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Growing up in an active, outdoorsy family in New England, hiking was very much a part of John Green's life. But after moving to Duluth in the 1950s, he was discouraged to find that not many people were interested in the outdoor activity he was so fond of.

Fortunately, in the mid-1980s outdoor enthusiasts in and around the Superior National Forest began talking about constructing a trail connecting Duluth to the Canadian border. Federal, state and local government officials were soon involved, and inspiration developed into a reality for Green and other trail enthusiasts.

"With that little start they organized this organization," Green said of the Superior Hiking Trail Association. "I went to one talk about it, and it sounded like a great thing, so I've been involved ever since."

The SHTA is just one of many organizations in Duluth that is dedicated to maintaining and expanding the expansive network of trails in the city and surrounding region. For citizens and visitors alike, trails seem to be an inherent way of life in the city of Duluth.

Kathy Bergen, manager of Duluth Parks and Recreation, said it is easy to forget that a person is in the middle of a medium-sized Midwestern city with a number of streams, ravines, pine forests and incredible views. trails. "You can be in the center of the city and be on a trail in the wilderness," Bergen said. "You don't get that 'I'm out in the wilderness' kind of feeling like you do in Duluth in many places. It's an entirely different experience."

One person who would know something about that experience is George Hovland, owner of Snowflake Nordic Ski Center in Duluth, who said that if a person were to make a documentary following the trails in Duluth without revealing the film's location, someone could quite possibly think he was in some other part of the U.S., or even in an entirely different country.

"When walking along the trails in Duluth, a person can imagine herself in Yellowstone, Norway or even Italy," Hovland said.

Duluth is a hot spot for outdoor enthusiasts, especially those interested in using trails for horseback riding, hiking, skiing or biking, said Bergen, noting that she gets numerous calls from tourists coming to Duluth who want recommendations for trails to utilize.

"The trails are truly an asset for the city as well as tourists," Bergen said. "Duluth is a city known for its trails and parks."

Bergen said that each trail in Duluth has its own history, but that the beginnings of construction on Duluth trails date back many, many years ago.

"The trails were probably founded a long time ago," Bergen said. "Maybe even in the 1800s."

Bergen said that each trail was designed for different needs and purposes, and that the rational behind particular trails has changed over the generations.

"Duluth has had trails for a long time now, but consumer interest has changed," Bergen said, noting that while nordic skiing has been popular since the beginning of trail operations, activities such as mountain biking have become popular more recently.

Though the city of Duluth maintains over 96 miles of trails for snowmobiling, hiking, biking, horse back riding and nordic skiing, there are also private enterprises in the area that offer additional trails for outdoor recreation.

Hovland, also founder of Spirit Mountain Ski Area, has owned and operated Snowflake Nordic Ski Center for 18 years. Hovland said that Snowflake, a private enterprise conveniently located in the center of town, is in Duluths snow belt.

"We've had many years where Snowflake has snow, but you can go half a mile in either direction and find only traces," Hovland said.

Snowflake offers 15 kilometers of ski trails on the 176 acres of land Hovland purchased in the early 1990s and provides terrain for every skill level.

"We have very easy trails, intermediate trails and what would be considered expert trails," Hovland said. "By the same token, beginners can ski on expert trails and experts can ski on beginner trails. We haven't lost a skier in all the time we've been open."

Snowflake serves as home for two high school Nordic ski teams, as well as a racing venue and mentor program for younger skiers. Hovland said the coach of one of the high school teams recently told him that she did not think the school would have a program if it weren't for Snowflake.

When asked what makes Snowflake attractive, Hovland said the trails are dog-friendly, offering a place for owners to run their dogs in the summer through winter, and also that the trails are lighted.

"But mostly because they're just fun," Hovland said of Snowflake's appeal. "After every uphill, there's a downhill to glide down."

Hovland also noted that the facility has a chalet, which is unique in comparison to many city trails.

"The chalet is always warmer than outside," Hovland said, emphasizing the warmer part of his sentence with a wink.

