Hartley Trail Signage

That's a great question, one I remember having the first time I rode Hartley. For me, it just took some poking around and a few weekends of riding the trails to sort everything out. I guess that's half the fun.

People who run that daily get lost on a regular basis.  It's not just newbies.  I love that park but I find myself limiting how often I go there because I get lost.

"CAREFUL: YOU MIGHT GET LOST."

I've lived in Woodland for nine years and frequent Hartley on foot and bike.  Many a times I've gotten turned around and/or lost still to this day.  Sometimes its fun to discover new areas and other times you find you've got a long, long way home.  Use your phones' GPS if you need it.

Whoever designed those trails back in the hinterlands of Hartley can bite my heinie. It's like they were cut by a drunk. After the first time, my old dog refused to walk them. He was like--but if we just bushwhack it this way, it's straight, see?

(For the main trails, the map works pretty well.)

Cyclists of Gitchee Gumee Shores has a Hartley bike map:  
http://www.coggs.com/hartley.php

The trails are confusing.  I live 2 blocks from Hartley and most of my runs & rides involve hope that I'll find my way home.

Hartley's are some of the older bike trails in town.  COGGS includes trail signage in new projects like Piedmont but signage probably wasn't on anyone's agenda back then.  The club is rerouting lots of trails to improve riding, prevent erosion and help the trails shed water.  Trail signage should happen after the projects are done.

The City of Duluth is planning on doing a comprehensive trail signage program so that all of the signs throughout the system have the same look be it hiking, skiing, biking.

Due to many complaints about the difficulty in navigating Hartley Park, COGGS is in the process of creating signs to assist trail users which will be posted in the park during the interim period while waiting on the City's signs.

For those of you who haven't seen the recent trail re-routes in Hartley, there have been really great changes back in the "guardrail" loop which borders Howard Gnesen Rd. which takes trail users off of the broken boardwalks and onto well-designed and sustainable trails that should shed water and not be muck holes.

Ah yes, I remember the Great Epic Thanksgiving Hike of 20...04 or close to it.  I had hiked/run those trails for a couple of years, and we still got completely lost that day.  We ended up somewhere on Howard Gnesen Road and limped home.

p.s.  I'm pretty sure I picked up the deer tick that made me very sick with Lyme while running/getting lost in Hartley a few years ago.  There are lots of brushy areas where you and/or your dog can pick them up, so be careful.

As one who grew up in Duluth and has lived here 39+ years I still get lost in Hartley, even when there are signs or when I am reading the trail map.

P.S.  it encourages me that I am not alone in my lostness.

Biked there once.  Did not get lost.  Great success!

I snowshoe up there quite a bit during winter...somehow I never worry about direction or getting lost. Maybe it's because most of the trails I tromp on are bushwack (generally by me)...gotta watch out for that lake though. It gets a little soupy on the far side.