North Shore - Duluth and Lake Superior

[psycln11]

As long as others are posting about summer vacation plans, I thought I'd throw mine out there as well.

We have a large group of family members (14-15 people) staying in a large 8-bedroom house along the north shore of Lake Superior near Silver Bay for week in late June.

Any tips/tricks of things to see and do? Planning to do some hiking, fishing, relaxing, and general sightseeing. Youngest is 14, oldest in their 70's.

 

[zumbro clones]

There is something happening all summer on the North Shore:

https://northshorevisitor.com/events/

 

[Hubbs4cy]

Fantastic area. Can't go wrong with any of the State Parks, Gooseberry is usually the easy answer. A lot of people love Betty's Pies and Bluefin Grille is a good spot. I love me some Castle Danger if you're looking for some beer.

 

[throwittoblythe]

As long as others are posting about summer vacation plans, I thought I'd throw mine out there as well.

We have a large group of family members (14-15 people) staying in a large 8-bedroom house along the north shore of Lake Superior near Silver Bay for week in late June.

Any tips/tricks of things to see and do? Planning to do some hiking, fishing, relaxing, and general sightseeing. Youngest is 14, oldest in their 70's.

You can't steal the thread topic I stole from someone else!!! JK

We lived in MSP for 5 years. We did a couple weekend trips to Duluth/Two Harbors. You have all the highlights on your list.

Gooseberry Falls is a really beautiful area. You can hike to the top and bottom of the falls. Duluth has a thriving arts district that you should check out, in addition to the Canal St. area. There's an ice cream shop on the main drag in Duluth that was a local favorite.

We also visited the Split Rock Lighthouse. Again, beautiful area and pretty cool to see the lighthouse and the innkeepers place.

Pack a jacket as even summer mornings/evenings are cool up there. If you want to go swimming, prepare yourself as the water is only in the 40s even in summer.

 

[zumbro clones]

Here are some highly recommended state parks to visit:

https://kstp.com/special-coverage/minnesota-live/best-state-parks-to-visit-on-the-north-shore/

 

[cytor]

The North Shore as well as most of Northern Minn is outstanding.

 

[Freebird]

We vacation up there about every other summer you’ll never run out of things to do. one tip I have is if you wanna go to any of the parks get there early parking fills up.

 

[Remo Gaggi]

Grand Marais, on Lake Superior is well, grand. That entire trip along the coastline is wonderful, well worth the drive. Betty’s Pies? It’s good, keep your eyes open, the turn off into the parking lot comes up fast. Be sure to check out the Devil’s Kettle at Mahoney State Park. Nice hike, lots of skeeters.

 

[DesertClone1]

If you're into golf Superior National is a gorgeous course to play.

 

[8thfloor]

Lots of good breweries in Duluth and the parks/hikes others have mentioned. Ursa Minor and Bent Paddle were very good when I went (two years ago). Probably a little too cold that time if year to swim but at least you can stick your feet in the lake!

 

[throwittoblythe]

Grand Marais, on Lake Superior is well, grand. That entire trip along the coastline is wonderful, well worth the drive. Betty’s Pies? It’s good, keep your eyes open, the turn off into the parking lot comes up fast. Be sure to check out the Devil’s Kettle at Mahoney State Park. Nice hike, lots of skeeters.

Oh yeah, forgot about Betty's Pies. We had one of their milkshakes. They take a vanilla milkshake and blend in an entire slice of pie of your choosing.

 

[Entropy]

I would advise Rustic Inn over Betty's Pies. Both are good though.
Big fan of Devil's Kettle, and if you are going that far North, visit the Angry Trout in Grand Marais. Great food.
Also worth stopping at the Coho Cafe in Tofte. Really good breakfast and sandwiches.

If you are into Sauna, I advise going to Sisu.

Sisu + Löyly Nordic Sauna | Grand Marais, MN | Sauna year-round on Lake Superior!

This beautiful sauna experience is one of the top things to do in Grand Marais, MN. Located on the East Bay of Lake Superior in downtown Grand Marais, you can sauna all year round and enjoy the bonfire pit as well as the indoor fireside lounge. Yoga classes are offered in the sauna lounge on Monday

www.sisuandloyly.com

It's got a great view of Superior, and an option of cooling off in the lake if you're brave.

