TOWER—The spectacular pine-covered ridges on the north side of Tower have long been known to many local residents even though navigating the area has long been challenging.
That’s a problem that local volunteers are in the process of solving, as work continues on the recently dubbed Pine Ridges trail, located just past the Vermilion Senior Living facility at the end of Birch Street in North Star Addition.
A kiosk, installed last fall at the Birch St. turnaround, now has a temporary trail map in place. A larger, permanent sign for the location is in the works. Additional maps have been installed at key locations along the route, and the trail has been blazed with blue paint, according to volunteer Mary Shedd, who has done much of the work this summer.
The roughly one-mile-long trail takes hikers along two pine-covered ridges on the city’s north side, both of which provide spectacular overlooks of Lake Vermilion as well as interesting rock formations tucked amid open pine stands. The lower ridge looks out over Pike Bay, while the upper ridge provides views to the northeast, over other parts of the lake. The higher ridge also peeks out over the Tower Airport and can be an interesting vantage point to watch planes come and go during busy periods there.
Because the forest is quite open, with minimal undergrowth within the stands of pine, it is tempting to explore, but Shedd recommends that users stick to the trail as much as possible, especially if they’re with young children. The terrain is rugged, with areas of loose rock talus as well as high cliffs and portions of trail travel across slopes that can make the walking difficult. Walking sticks would help anyone unsteady on their feet.
Shedd recommends that hikers take their time and wear hiking boots or other appropriate footwear. “It’s definitely not a trail for flip-flops,” said Shedd.
The trail is new, so the route is not as obvious as a well-worn path, so hikers should keep watching for the blue blazes as they go. Like any trail built by volunteers, it’s a work in progress and users can help ensure a safer trail by kicking or rolling loose rocks off to the side, preferably downslope, when they encounter them. In fact, Shedd is asking for volunteers who might be interested in adopting a portion of the trail for a month each summer, just to clear fallen branches or remove loose rocks as they crop up. Anyone interested can contact Shedd at 218-830-2457.
While the rugged terrain can make the trail challenging at times, the trail is high and relatively open, which means it will catch most breezes and it stays relatively bug-free along much of the route. That’s a plus in this particularly buggy year.
The trail is a joint effort of the city of Tower, the Wagoner Trails Club and Friends of Vermilion Country School, and is part of a larger program to develop trails to some of Tower’s unique assets. “Tower is incredibly fortunate to have such unique outdoor recreation opportunities,” said Jodi Summit, with the Friends of Vermilion Country School. “You have the ancient cedars forest on the south side of town and the high ridges on the north side. We want to make it possible for folks to experience these great places. We think it all helps make Tower a great place to live, or visit.”
The trail clearing and construction were completed with all volunteer labor. Funding for kiosk and signage came from the North St. Louis County Trails Task Force, which is funded by the Department of Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation.