Willard Munger State Trail to be reconstructed near Duluth

MnDNR News Release

A 5-mile section of the Willard Munger State Trail, between Grand Avenue and Becks Road in West Duluth, will be closed for an extensive construction project from mid-April through August, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

The project will stabilize parts of the treadway damaged during the 2012 flash flood and bring that section of the trail up to current standards that call for a wider surface and shoulders. Because heavy equipment will be operating in the area, the section of the trail will be closed to all traffic throughout the project.

“While the construction will be disruptive for trail users in the short-term, we are already looking forward to having this project fully repaired and being able to welcome people back to an improved trail when it’s completed,” said Martin Torgerson, DNR Moose Lake area supervisor. “For safety reasons, we ask that people obey the closure signs during the construction and avoid areas where heavy equipment is present.” 

Construction updates will be posted in the trail notes of the trails webpage at mndnr.gov/statetrails. For more information, email the DNR Information Center at info.dnr@state.mn.us or call 888-646-6367 (8 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday).

The trail is a collection of three trail segments accommodating multiple uses, including bicycling, walking, horseback riding and snowmobiling. The 70-mile Hinckley – Duluth segment is completely paved and passes through three state forests and Jay Cooke State Park.