Distance: 3.2 miles / 5.1 km
The Mukooda Trail in Voyageurs National Park is a little-known, easy day hike near Crane Lake in the remote southeastern corner of the park that winds its way through a mixed Red–Eastern White Pine forest past numerous beautiful viewpoints, filled with Aspens, Birches, and Maples that all combine to create a stunning array of colors during the best and most beautiful time to visit during the fall!
I would even go as far as to say the Mukooda Trail is the best day hike in Voyageurs National Park to enjoy the fall colors, though it really is a close call with the Locator Lake Trail on Kabetogama Lake farther west!
That said, if you plan your trip to Voyageurs around the colors, I highly recommend going out of your way to hike both the Mukooda Trail and the Locator Lake Trail, as I feel I can confidently say: you won’t be disappointed you did!
Mukooda Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Mukooda Trail can be in one of a few different places in Crane Lake, depending on what you’ve arranged with your private water taxi or what they prefer.
That said, most pickups through private operators leave from their own private docks, but pickups can just as easily be made from the Crane Lake Visitor Center, as shown in the photos below.
Google Maps Directions: Mukooda Trailhead (Crane Lake Visitor Center)
Hiking Checklist - Voyageurs
Here is a complete list of must-have things that you will want for any hike in Voyageurs National Park.
Hiking the Mukooda Trail
The Mukooda Trail begins on a remote dock on the south side of Sand Point Lake.
Before taking off from Crane Lake, be sure to have your camera out and ready to shoot, as one of the best parts about the ride over is the section that passes through King Williams Narrows, the very small corridor that connects the two lakes and measures just 70 ft. (21 m) across at its narrowest point!
Once off the dock, the Mukooda Trail climbs a very short hill up to the Mukooda Day-Use Area and the trailhead that most consider to be the start of the hike.
Mukooda-Thomas Filben Cabin Junction
After just under 0.1 miles (0.2 km), the Mukooda Trail reaches this junction with the Mukooda Day-Use Area, as well as the Thomas Filben Cabin, a few steps off the main path to the left.
Once here, go right to continue hiking the Mukooda Trail toward the start of the loop and some of the best fall colors in Voyageurs National Park!
Mukooda Day-Use Area
This first split is where the Mukooda Trail passes the day-use area before reaching three consecutive campsites, all located on the Mukooda Lake side of the trail.
Mukooda-Bass Campsite (A) Junction
This is where the Mukooda Trail reaches the first of the three campsites, which are all reservable through the Recreation.gov booking link below.
If you are interested in staying at one of the three sites, I personally think Crappie Campsite (B) is the prettiest, though Campsite A is the largest to accommodate a big group.
Book Here: Voyageurs National Park Camping Permits
No information is collected by this website when using the Recreation.gov booking widget, and all reservations made here are secure through the official website.
Mukooda-Crappie Campsite (B) Junction
This is the second of the three campsites off the Mukooda Trail, which, again, is the site I believe is the most beautiful!
Mukooda-Trout Campsite (C) Junction
Finally, just steps after the first two, the Mukooda Trail passes the third and final campsite.
That said, all three are very beautiful choices, but if you really want some privacy and are willing to spend the extra money, it’s not uncommon to reserve all three at once!
After Campsite C, the Mukooda Trail simply continues north toward the start of the loop.
This large glacial boulder is always a nice sign that the trailhead is not far ahead on the hike back—and remember, don’t lose track of time if you have an arranged pick-up with one of the local water taxis out of Crane Lake, as they really are your only way home!
It doesn’t take long for the beautiful colors to start dominating the forest canopy, but I personally think the best pockets are located just after the start of the Mukooda Loop Trail when hiking counterclockwise.
The one thing to always remember about hiking in Voyageurs National Park during the summer is that the biting flies are incessant!
This is why I always recommend visiting during the fall, but if you are hiking or camping at Mukooda in the summer, I strongly recommend bringing this cheap little bug net.
You’ll be happy you did, and even if you don’t use it, it’s so light and small that you won’t even notice you’re carrying it in your pocket.
I mean, how could you want to visit Voyageurs at any other time of the year after seeing these colors—especially knowing how easily the flies can really ruin a trip during the summer?
If you’re going to put in the effort to hike the Mukooda Trail during peak colors, as I recommend, I also recommend trying to find the brightest, sunniest day before booking with a water taxi!
I say this because the best of the colors are always enjoyed when the sun is shining through the trees, as shown in the photo below!
What Makes Mukooda Lake So Special?
This viewpoint of Mukooda Lake is a nice sign that the start of the Mukooda Loop is only 0.2 miles (0.3 km) away!
On a different note, Mukooda Lake is known to be one of the clearest lakes in Voyageurs National Park because it is an isolated, spring-fed lake connected only by a very small creek on the far northeast side.
