The Border Route Trail is a long hiking trail that crosses the

Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW or BWCA) comprises of pristine forests, glacial lakes, and streams in the Superior National Forest. Located entirely within the U.S. state of Minnesota at the Boundary Waters, the wilderness are ...

(BWCAW) in the far northeast corner of

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

(Arrowhead) and follows the international border between Minnesota and Ontario, Canada. It connects with the Superior Hiking Trail on its eastern terminus and with the Kekekabic Trail on its western end at the Gunflint Trail (Cook Cty. Road 12). In addition to the eastern and western termini, the Border Route Trail can be accessed through several spur and connecting trails, allowing for

hiking A hike is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century. Long hikes as part of a religious pilgrimage have existed for a much longer time. "Hi ...

trips ranging from short day-hikes to multiday

backpacking Backpacking may refer to: * Backpacking (travel), low-cost, independent, international travel * Backpacking (hiking), trekking and camping overnight in the wilderness * Ultralight backpacking, a style of wilderness backpacking with an emphasis on ...

expeditions. It is known for its dramatic topography, rugged nature, and outstanding vistas. Many of the vistas overlook the US - Canada border chain of lakes, also known as the Voyageur highway. The Border Route Trail Association was incorporated in 2004 to coordinate the maintenance and increase public awareness of the trail. Legislation passed by Congress in 2019 enacted a major re-route of the North Country Trail in northern Minnesota which included the Border Route Trail as an official part of the

North Country Trail The North Country Trail (NCT, officially designated the North Country National Scenic Trail) is a long-distance hiking trail in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern and Northeastern United States, Northeastern United States. The trail exten ...

along with the Kekekabic and Superior Hiking Trails. The trail was planned and built in the early 1970s by the Minnesota Rovers Outing Club with the help of the

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, or Minnesota DNR, is the agency of the U.S. state of Minnesota charged with conserving and managing the state's natural resources. The agency maintains areas such as state parks, state forests, rec ...

and the

US Forest Service The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands covering of land. The major divisions of the agency are the Chief's ...

. It was the first long-distance, wilderness backpacking and hiking trail in Minnesota planned and constructed by volunteers.

External links

Border Route Trail Association
{{Minnesota hiking trails Hiking trails in Minnesota Long-distance trails in the United States Protected areas of Cook County, Minnesota Superior National Forest