Superior Hiking Trail Section

The Superior Hiking Trail traverses Temperance River State Park along the ridge above the river gorge, connecting the dramatic cauldron and gorge scenery near Lake Superior with the higher inland terrain that eventually leads to Carlton Peak. This section of the trail follows the characteristic North Shore ridge pattern, climbing away from the lake through boreal forest before reaching viewpoints that reveal the full extent of the Temperance River watershed. The trail departs from the main parking area on the west bank of the Temperance River and follows the river gorge upstream on the Superior Hiking Trail's blue diamond blazes, staying high on the gorge rim above the cauldron section before diverging inland through a forest of balsam fir and birch. The first major viewpoint, roughly a mile from the trailhead, looks directly down the Temperance River gorge to Lake Superior at its mouth, the entire slot canyon visible as a dark cleft through the basalt. The trail continues to climb through increasingly boreal forest, with black spruce and tamarack appearing in the wet depressions between basalt ridges, until reaching a second overlook above a bend in the river where the valley widens enough to reveal the surrounding ridgeline. The turnaround point at mile two provides a view toward Carlton Peak on the northern skyline, establishing the trail's continuation toward that distinctive summit for visitors planning a future longer excursion.