Things to Do on Lake Superior's North Shore

Perched on Lake Superior's serene shores, Duluth is a port city unlike anywhere else in the United States. Sometimes referred to as the “Zenith City” by locals, it is a rare combination of outdoorsy (filled with fleece-clad hikers and cold-weather thrill-seekers) and industrious (the city maintains its cargo-shipping identity and is home to Cirrus Aircraft).

Duluth also boasts the nation’s largest freshwater sandbar (Park Point), a major university (the University of Minnesota Duluth), and a thriving cultural scene, with popular neighborhoods like Canal Park and the Lincoln Park Craft District, both stuffed with restaurants like Northern Waters Smokehaus.

With cool, sunny summers (June through August highs usually top out around 74 degrees), spectacular falls, and icy, snowy winters, visitors often use Duluth as a gateway for a longer exploration of Lake Superior’s North Shore (see our three-day itinerary), or bring their mountain bikes and hit the IMBA gold-rated trails.

Whether you’re looking to take up ice surfing, glass blowing, or want to check out a floating sauna, Duluth is worthy of a visit (or a move). See our top things to do, where to eat, and what a thriving cold-weather outdoor culture looks like.

It’s time to hike that SHT. 

The Superior Hiking Trail runs over 300 scenic miles from Jay Cooke State Park in the south up to the Canadian border in the north. It offers choose-your-own-adventure hiking, with easier, flatter loops or long sections of rugged terrain, all featuring spectacular panoramic views of Lake Superior and the Sawtooth Mountains.

Looking to camp? You can do so along the trail or in one of the North Shore’s many state parks. Other lodging options include glamping, or staying in a comfy cabin.

See our guide to hiking the SHT.

A picture-perfect village oozing in charm, Grand Marais was named Travel + Leisure’s Best Small Lake Town for a reason. This artsy outpost, which hugs the rocky shoreline of Lake Superior, has iconic donuts (cheekily named World’s Best — we're biased, so we’ll let you decide), an independent bookstore with pastel-painted shutters, Angry Trout, a lakeside dining destination featuring freshly caught seafood, and the renowned North House Folk School, which is instantly recognizable thanks to its straight-out-of-Stockholm yellow exterior.

A popular destination for tourists, Grand Marais also serves as a natural entry point for two of Minnesota’s most famous natural wonders, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Gunflint Trail.

See our artsy Minneapolis-to-Grand Marais itinerary.

Minnesota’s distinctive landscape was formed by retreating glaciers, and one of the gifts they left behind was a collection of stunning waterfalls. Many of these waterfalls run alongside Lake Superior’s North Shore, including the accessible Gooseberry Falls, the four located inside Tettegouche State Park, and the Pigeon River High Falls, a 120-foot behemoth at Grand Portage State Park, which holds the distinction of being Minnesota's highest.

See all of Minnesota’s best waterfalls. You could even chase your own “waterfall trail,” because you’re a rebel like that.

Many, many travelers come to the North Shore for one reason: hiking.

“If someone could only hike one place in Minnesota, I’d recommend the North Shore,” says Suzanne Nelson of You Can Hike With Us. “Honestly, people who don’t know our state think Minnesota is just farm fields. But when I think of our state, I think of the North Shore. It has rock formations and waterfalls — it's where our state gets to show off.”

The area’s most famous hikes include the aforementioned Superior Hiking Trail (including the very Instagrammable Bean and Bear loop), Gooseberry Falls, and the Day Hill loop at Split Rock Lighthouse, but there are tons of hidden gem hikes as well. Just a few we love are Shovel Point at Tettegouche State Park, the Oberg Mountain loop, and the Kadunce River Wayside Trail, east of Grand Marais.

Always remember to leave no trace, take plenty of water, and get your state park pass.

It’s no secret that Minnesota has the largest share of Scandinavians in the United States. Just take a look at a map: Lindstrom, Scandia, and Upsala have names immediately traceable to their roots, and Minneapolis is home to the American Swedish Institute. 

But perhaps the most beloved Scandi tradition in Minnesota is sauna, a wellness practice that was brought to us by the Finns, and, for the uninitiated, involves sitting in an extremely hot room before optionally plunging into freezing-cold water (you can also roll in the snow or just step out into Minnesota’s famously chilly outdoor temps).

While it may sound unappealing at first blush, sauna can actually reduce stress, help with pain relief, and aid in muscle recovery. Often, even the most reluctant sauna-goers end up becoming converts. And Minnesotans love their saunas. We love them so much that the New York Times started their sauna road trip here.