A few miles north of Snowflake Nordic ski center, a group of trail enthusiasts are nearing the end of a construction project 20 years in the making.

The Superior Hiking Trail Association, a non-profit organization composed of around 3,500 members, has built the Superior Hiking Trail connecting the Canadian border to Silver Creek, just east of Two Harbors. In addition to this 205-mile path, the Association based out of Two Harbors created an extension of the trail through all of Duluth.

"It goes from Jay Cooke State Park all the way to the northern part of the city," Green said of the 39 miles of trails that connect Duluth.

Since the completion of the Duluth section of the SHT in 2007, the Associations most recent project has been connecting the Duluth trail to Two Harbors.

"Our original goal was from the Canadian border through Duluth," Green said. "There's just one gap here."

Gayle Coyer, executive director of the SHTA, said that as of this fall, 30 of the 56 miles of trail connecting Duluth to Two Harbors have been built, and the total SHT mile count is at 277 miles.

The trail, rated the No. 2 hiking trail in the U.S. by Backpacker magazine will connect the Rossini Road Trailhead near Two Harbors to the Martin Road Trailhead, which lies on the northern edge of Duluth.

Green said the formation of trails is a three-step process, involving looking at a topographic map, looking at land ownership and walking it out.

Although the SHT Association hires a contractor and foreman, trailblazers are mostly members and volunteers, Green said.

"The Minnesota Conservation Corps goes through and cuts the big stuff, and the volunteers cut out the brush," Green said.

SHT guidelines call for an 18-inch tread-way surrounded by a four-foot wide corridor, Green said, noting the trail is reserved for single-file hiking; bikers are prohibited.

"It's for non-motorized, non-wheeled use," Green said. "It makes a difference in the kind of terrain you put the trail on, and bikes also make the trail harder to maintain."

Green said it is terrific to be able to walk freely on the trails he has bushwhacked in the last few years.

"It's a wonderful feeling. You can just move along and you dont have to worry about pushing your way through thickets," Green said. "It makes it really enjoyable."

Green said he thinks Duluth is one of the most attractive areas in Minnesota and even the Midwest, with the most enjoyable part of the trails being the scenery of streams, pine groves, hardwood forests, wildflowers and especially the views.

"There are really nice views that a lot of people dont even realize," Green said. "It's a real boom for people in Duluth, as it opens new spots for them to enjoy."

Green said many Duluthians are excited about the SHT, and that the Association doesn't have a problem finding volunteers.

"There are a lot of people in town who have really caught on to the idea," Green said.

Although the Duluth Parks and Recreation Division has a maintenance crew ranging from 20-40 people depending on the season, Bergen said the city relies greatly on volunteer efforts to maintain the city's trail system as well.

"There are a lot of trail lovers in Duluth," Bergen said. "They're amazingly willing to do work on trails."

Bergen said many trails in Duluth are "adopted," meaning a group or individual has agreed to maintain and watch over a trail for a few years.

"An individual or group can adopt an entire trail or a section and they pledge to maintain it," Bergen said, explaining that the group is in charge of picking up garbage, trimming buckhorn, and general maintenance of the trail.

Bergen said other groups, such as the Army National Guard, businesses and non-profit organizations will call Bergen and ask if there are any projects that need to be done on trails.

"Some groups don't want to adopt a trail, but they will stop by and ask for a project," Bergen said.

Volunteers in are not only important for trail maintenance, but also for trail construction. Though many of Duluth's trails were built by the city of Duluth, others were and are still blazed by outdoor enthusiasts who cut natural trails through their backyards.

Bergen said one such citizen was Jerry Nowak, a passionate skier who in 1960 cut a trail in his backyard, beginning what is now the Piedmont Trail system. Even today people make impromptu trails near their homes, said Bergen, citing a number of trails in Hartley and Piedmont as prime examples.

