Wander Minnesota: Fitbit Rates Duluth as the Fittest City in America
It's certainly one of the loveliest cities around, but now Duluth has a new distinction: fittest city in America, according to fitness device company Fitbit. The company used data from its devices to make the determination, factoring in aspects such as daily steps, active minutes, resting heart rate, and sleep duration. Let's take a look at some of the places in and around Duluth people can go to keep fit.
Lakefront
When you have Lake Superior as part of the landscape, you've got a better-than-average motivation to get out for a walk. There's a 7.3-mile walkway that goes along the lake, providing excellent views along the way.
Enger Park
High above the lake is this lovely park, home to numerous walking trails, a Japanese garden, and Enger Tower, an 80-foot observation tower that delivers wonderful overviews of the city and the lake.
Given Duluth's rolling terrain, it's no wonder people get a good workout when they go for a hike. The city has numerous Hiking Trails, ranging from less than a mile to the Superior Hiking Trail, which has 11 trailhead parking lots within Duluth, allowing access to over 300 miles of trails.
Spirit Mountain offers skiing in the winter, but you don't have to wait several months to work out there. Some of the Superior Hiking Trail trailheads are here. There are also disc golf and mini golf courses, a giant jumping pillow, and mountain biking trails, including a lift-accessed downhill biking trail.
Duluth Adventure Tours will definitely get you moving. The company offers guided road and mountain bik tours as well as kayaking tours.
UMD has a large array of options through its Recreational Sports Outdoor Program. Rock and ice climbing, white water paddling, paddleboarding, surfing, kiting, kayaking and canoeing.
Don't forget about the state parks that are within easy travel time to Duluth, such as Jay Cooke State Park, Gooseberry Falls State Park, and Tettegouche State Park, all of which offer almost countless ways to be active.
Weather not great? No worries. Head to Adventure Zone Duluth for indoor rock climbing walls, batting cages, and multilevel laser tag.
What else is happening in our state? Be sure to check out the 10 p.m. Sunday night WCCO newscasts, where you can learn more in the weekly segment, Finding Minnesota.