If you’re an avid hiker in Minnesota, you probably already have a few favorite trails. Maybe you enjoy the challenge of the extra-long Superior Hiking Trail or the soaring heights of the Eagle Mountain Trail. Those — and all of the state’s other trails — are phenomenal. But there’s a lesser-known trail in northern Minnesota that is well worth the trip. This 2-mile hike takes you through an enchanting forest, and it’s simply unforgettable.
A sign in the Chippewa National Forest of Minnesota points to The Lost Forty Scientific and Natural Area (The Lost 40 SNA), home to an old-growth pine forest that loggers missed due to a land surveying error.
Tony Webster/Flickr
The forest — and its enchanting hike — is within the Lost 40 Scientific and Natural Area. This 114-acre park encompasses a large chunk of Minnesota wilderness. But perhaps the most impressive is the Lost 40 section.
evilfoo/Flickr
But why is it lost? As the story goes, a surveying error back in the 1800s left out this section of forest. It was left alone by loggers, and the towering pines that make up the forest still stand today.
Done Can/AllTrails
This is what you have to look forward to if you choose to hike the Lost 40 Trail. This 2-mile trek passes under some of the oldest trees in Minnesota.
Ron Alden/AllTrails
The trees are white and red pines, and the oldest among them are up to 240 years old. These ancient trees have stood for longer than Minnesota has been a state!
Lee Kahlbaugh/AllTrails
As you hike through the woods, you’ll be struck by how perfectly peaceful the journey is.
evilfoo/Flickr
Hikers on this trail are surrounded by nothing but forest and the occasional critter. It is positively enchanting.
evilfoo/Flickr
Next time you’re looking for a hike in northern Minnesota, look no further than the Lost 40 SNA. This wildlife area preserves a once-lost part of Minnesota. Visit for a beautiful day outdoors and to appreciate the stroke of luck that preserved this old-growth forest for future generations. Have you ever been to the Lost 40? What are your other favorite short hikes in Minnesota? Let us know in the comments below!
Tony Webster/Flickr
evilfoo/Flickr
Done Can/AllTrails
Ron Alden/AllTrails
Lee Kahlbaugh/AllTrails
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