Devil’s Kettle Trail garners national recognition

Day hikers on the North Shore looking for recommendations are in luck. In a press release issued by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources on May 23, they announced that the Devil’s Kettle Trail in Judge C.R. Magney State Park was named the Summer 2025 top pick in USA Today’s 10Best feature.

The trail’s nomination was announced in April. The initial list was put together by a panel of experts in the travel and recreation fields. After that, it was up to readers to select their top pick. On the 10Best website, USA Today specifies that scenic trails from across the United States were chosen, with an additional emphasis put on access, meaning hikers of all skill levels could enjoy them. There were 19 nominees in the Best Hiking Trail category.

Readers had about a month to vote for their favorites. The top 10 in each of the categories can be found on USA Today’s 10Best website.

In the press release, Judge C.R. Magney State Park park supervisor Erin Turner-Garza said, “Our visitors have always been captivated by the Devil’s Kettle Trail, and this recognition confirms what we’ve known all along — it’s one of the most unique and rewarding hikes in the country.”

The Devil’s Kettle was not the only Midwestern trail to be recognized. It beat out another trail on Lake Superior, the Miners Castle Trail in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, which came in seventh place.

Another North Shore attraction to be recognized in the USA Today list was Lake County’s Gooseberry Falls State Park, which ranked third in the Best State Parks category.

Kirsten Wisniewski May 24, 2025