On our second day at Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota, I hiked the Blind Ash Bay Trail. The route is rated moderate by the park service. It is an out-and-back trail with a loop at the far end. The park service lists the distance as 2.5 miles, but the trail markers show it as being 2.7 miles. Neither of these measurements includes the connector trail required to reach the official trailhead. The Kabetogama Overlook connector trail is listed as 0.1 miles for a total distance of 2.9 miles. According to my GPS, the actual distance is a bit longer at 3.1 miles. This is broken down as follows:
|
Trail
Markers |
GPS |
| Kabetogama Lake connecting
trail |
0.1 |
0.16 |
| Common leg of Blind Ash Bay
Trail |
1.0 |
1.06 |
| Loop of Blind Ash Bay Trail |
0.7 |
0.68 |
| Common leg of Blind Ash Bay
Trail (return) |
1.0 |
1.06 |
| Kabetogama Lake connecting
trail (return) |
0.1 |
0.16 |
|
|
|
| Total mileage |
2.9 |
3.12 |
To reach the trailhead from the Ash River Visitor Center, drive 0.3 mile south on Mead Wood Road to a paved parking area on the right. The ADA trailhead is at the south end of the parking area, while the standard trailhead is at the north end. The two trails merge in a short distance into a gravel lane that leads to the Kabetogama Lake Overlook. Immediately after the overlook is the trail junction for the connector trail from one of the parking areas near the visitor center.
The longest descent and climb on the trail are from the overlook on the loop down to Blind Ash Bay and back up to the loop junction. This portion of the trail descends 100 feet over a distance of 1000 feet, but then climbs back up 100 feet over a distance of about 600 feet.
Although this is one of the most used trails in the park, I only met two other hikers along the way. I hiked the trail on our early August 2017 visit to Voyageurs National Park.
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| Topographic map with GPS route |
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| Part of the paved parking area |
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| Trailhead with new timber and gravel stairs |
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| Meeting up with the ADA trail |
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| Side trail to Kabetogama Lake Overlook |
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| Wayside exhibit and benches at the overlook |
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| View from the Kabetogama Lake Overlook |
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| Trail through the ferns |
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| The trail passes through open forest into a more densely wooded area |
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| Plenty of sunlight in a small clearing |
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| Single-track path |
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| The trail is in here somewhere |
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| Crossing a drainage area |
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| Atop another hill |
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| More open forest |
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| Approaching the service road |
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| Rocks and roots |
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| Up and over |
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| Easy path to follow |
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| Even the rocks are green |
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| Boardwalk |
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| Bench at ¾ mile |
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| Heading down the hill |
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| Flat, easy walking |
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| Crossing another drainage |
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| Stone steps |
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| Side slope walking |
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| Chest-high ferns |
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| Second boardwalk |
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| Trail marker |
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| Beginning the loop counter-clockwise |
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| Harder to find the trail with only half as many footprints |
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| Climbing the hill |
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| More ferns |
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| Rocky ground leads to open forest |
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| Bench |
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| View of Kabetogama Lake from overlook |
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| Beginning the descent to Blind Ash Bay |
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| Continuing to descend |
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| Dense, young forest |
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| First views of the bay |
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| Fewer, more mature trees |
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| Another view of the bay |
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| Some of the ground is too rocky for trees |
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| Hiking by the bay |
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| Blind Ash Bay from the trail |
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| Beginning the climb back up to the loop junction |
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| Continuing the climb |
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| Nearing the summit |
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| Cresting the ridge |
Entry to Voyageurs National Park is free.
The park website is
https://www.nps.gov/voya.
