Recommend all of the same places as everyone has mentioned. If you get way up north, Grand Marais is a neat town. We tent camped in a campground on the south side of town. Initially unknown to us (other side of bushes) the edge of our campsite was Lake Superior beach! Great evenings on the beach. Grand Marais is a good town to relax and wonder with kids (ice cream shops, Sven n Oles). Recommend North Shore trip!
North Shore MN recommendations
- Thread starter cyman05
- Start date
We checked out the Devils Kettle. Very cool. Probably the longest wooden stair/deck structure I've been up and down to get to the kettle. Lots of mosquitos!
Ditto to all of the park, restaurant, and trail recommendations already voiced here.
If you're looking for lodging as well I highly recommend the Lutsen Resort. A gorgeous historic lodge (with some cool mobster history tied in as well). It came under new ownership almost 2 years ago now (I believe) and the new owners have completed quite a few much-needed improvements and renovations. My family has been going up to the North Shore for 30+ years and that is our favorite spot to rest our heads, winter and summer.
They have a great activity staff as well to keep the kids entertained, provide trail conditions each day, or even guide you on some kayak or hiking excursions.
If you're looking for lodging as well I highly recommend the Lutsen Resort. A gorgeous historic lodge (with some cool mobster history tied in as well). It came under new ownership almost 2 years ago now (I believe) and the new owners have completed quite a few much-needed improvements and renovations. My family has been going up to the North Shore for 30+ years and that is our favorite spot to rest our heads, winter and summer.
They have a great activity staff as well to keep the kids entertained, provide trail conditions each day, or even guide you on some kayak or hiking excursions.
If you have time you should check out the black sand beach park. The sand isn’t naturally black and is a bit of sobering moment to realize the impact humans can have on the environment.
Grand Marais is definitely a good spot to spend an afternoon, Voyageur brewing has great food as well there.
Driving up the Gunflint trail is good too, definitely lots of good hiking spots right off the road.
Driving up the Gunflint trail is good too, definitely lots of good hiking spots right off the road.
If you get all the way up to Grand Marais, might as well stop right before the border crossing at the rest stop. It's a short jaunt to Pigeon Falls from the rest stop, which is the tallest waterfall in MN. If you're lucking you can wave at a Canadian on the other side.
kcbob79clone
Well-Known Member
All the above. I would add the Grand Portage village if not mentioned. Good food near Grand Marais
- pizza at My Sisters Place
- blue water cafe
- pie place cafe
- fudge at Beth's fudge
- frenchman's French toast at naniboujou lodge
- french onion soup at Crooked spoon
Try the herring at Dockside Fish Market or Angry Trout. A fish you can't get in too many places.
While in the Apostle Islands area and are adventurous try the whitefish livers at the Portside Bar and Marina near Bayfield and a couple other places.
Have fun, great places to visit!
- pizza at My Sisters Place
- blue water cafe
- pie place cafe
- fudge at Beth's fudge
- frenchman's French toast at naniboujou lodge
- french onion soup at Crooked spoon
Try the herring at Dockside Fish Market or Angry Trout. A fish you can't get in too many places.
While in the Apostle Islands area and are adventurous try the whitefish livers at the Portside Bar and Marina near Bayfield and a couple other places.
Have fun, great places to visit!
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Glad you said it: if you drive up from Duluth to Grand Marais you might as well go to Canada; it’s a 2 hour drive. Tettegouche and Baptism River are the most fun swimming holes on the way up, if the temps are okay. Superior will put your marbles in your throat until August, however.
Is that the fall that used to be really easy to get to from the Canadian side? Before needing passports you could jump the border go into Canada a couple of miles (?) and park at a unmarked pullover and follow a trail with no signs to a huge waterfall that had a broken down log flume next to it. It was a great sight.
This.....plus would add Jay Cooke State Park, which is south of Duluth, as a good place to hike with your kids. There is a suspension bridge over the River near the visitor center. Beautiful area!
Great thread! My lady friend and I were just talking about trying to make it up to Duluth/Apostle islands late July as well!
Don't know. It's easy to get to from both sides I think. The rest stop is literally in view of the border crossing. I don't think the border is open to tourism right now.
kcbob79clone
Well-Known Member
If you're going to be in Duluth your kids would love the secret swimming hole at Lester Park. It's along Amity Creek. College kids jumping off 50 foot tall cliffs is cool, plus your little one can pick around in the creek.
Let's be honest guys, the landscape in Iowa sucks and this thread proves it.
Let's be honest guys, the landscape in Iowa sucks and this thread proves it.
We are visiting the Duluth area in a few weeks. We are staying at the Larsmont Cottages on Lake Superior. Their generic queen bedroom option is only $118 per night. You still get all the resort benefits, just a very simple room.
Betty's Pies is overrated according to the locals. The pies are no longer made in house. We went to The Rustic Inn for pies. We had the Carmel Apple Pecan pie. It was very good. And made daily on site.
Fiance was really on board with this and we ended up booking a stay at Lutsen. I'm not sure we'll be able to make Apostle's happen this trip (we have a friend moving up there next year so we'll try to head up then) but we're excited to check out the north shore. The struggle now is do we bring our gravel bikes or fat bikes... We're going to try and find some forest service roads to ride I think. Maybe I should check out the top speed of wolves/beers/moose before we get too lost
