Minnesota's Scenic Byways

North Shore Scenic Drive

 
North Shore
 

North Shore Scenic Drive

The 154-mile North Shore Scenic Drive along Lake Superior is as dramatic as a drive on a coastal seashore. The area bordering the largest Great Lake encompasses eight state parks and brims with natural wonder—from the 60-foot-high falls in Tettegouche State Park to the ski slopes of Lutsen. The Superior Hiking Trail allows naturalists and outdoor enthusiasts to appreciate up close the area’s beauty and wilderness, including numerous streams and waterfalls. Small shoreline towns offer restaurants serving local fish and produce as well as unique shops and art galleries.

Split Rock Lighthouse

 

Day 1

Harbor City: Get a sense of port life in Duluth with a day out enjoying the shops, restaurants and attractions along the cobblestone streets of Canal Park. The Lakewalk connects Bayfront Park, the Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge and the Great Lakes Floating Maritime Museum, where you can tour the S.S. William A. Irvin ore ship and the Coast Guard Cutter, Sundew. At the edge of the harbor is The Great Lakes Aquarium, with more than 120,000 gallons of freshwater displays. For more Duluth history and culture, the Depot offers a train museum, art center, children’s museum, and historical society. Or visit historic Glensheen, an English-inspired, turn-of-the-20th-century mansion with its own exquisite views of Lake Superior. Then hop aboard the North Shore Scenic Railroad and enjoy the 26-mile journey to the village of Two Harbors.

Gitchi-Gami State Trail

 

Day 2

Up the North Shore: Start your morning with a café breakfast in Two Harbors. Then tour the 1886 Edna G. tugboat, and the Two Harbors Light Station, a lighthouse built in 1892 and on the National Register of Historic Places. Spectacular parks define this route as much as the breathtaking shoreline, so plan an afternoon for hiking or biking. Bike the paved Gitchi-Gami State Trail from Gooseberry Falls State Park through Split Rock Lighthouse State Park, where you can tour the 1920s lighthouse and light keeper’s home. Drive to the overlook at Palisade Head, a landmark cliff two miles north of Silver Bay. Then continue on to the town of Tofte, where you can visit the North Shore Commercial Fishing Museum. From there, Lutsen offers all kinds of outdoor fun, including a mountain tram that takes you to the highest point on the north shore, and an alpine slide down Lutsen’s Eagle Mountain. Or, relax with a round of golf and admire the spectacular lake views at Superior National.

Superior Hiking Trail at Cross River

 

Day 3

Grand Marais, Grand Portage: All along the highway, friendly shops and restaurants invite travelers to stop in for a fresh slice of pie, or for smoked fish, wild rice and souvenirs. The town of Grand Marais is an artist community with a busy events calendar, plus restaurants, fishing and sailboat charters, and vibrant galleries with paintings and gifts that capture the color, spirit and wildlife of the rugged North Shore. At Grand Portage National Monument on the northern tip of the route, a reconstructed trading post teaches the history of the bridging of cultures between the Ojibwe and French and English fur traders. Take self-guided walking tours and hike the paths of voyageurs. Nearby on the Canadian border, a short walk in Grand Portage State Park leads to a spectacular view of the Pigeon River High Falls.

More info:
800-438-5884 www.superiorbyways.com

 

Grand Marais

 

 
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