This Ride is EPIC! | Duluth Traverse | Part 1

The Duluth Traverse is a 40-mile mountain bike route that, as its name suggests, takes you end-to-end across the city of Duluth, along the hills that rise above Lake Superior. It can be ridden in either direction, with the two end points being Chambers Grove Park and Lester Park. While the Traverse travels on trails within the several mountain bike clusters that exist in Duluth (Hartley Park, Lester Park, Mission Creek, Piedmont & Brewer, and Spirit Mountain), the trails that tie this route together should not be overlooked. Duluth is an IMBA Gold Designated Ride Center (one of only 4 in the US, a designation higher than even Bentonville), and the Traverse is what brings it all together.

While most of the trails on the DT are green-rated, with some blue, don’t take it lightly. This is a big ride, with over 4,000 feet of climbing, regardless of which direction you opt to take. The riding is absolutely top-notch, and offers an experience unique to Duluth. From the flowy trails of Mission Creek, to the slabs of Piedmont and the technical gnar of Hawk Ridge, you’ll ride over everything from jagged granite to loamy pine-covered forest trails. While you should expect several significant climbs, you’ll be rewarded with an abundance of long-lasting, bar-clutching descents. You’ll experience northern hardwood, and pine forests, industrial vistas and scenic overlooks of Canal Park and downtown Duluth. Rarely will you be out of earshot of one of the many trickling streams and rapids that work their way towards Lake Superior, the constant backdrop to it all. Riding backcountry one moment, and pedaling through a charming neighborhood the next. THIS is Duluth.

This was my first attempt at riding the Duluth Traverse. I started in Chambers Grove Park and worked toward Lester Park. Unfortunately, I only made it to the Enger trail when I had a day-ending mechanical: a broken Shimano XT shifter. While this was obviously quite frustrating, I still had a hell of a ride, one which made me appreciate how lucky we are in Minnesota, to have such world-class trails right in our own backyard. I’d end up returning a week later to ride the entire DT, which I’ll cover in my next video!

0:00 Intro
1:13 St. Louis River Trail
1:45 Valley West
3:42 Ely's Peak
4:37 DWP Trail (Duluth, Winnipeg, and Pacific)
5:45 Spirit Mountain
7:23 Fairmount
8:52 Keane
9:35 Lollygagger
11:34 Skyline
12:52 Lincoln
14:39 Enger (broken shifter...)
16:42 Craft Connector (Bonus Trail!)
18:27 Bike Shop & Pavement