The multi-year Bean and Bear Lakes Loop and Bear Lake Campground renewal projects are now complete. Featuring modernized sustainable infrastructure, trail reroutes with better durability, and rehabilitated and expanded campsite capacity at Bear Lake, this project will ensure the land is more resilient in light of heavy visitor use, and Trail users can continue to enjoy this beloved spot. The Superior Hiking Trail Association (SHTA) will be celebrating the completion of this project with a ceremonial ribbon cutting on Friday, September 25th at 2:00 p.m. at the Penn Blvd Trailhead alongside project partners, funders, volunteers, and land managers.
Bean and Bear was identified as an area on the Superior Hiking Trail in need of improvement due to aging infrastructure and serious issues with erosion. The need for restoration, combined with the area’s popularity, made it a priority project for the SHTA’s Trail Renewal efforts. With the majority of the funding from Environment and Natural Resource Trust Fund, as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources, along with the support of generous SHTA donors/ members, the multi-year renewal project began in 2024.
Over the course of two years, contractors and project partners, including the Conservation Corps of MN and IA (CCMI), Trail Source LLC, Trail Eyes, and Great Lakes Trail Builders, as well as over 100 volunteers, rerouted the trail, rebuilt tread, updated the Loop with modern trail water management devices, and installed new boardwalk. The area is ready for all to enjoy.