This means that on calm, sunny days, those out on the water can see much farther down than on other lakes across the park—sometimes 20 ft. (6.1 m) or more!
After the viewpoint, the start of the loop is not far ahead, but if you’re not paying attention, the split can be easy to miss.
I mention this because I personally believe one direction is better than the other when it comes to enjoying the best of the colors!
Mukooda Loop Trail
After just over 0.8 miles (1.3 km) since leaving the dock on Sand Point Lake, the Mukooda Trail finally reaches the start of the 1.5-mile (2.4 km) loop.
That said, I prefer to go right in the counterclockwise direction because the upcoming downhill sections are better for photographing the colors from this direction than in reverse.
Regarding my thoughts above, I chose to go right at the start of the Mukooda Loop.
After turning right, it doesn’t take long for the Mukooda Trail to reach some of the best pockets of color on the entire hike!
This is exactly why I believe the Mukooda Trail is the best day hike in Voyageurs National Park to enjoy the colors, and remember, choose a bright, sunny day like this before making the trip out!
This is where the Mukooda Trail starts turning north, about 0.25 miles (0.4 km) from the start of the loop when hiking counterclockwise.
This straightaway was one that I believe to be one of the most beautiful parts of the Mukooda Trail!
About 0.3 mile (0.5 km) into the loop, the Mukooda Trail passes the first of two splits for a set of power lines that cut across the trail and lead up the hill to a radio repeater in the center of the loop.
That said, go left at this first split, as the trail to the right simply follows the right-of-way down toward the water.
Just a few steps after the first split, the Mukooda Trail reaches the second.
Once here, go right to continue hiking north around the loop, as the path to the left leads steeply uphill and does not easily connect with the other side.
After both splits, there are no more junctions on the Mukooda Trail until the 1.5-mile (2.4 km) loop returns to the original split.
Red Pines dominate much of the Mukooda Loop Trail, but it really is all about the pockets of deciduous trees that make it one of the best hikes in Voyageurs National Park to enjoy the colors!
This exposed granite ledge is roughly 0.4 miles (0.6 km) from the northernmost point of the Mukooda Loop.
It’s hard not to love all the beautiful Oak trees as much as the Birches, Aspens, and Maples that dominate much of the trail!
This exposed granite clearing is a nice sign that the northernmost point of the Mukooda Trail is only 0.2 miles (0.3 km) away.
The tall tree on the right-hand side of the photo below is an Eastern White Pine, one of the other dominant pine trees on the Mukooda Trail and throughout Voyageurs National Park.
This is the far northern end of the Mukooda Trail and the point where the loop turns south to start making its way toward the beginning.
From here, the lake that can be seen in the distance is Sand Point Lake, just on the northern end of Harrison Narrows.
This is the abrupt turn where the Mukooda Trail begins the western half of the loop.
If you plan to hike the Mukooda Trail during the summer and not the fall, I recommend bringing a good rain jacket in addition to a head net.
I say this because most regular clothes and hiking shirts are no match for the biting flies, so if you don’t want to constantly be swatting your shoulders, I recommend wearing something they can’t bite through!
This is the point where the Mukooda Trail turns directly south for the first of three times on the western half of the loop.
How to Time the Best Colors in Voyageurs National Park?
If you’re wondering how to time the fall colors in Voyageurs National Park, a general rule of thumb is the last week of September and the first week of October, with a few days on either side of October 1st typically being the best for Maples.
That said, this really is just an average, and to know for sure, I recommend checking the national fall foliage map linked below—remembering that trackers for northern Minnesota are typically based on Aspens, not the Maples.
Explore Fall: Fall Foliage Map
This is where the Mukooda Trail turns directly south for the second of three times on the western half of the loop.
What Does Name Mukooda Come From?
The name "Mukooda" refers to Mukooda Lake, which was historically known as Trout Lake until the late 1950s.
In 1911, missionary Joseph A. Gilfillan recorded the lake’s Ojibwe name as Ga-namegosikag-zag, which translates to "Trout Lake."
By the late 1950s, maps consistently identified the lake as Mukooda Lake, although the exact meaning of "Mukooda" and the reason for the name change remain unclear.
With about 0.3 miles (0.5 km) to go before the loop returns to the beginning, the Mukooda Trail passes through one of the most beautiful pockets of color on the western half!
I’ll say it again and again, but Voyageurs National Park truly is best experienced during the fall, and I feel so strongly about this because I have also visited, hiked, and spent numerous nights in the backcountry during the mid-summer months.
Trust me, it’s not even a close comparison regarding which time of year is better!
This is where the Mukooda Loop turns directly south for the third and final time, just before returning to the beginning.
Mukooda Loop Junction
It may be hard to tell, but this is the original split and the point where the Mukooda Trail completes the 1.5-mile (2.4 km) loop.
Once here go right to return to the trailhead and the dock on Sand Point Lake, just over 0.8 miles (1.3 km) away.
