Hiking Club Trail

The Hiking Club Trail (see the end of this article for information about the Hiking Club) at Banning State Park is a 2.6-mile loop in a mostly deciduous forest that passes by the ruins of an old quarry operation and provides scenic views of the Kettle River. The Hiking Club Trail is composed of portions of three trails: the Trillium Trail, the Cartway Trail, and the Quarry Trail. The trail is a well-worn packed dirt path that is generally flat with gradual elevation changes. There is a fee to enter the park; a day use or annual permit can be purchased at the park office. Dogs are allowed on the trail, but must be on a leash

Parking for this hike can be found at the lot near Teacher’s Overlook on the way to the boat launch. From the parking lot head north; look for the blue Hiking Club sign across the road from the lot. This trail is the Trillium Trail. Follow the Trillium Trail for about a half mile; after crossing the road it will intersect with the Cartway Trail. Take a left onto the Cartway Trail; follow this trail for another half mile and take a right onto the Quarry Trail. The Quarry Trail is an extremely popular trail that passes by old sandstone quarries and the remains of buildings used when quarry operations were active. The Quarry Trail heads southwest for about 0.7 miles and then has a hairpin turn and then moves closer to the Kettle River. From the turn it is a little less than a mile back to the parking lot.

The Minnesota State Park’s Hiking Club program encourages hikers to hike a designated Hiking Club Trail at most state parks. A Hiking Club password is found on all of these hikes. You can earn patches, free camping, and even a plaque (if you hike all of the Hiking Club trails) for participating in the club. A Hiking Club kit can be purchased at most state parks for $14.95 (as of 2023). More information about the program can be found here.

A map of the park and its hiking trails can be found here.