Minnesota’s North Shore is a place of rugged beauty. This gem of a road trip winds its way along the shoreline of Lake Superior in Northern Minnesota as you head toward the Canadian border. This 145-mile scenic drive is one of our favorite places to explore in Minnesota. The road trip will take you through charming small towns and amazingly untouched wilderness. So add it to your bucket list today!
The “North Shore”, as it’s been dubbed, is filled with rushing waterfalls, pristine views, a plethora of state parks with hiking galore! You can easily spend a week exploring this area with all the things to do. However, we think that a 3 day weekend will get you your dose of wilderness without using all of your PTO. So pack your bags this Friday, tell your coworkers you won’t be in on Monday and head straight to Minnesota’s North Shore!
When to Visit
This area of Minnesota is known for its amazing natural beauty. In order to explore this natural beauty to its full extent, we think that the best time to visit is in the summer. This is when you will be able to comfortably visit all of the stops on the shore. The extended daylight hours in the summer will also give you plenty of time to spend doing outdoor activities. Also, lots of businesses in this areas are seasonal so visiting Minnesota’s north shore in the summer will give you the greatest opportunity to visit them all.
This trip is also beautiful in the fall! The amazing forests in the area make this a great fall color drive if you can time your trip around the leaf changes.
You’ll also find plenty of outdoor activities here in the winter and spring but your daylight will be shorter and your toes will be colder, so plan accordingly. If you’re a waterfall lover, this drive is packed with them and they can be at their best during the winter and spring months.
Getting There and Around
You’ll need a car to explore Minnesota’s North Shore completely. This area has been largely groomed as a road trip destination so while actives are plentiful, they are spread out.
If you are flying into the area, Duluth does have an international airport. Domestic flights into this airport tend to be reasonably priced. However, the Minneapolis airport tends to have less expensive and more direct flights and is a 3.5 hour drive from Duluth. We’d recommend checking both airports to compare prices and layover times.
Where to Stay
We would recommend choosing a central destination along the shoreline for your overnight stays. Two Harbors and Grand Marais are both busier towns if your looking for places with restaurants. If you choose to camp in a State Park, Tettegouche State Park is located in a very central area.
You could also choose to stay in the Duluth area if you are looking for more nightlife. However, this will add a lot of driving time to each day. We did this and regretted it.
Day by Day
We choose to explore Minnesota’s north shore in three chunks in order to decrease our driving time. We wanted to start on the southern portion of the shore and work our way north. Wherever you start, we would recommend trying to combine actives that are in close proximity to each other as this will decrease your driving time.
Also, we chose not to spend any time in Duluth on this road trip. Duluth has so much to explore that you need a weekend to see it all. So when conserving time on your north shore road trip, we recommend skipping the many attractions Duluth has to offer and saving them for another weekend.
Day 1 – Two Harbors area
Start your day by visiting Russ Kendall’s smokehouse and Betty’s pies. These two amazing food stops are North Shore staples and are generally packed. We stocked up on fish, cheese and pie and packed them in a cooler for our picnic lunch. We consider this a pro tip 😉
Next stop is Gooseberry Falls State Park. This was our favorite stop along Minnesota’s north shore so give yourself plenty of time to explore. You’ll need to buy a Minnesota State Parks pass to explore this area. There are several options for passes, from single day admission ($7) to an annual pass ($35). Make sure to buy the pass that best suits your itinerary.
You could easily spend an entire day exploring Gooseberry State Park. However, if you only have three day to explore Minnesota’s North Shore, we recommend focusing your attention on exploring the three main waterfalls that draw visitors to this busy park. You also should have time to explore either Fifth Falls or the beach. We would recommend Fifth Falls for the quiet hiking enthusiasts and the beach to those looking to relax.
Next, stop at Iona’s Beach Scientific and Natural area to explore the unique red rock beach. One of the coolest things about the north shore is the different types of beaches that you can find, and this is one of the most unique.
Head north and explore the Split Rock Lighthouse State Park. The state park includes the area around the lighthouse but the lighthouse is operated by the Minnesota historical society and requires an extra fee. If you like touring lighthouses, pay the fee and check it out. If you just want to take in the view of one of the most picturesque lighthouses we’ve ever seen, take the trails down to the beach and snap some photos. While we consider the hike down to the beach to be easy, due to the short and well groomed trails, it does include TONS of stairs.
