North Country National Scenic Trail


Come to the North Country. Trek the hills and valleys. Stand on the shores of lakes & streams from glaciers 10,000 years before. Clear-flowing water, red/gold of autumn, a fairyland of snow, open prairies, and distant horizons paint the land. Historic sites along the way tell how America settled and grew as a nation. From North Dakota to Vermont, adventure is never far away.

When complete, the North Country National Scenic Trail will be approximately 4,600 miles long. Currently, over 2,000 miles of trail are complete and waiting for you to use. Trail headquarters is based in Lowell, Michigan. Find North Country Trail Association's Maps and Trails Data to help you get there at https://northcountrytrail.org/trail/maps.

  • Biking
  • Mountain Biking
  • Camping
  • Backcountry Camping
  • Guided Tours
  • Self-Guided Tours - Walking
  • Hiking
  • Backcountry Hiking
  • Front-Country Hiking
  • Horse Trekking
  • Horseback Riding
  • Skiing
  • Cross-Country Skiing
  • Snowshoeing
  • Wildlife Watching
  • Birdwatching
  • Shopping
  • Gift Shop and Souvenirs

  • Colonization and Settlement
  • Explorers and Expeditions
  • Farming and Agriculture
  • Forts
  • Immigration
  • Laborer and Worker
  • Migrations
  • Native American Heritage
  • Science, Technology and Innovation
  • Transportation
  • Canals
  • Tunnels
  • Urban America
  • Westward Expansion
  • Animals
  • Birds
  • Coasts, Islands and Atolls
  • Fire
  • Foothills, Plains and Valleys
  • Forests and Woodlands
  • Coniferous Forests
  • Deciduous Forests
  • Grasslands
  • Prairies
  • Meadows
  • Lakes
  • Mountains
  • River and Riparian
  • Rock Landscapes and Features
  • Scenic Views
  • Trails
  • Watersheds
  • Headwaters
  • Waterfalls
  • Wetlands
  • Marshes
  • Swamps
  • Wilderness

Hiking the North Country Trail

Hiking on trail

The trail links scenic, natural, historic, and cultural areas across seven states allowing visitors to experience a variety of northern landscapes.

Fall foliage

Fall colors along the trail

Enjoy the seasonal changes along the North Country Trail

Hiking the NCT

Hiking on the North Country Trail

A variety of landscapes are present along the North Country Trail.

Trail sign

North Country trail sign

Trail sign

North Country National Scenic Trail Trailhead

Bulletin board at a trailhead in a forest that features a map and brochures.

North Country National Scenic Trail Trailhead in the Chippewa National Forest, Minnesota.