Your Guide to the Best Hikes and Trails Near Ludlow’s

There's no shortage of ways to experience the beauty of northern Minnesota when you stay at Ludlow's. Surrounded by scenic parks, winding trails, and millions of acres of wilderness, the resort is the perfect place to lace up your hiking boots and start exploring.

So whether you're looking for a leisurely afternoon hike or a full day immersed in the Northwoods, these are a few of our favorite parks and trails to discover.

Afternoon Adventures

If you only have a few hours to spare, these nearby parks and trails are all within a 20 to 45-minute drive from the resort, making them the perfect way to spend an afternoon outdoors.

Big Aspen Recreation Area

Built along former logging roads and abandoned railroad grades, the Big Aspen Trail offers 21 miles of beautiful trails with countless loops, making it easy to choose your distance, pace, and skill level.

And with mostly beginner and intermediate-friendly trails, it’s perfect for families and casual hikers. 

Arrowhead State Trail

Stretching 70 miles through the heart of northern Minnesota, the Arrowhead State Trail winds through a stunning landscape of forests, wetlands, and Northwoods scenery.

If you head to the southern part of the trail, you’ll be greeted with more rugged terrain with rolling hills and exposed rock and boulders with a mix of hardwood and conifer trees. For an easier hike, the northern part of the trail between International Falls and the Ash River is mostly flat surrounded by an aspen forest.

Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park

This beautiful park has countless trails, taking you through old growth pine forest.

But if you have only an hour or two to visit, hike the Hiking Club Trail. Five miles long, this trail starts at the visitor center and passes the banded iron formation, a unique geological feature, before it continues along the rim of old open mine pits.

The West Tower Mine Trail is another great hike that leads you to a boardwalk overlooking the deepest mine pit.

Cap off your visit with one of Minnesota's most unique experiences with a guided tour of the Soudan Underground Mine. Descend 2,341 feet down the mine shaft to the 27th level before boarding an underground train that travels nearly a mile to the Montana Stope, the mine's last active working area.

Vermilion Segment of the Mesabi Trail

The 27.7 miles from Tower to Ely mark the Vermilion segment of the Mesabi Trail. While tackling the entire trail may be ambitious for an afternoon outing, exploring just a section offers a scenic tour of stunning boreal forests, towering pines, and rugged bedrock landscapes.

You might even spot some wildlife, including eagles, deer, mink, raccoons, porcupines, and moose.

Laurentian Divide Recreation Area

Stretching from Newfoundland to Glacier National Park in Montana, the Laurentian Divide crosses northern Minnesota, offering miles of scenic trails, panoramic overlooks, and some of the area’s most rewarding hikes.

The Laurentian Divide Recreation Area serves as the trailhead for both the Lookout Mountain Trail and the Laurentian Divide Fitness Trail.

For the more ambitious hikers, the 15-mile Fitness Trail also features a half-mile fitness section with seven exercise stations woven into the route. With beautiful scenery and uncrowded paths, take your time on these trails, soaking in the views at overlooks and relaxing at the several picnic sites and Adirondack shelter along the way.

Hunting & Foraging

Whether you’re chasing grouse or hunting woodcock, Ludlow’s makes a great home base to strike out on the hundreds of Hunter Walking Trails (HWT) in the area.

Pack up your gear and head to the Black Bay HWT for 2.1 miles of scenic hunting trails. HWY 115 HWT is another great nearby option with around 2 miles of trail or venture south of the resort to the Darwin Meyers HWT, where 3.3 miles of trails promise a rewarding day in the field. 

Grouse, partridge, and woodcock hunting season starts in September, which means you also get to enjoy one of the most spectacularly gorgeous seasons at Ludlow’s. With cool temperatures and leaves turning to brilliant shades of reds, oranges, and golds, you may want to take advantage of our 2-night stays starting September 8, 2026 and book a few weekend hunting trips this fall!

For all the HWT in St. Louis County near Ludlow’s, check out the DNR website.

Mushroom & Berry Picking

There's something extra special about ending the day in your Ludlow's cabin, cooking a meal with mushrooms and berries you picked just hours before. The Northwoods offers thousands of acres of public land and plenty of variety of mushrooms and berries for you to forage.

From summer into the fall season, you’ll find chanterelles, hedgehogs, porcini, morels, and black trumpet mushrooms all around the area, growing near hardwoods and woody edges.

Mushroom foraging is currently allowed in state parks and state forests only, making nearby Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park and Bear Head Lake State Park great spots to start your mushroom hunt.

Berry picking is also only currently allowed in state parks, state recreation areas, state forests, and state trails. Bring a bag or basket along one of your hikes and scout the trails for wild raspberries in July, wild blueberries in July to early August, and chokecherries and cranberries in August and into September.

If you want to guarantee that you’ll come home with a full basket of berries, Peterson’s Berry Farm in nearby Eveleth is a fantastic pick-your-own-berry farm where they’ll give you a free picking container that you can fill with strawberries in late June and early July, saskatoons, raspberries, blueberries, and aronia berries in late July and August. 

Worth the Day Trip 

Pack a picnic, cue up your favorite playlist, and hit the road. These scenic parks and trails are all within a 45- to 75-minute drive from the resort, perfect for a full day of exploring the Northwoods. 

Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness

With more than one million acres of pristine wilderness, the Boundary Waters is one of Minnesota's most iconic outdoor destinations.

But the good news is you don’t have to plan an extensive overnight trip to enjoy it. There are plenty of day hikes that let you experience the Boundary Waters’ rugged beauty in just a few hours. One of our favorites, the Secret-Blackstone and Ennis Lakes loop near Ely is 4.3 miles and takes about 2-3 hours to complete. 

Vermilion Falls

This is one waterfall worth chasing. A short, easy quarter-mile round-trip hike leads to an observation deck overlooking a powerful torrent of water rushing through a dramatic 10-foot-wide granite chasm.

Along the trail you’ll also pass a number of picnic sites, making it a great spot to slow down, enjoy a lunch, and soak in the beautiful scenery.

Vermilion Gorge

If you're looking for breathtaking views, look no further than the 3-mile round-trip Vermilion Gorge Trail.

Following the Vermilion River Gorge, you’re treated to dramatic granite cliffs, rugged rock outcrops, and beautiful river views along the way. The first section begins on a gravel path with boardwalks crossing wetlands before transitioning to a natural forest trail that winds through towering aspens and birch trees. 

Kawishiwi Falls

Kawishiwi Falls is one of those hikes that lives up to the hype. Once you hit the trail, you’ll see why. An easy 1.5-mile unpaved trail winds through the forest before revealing a spectacular 70-foot waterfall rushing over a rugged rock ledge.

Looking for a little more adventure? Continue along the portage trail between Garden and Fall Lakes to climb above the falls and take in the dramatic view from the top.

Whether you explore one trail or make it your mission to hike them all, there's no better way to end the day than back at Ludlow's. Unwind by the lake, relax with the sunset, and get ready for the next day’s adventures.