Among the miles and miles of hiking trails in Minnesota, it is impossible to definitively say which is most interesting or beautiful. If you love waterfalls, you may appreciate a hike to Kawishiwi Falls. If you’re more of a botanist, you’ll love a wildflower hike at Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden. And if you’re a train enthusiast – or you just love forgotten places – you may be interested in the amazing hiking trail that takes you through an abandoned train tunnel. Take a look:

The Ely's Peak Trail is located in Duluth, Minnesota. Because the peak rises 1,133 feet above the surrounding area, it is relatively easy to find. It is part of the Superior Hiking Trail.
Google Maps
The peak is a popular spot for both hiking and rock climbing. You can certainly climb to the top if you have the right equipment, but it is much easier to hike.
Tim Schleicher/Flickr
There are actually two short trails that you can hike on Ely's Peak. One goes around the peak before descending into forest. The other is a straightforward path to the top. Together, there is about one mile of hiking to be had here.
Mike Rogers/AllTrails
But you don't visit Ely's Peak for the exercise. Some seek this place out for its natural beauty. Reach the top, and you'll be surrounded on all sides by thick northern forest.
Erika Laniewski/AllTrails

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You'll even be able to see water in the distance. The St. Louis River is nearby.
Charles Wall/AllTrails
Others love Ely's Peak for its manmade treasure: an abandoned railroad tunnel that dates back to 1910, when the Duluth, Winnipeg and Pacific Railway blasted a tunnel through the hill.
Andrew Lambert/AllTrails
It was abandoned by train traffic in 1996 and is now a curious landmark to the region's railroad past.
Charles Wall/AllTrails
The tunnel is a popular spot for hikers, many of whom have left their mark in paint along the tunnel's walls. While we don't recommend that, we do recommend a visit to this dark, abandoned tunnel.
Kat B./Flickr

What do you think? Have you walked the Ely’s Peak Trail? Did you visit the abandoned train tunnel? Let us know in the comments below!

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