biker shouted “to your left” as he whizzed by me quickly, reminding me that the trail is for walkers and bikers.
Although the trail currently goes to the Riverside neighborhood, I turned around short of that, about 1.5 miles in, near Milford Street, as the trail became more residential and it felt like I was walking in people’s backyards.
In the future, Waabizheshikana is planned to extend an extra 7 miles upriver from Irving to the Fond du Lac neighborhood.
An April 7 story by News Tribune reporter Peter Passi said in addition to tripling the length, Waabizheshikana will also host a variety of interpretive elements that tell the area's history.
“The trail’s story poles, placards, pause points, artwork and overlooks will trace the evolution of the area and its people, from precolonial times, through the fur-trading days, to the industrialization of the riverscape, and the ensuing efforts to clean up and reclaim a degraded natural resource,” Passi wrote.
A male deer munches on leaves near Kingsbury Creek just off the Waabizheshikana trailhead in Duluth's Irving Park neighborhood June 10, 2021. (Samantha Erkkila / serkkila@duluthnews.com)
As I made my way back to the car, a male deer with felt on his antlers crossed my path near Kingsbury Creek. I followed the trail to a bridge over the creek and found him chewing on some leaves. I watched for a while, admiring how much wildlife I had seen in this short 2.5-mile hike along the river right off Grand Avenue.
And that’s the great thing about hiking or biking in Duluth. It doesn’t take long to find a trail and fully immerse yourself in nature.
Have a favorite trail you want us to check out? Drop us an email at outdoors@duluthnews.com with the subject line “Happy Trails.”
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Happy Trails: Follow St. Louis River on Waabizheshikana - Duluth News Tribune
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