Parks & recreation in Smithville, Duluth, Minnesota
Part of the Smithville neighborhood guide. Back to the full guide.
Smithville has no park of its own and one of the strongest outdoor settings in the city, which is the central tension of the place.
Above the neighborhood is the ridge. Bardon Peak on West Skyline Parkway sits inside the official boundary and gives one of the best St. Louis River valley overlooks in Duluth. The Superior Hiking Trail runs the same ridge, and the Magney-Snively Natural Area's old-growth sugar maple adjoins it, producing the best fall colour inside any Minnesota city.
North is Spirit Mountain, about six minutes: downhill skiing, tubing, Nordic trails, a campground and a lift-served bike park, with the Duluth Traverse singletrack on the same hillside.
South and west are the Mission Creek trails, the far-west end of the Duluth Traverse carrying the network's smooth flow lines, and beyond them Jay Cooke State Park at about thirteen minutes, with the river gorge and the swinging bridge. Jay Cooke is reachable on the Munger Trail without a car, which is a rare thing to be able to say.
The Munger Trail corridor itself runs through the river valley minutes away, giving 70 paved car-free miles south toward Hinckley and a link northeast to the Norton Park trailhead and Indian Point.
Stewart Creek runs through the neighborhood on its way to the river.
What is missing is everyday infrastructure: no playground, ball field, rink or organised youth sport of the neighborhood's own. All of that runs out of Gary-New Duluth and West Duluth.
Winter: downhill skiing and tubing at Spirit Mountain, Nordic skiing at Spirit Mountain and Magney-Snively, snowshoeing on the Superior Hiking Trail, snowmobiling on the Munger corridor, fat biking on the Duluth Traverse.
Parks
The overlook on West Skyline Parkway above the neighborhood, one of the best views of the St. Louis River valley in the city, and within Smithville's official boundary.
Duluth's ski hill, about six minutes north along the ridge.
The old-growth hardwood tract along Skyline Parkway, adjoining the ridge above the neighborhood.
The river gorge and swinging bridge, about thirteen minutes southwest and reachable on the Munger Trail.
The riverside park and campground northeast in Norton Park.
The riverside park in Fond du Lac at the far western end of the city.
Trails
The Duluth section runs the ridge directly above Smithville, past the Bardon Peak overlook.
Seventy paved car-free miles running south through Jay Cooke toward Hinckley, reachable within a few minutes.
The city-spanning singletrack spine, with both far-west trailheads within about ten minutes.
The far-west end of the Duluth Traverse network, carrying the system's smooth flow lines.
Parks & recreation next door
North along the river, sharing the same Census tract and the same owner-heavy river-corridor profile, with direct Spirit Lake frontage.
Morgan ParkEast along the river, the 1913 US Steel company town built almost entirely of concrete block.
Gary-New DuluthImmediately south, the nearest everyday services and the closest published price anchor in the far west.
Norton ParkNortheast, where the Munger and Western Waterfront trails begin and Indian Point gives boat access.
Fond du LacSouthwest along the river, the oldest community in Duluth and quieter still.