In addition to founding the SHT, Green is also one of the city trailblazers Bergen was referring to. Not only has Green been involved in blazing the SHT, he is also the creator of the Hawk Ridge Trail system, located on county land in northeastern Duluth.

"He has a long history of hiking," Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory member Jan Green said of her husband's achievements. "He just looked at topography and vegetation and mapped out a network of trails."

Though Green mapped out the trails himself, a crew of volunteers helped clear the trail in the early 1970s. Jan Green said that the trail is still maintained mostly by volunteers.

"They are maintained mostly by people just using them," Jan Green, one of the founders of Hawk Ridge said, noting that most trail users are bird-watchers. "The trails are mostly for hiking and to get off Skyline Parkway so you can get away from the people and see the hawks."

Jan Green said that the Hawk Ridge system, like all trail systems, needs pretty constant attention, and that since the trails are on city land, the city does what it can as far as maintenance. Jan Green said Duluth Parks and Recreation recently completed a project flagging the trail system with circular paint markers on trees or rocks to distinguish different trails.

If there is one thing besides beauty that is consistennt among Duluth's trails, it is the abundance of volunteer efforts. Although Hovland used to do the grooming himself at Snowflake, he now relies mostly on volunteers, with some paid workers.

"The trails are always groomed, and more consistently than other trails in the area," Hovland said.

Skiers at Snowflake will not only find regularly groomed trails, but they will also find snow when other parts of the city have traces or even grass.

"We make snow, and we start when the temperature is right," Hovland said. "It has to be below 20 degrees Fahrenheit."

When it is too warm for snow, Snowflake ski trails are lightly used for hiking and running.

Summer months are more relaxed for Duluth Parks and Recreation as well, Bergen said.

"Trail maintenance in the summer is not as regular, because no snow is involved," Bergen said. "The weather determines a lot."

Whereas summer maintenance involves more upkeep, trimming along with odds and ends trail work, Bergen said Parks and Recreation focuses on grooming ski trails in the winter months.

"Cross-country ski trails are groomed after every snowfall," Bergen said. "They try to get out there as soon as possible."

City Forester Kelly Fleissner said Maintenance Operations is responsible for grooming five ski trails, one ski-jouring trail, and the Chester Bowl Downhill Skiing area.

"It takes one person an average of 16 hours to groom the five ski trails after a storm," Fleisnner said, noting that the amount of time it takes to groom the trails can vary significantly depending on the conditions.

Bergen said the order for city snow removal and grooming is first the streets, second the sidewalks, third the Chester Bowl Ski Hill, and fourth, the Nordic ski trails. Despite the established order and the dedicated efforts to groom the trails in a timely manner, Bergen said she gets many calls about groomed trails each snowfall.

"You'd be amazed at the number of calls we get," Bergen said. "The now just starts to fall and people will call to ask if trails are groomed."

Whether it's skiing, biking, hiking, snowmobiling or even horse back riding, there is no doubt about it: People love Duluth's trails.

"A lot of people are interested in hiking for health and a way of keeping active, and we have interesting terrain," Green said. "Duluth is one of the most attractive areas in Minnesota and even the Midwest."

Though the Midwest, and especially Minnesota, is lined with trails, there seems to be something unmatchable about Duluth's network of trails.

I know trails are big in Minnesota, but our topography is unique," Bergen said, noting the streams, ravines, overlooks and pine forests that the trails exhibit.

When asked what is special about Duluth's trails, Hovland gave a blank stare and said he didn't even know where to begin.

"They are dramatic, beautiful and smell good," Hovland said.

A map of Snowflake's Nordic skiing trails can be found at http://www.skiduluth.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/snowflake_trail_map1.pdf

A map of Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory's hiking trails can be found at http://www.hawkridge.org/about/HRmap_color.pdf

An index of the Superior Hiking Trail's many segments can be found at http://www.shta.org/Trail/TrailMaps/index.php

Information about Duluth's many trails can be found at http://www.duluthmn.gov/parks/trail_pages/new_trails_page.cfm