USFS National Forest System Trails · Superior National Forest · Minnesota · Updated June 2026
Birch Lake (USFS trail T5-1437) is a 2.7 mi trail in Superior National Forest, Minnesota. Mountain-bike use here is accepted but discouraged in USFS data, with Class 1 e-bikes also designated.
Can I bike Birch Lake?
| Use | Status | Season on record |
|---|---|---|
| Mountain bike | Accepted but discouraged | — |
| Class 1 e-bike (pedal-assist, 20 mph) | Allowed | May–Nov |
| Class 2 e-bike (throttle, 20 mph) | Allowed | May–Nov |
| Class 3 e-bike (pedal-assist, 28 mph) | Allowed | May–Nov |
Zooming out: across Superior National Forest, 22% of rideable trail miles are open to mountain bikes — a Bike Access Grade of D.
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About this trail
In Superior National Forest, Minnesota, Birch Lake (USFS trail T5-1437) covers 2.7 mi of National Forest System trail. The figures here are pulled from the official US Forest Service trail data for Superior National Forest, covering the trail's mileage, tread, grade band, and the bike and e-bike uses the agency lists as designated. Underfoot, the trail is recorded as native material. USFS slope data puts it in the Easy band (grade band +0-5%), meaning a gentle climb — keep in mind this measures steepness, not trail technicality. Note that mountain-bike use here is discouraged in USFS records — confirm with the ranger district before riding. On the electric side, Class 1, Class 2, Class 3 e-bikes are also designated (May–Nov) — Class 1 being pedal-assist only, Classes 2 and 3 adding a throttle and higher assisted speed. The route is mapped as USFS Trail Class 2 on the agency's 1-to-5 development scale, where 1 is the most primitive, minimally maintained tread and 5 is the most developed. For day-of certainty on closures or seasonal orders, check directly with the ranger district, since this reflects the USFS data as of the latest refresh.
Frequently asked questions
- Can you mountain bike on Birch Lake?
- Mountain-bike use on Birch Lake is discouraged in USFS records, though Class 1 e-bike use is designated. Confirm current rules with the managing ranger district.
- Are e-bikes allowed on Birch Lake?
- Class 1, Class 2, Class 3 e-bikes are designated on Birch Lake in the USFS data.
- How long is Birch Lake?
- Birch Lake measures about 2.7 mi in total, summed across its mapped National Forest System segments.
- What is the surface of Birch Lake?
- USFS data records the tread surface of Birch Lake as native material.
- How difficult is Birch Lake?
- Its grade-based difficulty is Easy (grade band +0-5%), derived from USFS slope data. This reflects steepness, not technical mountain-bike difficulty.
How we read this data
Grade-based difficulty above is the USFS grade (route steepness), not a technical mountain-bike rating — a gentle-grade trail can still be rocky or technical, and vice versa. Bike and e-bike status come verbatim from the USFS managed-use fields for this trail; we never infer access we can't cite. See our methodology for how the dataset is built and what each field means.
Where it is
Approximate location of Superior National Forest (USFS trail geometry isn't mapped).
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