Duluth Winnipeg & Pacific Tunnel [Suggest Edits]

Description

In 1911, the then Duluth, Winnipeg and Pacific Railway (DW&P) completed a 520 foot-long (158 m), 18-foot wide (5.5 m) tunnel through the solid rock ridge that sits beneath Ely's Peak. The tunnel had been in use for 75 years when it was abandoned in 1996. The old grade has since been repurposed as a popular hiking and biking trail in the Duluth area. The tunnel itself has become a popular rock climbing area.

Short Run: From a dirt parking lot at the end of North 123rd Avenue West, go northeast to connect with the paved William Munger State Trail (here it's also a section of the Superior Hiking Trail (SHT)). Follow the Munger east for 0.3 miles to where there are two branches of the SHT: the main branch (blue blazes) goes up and a spur (white blazes) goes to the left (this is the left side of the Ely's Peak Loop Trail). Follow the spur trail (not the main trail!) uphill for 0.25 miles to the western portal of the old tunnel.

Gem Type: Historic Site