This summer, Mitch and I went up to the North Shore with another couple and had the best time exploring the gorgeous beauty of Minnesota’s Lake Superior shoreline.
We explored from Duluth up to Lutsen! Continue reading to find out all the must-see spots to stop on Minnesota’s North Shore!
Duluth
Duluth is such a gorgeous city right on Lake Superior & is just a 2 to 3 hour drive from the Twin Cities. The views of the lake and the famous Lift Bridge are simply stunning.
With lots of restaurants and things to do (like Canal Park) you could definitely spend a full trip in Duluth exploring, but there are also so many more spots to check out nearby!
Two Harbors
If you’re looking for a place to stay outside of the city (& a little bit closer to some of the other sites to see on the North Shore, Two Harbors is a great choice. We stayed at Larmont Cottages (full blog post on our stay here) in Two, Harbors. It was a very relaxing, peaceful place to spend the night after long days of exploring & activities.
Gooseberry Falls
Gooseberry Falls State Park, just north of Two Harbors, is only about an hour drive from Duluth. Gooseberry Falls offers a chance to hike miles of trails or you can take the short and easy path to get right up close to the scenic waterfalls!
Black Beach
The next place you’ll want to stop as you make your way north is Black Beach! This unique beach is famous for its black sand. Sadly this isn’t a natural phenomenon. The black sand is a result of the mining industry dumping Taconite into the water. Nonetheless, it is still an interesting sight and a nice place to sit by the water or have a picnic.
Palisade Head
Palisade Head is a beautiful overlook that’s very easy to get to! You can drive right up to Palisade Head, making this a quick but worthy stop. The views are incredible.
If you’re going in the winter, you may not be able to safely drive to the top of this overlook as the road is pretty steep and narrow.
Tettegouche State Park
Tettegouche State Park was my favorite activity on the North Shore! The hike was fun (& only a little challenging) and featured some of the most amazing views. The water was so blue and tranquil. I felt like I was hiking on the coast of California (full blog post on Tettegouche State Park here)!
Lutsen
The farthest north we made it on this trip was Lutsen, MN. Lutsen is well-known for it’s skiiing – I really hope we can make it back this Winter for a ski trip! In the summer though, there is still plenty to do!
We spent a full day in Lutsen, starting out Superior National Golf Course (which is STUNNING)! I normally get bored even playing 9 holes of golf, but had a blast and enjoyed every minute of playing 18 holes on this gorgeous course. Highly recommend if you like to play golf (even just a little bit)!
After golf, we checked out North Shore Winery and took the Summit Express Gondola (you can buy tickets here) up to the Summit Chalet. We had a drink at the top of the mountain and took in the incredible, vast views of Superior. While we were enjoying the view, we even saw a black bear roaming around! It was definitely a fun and memorable experience.
Minnesota’s north shore is a gorgeous escape from the Twin Cities with so many places to see. Have you been yet?
Looking for more ideas on things to do in Minnesota, be sure to check out my latest posts.
Leave a Reply