Lastly, stop at Black Beach and explore the black sand that makes this the second unique beach you’ll visit on the north shore. This beach was created from iron ore tailing dumped into Lake Superior. So technically this is a man made beach of trash. But it’s so neat! The rough sand gave me a free pedicure and the water here is great for swimming. You could even stick around for an evening fire in one of the beach’s fire pits.
Day 2 – Silver Bay area
First, head to the Silver Bay Marina and hike out to the island that connects to the marina via the break wall. This is an incredibly difficult hike due to the fact that you are hiking over large boulders to get to the island. Once you arrive at the island, a nice person has placed a rope and ladders there for you to climb up to the island. We were unable to complete this hike due to an incoming storm. So just be aware of your surrounding and your time as this hike is challenging and slow.
Next, stop at Palisade Head lookout area. The steep drive to the top of this cliff will give you great views of the shoreline.
Head north to Tettegouche State Park. Put on your hiking shoes and explore the trails here. We hiked to High Falls, Two Step Falls and Cascade Falls. This took about 2 hours. Rain and hunger prevented us from hiking to Shovel Point but that hike came highly recommended from staff at the Visitor’s center.
Lastly, stop at the Temperance River State Park. Take a short walk to the Hidden Falls and Upper Falls. This is a short and easy walk with stunning views. These falls fill a gorge and are really unique, they were our favorite! You could also enjoy a picnic dinner on the beach here with the relaxing sounds of Lake Superior in the background.
If you still have time left in your day, consider a final stop at Cascade River State Park. Spend time exploring the many small waterfalls in the river or take a hike up to the amazing viewpoint. This is a great destination to visit in the evening light for full views of the forests and Lake Superior.
Day 3 – Grand Marais area
Stop for breakfast at World’s Best Donuts. Expect to wait in line for these treats. Make sure to grab yourself skizzle and enjoy eating the sugar covered fair food for breakfast.
Take your donuts out to Artist’s Point and wander out to the Grand Marais Lighthouse. The lighthouse itself isn’t very impressive, but the walk is beautiful.
Next head to Judge C.R. Magney State Park. Explore the hiking trails that lead to Devil’s Kettle. This super unique waterfall roars into a hole in the rock. This is worth the more strenuous hike.
Make sure to stop at any lookouts along the way for beautiful views of Lake Superior.
Last stop on Minnesota’s North Shore road trip before Canada is Grand Portage State Park. Take the easy hike to High Falls. Stairs are required to get to the viewing platform. On your hike, take time to look across Pigeon River that marks the border to Canada and wave at the Canadians hiking on the other side.
Want to Adjust the Itinerary?
This itinerary moves at a fast pace. We like to pack in as much as we can. However, if you like to move at a more leisurely speed, make sure to add an extra day and spend that doing some extra hiking in the state parks. If you’d like to explore Duluth, we’d recommend spending two extra days doing that.
If you have a LOT of time, this section of scenic road is part of the Superior Circle Tour, a route that circles all of Lake Superior. You could head into Canada and explore more, or all, of this scenic route.
We don’t think you can complete this itinerary in less time. So if you don’t have 3 days, choose one area or even one state park (Gooseberry is our pick) and spend the day there and eliminate the driving time that comes with road tripping.
What to Budget?
Hotels and rentals along Minnesota’s north shore can be pricy. This is a favorite destination for couples and families so there are lots of romantic bed and breakfasts and large rental properties. These types of places cost upwards of $200/night. Budget accommodations are harder to find and book fast. However, camping is a great budget options with so many State Parks that have campgrounds. Camp sites in the area cost about $25/night and are a great option for budget travelers.
Other costs in the area are relatively average for a US destination. We spend a total of $375 on our three day trip when we camped.
Meals will cost average around $10-$30/meal depending on what type of restaurant you visit. There are also several higher priced restaurants available on Minnesota’s north shore that cater to romantic evenings that have a higher price tag.
Our itinerary focuses mainly on state parks and natural areas. Our Minnesota state parks pass cost us $35 dollars and is good for a full calendar year. The only other attraction that we paid for was admission in the Split Rock Lighthouse, which was $8/person.
Gas prices can get higher in small towns and farther north so keep this in mind when you are planning your pit stops.
Hopefully, you are now convinced that Minnesota’s North Shore is a great destination for your next long weekend. We know you’ll love it. So get planning and exploring today!
