(Generously Invest in Vital Entities)
Superior Hiking Trail Association mission:
Since 1986, the nonprofit Superior Hiking Trail Association has connected people with nature through our natural footpath along Lake Superior’s North Shore. They are responsile for building, maintaining, renewing, promoting, and otherwise managing 324+ miles of the Superior Hiking Trail from the Wisconsin/Minnesota border, through the City of Duluth (approx. 40 miles inside city limits), and north along the ridgeline to the border with Ontario, Canada.
How does the Superior Hiking Trail Association fulfill their mission?
• Secure and protect permits for the Superior Hiking Trail to cross a wide variety of public and private lands.
• Publish and update their Guide to the Superior Hiking Trail and maps for trail users.
• Provide current trail information via their publications, website, and social media streams.
• Sell Superior Hiking Trail branded products to promote and celebrate the Trail
• Perform the membership, financial, and administrative work to make the Trail happen.
• Plan a calendar of Trail events, including: their annual Hike Fest gatherings; a series of guided hikes throughout the year; fundraising and outreach events at local breweries, retailers, and other venues; and scheduled maintenance work parties.
Who does Superior Hiking Trail Association serve?
They estimate that upwards of 100,000 people visit the Superior Hiking Trail yearly. They also engage 300+ volunteers who contribute over 8,000 hours on the trail each year. Thousands of Duluthians enjoy walking their dogs, exercising with a nice view, and simply unplugging for a few hours on the Trail in their backyard.
What will your G.I.V.E. donation go toward?
Where the Superior Hiking Trail departs northeast from Knowlton Creek Boulevard in Spirit Mountain, it traverses a steep slope with 138 uneven wooden steps and a deepening ditch next to the steps. We intend to resolve this land and water conservation issue on our Trail in summer 2019. Most Superior Hiking Trail users opt for the easiest path up & down this steep hill, which in this case is often the ditchm rather than the wooden steps. Your G.I.V.E. donation will go toward a repaired staircase to provide an easier, safer option for trail users and dramatically reduce soil erosion from the Superior Hiking Trail into Knowlton Creek.