SHORELY One of the Most Underrated Spots in America: My Time on the North SHORE

Greetings from Collegetown Bagels in Ithaca, NY. I had hoped to catch up on the blog this past weekend, but turns out I was pretty busy with my brother's wedding. Thus the blog perpetually stays about 2 weeks behind my actual travels. Without further ado, here are my reflections on Minnesota's North Shore.

If you say “North Shore” in Pittsburgh, people assume you’re talking about the neighborhood on the northern bank of the Allegheny/Ohio River that’s home to the sports stadiums, the casino, and of course, Tequila Cowboy. Thus, I was rather confused when Minnesotans kept telling me I needed to go to the North Shore. Eventually, I pieced together that when Minnesotans say “North Shore”, they’re referencing the ~150 miles of Lake Superior shoreline between Duluth and Canada, which is home to about 7-8 stunning state parks and many scenic coastal villages. 

After spending 4 days on the North Shore, I’m not sure why this area of the country is not more widely known. It topped many national parks I’ve been to and rivaled western NC for my unofficial waterfall capital of America award. 

The Highlights 

The drive itself on the North Shore was extremely scenic, offering lake overlooks, waterfalls, or other natural attractions to stop for every 5-10 minutes.  

Below are some of the must sees: 

Gooseberry Falls State Park  

Gooseberry Falls is one of the most popular parks on the North Shore. While its proximity to Duluth likely plays a role in that, most of it is probably due to its stunning waterfalls. I originally intended to only spend about 30 minutes here and instead ended up spending 2.5 hours. 

This was the only place on the North Shore where I saw people swimming in waterfalls (aside from me of course).  

Split Rock State Park 

Split Rock is another popular state park, mostly because of the scenic lighthouse. While the views of the lighthouse were scenic, I felt this park was overrated compared to most of the others. Plus they tried to charge a fee just to walk the trails, which is not cool in my book.  

Tettegouche State Park 

Tettegouche - what a fun name. Tettegouche is jam packed with sites to see and great hiking trails. I probably spent more time in Tettegouche than I did in any other park on the North Shore. I also may have hiked more miles in Tettegouche than I rode on the bike - seriously, for much of the North Shore I felt like I was on a hiking trip not a motorcycle trip. 

Palisade Head is a famous climbing wall in Tettegouche (even reading it is fun). I won't say whether I climbed it or not, but you'll notice all my photos are from the top ...

Crystal Bay is a hidden gem - it's really only accessible by a small, unmarked pull off after an overpass - few find it. This video was taken from the trail that leads out to Crystal Point - of the few who find Crystal Bay, most only go to the beach, very very few take this overgrown trail. 

After the trail to Crystal Point ended, I spied this cove about a quarter mile up the coast and bushwhacked to it - my own private beach.

Another shot of my private cove, the rock on the right provide a solid jump off point for swimming. 

Crystal Point Trail - felt artsy taking this one. 

The main beach at Crystal Bay - this shot is looking up at the hike I took out to Crystal Point. 

Crystal Bay was one of my favorite spots on the North Shore

Bean and Bear Lakes - an ~8 mile hike through the western part of Tettegouche

Tettegouche Lower Falls

Tettegouche Upper Falls - Really wanted to swim in this one, but it seemed taboo based on the fact that no one else around was. I did wade in knee deep, but that didn't silence my friend Gordo's voice in my head that I was being lame. Thus far, I've gotten the sense that different parts of the country react to nature (especially waterfalls differently). Up north, the default response seems to be to set up a state park to appreciate nature. Down in the southern Appalachian Mountains (WV and south), the default response seems to be to experience nature (swim/fish in every waterfall). Not saying one or the other is right or wrong, just an observation.  

On night 1, I camped near Tettegouche, off what appeared to be hunting trails. Unfortunately one of my tent poles broke (so it was hammock camping from then on). The scenery and stars were great, but the mosquitos were a bit rough.  

Cassiopeia 

Ursa Major (aka The Big Dipper)

Caribou Falls State Wayside  

This was marketed as a roadside rest stop, but it had a trail that went 1/2 mile along a river in the woods to one of the best waterfalls on the North Shore. As this wasn’t officially a state park, it had very little traffic. I had the falls all to myself, so I went for that waterfall swim to make Gordo proud and it did not disappoint.

Cross River Falls 

Maybe the most powerful of the falls I saw on the North Shore, but you really couldn’t get close to these, aside from an overlook under the bridge that crossed them. 

