North Shore Attractions, biking, fishing, horseback riding, skiing, rock climbing, camping, kayaking


Sawtooth Outfitters offers canoe, kayak, bike,
cross country and downhill ski rentals.

While the outdoor recreation opportunities on the North Shore are countless, here are a few of our favorite things to do as you travel Minnesota's North Shore. Drive the "off the beaten path" roads. Make your own discoveries about the land that borders the big Lake Superior!

Click on map for specific lodging and state park information

Gunflint Trail Grand Marais, Minnesota
Gunflint Trail
Lodges and Resorts


Cascade Lodge

Lutsen, Minnesota

Lutsen Resort
Lutsen Resort

Lutsen, Minnesota

North Shore Lighthouse, Lake Superior, Minnesota TOP PICK
North Shore Fall Colors www.northshorefallcolors.com
Daily fall color and bird migration reports, along with over 25 fall color tours to pick from for biking, sailing, hiking, driving and bird watching.
North Shore Lighthouse, Lake Superior, Minnesota Snowmobile Trails from Duluth to Canada and the Gunflint Trail
From Duluth to Grand Marais, Minnesota the 153 mile long North Shore State Snowmobile Trail system traverses St. Louis, Lake and Cook Counties of northeastern Minnesota. The trail system winds its way through forests and nearby Lake Superior scenic overlooks and connects to the Gunflint Trail snowmobile trail system.
North Shore Lighthouse, Lake Superior, Minnesota Lake Superior Fun Facts and Stats
That's not a river you see out the window as you drive along Hwy 61! Don't be a dork, with our fun facts and stats you'll amaze the family or friends. By-the-way, deer don't turn into moose, it's cooler by the big lake in the summer and a little warmer in the winter. Find out why when you check out the facts and stats we put together for you.
North Shore Lighthouse, Lake Superior, Minnesota Activities By Location
We've assembled plenty of "things to do" and "where to go" and "what to see," for your ease of finding the activity to pursue while you're up, event to attend or place to hike, bike, fish, canoe, sail or drive!
North Shore Lighthouse, Lake Superior, Minnesota TOP PICK
HUGE BIRD MIGRATION LOCATION - Hawk Ridge Nature Center in Duluth 
Many public programs
. During the fall, migrating hawks and other birds of feather concentrate in impressive numbers at the western tip of Lake Superior. Hawks migrate from as far away as the Arctic towards wintering areas as distant as South America. Reluctant to cross a large body of water, birds funnel down the North Shore along the shoreline and hills. Overlooking Duluth, Minnesota, the view alone is well worth the stop. Bring your binoculars or spotting scopes, and zoom in on various bird species or sea going ships leaving/entering the Duluth Port.
North Shore Lighthouse, Lake Superior, Minnesota French River Fish Hatchery
On Scenic 61 at the French River 218-723-4881
Self-guided tours of this cold water fish hatchery are available weekdays from 8am-4pm. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources incubates herring, suckers, walleye, rainbow trout, steelhead and salmon at this location.
North Shore Lighthouse, Lake Superior, Minnesota Stoney Point Drive
A scenic loop off Scenic 61 along Lake Superior. About 15 miles NE of Duluth. A great place to wave watch here in stormy weather, have a picnic and shoreline fish.
North Shore Lighthouse, Lake Superior, Minnesota TOP PICK
www.northshorestateparks.com - Minnesota North Shore State Parks
There are nine State Parks in the North Shore area. Get out of the car and stretch those legs and experience some incredible places preserved  just for your pleasure! Our complete guide has maps and facts about each park.
North Shore Lighthouse, Lake Superior, Minnesota TOP PICK
Minnesota North Shore Hiking Trails - So many trails to choose from
on Minnesota’s North Shore of Lake Superior and the Gunflint Trail.
North Shore Lighthouse, Lake Superior, Minnesota Silver Cliff - On Hwy 61 east of Two Harbors
The highest bluff rising directly out of Lake Superior. Builders carved Highway 61 out of the cliffside 125 feet above the lake. The new tunnel provides a safer route and features a wayside area, that you can take in the great cliffside views.
North Shore Lighthouse, Lake Superior, Minnesota Lafayette Bluff Tunnel
On your return trip down the shore, you can admire a vista that occurs at the bend of the tunnel as it gives way to the western view. 
North Shore Lighthouse, Lake Superior, Minnesota Bayside Park
Off Hwy 61 just E of Beaver Bay/W of Silver Bay. This park and overlook have a great picnic site. It is also a great spot to watch ships load at the North Shore Mining dock.
North Shore Lighthouse, Lake Superior, Minnesota Palisade Head in Tettegouche State Park
Off Hwy 61 about 4 miles NE of Silver Bay, watch for signs. Follow a narrow road to the top for incredible views of Lake Superior, Shovel Point and over the 300-foot cliffs. Open seasonally. Please no trailers.
North Shore Lighthouse, Lake Superior, Minnesota Rock Climbing
Rock climbers will be pleased by the challenge and scenery presented at Palisade Head and Shovel Point in Tettegouche State Park and Section 13.
North Shore Lighthouse, Lake Superior, Minnesota Finland, Minnesota
Check out the "off the beaten track" at the intersection of MN Hwy 1 and CR 6 & 7, about 7miles N of Hwy 61. The community of Finland represents what a number of the small shoreline villages were like 25 years ago. Finland is in the valley behind the Sawtooth range. Don't forget to visit the nearby Crosby Manitou State Park or Isabella, Minnesota. 
North Shore Lighthouse, Lake Superior, Minnesota North Shore Commercial Fishing Museum - On Hwy 61 In Tofte, Minnesota
The actual museum is built across the bay from the original site of the Twin Fish Houses, the museum is a replica of the Tofte brothers' and Hans Engleson's 1905 fish house. The museum has on display many relics, photos and artifacts that were passed down from the Tofte and Engelson families. This is a fabulous museum, it tells the story of commercial fishing along the Shore and at Isle Royale. The Schroeder-Tofte-Lutsen Visitor Center is also located here.
North Shore Lighthouse, Lake Superior, Minnesota Good Harbor Bay Panorama
Just east of Thomsonite Beach, Highway 61 turns left and reveals an incredible picturesque Good Harbor Bay, Seagull Rock and the small town of Grand Marais in the distance. The wayside rest area and vehicle pullover area are on the lakeside of the road, at the height of land or you can stop at the newly remodeled Cutface Creek Wayside Rest on the eastern edge of the bay.
North Shore Lighthouse, Lake Superior, Minnesota Kadunce River State Wayside
On Hwy 61 about 8 miles NE of Grand Marais. Nice spot for picnic, stretching the legs, a short hike or river ski.
North Shore Lighthouse, Lake Superior, Minnesota The International Border between the USA and Ontario, Canada
On Hwy 61 is about 40 miles NE of Grand Marais. Great State Park with waterfalls worth seeing! Grand Portage State Park

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