New hiking guidebook focuses on Northeast Minnesota

A new hiking guidebook details more than 200 day hiking trails in Minnesota’s North Shore, Arrowhead and St. Croix River regions.

“Headin’ to the Cabin: Day Hiking Trails of Northeast Minnesota,” by Rob Bignell, marks the second book in the “Headin’ to the Cabin” series. It was released Monday, April 13.

“Day Hiking Trails of Northeast Minnesota” covers trails covers trails in or near Chisago, Pine, Carlton, St. Louis, Lake, and Cook counties. It includes Voyageurs and Isle Royale national parks, the Superior National Forest and Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness Area, and each state park in the region.

“Northeast Minnesota is a hiker’s Shangri-La,” Bignell said. “From rocky beaches along Lake Superior to waterfalls surrounded by luxuriant pine forests, from a mine 52 stories below ground to a hill nearly half-a-mile above sea level, from nearly 2-billion-year-old lava rock to lakes formed just a few thousand years ago, northeast Minnesota offers an incredible number of sights for day hikers to enjoy.”

The books provide a plethora of information about each featured trail, including:

  • Driving directions to the trail
  • Where to park and find the trailhead
  • Course the trail takes
  • Scenic points to look for on the trail
  • Wildlife and flora you might spot
  • Interesting tidbits about the area’s geology and history
  • Trailside amenities such as water fountains and bathrooms
  • Best times to hike the trail

Following each featured trail are brief descriptions of other nearby day hiking trails.

“These trails are perfect for families with children or anyone who wants to spend just a couple of hours outdoors enjoying and discovering nature,” Bignell said. The trails run from a third of a mile to 6 miles in length, with most only a mile to three miles long.

“Headin’ to the Cabin’ is the latest in several bestselling hiking guidebooks Bignell has authored. Last year, “Day Hiking the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway” reached No. 1 on Amazon.com’s bestsellers list for Travel>Midwest books. “Day Hiking Trails of Northwest Wisconsin,” the first book in the Headin’ to the Cabin series, was a bestselling travel ebook on Amazon.com two years ago.

An avid backpacker, long-time editor, and Wisconsin native, Bignell is uniquely qualified to write about hiking, especially for families. Bignell has served in the Army National Guard and taught middle school students in New Mexico and Wisconsin. His newspaper work has won several journalism awards, from editorial writing to sports reporting. In 2001, The Prescott Journal, which he served as managing editor of, was named Wisconsin’s Weekly Newspaper of the Year.

This is Bignell’s 15th hiking guidebook, almost all of which focus on Wisconsin and Minnesota. He now lives with his son in western Wisconsin.

Book specs:

  • “Headin’ to the Cabin: Day Hiking Trails of Northeast Minnesota”
  • Publish date: April 13, 2015
  • Publisher: Atiswinic Press
  • ISBN: 978-0-9896723-5-1
  • Price: $11.95 (paperback), $1.99 (ebook)
  • Pages: 164 (paperback)
  • Cover: Paper (paperback)
  • Trim Size: 5.5 x 8.5 (paperback)
  • Website: http://hikeswithtykes.com/headintothecabin_northeastminnesota.html