Cross River gets its name from this cross (which replaced the wood one originally erected by Fr. Baraga). Fr. Baraga was an early missionary to the native people, to whom he dedicated his life after emigrating to the US. He built the wood cross here as a memorial/thanksgiving offering after he and his native guide were spared after being swept out into Lake Superior in a winter storm. 

Cascade River State Park  

In Cascade River, I hiked Lookout Mountain which offered great views of the North Shore. There I met a couple who had lived in Minnesota for 36 years but moved to New Mexico when they retired. They missed the nature as well as the people of northern Minnesota though and were back for a visit.  

Lookout Mountain showed how patchy the arrival of Fall had been on the North Shore - some bluffs were entirely red while others were entirely green

Cascade River proves Tahquamenon is not the only place with mineral brown rivers

On day 2, I camped near Cascade River at the Agnes Lake Campsite on the Superior Hiking Trail (SHT). I had to hike 3/4 of a mile into the woods to reach this campsite designed for through hikers on the SHT, which runs 300+ miles along the North Shore from Duluth to Canada.  

A brilliant thunderstorm brewing on Agnes Lake - luckily we were able to see it but not get hit by it

Lake Agnes proved to be a popular stopping point, as 3 through hikers also spent the night there. I set my site up on a peninsula jutting into the lake, next to Kaia. 

Maybe someday I'll figure out how to take a selfie

Kaia was midway through a 30 day trek of the entire SHT. She had done many shorter backpacking trips in the past and had always been bummed when they ended, so she decided to give a super long trek a try. Since she could only carry a few days worth of food in her pack, she mailed food ahead to the post offices in the tiny towns she passed through so that she could resupply along the way. When she’s not on the trail, she works as an activities coordinator at a community center/gymnastics gym. She grew up doing circus performance and said the acrobatics of it made for a natural transition to gymnastics in high school.  

This little guy also joined us at the campsite - he flinched every time I walked by

The next morning, I hiked a bit more of the SHT to get a good view of Caribou Lake. As I hiked, I noticed the smell of fallen leaves and realized just how much fall had set in in that area. Kaia said the snow and 30 degree weather the prior week had probably contributed to the early onset of autumn in some areas. 

The fall colors around Caribou Lake were among the best on the North Shore

Hollow Rock 

Hollow Rock sits only about 30 ft into Lake Superior. I would have swam/waded out to it, but the shore it’s just off of appeared to be private property belonging to a bnb and I think I would have been asked to leave if I had stayed any longer. Still, it was worth the 2 minute pull off.  

Devils Kettle 

Devils Kettle is located in Judge CR Magney State Park, and gained some fame for its inclusion in Atlas Obscura due to its unique 2 cauldron composition. Water flows into the cauldron on the left and seems to disappear - it’s not clear where it funnels back into the river. I spent 10 minutes looking from different angles and still could not come to a firm conclusion about where the water goes. My best guess is that it either spits out behind/into the falls on the right or that it releases into the cauldron on the right below surface level. Either way, Devils Kettle was a truly fascinating sight. 

The mist created a nice little rainbow

The water going into the cauldron on the left disappears to who knows where

The view from the top did not provide answers on where the left cauldron led to

Lower Falls at Judge CR Magney State Park

Temperance River State Park

Temperance River is about 2/3 of the way to Canada from Duluth. I skipped it on the way up the North Shore due to time constraints (these highlights aren’t exactly listed in geographic or chronological order), but hit it on the way back down, and boy I’m glad I did. Saved maybe the best for last, as this was the last thing I did on the North Shore before setting my bearings for Fargo, ND. 

I hiked Carlton & Tofe Peaks on Kaia’s recommendation. These peaks are at the far northwest corner of Temperance River State Park. The hike was a short but enjoyable one for a fantastic view - though the fog made the pictures turn out less than spectacular. 

I was here one day after the anniversary of Jason's ashes being returned to the wind on Carlton Peak. Strangely this plaque was on Tofe Peak, not Carlton as the inscription would lead you to believe. The "Whatever" quote is also wild.

The drive up and down on the other hand was much more challenging. Harriet did her best impression of a dual sport or dirt bike on pothole addled gravel “roads” (more like trails) on the way up.  

Tofe Overlook

The Beast from the East: Harriet was a champ on the rough stuff

Temperance River must pass through a different kind of rock than the other rivers on the North Shore, as it seemed to be the only one that formed a slot canyon.  

