The North Shore of Minnesota is a Stunning area along Lake Superior with great hiking and viewpoints!
North Shore Tips:
Expect solitude, beautiful views, mediocre food and coffee, and chill vibes.
The further down the shore you get the more crowded everything is because it is more easily accessible. I loved the Grand Marais area as a jumping off point midway up the shore.
Everywhere you go in this area is a scenic drive! Highway 61 is the main road running up from Duluth to the Canadian border and is a beautiful road to drive along.
Although Duluth is a larger city, it is technically part of the North Shore as well. Scroll all the down for my recommendations and thoughts on Duluth.
On a Minnesota road trip? Check out my Twin Cities guide here!
Head over to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula while you’re in the area for more spectacular views, cute towns and great hikes. Check out my beer and travel guide for the U.P. here!
Adventures & Ales Top North Shore Recommendations:
Mount Josephine Lookout Tower Trail: This trail leads to stunning views of Lake Superior, Isle Royale National Park, Canada, and the Minnesota shore. It is 2.8 miles long with 650ft of elevation gain and takes about an hour and a half to complete. The trail starts very flat and then it gets quite steep as you climb to the summit, but it is worth it for the views.
Explore Grand Marais: This is a cute little town on the water with a nice downtown.
Voyageur Brewing Company: A solid brewery with a full kitchen downstairs and a rooftop deck with nice views. The beer exceeded my expectations but the food was a bit disappointing.
Artist’s Point: A little park with a rocky beach that is a great spot to catch the sunset. You can also walk out onto the point and explore that area.
World’s Best Donuts: I am not sure about world’s best, but these are some darn tasty donuts. Expect a lineup of folks but it moves quickly.
Java Moose: A cute coffee shop with pastries right across from the water.
Canoe in the Boundary Waters! Most people choose to do an overnight canoe trip, but a day trip works too. You’ll need a permit that whoever you rent a canoe from can help you acquire. This is a must do while in Northern Minnesota.
I rented from Ely Outfitting Company in Ely, MN and canoed on Hegman Lake. I was the only person on the lake and it was a wonderful experience. If I were visiting again I would probably rent from an outfitter in Grand Marais and choose a lake off Gunflint Trail because it is closer to the North Shore.
Middle Falls and High Falls Trail at Pigeon River Provincial Park: This trail is just across the border in Canada, so you will need to have proper identification and an ArriveCAN form completed to access it. The full trail is 5.3 miles long with 738ft of elevation gain and takes about 2.5 hours. The parking lot for the trailhead is the Ontario Visitor Center.
You’ll first come to High Falls and then walk through some buggy and muddy woods that are a bit overgrown to Middle Falls and then turn around and come back. I would recommend skipping Middle Falls and only doing High Falls and the Lookout Trail. Middle Falls is just a river view and the trail to get there was not great. Lookout Trail leads to a stunning viewpoint of Isle Royale National Park and the coast.
You can also see High Falls from the US side, but if you’re able to I’d recommend the Canadian view, especially for Lookout Trail.
Oberg Mountain Loop via Superior Hiking Trail: A nice loop with lovely views of Lake Superior, the coast and Oberg Lake. The trail is 2.6 miles long with 500ft of elevation gain and took about an hour and 15 minutes to complete.
Drive the Gunflint Trail: This scenic road heads west and leads to several trails and lakes. The Moose Viewing Trail is just shy of a mile long to an observation deck where you can frequently see moose.
Cascade Falls: A quick 1 mile trail right off the main road with 6 waterfalls—the first you’ll come to is the largest. You can also add onto this trail and make a longer hike out of it. This is a nice and easy trail with great waterfall views.
North Shore Winery: A winery and cidery under the same roof with a few different tasting options as well and cheese and crackers. The property is pretty and they frequently have live music as well. Tasty wine!
High Falls
Minnesota North Shore Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting:
Devil’s Kettle Trail at Judge CR Magney State Park: This is a popular trail so be sure to get an early start to avoid the crowds. It is 2.2 miles long with 400ft of elevation gain, mostly in two large chunks of stairs right before you get to the Devil’s Kettle itself. This is a pretty unique sight to see and a definite must while you are in the area. It is $7 to park in the state park and the trail took 50 minutes to complete.
