Gunflint Trail Scenic Byway
Gunflint Trail Scenic Byway is a National Scenic Byway in Minnesota. Within Minnesota it covers roughly 55 miles. The map below shows its route. Use “Plan a drive” to open it in the Road Sorties route planner — already routing along Gunflint Trail Scenic Byway with scenic roads turned on, ready to add your own stops.
The Gunflint Trail runs about 57 miles from Grand Marais on Lake Superior into the heart of the north woods, ending deep in the lake country at the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. It is a primary gateway for canoeists and a prime spot for spotting moose along the forest edges. The road dead-ends among the interconnected lakes of the canoe country.
- Boundary Waters gateway
- Grand Marais
- moose country
- north-woods lakes
- canoe country
Designated for its natural qualities
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Places to stop along Gunflint Trail Scenic Byway
Pincushion Mountain Overlook
A pullout just above Grand Marais looking back over the town, its harbor, and the open expanse of Lake Superior.
Laurentian Divide
Where the road crosses the divide between waters flowing north to Hudson Bay and south to the Great Lakes.
Gunflint Lake Overlook
A view across Gunflint Lake to the Ontario shore, on the international border.
Magnetic Rock Trail
A walk through forest regrowing from the 2007 Ham Lake fire to a towering glacial boulder magnetic enough to swing a compass needle.
Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center
A 1930s stone lodge near the trail's end, now a museum of Gunflint history with nature trails on Saganaga Lake.
Where to Stay along Gunflint Trail Scenic Byway
4 campgrounds and RV parks sit within about 5 miles of Gunflint Trail Scenic Byway.
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Photos of Gunflint Trail Scenic Byway
What is a National Scenic Byway?
National Scenic Byways are roads recognized at the federal level for at least one outstanding quality — scenic, natural, historic, cultural, archaeological or recreational — that gives travelers a reason to seek them out rather than just pass through.