Gunflint Trail drive guide

This guide is for drivers planning a day trip or a few nights up the Trail, and for paddlers using it to reach the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW). It covers where the road goes, stops in mile order from Forest Service and museum sources, the Forest Service campgrounds with their 2026 fees, permit basics and current closures.

The local business group, the Gunflint Trail Association, calls the road the "Driveway to the Boundary Waters." It describes the Trail as "a Minnesota Scenic Byway" and "57-mile-long paved road" running "to Saganaga Lake near the Canadian border."

The road and what you pass

The Gunflint Trail is Cook County Highway 12, starting from Highway 61 in Grand Marais. The Forest Service sums up the history you drive through: "the paved road which was originally a trail to a source of flint on Gunflint Lake, pines planted in the 30's by the CCC, a railroad and mine that vanished, signs of a meteor impact a billion or so years ago, and a forest regrowing from a fire in 2007."

The Forest Service's only posted rules for the byway are short: obey posted speed limits and "watch for bear and moose crossing the road." It adds that there is "a better than average chance you will be stopped by a moose crossing the road." The Gunflint Trail Association points to a moose-viewing area "half-way up the Gunflint Trail" with walking trails.

Stops in mile order

Distances below come from each site's Forest Service directions or the museum's own page, measured from Grand Marais. They are approximate, and some include a short drive off the Trail.

Hikes along the way

• Honeymoon Bluff: the Forest Service calls it "the half-mile Honeymoon Bluff Trail," starting "a short walk up the road" from Flour Lake Campground, with "a great vista of Hungry Jack Lake."
• Caribou Rock Trail: a 1.5 to 7 mile hike. The Forest Service says "the first 3/4 of a mile takes you to an overlook of West Bearskin lake."
• Magnetic Rock Trail: passes Canadian Shield bedrock to "a 60 foot rock with strong magnetic attraction." The 2007 Ham Lake fire burned through the trail, and the Forest Service says mid-July to mid-August is the time to look for ripe blueberries. It notes the footing "can be uneven with loose gravel" and to expect "plenty of biting insects in June, July, and August."
• Laurentian Divide Scenic Overlook: the Forest Service's Birch Lake listing mentions this overlook's parking area along the Trail.

For Minnesota's highest point, which the Forest Service lists in the same Gunflint Trail and Grand Marais recreation area, see the Eagle Mountain hike guide.

Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center

At the top of the Trail, the Gunflint Trail Historical Society runs Chik-Wauk in the restored Chik-Wauk Lodge on Saganaga Lake, at 28 Moose Pond Drive. The Gunflint Trail Association says it "presents the cultural history of the Gunflint Trail," including evidence of the Sudbury meteorite.

• 2026 season: open daily May 23 to October 18, 2026. The museum, cabin and Trapper Shack were open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Nature Center 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the Watercraft Exhibit Building 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Now: the society's site says the museum is closed for the 2026 season, gives May 29, 2027 as the next opening, and invites visitors to use the hiking trails in the meantime.
• Admission: adults $6, children 5-18 $3, children 0-4 free, with a discount for seniors and military. One fee covers all buildings.
• Passes: the museum says it cannot accept federal senior passes, and it has no affiliation with the Minnesota Historical Society.
• Phone: 218-388-9915.

Forest Service campgrounds on the Trail

The Superior National Forest runs several campgrounds off the Trail. These are the 2026 figures from each campground page:

Trail's End has a mix of walk-in tent sites and sites that can take RVs up to 45 feet, and the Forest Service says black bears "are common visitors." Some sites can be reserved through Recreation.gov. As of November 11, 2026, all five campground pages read "Closed, no fees or services" for the off-season. For more options closer to town, see camping near Grand Marais.

Boundary Waters entry and permits

The BWCAW is the reason many people drive the Trail. Trail's End alone has four entry points (54, 55, J and K), per the Forest Service. Permit basics from Recreation.gov and the Forest Service:

A reservation needs a minimum $32 deposit, equal to two adult fees. The group limit is 9 people and 4 watercraft. Quota permits go on sale at 9 a.m. Central on the last Wednesday in January each year.

Current wildfire closures

After lightning-caused wildfires on July 7, 2026, the Forest Service issued closure order 09-09-00-26-11, in effect October 1, 2026 through April 1, 2027 or until rescinded. The order covers the Gunflint, Kawishiwi and LaCroix Ranger Districts, so its list of closed entry points, portages and campsites includes some Gunflint Ranger District campsites as well as areas on the western side of the BWCAW. The list can change, so check the current closure order and its Exhibit A on the Superior National Forest alerts page before you go.

Planning checklist

• Decide day trip or overnight. The Trail is about 57 miles each way, and you return on the same road.
• Season matters. Chik-Wauk and the campgrounds are summer and fall operations; check each page before an early or late trip.
• Get the right permit. Even a short paddle into the BWCAW needs a day permit.
• Watch the road. Moose and bears cross; drive the posted limit.
• Off-season office hours. The Gunflint Ranger District office (2020 W. Highway 61, Grand Marais) is open Tuesday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., from October 1, 2026 to April 30, 2027.
• Winter. The Gunflint Trail Association lists cross-country skiing and snowmobiling, and the Forest Service lists the Banadad Ski Trail, which roughly parallels the Trail. Most other facilities above are seasonal.

Start or end the drive in town with things to do in Grand Marais, and pair it with the walk out to Artist's Point.

Related guides: All North Shore guides · Minnesota road trips · Duluth to Grand Marais, stop by stop · Camping near Grand Marais

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Sources

• U.S. Forest Service, Superior National Forest, Gunflint Trail Scenic Byway: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r09/superior/recreation/gunflint-trail-scenic-byway
• U.S. Forest Service, Gunflint Trail and Grand Marais Area (recreation listing): https://www.fs.usda.gov/r09/superior/recreation/gunflint-trail-and-grand-marais-area
• U.S. Forest Service, Kimball Lake Campground: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r09/superior/recreation/kimball-lake-campground
• U.S. Forest Service, East Bearskin Lake Campground: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r09/superior/recreation/east-bearskin-lake-campground
• U.S. Forest Service, Flour Lake Campground: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r09/superior/recreation/flour-lake-campground
• U.S. Forest Service, Iron Lake Campground: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r09/superior/recreation/iron-lake-campground
• U.S. Forest Service, Trails End Campground: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r09/superior/recreation/trails-end-campground
• U.S. Forest Service, Celebrating Wildflowers, Magnetic Rock Trail: https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/regions/eastern/MagneticRock/index.shtml
• U.S. Forest Service, Post Wildfire Closures, Effective October 1, 2026 (and Exhibit A): https://www.fs.usda.gov/r09/superior/alerts/post-wildfire-closures-effective-october-1-2026
• U.S. Forest Service, BWCAW Permit and Visitor Use Report: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r09/superior/passes/permit-and-visitor-use-report
• Recreation.gov, Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness permits: https://www.recreation.gov/permits/233396
• Gunflint Trail Association, home page: https://www.gunflinttrail.com/
• Gunflint Trail Association, About Us: https://www.gunflinttrail.com/about-us/
• Gunflint Trail Historical Society, Hours and Admission: https://gunflinthistory.org/admission/
• Gunflint Trail Historical Society, Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center opening day (2026): https://gunflinthistory.org/event/chik-wauk-museum-nature-center-campus-buildings-open-for-the-season/