Jenn & Dennis
Things To Do
Lakeview National Golf Course
For our guests who enjoy golfing, according to their website: The Lakeview National Golf Course is a challenging 18 hole championship course and is one of the most beautiful recreational sites on the North Shore. Designed by Garret Gill, the course was renovated in 1996-1997 with all new tees and the expansion to 18 holes. You will soon discover why it was named “Lakeview”. For golfers who want to experience the "Cadillac of Golf Courses in MN", head to the 27-hole Superior National Golf Course in Lutsen, MN.
North Shore Adventure Park
Looking for some challenging rope courses and zip lining fun? Check out the North Shore Adventure Park where there are 75 adventure challenges to test your skills and endurance. Reserve your tickets and complete the waiver online to save time.
Split Rock Lighthouse State Park
This is a cute place to take a stroll on a large pebble beach. Depending on how far down the beach you walk, you should be able to see the lighthouse in the distance. If you want to check out the lighthouse itself and take a tour, you’ll need a paid admission to the Historical Society part of the park.
Black Beach
Black Beach is a must see just because the color of the sand is so unique. Believe it or not, the black coloration is not natural. It came as a result of the taconite tailings that were dumped into Lake Superior by local miners years ago. Visitors were not allowed onto this beach until 2015, and now there are even picnic tables and fire rings on the beach so you can have a quick picnic lunch stop if you desire to hang around the beach a little longer! The beach itself is less than a 5 minute walk from the parking lot.
Palisade Head
It's easy to miss, so look for the sign near mile marker 57 off of Scenic Highway 61. This is a short drive up a narrow road to the top of a cliff for some truly incredible views of Lake Superior. As a word of caution, please do not get close to any of the edges as there are no guardrails and you're several hundred feet up a cliff. It is priceless to take in the beautiful scenery and snap a couple photos from a safe spot though, and you'll likely catch glimpse of some pretty avid rock climbers here as well!
Tettegouche State Park
Tettegouche is about a 20 minute drive north from Grand Superior Lodge. If you have some time, hike the Shovel's Point Trail. It is a fairly easy 2.2 mile roundtrip hike, but not without numerous steps :) The view at the end is absolutely worth it. If you are more adventurous, go check out High Falls as well! If you park on the campground side, you'll cross a swinging bridge and trek down flights of stairs before you can see the full beauty of the falls.
Cascade River State Park
We hiked up to Lookout Mountain, which had a gorgeous green sea of trees as far as the eye could see. The panoramic view was breathtakingly gorgeous and well worth the over 1.5 mile uphill climb (after 25 miles of hiking already in the same day in our case!).
Grand Marais
Grand Marais is known as the gateway to the Gunflint Trail and Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA). It is a little less than 1.5 hrs north of Two Harbors, and there is surprisingly a lot to do in this cute little town that is considered one of the last stops before Canada. Recommendations: 1- Grab donuts at Worlds Best Donuts (tip: order your donuts online the night before for an easy pickup, rather than standing in a long line in the AM!). The sugar cake donut is a fav. 2- Take in the views at Artist's Point, a peninsula in the harbor in town. 3- Check out the Lighthouse, still functional & built in 1922! 4- Eat some fish. Either at the Angry Trout Cafe or the Fisherman's Daughter. Fresh, locally caught lake trout, whitefish, or Canadian walleye. Oh, and homemade tartar sauce with that, pls. YUM?! 5- Check out Voyageur Brewing Company. Personally, I love Devils Kettle IPA. PS all of their beer is brewed with water from Lake Superior! 6- Order pizza at Sven & Ole's - YES.
Grand Portage State Park
Here is where you'll get the closest to Canada, without crossing the border - unless you have a passport then by all means go ahead and cross over and view the falls from the other side, too (as long as the border is open)! Grand Portage State Park hosts the tallest waterfall located in MN (the next tallest waterfall is High Falls in Tettegouche State Park). These waterfalls are a short 10 minute walk from the parking lot, on a paved trail and boardwalk.