But where to try it? Cedar + Stone operates a floating sauna in Duluth (this is the one that you may have seen on The Daily Show), while Sisu + Löyly offers two options in Grand Marais. If you’re looking to enjoy it for more than one day, many rentals and resorts offer them, including Bluefin Bay and cabins from Cascade Vacation Rentals.

You may even be inspired to come back for Sauna Days.

P.S. If you want to sound like an insider, it’s pronounced “sow (rhyming with cow)-nuh,” in the original Finnish. But many locals say “saw-nuh.” We’re not judging either way — we just want you to try it!

There are two major players in the North Shore pie game: Betty’s Pies and Rustic Inn Café. We don’t take sides here at Explore Minnesota (in this office, all Jucy Lucys and cheese curds are created equal), so you’ll have to make a stop at both and decide for yourself.

Betty’s, just north of Two Harbors, has been slinging the good stuff since 1957, and has amassed such a fanbase that they now ship their pies through Goldbelly. The interior has a blue-and-white diner vibe, and the savory menu is generally what you’d expect (burgers, sandwiches, omelets in the morning). 

Betty’s most famous pie is the French blueberry cream, but we have a soft spot for the perfectly sweet-tart strawberry rhubarb and the delightfully maximalist turtle coconut cream.

Rustic Inn, in Castle Danger, leans, well, rustic, with a savory menu that is a little more supper club than diner (think wild rice meatloaf and walleye piccata) and a log cabin-esque interior. For us, the star of the Rustic Inn pie show is the classic tart cherry, but we also can’t resist the delicate lemon angel or the crumb-topped caramel apple pecan.

There is a reason camping is one of the most popular things to do on the North Shore; it’s quiet, remote, and almost supernaturally scenic.

Best of all, there’s a North Shore camping experience for everyone. The eight state parks clustered in this region boast hundreds of campsites between them. Some are drive-in, while others feel truly off-the-grid. 

Those looking for a more Odysseus-style journey can post up along the Superior Hiking Trail.

Or, if you’re interested in an outdoorsy (but more comfortable) experience, try one of the North Shore’s glamping sites, like North Shore Camping Co. in Beaver Bay (you’ll have access to the showers in the base lodge).

Palisade Head (part of Tettegouche State Park) had a big pop culture moment when it stood in for coastal Maine during the melodramatic climax of the 1993 Macaulay Culkin–Elijah Wood flick “The Good Son.”

There’s a reason Palisade Head was chosen to stand in for the famously craggy Atlantic coastline. Standing on the 200-foot cliff feels like being at the edge of another world and offers stunning views of Split Rock Lighthouse, the Apostle Islands, and the Sawtooth Mountains. 

If you go at off-peak times, you may even have the whole place to yourself — a truly “wow” experience you can’t get in many other scenic tourist destinations.

If there’s one thing long northern winters are good for, it’s cozying up with a good drink. The North Shore is home to some serious destination breweries, like Castle Danger Brewing in Two Harbors and Voyageur Brewing Company in Grand Marais (which offers rooftop views of the lake). 

But you also don’t want to miss beautiful Bent Paddle Brewing Company, in the heart of Duluth’s historic Lincoln Park neighborhood, Canal Park Brewery (right off the Lakewalk), or Hoops Brewing along Canal Park. 

If you prefer your brews on the fruity side, Wild State Cider and Duluth Cider have a range of carefully crafted ferments, from a dry apple to juicy mango.

More of a cocktail person? There’s Vikre Distillery, home of the Boreal Gin and two different versions of the Scandinavian classic, aquavit. Or head up to Two Harbors and cozy up at the charming, vibey Tipsy Mosquito, where you can pair your blueberry basil mule with a giant pub pretzel while you kick back in front of a roaring fireplace.

See more of Greater Minnesota’s best breweries.

There may be no North Shore destination more iconic than Split Rock Lighthouse, which was constructed in 1910 after a particularly gusty November caused over 30 shipwrecks in Lake Superior. Decommissioned in 1969, it is now a popular tourist destination and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2011.

A ticket to tour the lighthouse also allows entry into the 25-acre historic area surrounding it, including the fog signal building, oil house, and one of the original lighthouse keeper’s homes.

Hours vary based on season; click here to see current offerings.

Can’t make it in person? The Minnesota Historical Society and Duluth Harbor Cam have a livestream of the lighthouse you can watch anytime.

Read our interview with Hayes Scriven, the current lighthouse keeper.

The North Shore’s busiest season is late September into early October, when fall colors reach their breathtaking peak. From golden apricot to rusty tangerine, the jaw-dropping panorama of autumnal brilliance set against the vibrant blue lake is what fall dreams are made of.

