Border Route
Border Route is a 46.1-mile trail in Superior National Forest, Minnesota. The Forest Service rates it trail class 2, moderately developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking. It enters Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Superior National Forest official page carries current alerts and closure orders.
Map
One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.
| One end | 48.0849° N, 90.7224° W · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 48.0860° N, 90.2534° W · Directions ↗ |
The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start. The trail is recorded as 24 segments.
The trail
| Length | 46.1 miles |
| Trail class | 2, moderately developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | native material |
| Typical grade | 10-12 percent |
| Typical tread width | 18-24 inches |
| Motor vehicles | Closed to all motorized use year-round |
| Accessibility | Evaluated and does not meet accessibility guidelines |
| National designation | National Recreation Trail or other national designation |
| Trail numbers | 21007 |
| Forest | Superior National Forest (unit 0909) |
| States | Minnesota |
| Detail published | management level, with uses |
Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.
Weather by month
Allowed uses
| Hiking | Allowed year-round |
| Horse and pack stock | Allowed |
| Mountain biking | Allowed year-round |
A use is listed when the Forest Service records it as managed, accepted or discouraged on any segment. Discouraged still means legal. Uses marked restricted are left out. Where the forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map, that map governs motorized use.
Wilderness
- Boundary Waters Canoe Area WildernessFS · about 71% of the line is insideWilderness Connect ↗
Inside a designated wilderness, bicycles and motor vehicles are prohibited by law regardless of the trail record, and permits or group limits may apply.
Trailheads
The Forest Service recreation layer records no trailhead within a third of a mile of this trail's line. Many trails start from a road pullout or another trail with no trailhead record. The forest's recreation pages list the trailheads it does publish.
Trails nearby
Camping nearby
Campsite Atlas cards carry site counts and booking links from Recreation.gov. Forest Service cards come from the recreation layer and link the agency page.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedCaribou Rock Piles Rx
3 mi from the trail midpoint
- PrescribedSunfish Rx
17 mi from the trail midpoint · 775 acres
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.
Explore
Historic places nearby
Guidebooks for Minnesota
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the Border Route?
The Forest Service records 46.1 miles under this name in Superior National Forest, the sum of 24 segments.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Border Route?
Hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking are allowed. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Where does the Border Route start?
The line begins at 48.0849° N, 90.7224° W and ends at 48.0860° N, 90.2534° W. No Forest Service trailhead is recorded within a third of a mile of it. The record does not say which end is the usual start.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Border Route in a wilderness area?
Yes. It enters Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.
Where can I camp near the Border Route?
Iron Lake (1.6 mi), Flour Lake Campground (2.7 mi) and East Bearskin Lake Campground (3.8 mi) are within five miles of the trail. The camping section lists all 3 with site counts and booking links.
Source: Campsite Atlas
How developed is the Border Route?
Trail class 2, which the Forest Service describes as moderately developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
How steep and how wide is the Border Route?
The typical grade is 10-12 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Border Route accessible?
No. The Forest Service evaluated it and found it does not meet its accessibility guidelines.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Border Route a national trail?
Yes. The record marks it as a National Recreation Trail.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Border Route?
Superior National Forest, Forest Service unit 0909. The trail is in Minnesota.
Is there a fire near the Border Route?
The interagency feed shows 2 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Caribou Rock Piles Rx at 3 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 24 segments named Border Route in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0909. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed November 1, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.