GRAND MARAIS — The votes are in and the Devil’s Kettle Trail at Judge C.R. Magney State Park topped a list of 19 contenders for the best hiking trail.
Judge C.R. Magney State Park is along the North Shore of Lake Superior.
Devil’s Kettle Trail took first place in the USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards, where people across the nation cast votes for the best hiking trail. The category contenders were chosen by a panel of USA Today editors and subject matter specialists.
The two-mile, round-trip hike winds through forest landscape where hikers climb nearly 400 feet and tackle around 175 steps. The rushing Brule River splits, where the east plunges into a pool like a traditional waterfall, while the west side vanishes into a deep swirling hole in the rock, or the “Devil’s Kettle.”
“Our visitors have always been captivated by the Devil’s Kettle Trail, and this recognition confirms what we’ve known all along — it’s one of the most unique and rewarding hikes in the country,” stated Erin Turner-Garza, park supervisor at Judge C.R. Magney State Park, in a news release.
“From the peaceful walk through the north woods to the view of the waterfall that seems to defy explanation, it’s a place that sparks wonder and invites people to connect with nature in a very memorable way.”
For years, no one knew where the water in the Devil’s Kettle went, with some speculating it eventually wound up in Lake Superior. In 2017, Minnesota DNR hydrologists announced they found nearly identical volumes flowing both above and below the Devil’s Kettle waterfall, showing that the water is likely rejoining the stream below the waterfall.
