What makes the Superior Hiking Trail the best first thru hike? A combination of incredible autumn scenery, a wonderfully well made and marked trail easy to navigate, towns that are no more than 50 miles apart, and campsites that are on average just three miles apart. A friendly community surrounding this hike, and mild weather all add up to a really great walk across Minnesota. So for anyone aspiring to do a hike like the Appalachian Trail, start here first!

SHT Guide with stats, photos, and information from our hike!
https://jupiterhikes.com/2024/01/04/h...

GarageGrownGear is a Minnesota based ultralight gear marketplace just a couple hours away from this trail, and they are a really cool company I'd like to highlight! So check them out with the links below

My Favorite Gear from GarageGrownGear:
Flashlight http://tinyurl.com/5n6jkrmd
Fleece http://tinyurl.com/4hxdpden
Foam Pad http://tinyurl.com/3wn5zuh2
Rain Jacket http://tinyurl.com/bdadk452
Stove http://tinyurl.com/58r2rys8
Pot http://tinyurl.com/hn32nxxp
Stake Sack http://tinyurl.com/rbay5v7b
Bidet http://tinyurl.com/654vhu3y
Pack Liner http://tinyurl.com/2p8uvn7w
PLB http://tinyurl.com/5n6z7uz6
Backpack http://tinyurl.com/2u4mwhkn
Wallet http://tinyurl.com/3bbsup83

For someone wanting to get into thru hiking and long distance hiking, I think the Superior Hiking Trail is the perfect place to start. Everything about it is friendly and helpful, and I don't just mean the community of hikers surrounding it. The trail itself is extremely well marked, maintained, and all around easy to navigate. The towns are not far apart and on average just 50 miles away from one another. The climbs are frequent and the footing can be tricky, but it's still nothing compared to many other trails out there. Water is abundant, and campsites all have latrines and benches. The weather is mild and bugs aren't so bad in September and October. There aren't any significant roadwalks, while many other trails have tons. Everything about this hike is just a good time. A great place to learn, to try new gear, and to practice skills or spend time alone in the woods.

Add on that this hike is otherworldly in the autumn months. Every color you could ever imagine just exploding all around you. Having done the Long Trail of Vermont, the Appalachian Trail, and the Pinhoti Trail in the fall I feel qualified to say that the SHT has the best fall foliage and colors of them all. So if you love leaf peeping, crazy colors, fun lighting.... this is as good as it gets! Every mile of the entire hike is bursting with fall colors.

So all this to say, this is the best beginner thru hike, the best first thru hike, the best place to try new things, the best trail for fall colors, and all around just a great time.

00:00 Recap of SHT Beginning
01:51 Beach Hiking
04:00 Back in the Woods!
06:57 Is this the Best First Thru Hike?
09:59 Thank you for watching :)

Hiking Essentials Shirt! http://jupiterhikes.com/product/hikin...

THE BACKPACKING GEAR I USE:
http://www.jupiterhikes.com/gear/

If you would like to get access to content I create about this type of stuff I don't share anywhere else join me on my Patreon!
  / jupiterhikes  

If you'd like more info about me, my hiking, or painting:
https://www.jupiterhikes.com
  / jupiterhikes  
  / jupiterhikes  

Some of the links above are affiliate links, at zero extra cost to you I get a very small percentage of the sale. So using these links greatly helps to support this channel, these videos, and guides! Thank you! It is much appreciated.