Duluth Traverse Completed Additions

DULUTH, Minn. – The City of Duluth and Cyclists of Gitchee Gumee Shores, also known as COGGS, held a ribbon cutting to celebrate the completion of multiple segments of the Duluth Traverse.

The Duluth Traverse is a multi-use biking and hiking trail that runs the full length of the city from Lester Park to Chambers Grove Park.
A vision for the trail has been in the works for some time and a master plan was approved in 2017.

In 2020, the city was granted nearly 890 thousand dollars from the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission, and additional financing from COGGS allowed for this work to be completed.

“The saying goes in Duluth, “You’re never more than a half mile away from a trail”. Whether that is the Duluth Traverse, other mountain bike optimized trails, Superior Hiking trail, Lake Walk trail, the list goes on and on and on. We have about 300 miles of trail throughout the city of Duluth and about 100 miles of that is now designed bike optimized trail,” Duluth Parks and Recreation Trails Coordinator, Matt Andrews said.

With five new miles of trail added, the Duluth Traverse is now 42 miles long.

“When I first started mountain biking, I was a road cyclist myself and I loved hiking. And hey, if you can combine the two things together, get out in nature, get out in the woods, get away from the cars, get away from all the noise, and just connect with nature while you’re on your bike, that’s really where it all comes together,” Andrews said.

There are a few segments called ‘road gaps’ on the traverse where riders have to get off the dirt and onto the road that remain to be completed.