A few weeks ago we took a quick trip to the North Shore of Minnesota – the area north of Duluth, along Lake Superior. We wanted something we could drive to and had a lot of outdoor options. Enter the North Shore! Less than 3 hours from the Twin Cities it is an easy trip for any amount of time. There are lots of places to stay, things to do, and things to see. So I wanted to share what we did in case you are looking for a similar trip!
What We Did
We picked the North Shore because we wanted to spend time outside. We found some of the best hikes we have ever done in Minnesota! If you’re from the area you know that “hiking” here can be walking through parks…it’s not hiking like out West. So if you want real hiking you need to check out the Superior Hiking Trail. It extends hundreds of miles to the Canadian border and you can pick up sections all over.
One section with an amazing hike is the Bean & Bear Lake hike. It is 7 miles (if you make it a loop) and was surprisingly strenuous. It took us a little over 3 hours with stops for snacks and at some overlooks. I wouldn’t recommend this if you never walk or hike! But the work was worth it for amazing views of the lakes and Lake Superior. It was moderately busy (lots of college students hiking since class is virtual? Just a guess) but not crowded at all. If you do one hike, do this!
The other hike on the SHT was the Split Rock River Loop. This had amazing river vistas and waterfalls! It felt like we always heard rushing water and could see waterfalls. The scenery was totally unlike our other hike and we loved the views. It was an incline the first half, then downhill the second since you’re following the river. (Note – the bridge is out to complete the loop, but the water was super low and we could walk through without getting wet or making any jumps. If the water is high don’t cross!)
For a break from the serious hikes, we visited both Split Rock State Park and Gooseberry Falls. Split Rock had some great views but not a lot of areas to hike. The views of the lighthouse were super cool and would have been even more amazing with full fall colors!
Gooseberry, however, had great areas to walk around and just a few minutes walk takes you away from the crowds. The waterfalls really are beautiful! I would definitely recommend making a stop here.
Where We Ate
We ate breakfast in our room everyday (more details below) but we ate lunch and dinner out. We ate twice at the Ledge Rock Grille at our hotel and the menu is hit or miss (the buffalo wings were delicious, steak was not, for example). It was convenient since we were there and we could do pickup! But I wouldn’t travel out of the way for it.
A MUST EAT is Betty’s Pies! We had amazing food and pies. It was the perfect lunch spot! And we got slices of pie to take home 🙂
We also got lunch at Rustic Inn Cafe (above!). They had delicious sandwiches as well, and it was super convenient to call in an order and pick it up. Since capacity is limited to 50% you will wait a long time to be seated (there were waits everywhere on a weekday! Which we didn’t expect).
On our drive home we stopped at the Duluth Grill (in Duluth). It was one of the best breakfasts we can remember! I highly recommend this if you’re staying or going through Duluth.
Where We Stayed
We stayed near Two Harbors at Larsmont Cottages. We had a one bedroom lakeside room and it was perfect! It came with a bedroom, 2 bathrooms, and a full kitchen and living room. It also had a patio area with grill. I love how the entire setup is cottages and not just a big lodge! It feels much more relaxed that way. Larsmont is the only place I know that is *right* on Lake Superior. You can get right down to the shore at one of their many firepits! They light fires each night and provide s’mores = perfection. It was under 3 hours from Minneapolis and is centrally located for any activities on the North Shore. We will definitely stay here again!
Since we are living in a pandemic, I wanted to share what we felt like traveling. We felt safe despite it being busier than we expected! There were people at each hike and state park and they were relatively busy. But everyone kept their space and there was never any crowding. Restaurants were at 50% capacity and everywhere we ate was spread out. We liked that our hotel had exterior entrances so we never ran into anyone else. That being said, people were mixing at the firepits and outdoor spaces (but from across the firepit – so not super close!). We felt like this was a safe vacation and had no concerns. Traveling (and leaving your home at all!) carries risks, so be sure to know what you are comfortable with before you go. Minnesota has a mask mandate and all the indoor locations we went were following that. (My belt bag was handy for keeping my mask handy!)
If you take away anything from this, know that we had a fantastic time and are already planning a vacation for the same time next fall! We will bring our daughter with and make it a family trip. When we were leaving we were already talking about “next time” – so you know it was a good trip. It was fun to do a getaway but stay close to home and support local businesses in the process. So if you’re looking for a quick trip in the upper Midwest, I highly suggest the North Shore.