 

[Remo Gaggi]

I would advise Rustic Inn over Betty's Pies. Both are good though.
Big fan of Devil's Kettle, and if you are going that far North, visit the Angry Trout in Grand Marais. Great food.
Also worth stopping at the Coho Cafe in Tofte. Really good breakfast and sandwiches.

If you are into Sauna, I advise going to Sisu.

Sisu + Löyly Nordic Sauna | Grand Marais, MN | Sauna year-round on Lake Superior!

This beautiful sauna experience is one of the top things to do in Grand Marais, MN. Located on the East Bay of Lake Superior in downtown Grand Marais, you can sauna all year round and enjoy the bonfire pit as well as the indoor fireside lounge. Yoga classes are offered in the sauna lounge on Monday

www.sisuandloyly.com

It's got a great view of Superior, and an option of cooling off in the lake if you're brave.

Gun Flint Tavern in GM is good, and of course the World’s Greatest Donuts is a must stop.

 

[psycln11]

I would advise Rustic Inn over Betty's Pies. Both are good though.
Big fan of Devil's Kettle, and if you are going that far North, visit the Angry Trout in Grand Marais. Great food.
Also worth stopping at the Coho Cafe in Tofte. Really good breakfast and sandwiches.

If you are into Sauna, I advise going to Sisu.

Sisu + Löyly Nordic Sauna | Grand Marais, MN | Sauna year-round on Lake Superior!

This beautiful sauna experience is one of the top things to do in Grand Marais, MN. Located on the East Bay of Lake Superior in downtown Grand Marais, you can sauna all year round and enjoy the bonfire pit as well as the indoor fireside lounge. Yoga classes are offered in the sauna lounge on Monday

www.sisuandloyly.com

It's got a great view of Superior, and an option of cooling off in the lake if you're brave.

Won't need a sauna. We've got this little gem at our rental.

 

[Cyhig]

Can't go wrong anywhere on the Northshore. By far my favorite vacation destination. Bring sweaters because it can cool down very quickly, especially the further north you drive. It's not unusual to have temps in the low 60's when the wind is out of the south or east

My favorite waterfall is at Judge C.R. Magney State Park. It's called the "Devil's Kettle". It is a moderate hike from the parking lot with steep cliffs, but the trail is well maintained. There is one section that will have around 100 stairs though. What makes this waterfall unique is nobody knew where the water on the top left of this picture actually drained to. I think they finally solved the mystery a few years ago. But it is well worth the hike. Also ask the locals for some hiking trails. And visit Grand Portage at the Canadian border. Tallest waterfall in the state (the river is the Canadian border) and there was a nice museum showing this history of the fur trade

For the kids, the ski lodge at Lutsen is a good place to go to spend a few hours. They have an alpine slide that was quite fun

The north shore is truly a hidden gem. Everyone that goes has a great time

Devil's Kittle


Trail recommended by locals

 

[StPaulCyclone]

Look for another thread on this topic. I responded to one or two threads on this topics before and you may find those threads helpful.

 

[zumbro clones]

Look for another thread on this topic. I responded to one or two threads on this topics before and you may find those threads helpful.

Here's a recent thread:
https://cyclonefanatic.com/forum/threads/duluth-minnesota.279412/

 

[VeloClone]

We vacation up there about every other summer you’ll never run out of things to do. one tip I have is if you wanna go to any of the parks get there early parking fills up.

Get the annual State Park permit and make sure you affix it properly in your vehicle. I have witnessed people get a ticket for having the permit and not having it permanently affixed to their windshield. If you just tape it on they will ticket you because it isn't transferable between vehicles. There is a separate reduced fee for a second vehicle. Second vehicle must be owned by the same owner.

It's 35 bucks for the year and will get you into all the State Parks including these North Shore sites:

• Gooseberry,
• Split Rock,
• Tettegouche,
• George Crosby Manitou,
• Temperance River,
• Cascade River,
• Magney, and
• Grand Portage

 

[Clonz4ever]

Drive the Gunflint Trail and do some hiking. Talk to the guides in the visitor’s center in Grand Marais for suggestions Also there are some really good restaurants in GM. Try the whitefish. Go for a sailboat ride.

 

[BCClone]

Fantastic area. Can't go wrong with any of the State Parks, Gooseberry is usually the easy answer. A lot of people love Betty's Pies and Bluefin Grille is a good spot. I love me some Castle Danger if you're looking for some beer.

Betty’s pies is WAY overrated.