Superior Municipal Forest

About Superior Municipal Forest

The Superior Municipal Forest covers more than 4,400 acres inside the Superior city limits, which the city describes as one of the largest municipally owned forests in the United States, and which makes it by a wide margin the biggest single piece of public land inside any city in the Twin Ports (City of Superior, accessed 2026-08-14). A more specific claim circulates locally, that it is the third largest municipal forest in the country; the city itself does not say that, and this guide does not repeat it.

It wraps around the Pokegama River and the St. Louis River estuary on the city's west side, and the terrain is flat boreal forest and wetland rather than the ridge and gorge country across the harbor in Duluth. That flatness is what makes it work as an everyday recreation space: the trail network carries hiking and mountain biking in summer, groomed classic and skate ski trails in winter, and paddling access to the Pokegama and the estuary from the water side. The city itemises two named routes inside the forest, the Pokegama Trail at 6.14 miles and a 1.6 mile stretch of the Millennium Trail running from Elmira Avenue to Billings Drive (City of Superior, accessed 2026-08-14).

For residents of Superior it functions as the backyard woods, ten minutes from most addresses in the city. It is also one of the more under-visited large green spaces in the region, which is either a criticism of the city's marketing or a selling point, depending on what you want from a Saturday.

Good to know: hiking, mountain biking, groomed cross-country ski trails, paddling access on the Pokegama River, hunting in season, birding, dispersed recreation.

Neighborhoods it serves

Where these facts come from

• City of Superior, Superior Municipal Forest accessed 2026-08-14

Last reviewed 2026-08-14 by Guide editorial.