About the Area

Over 445,000 acres or 695 square miles of the forest is surface water. In addition, more than 1,300 miles of cold water streams and 950 miles of warm water streams flow within the boundaries of the Superior. Fish species such as walleye, northern pike, smallmouth bass, lake trout, brook trout, rainbow trout, and brown trout can be found in abundance in these waters. The northern forest community thrives with its pine, fir and spruce trees and is home to numerous wildlife species including deer, moose, gray wolf, and black bear. 

Did you know that the Superior National Forest:

• is the eighth most visited Forest in the National Forest System?
• is the fourth largest Forest in the Nation when considering total area within the proclamation boundary and purchase units?
• has the highest and lowest elevation point in the State of Minnesota?
• contains more than 2,000 lakes which total 440,000 lakes acres (46% of R9, 20% of the NFS) and 3400 miles of stream (22% of R9)?
• contains one of the top ten hiking trails in the United States as rated by Backpacker Magazine?
• is named as one of 100 globally important bird areas by the American Bird Conservancy?
• had one of the largest blow down events ever recorded in North America?
• was the origination of the Forest Service Passport in Time (PIT) Program and has 3,886 heritage resource sites recorded, representing human occupation of the Forest for over 10,000 years?
• has a federally designated wilderness area (BWCAW) that:
• is the largest and only wilderness of substantial size east of the Rocky Mountains and north of the everglades?
• is the most heavily used wilderness in the US (less than 1% of the acreage of the NWPS, but receives 10% of the use) and t ies with the Mall of America as Minnesota 's #1 tourist attraction?
• is a Class I Airshed as defined by the Federal Clean Air Act?
• is listed as one of the 50 greatest places to visit in a lifetime (along with places such as Antarctica, Amazon, Grand Canyon, Great Wall of China, Taj Mahal) by the National Geographic Society and is included in 1,000 Places to See Before you Die -- a gift book that provides an around-the-world listing of must see places off the beaten track?

Niche Statement

The Superior National Forest is known locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally for providing a variety of quality recreation opportunities.   The Superior is the eighth most visited national forest in the nation.

Valued for its boreal forest ecosystem, the Superior is home to clean lakes, rivers, streams, and bogs; abundant winter snow and alluring summer temperatures; as well as a rich cultural history. The Superior is renowned for its vast remote settings, as well as the million-acre Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

These distinctive qualities provide the setting for a full range of motorized and nonmotorized recreation opportunities, and the Forest focuses on delivering sustainable recreation activities and opportunities appropriate to these remote, natural settings.