Fifth Falls and Superior Hiking Loop at Gooseberry Falls State Park: Upper, Middle and Lower Falls can be reached with just a short walk from the parking area so this area is extremely popular. Once you venture beyond these there are very few people and you can get back to Fifth Falls following along the river with nice views. The overall trail is 3 miles long with 300ft of elevation gain, but you could also just do the first 3 waterfalls if you’d like.
Palisade Head: A nice viewpoint overlooking the shoreline and Lake Superior. You can also see Shovel Point and Little Palisade from here.
Brighton Beach: Rocky beach on Lake Superior just north of Duluth. Nice walking trail, picnic tables, benches.
Canoeing in the Boundary Waters
Other Minnesota North Shore Things To Do:
Pincushion Mountain Overlook Trail: This is a 4.2 mile long trail with 450ft of elevation gain. It is off the Gunflint Trail and takes about an hour and a half to complete. This was a pretty easy stroll through the woods and a bit boring of a trail. The views from the summit are nice but there are other trails with better views and more exciting trails.
Castle Danger Brewery: A solid brewery in Two Harbors with a great patio space, frequent food trucks and a good variety of beers on tap.
Stay at Cascade Lodge: Lutsen was a great base point for exploring the North Shore and I enjoyed renting a cabin here. It was well-priced, clean, and convenient. I would very much so NOT advise the restaurant here though.
Split Rock Lighthouse: A popular destination with a $12 entrance fee to see the lighthouse.
Hollow Rock: I am quite sure this is private property but there is a cool hollow rock in the water at a campground!
Black Beach: A rocky beach that is not in fact black. It is a nice little beach but a bit overhyped.
Ursa Minor Brewing
Duluth Things To Do:
Duluth was not my favorite. I’d recommend skipping it and driving further up the Minnesota North Shore or driving east to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Overall I found the city to have an unappealing mix of overly touristy and trashy. They also have a massive population of unhoused folks.
There are lots of parks and seating along the waterfront which is nice. The Lakewalk is a paved trail that runs about 7 miles along the waterfront as well. Here you can see the lift bridge and lighthouse as well.
Carry a rain jacket if you’re visiting in the summer months—there is a constant mix of rain-sun-rain-sun.
Big Manitou Falls & Manitou Falls Trail at Pattinson State Park: The largest waterfall in Wisconsin! This state park was nearly empty when I visited and I enjoyed the 3.5 mile long trail with 209ft of elevation gain to Little Manitou Falls and Big Manitou Falls. You can also drive and walk just a short distance to either waterfall if that’s more your style. The park is 30 minutes from Duluth and there is an $11 entrance fee.
Ursa Minor Brewing Company: The best brewery in Duluth, by far. They have great beers, delicious wood fired pizzas and a fantastic patio space.
Bent Paddle Brewing Co: A solid brewery with a nice taproom and patio. They have a lovely fireplace, games and frequent food trucks.
Earth Rider Brewery: A brewery in Superior with dive bar vibes. They have a small food menu and a large outdoor space.
Enger Tower: A tower in a park with views of all of Duluth and Superior.
Yellow Bike Coffee: A coffee shop with multiple locations in Duluth. The Fitgers location is on the river at the back of the large Fitgers complex. Heads up they do not have food although it is advertised that they do.
Duluth Coffee Company: A small coffee shop in downtown Duluth with tasty beverages.
Positively 3rd Street Bakery: A nice little organic bakery.
Vikre Distillery: A cocktail bar crafting their own liquors.
Blacklist Brewing Company: A mediocre brewery in the heart of Duluth with a nice, open taproom and a small tap list.
Hoops Brewing Company: A mediocre brewery inside a hotel in downtown Duluth. They have a large open space with a huge tap list and a small seasonal biergarten in the back.
Canal Park Brewing Company: A restaurant-style brewery with below average beers + food and terrible service. They have a nice outdoor patio.
