Tofte and Minnesota Highway 61

Welcome to the Tofte Ranger District.  The geography of this area runs from the rocky shores of Lake Superior to the miniature mountains of the Sawtooth Range.  There are plenty of lakes, lots of forest, and miles of wilderness.  The District office is located in the town of Tofte, right on scenic Minnesota Highway 61. 

Recreational opportunities abound with campgrounds of all sorts, trails for hiking, skiing, and motor use, and multiple entry points to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.  

Spend a day or two hiking the popular Superior Hiking Trail, a 300-mile trail with 94 campsites and 50 trailheads. Or use one of the several, far shorter, trails available for hiking or biking.

The Hogback Lake Area offers 5 miles of trial, backcountry camping and fishing between four different lakes.

Enjoy the 8-mile Island River Canoe Route, a river full of history with a Native American Pictograph site and a former Tomahawk Timber Company logging era town. Or spend a weekend on the Timber-Frear Canoe Route, 7 lakes, 7 portages and plenty of fishing.

Two scenic drives provide hours of relaxing car time. The North Shore Scenic Byway is a 154-mile weekend trip that will take you from Duluth to the Canadian border and back again. Or enjoy our planned just for you Sawtooth Mountain Fall Color Tour, where you will be able to stop at all the best spots to see the Arrowhead at its best.