If you’re planning on visiting the North Shore during the fall, remember to book ahead; rentals and hotels fill quickly. And peek at the DNR’s fall color map, which shows an accurate week-by-week assessment of color coverage throughout the state.

Duluth is a well-known destination for mountain bikers, but those who roll on thinner tires (and with a lower heart rate) are hardly bereft of options. In fact, the Gitchi-Gami Trail (Gitchi-Gami is the Ojibwe word for Lake Superior) is one of the most scenic paved bike paths in the state. 

It’s not quite finished yet (eventually, the trail will connect Duluth to Grand Marais). Currently, about thirty-four almost comically beautiful miles have been completed. See our complete guide, including where you can refuel along the way.

Another best-kept secret of the North Shore is the portion of Highway 61 that runs between Grand Portage and Grand Marais and is level with the lake. You can drive it, of course, but it’s extra thrilling on a bike.

If you prefer to pedal with a little boost, Electric Trails offers e-bike rentals.

Coming in winter? You’re in luck — that's fat biking season. Duluth’s Mission Creek is a renowned mountain and fat biking trail. If you’re feeling brave, you can even get off your bike and try your hand at ice climbing, or another cold-weather North Shore sport.

Want the North Shore all to yourself? Bundle up! Secret season usually runs between November and April, when temps are at their chilliest. This is also the time to catch a deal — hotels and resorts often offer winter discounts, and you won’t miss out on things to do.

In fact, winter can be the North Shore’s most captivating season. The Gales of November, when dramatic, ocean-like waves crash against the lake's rocky shoreline, are undeniably cool to experience in person.

December promises magical, storybook holiday charm, and the quiet calm of late winter is prime time for cross-country skiing with the trails to yourself (many, like Devils Track and Kadunce River, are open all year, and if you don’t want to ski there’s always snowshoeing), attending the thrilling John Beargrease Dog Sled Marathon, winter camping, ice surfing (if you dare), and, of course, the ever-popular Nordic wellness tradition of sauna.

Once you visit the North Shore in winter, it’ll become your favorite season.

Learn about visiting Duluth during the holidays or other Hallmark-esque towns.

Adventure lovers of all ages are welcome to flex their inner superhero at North Shore Adventure Park, a seasonal, outdoor adventure park that features zip lining, ropes courses, and a picnic area (just in case you’d rather cheer from the ground).

We like to hit the Adventure Park when we’ve heard one too many “ANOTHER hike?” complaints, then take the family to nearby Black Beach for a lakeside stroll.

Is there anything quite as romantic or nostalgic as an old-fashioned train ride? The North Shore Scenic Railroad departs from Duluth several times a day and chugs along Canal Park and Lake Superior before looping back to the Duluth Depot.

There are multiple trip options: The Zephyr is a 75-minute excursion, and the Northwoods Explorer is two-and-a-half hours. For a full-day trip, book the Two Harbors Turn.

A concession car is available, along with fully narrated tours that tell the historic story of Duluth and the North Shore railroads.

If you’re lucky enough to be up north during the holidays, the railroad offers three different magical, snow-dusted rides straight out of “The Polar Express.”

If “gondola” makes you picture narrow Venetian waterways and crooning men in striped shirts, think again. Lutsen Mountains' Summit Express Gondola, a suspended ski lift ride, is one of the North Shore’s most popular attractions.

Lifting you 1,000 feet above the lake toward the crest of Moose Mountain, the gondola offers riders unrivaled views of the Sawtooth Mountains and Lake Superior — no hiking required. After guests disembark, they have the option of enjoying a snack or a drink from the mountain’s scenic deck, before enjoying a gentle descent back to earth.

Lutsen Mountains is also a ski resort — the largest in the Midwest. With 95 runs across four peaks, Lutsen easily rivals more crowded, more expensive western destinations, and offers both day rates, flex passes, and ski-and-stay deals.

The North Shore boasts over 150 miles of public shoreline (more than twice the amount in Los Angeles County), but two unique beaches offer something more than the usual golden sand or blue-gray rocks.

Black Beach, located in Silver Bay near Palisade Head, owes its striking color to taconite discarding in Lake Superior. Don’t worry — it's a long-abandoned practice, but the beach maintains its inky hue, which adds a mysterious fantasy-novel vibe to any North Shore vacation.

For those who lean more Glinda than Elphaba, there’s Iona’s Beach Scientific & Natural Area, colloquially known as “pink beach.” Located about 15 miles north of Two Harbors, this 300-yard strip of shoreline is covered in pale pink rhyolite from a nearby cliff.

You can’t take one home with you, but it’s totally free to visit (and snap a few photos). If you listen closely, you may even be able to hear the rocks “sing”; when the waves crash over them, a gentle tinkling sound is created.