Trying out some slowmo video - let me know what you think

Some "root beer foam" on Temperance River

A Kool-Aid Rip'n'Sip left at the falls on Temperance River - getting these in your lunch box in elementary school automatically gave you 10 cool points - can't believe somebody would leave a half-drunk one of these behind

Grand Portage 

Grand Portage is the end of the road (for America that is - the road continues into Canada). It got its name due to the great falls there that make the river unnavigable - the natives and fur traders had to portage their canoes for the last 9 miles of the river to Lake Superior, thus the name Grand Portage is quite fitting. While there is a national monument there devoted to the fur trade and the voyaguers, it didn’t look like it held a candle to the natural scenery so I skipped it.  

Some roadside overlooks near Grand Portage

In the distance, you can see Isle Royale. I had hoped to go to Isle Royale, but the shuttle schedule didn't work out, plus it seems like the kinda place you should take a 5 day backpacking or canoeing trip on. Something for next time - I'll hit it on a joint trip with Boundary Waters and Voyaguers National Park someday, God willing. 

Grand Portage is a town with a State Park of the same name. The State Park was home to the biggest falls on the North Shore.  

There was a smaller middle falls that would have taken an hour plus (that I didn’t have as the sun was beginning to set) to hike to on the American side of the Pigeon River, but I noticed it was only a short hike from the Canadian side. That was the only excuse I needed to ride to Canada. The Canadian border agents seemed confused that I only wanted to go to Canada for 1 hour to see the other side of the falls. They were nice but were pretty strict: they grilled me on if I had any weapons and confiscated the pepper spray on my keys. The American border guard on the way back on the other hand was super chill, only asked if I had bought anything and just wanted to hear about the cool places I had been on my bike trip. 

The middle falls were neat but not nearly as impressive as the high falls further down the river. The little pull off to get to the middle falls was vacant and the river calm just up stream from the falls, so I seized the opportunity to swim across the international border to the US and back - please don’t report me to ICE. Anyways, it looked like I wasn’t the only one illegally crossing borders either - there were 2 zip lines running across the river.  

The Middle Falls, as seen from Canada

Where I swam across international borders

Coastal Towns 

There are a number of picturesque towns on the North Shore (Two Harbors, Lutsen, Silver Bay, Grand Marais, and Grand Portage to name a few). I didn’t stop in all of them, but here are some thoughts on the ones I did stop in.  

Two Harbors  

This is a popular stop due to its proximity to Duluth. Why it’s called Two Harbors is a mystery to me as this was barely 1 harbor. There was a nice little nature trail by the lighthouse.  

The town as a whole was quaint but a bit underwhelming - not something I’d peg as a must see. If you do stop there though, go to Cedar Coffee Company - it’s a neat little combo coffee shop/biking outpost in the woods.  

Silver Bay 

Silver Bay is one of the bigger towns on the North Shore. The Cleveland Cliffs Taconite Plant there is probably one of the biggest employers on the North Shore. As I learned at the maritime center in Duluth, Taconite is the (semi raw) ore product used in steel production. I didn’t stop for a meal in Silver Bay, but did drive through it multiple times.

The Cleveland Cliffs Taconite Plant

Outside of Silver Bay, just west of Palisade Head is the Four Seasons Restaurant & Bar, where I had dinner on night 1. This dive was full of friendly locals who immediately greeted me on entry and who seemed to all know each other. Prices were great - $5 for a burger and $3.75 for a pint of Castle Danger - a local craft brew.  

Grand Marais 

Grand Marias (not to be confused with Grand Marias in the UP - not sure why Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota all name their small towns the same things) is probably the most famous of the towns of the North Shore. Charming, with many eateries and an active sailing harbor, Grand Marais is definitely worth the stop. 

Artist's Point in Grand Marais 

My meal at South of the Border

All the sailboats seemed to be lined up at approximately the same angle - wonder if the wind does that?

Back in the 1870s, a shipwreck on the East Bay at Grand Marais (pictured) resulted in 3 survivors being swept out to see on a wrecked boat in a storm. They were never seen again. 

South of the Border Cafe (Canadian border that is) - a local institution, was just average food and a bit overpriced in my opinion, but I did meet some cool locals there. One guy told me how his daughter had just bought an Enfield, and his fishing buddy told me how they had just returned from Canada, where they had caught (and ate) loads of pike. One of them had caught a 28” pike and they really don’t get any bigger than that.  

I did have one bone to pick with Grand Marais though. The gas station across the street from South of the Border didn’t have free water at their fountain drink machine (they even made a point of putting up a sign that fountain drink machine ice was not free). Not cool.  

That’s all for now folks,  

Porky Kevin