Things To Do
Split Rock Lighthouse
Classic North Shore spot to visit, and very scenic! Wonderful historic museum as well. You can actually see the lighthouse on the right side of Hwy 61 as you're traveling up the shore from the south.
Gooseberry Falls State Park
Another classic North Shore spot, and one of our favorites! Gooseberry Falls is gorgeous, and it's a pretty easy walk to get to the main falls. If you're feeling adventurous, there's many other falls that you can hike to in the rest of the park.
Iona's Beach Scientific & Natural Area
It's a short walk back to the actual beaches from the parking lot, but this is the site of stunning red rock beaches. If you go when the wave conditions are right, the sound the rocks make is just amazing!
Duluth
The big city of the North Shore, Duluth is about 30 minutes from the venue! Lots of great places to eat, and we love both the local zoo (Lake Superior Zoo) and the aquarium (Great Lakes Aquarium). For a great overlook of the city, one of our favorite spots is Hawk Ridge!
Palisade Head
You can either hike or drive to the top of this North Shore "mountain" to see spectacular views of Lake Superior and the rest of the North Shore.
Tettegouche State Park
A cute little state park with lots of trails for hiking, and it's a great rest area if you're heading farther up the shore. Keep an eye out for peregrine falcons nesting in the cliffs!
Oberg Mountain Trail Head
This is one of Sam's favorite hiking and birding spots right between Tofte and Lutsen. Keep a sharp eye out for the correct turn off of Hwy 61, it comes up quick!
Temperance River State Park
This park has lovely waterfall views! We suggest parking in the lots off of Hwy 61 instead of by the campground. This leads to much easier and quicker access to the river.
Superior Hiking Trail
The Superior Hiking Trail winds from Duluth, up the North Shore to Canada! It's got a ton of trailheads to access different sections of the trail for day hikes. Would require a bit of planning ahead of time, but totally worth it!
Grand Marais
Grand Marais is just over 90 minutes from the venue, but is totally worth the drive! It's got some amazing art galleries and restaurants (Christina's favorite restaurant is the Angry Trout). Its downtown area is great to just walk around and window shop. There's also Artist Point, which provides fantastic views of Lake Superior. Just be careful because it's often super windy out there!
Devil's Kettle Trail Head
This spot provides views of the famous Devil's Kettle waterfall, where one side of the river seemingly falls into a bottomless pit! Note that its a moderate to strenuous hike as it has a lot of stairs to get to the falls. Located in Judge C.R. Magney State Park, about 2 hours from the venue.
International Wolf Center
We both love this place! It's got a great museum, and exhibit where you can observe their resident wolf pack. It's about 90 minutes from the venue, but the drive up to Ely is very scenic and you may even see a moose!
Sax-Zim Bog Welcome Center
If you're a birder, this is a wonderful spot! About 90 minutes from the venue, this is one of the best places in Northern MN to see great grey owls and hawk owls.