Minnesota kayaking study

Full report This is a PDF file. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to download it. (435Kb)
Executive summary This is a PDF file. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to download it. (150Kb)

The Minnesota DNR is developing a water trail, intended mainly for sea kayaks, along the North Shore of Lake Superior. The Lake Superior Water Trail, officially designated in 1993 by the Minnesota Legislature (MS 85.0155), provides an opportunity to experience the rugged North Shore from the water, a perspective few North Shore visitors are able to enjoy. To date, the DNR has completed a 40-mile stretch from Two Harbors to just north of Little Marais near the Cook County line. The long-term vision for the Water Trail is that it extend the entire 150-mile length of the North Shore from Duluth to Canada. As envisioned, the Water Trail will connect with Canadian and other U.S. state efforts to form a loop around all of Lake Superior. Expansion of the Water Trail is contingent on funding.

Before providing additional amenities and maps for the Water Trail, the DNR gathered information about sea kayaking on the trail and on the North Shore in general. The MN DNR wanted to know, among other things, how much the trail and associated kayaking facilities are being used, what sea kayakers are looking for in terms of facilities, services and experiences on the trail, and what barriers exist to further use of Lake Superior by sea kayakers.

To gather this background information, the DNR conducted a two-part study: a mail survey of Minnesota-registered sea kayak owners and field counts of the use of sea-kayak campgrounds and access facilities along the Water Trail.