Duluth Parks and Recreation Wants to Preserve Lake Superior and Mississippi Railroad

The trail and rail option would add over seven miles of hiking and preserve the railroad tracks.

DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth Parks and Recreation department will be recommending to city council that the Lake Superior and Mississippi Railroad should be preserved in their entirey in something called a trail and rail option.

The trail and rail plan would lengthen the Western Waterfront Hiking Trail by about seven and a half miles and in some places would require the trail to go on the actual tracks.

There is still many meetings to be had and details to iron out before the final plans are presented to city council, but announcing the preservation of the railroad answered a big question in the process.

“We are looking forward to maximizing the goals we set forth in this which are to create equitable access to our city owned riverfront, to continue to preserve the historic rail line, and to maximize the restoration efforts that will be underway on the St. Louis river,” said Jessica Peterson the manager of Duluth Parks and Recreation.

Joel Manns, the president of the Lake Superior and Mississippi Railroad says he is breathing a sigh of relief with the announcement, but he says the railroad operated by all volunteers still faces uncertainty in the future.

The looming U.S. Steel cleanup as well as the controversial Mud Lake area with environmental concerns, so the potential trail is good news for now.

“Not only do the people get to see the route they get to ride it and experience it and they get to experience the river see the water fowl we have eagles along the route and if we can tie that with a trail we can maybe give some people a ride out and they can walk back,” said Manns.

The Mud Lake issue could possibly tear up the causeway where the tracks are plus the U.S. Steel cleanup could significantly impackt the railroad’s future operations.

For now they are happy the city is working with them to allow people a chance to ride on the first railroad in Duluth.