Minnesota · Hiking

Northwest Passage

8.3 mi
loop
480 ft
climb
1,554 ft
high point
Loop
route
Aug–Sep
best months

Is Northwest Passage open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Superior National Forest. It doesn't name Northwest Passage, so check the source for the area it covers.

As of · Source: USFS · Superior National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Northwest Passage is a hiking loop of about 8.3 miles in the Kawishiwi Ranger District of Superior National Forest, Minnesota, managed by the Forest Service. It is rated hard. The route starts at about 1,430 feet and stays within a narrow band of elevation, ranging from a low near 1,410 feet to a high around 1,550 feet. Climbing totals about 480 feet over the full loop. The steepest stretch comes early, around the first mile, where grades reach about 10 percent. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from the nearby weather station in Ely run in the upper 70s for highs in July and August, with lows in the low 50s. Winter averages there drop well below freezing. Close by, within about half a mile, are the NORTH JUNCTION-NW LOOP hike and the High Road and Old Road cross-country ski trails. Fenske Lake Campground lies about 1.9 miles away.

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.