Split Rock Wilds Singletrack

By Troy Melhus on April 19, 2026

Not far from the iconic lighthouse, an hour north of Duluth, a raucous network of singletrack connects Split Rock Lighthouse State Park and Beaver Bay.

About 30 miles south of Jackpot, near the iconic North Shore lighthouse, is the trailhead to even more of the most challenging climbs and rocky terrain of the state. I’ve spent well an afternoon of white-knuckled delight on the some 18 miles of off-piste trails here that included a packed lunch and hours of breathtaking switchback climbs, descents, rock gardens and more. Pure joy.

Published in Trails

Troy Melhus

Troy Melhus has been a journalist, mountain bike racer and certified snowboard instructor for more than 25 years based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. A New Mexico native, he was a features writer for the Des Moines Register and graduate of the University of Iowa School of Journalism before coming to the Minnesota Star Tribune as a reporter and editor from 2000-2010. He currently rides for Minneapolis-based Peace Coffee Racing and, at 57, was a podium finisher in the 2025 Chequamegon Short & Fat(!)