Activities & Attractions Archives - Page 5 of 12

2 01, 2020

Root Beer Water
Root Beer Water

Root Beer Water

Martha Finley2021-09-06T17:10:39+00:00Activities & Attractions, Lutsen, Nature, Waterfalls|

Cascade Falls and Root Beer Water The beautiful stair-step waterfalls that cascade down the river are what give this park its name. With a nice waterfall near the footbridge on Highway 61 and additional waterfalls two miles inland, the views make the hike very worthwhile. If you have explored rivers and lakes along the North Shore you’ve probably noticed that the water is the color of root beer. Why? Most people think it’s caused by water containing large amounts of silt. However, the actual reason is that North Shore rivers carry tannins from swamps. Decaying vegetation also makes the color [...]

2 01, 2020

Tom’s Logging Camp
Tom’s Logging Camp

Tom’s Logging Camp

Martha Finley2021-09-30T17:53:05+00:00Activities & Attractions, Local Businesses, Scenic Drive|

If you've visited the North Shore in the past, you've likely passed the large sign along Highway 61 on the expressway that reads "Tom's Logging Camp". Perhaps you're like me and you see the sign frequently and think "I should check that place out someday", but as you're heading up the shore to your destination the thought quickly leaves your mind. It did mine for many years. That is until I decided to finally swing into Tom's Logging Camp from the North Shore Scenic Drive on a sunny afternoon to see what the place is really about. Now, I am [...]

2 01, 2020

Glensheen Mansion
Glensheen Mansion

Glensheen Mansion

Martha Finley2021-10-19T16:35:52+00:00Activities & Attractions, Duluth, History|

Glensheen Mansion sits on 22 acres of beautiful land in Duluth right on Lake Superior. This mansion has 39 rooms, and is an incredible 27,000 square feet. It sounds like this might be describing a luxury Lake Superior resort, but it's actually a single-family home. By far, the Glensheen Mansion is the most widely recognized home on Lake Superior's North Shore. History of the Glensheen Mansion Chester Congdon spared no expense when constructing his family's home and landscaping beginning in 1905. Renowned architect Clarence H. Johnson and landscape architect Charles W. Leavitt took Chester Congdon's ideas and turned them into [...]

2 01, 2020

Cedar and Stone Sauna
Cedar and Stone Sauna

Cedar and Stone Sauna

Martha Finley2021-09-30T21:50:16+00:00Activities & Attractions, Duluth, Local Businesses|

On a cold December afternoon, we pulled into the parking lot of Chambers Grove Park in the Gary/New Duluth area of Duluth. Duluth had recently received almost two feet of snow the weekend prior leaving behind massive snowbanks. Although the park sits on the St.Louis River right near the Minnesota/Wisconsin border, it wasn't the beautiful scenery we were there for. We were there to participate in Duluth's newest guided sauna experience: Cedar and Stone Sauna. Cedar and Stone Sauna is the brainchild of Justin Juntunen, a Duluth local of Finnish descent. Justin has been raised on the culture of sauna [...]

2 01, 2020

Sawtooth Mountain Maple Syrup Company
Sawtooth Mountain Maple Syrup Company

Sawtooth Mountain Maple Syrup Company

Martha Finley2021-09-07T20:52:28+00:00Activities & Attractions, Local Businesses, Lutsen|

Take a drive up the winding Caribou Trail just north of Lutsen and you'll find yourself surrounded by large, mature maple trees. With its cold nights and warm(er) afternoons in the early spring, this area is the ideal location for a maple syrup farm. So it's no surprise that Lutsen is home to a large maple syrup company who is working hard to produce some of the best organic maple syrup you'll ever try! Started in 1996, The Sawtooth Mountain Maple Syrup Company tapped their first tree and would quickly grow into a massive operation. In the 2019 season they [...]

2 01, 2020

Illgen Falls
Illgen Falls

Illgen Falls

Martha Finley2022-04-07T14:14:42+00:00Activities & Attractions, Beaver Bay/Silver Bay/Finland, Waterfalls|

Illgen Falls may not be the most well-known waterfall on the North Shore, but this waterfall makes the top of our waterfall list. This is because of the great vantage point for viewing the falls. This waterfall is approached and initially viewed from the top. Most area waterfalls are viewed from below. Also, if desired, Illgen Falls visitors are able to walk right up to the river and falls. From this viewpoint, you can experience the power of Illgen Falls. Even during dry periods, you'll likely find water rushing down the falls. Located in Tettegouche State Park, Illgen Falls is [...]

2 01, 2020

The Devil’s Kettle Waterfall
The Devil’s Kettle Waterfall

The Devil’s Kettle Waterfall

Martha Finley2021-02-25T20:26:07+00:00Activities & Attractions, Grand Marais, Waterfalls|

The Devil's Kettle Waterfall. A scary-sounding name for the area's most mysterious waterfall. Located on the Brule River flowing through Judge C.R. Magney State Park near Hovland, MN, 20 miles north of Grand Marais, MN, the Devil's Kettle Waterfall has been baffling visitors for decades. One side of the river rumbles onto a stone embankment and down the rocks. As waterfalls typically do. The other side, however, flows into a geological wonder known as the Devil's Kettle, and… disappears? A Geological Wonder Well, perhaps not. The mystery of the Devil's Kettle Waterfall has been stumping visitors and geologists alike for [...]

2 01, 2020

Cross River Falls
Cross River Falls

Cross River Falls

Martha Finley2021-02-25T20:35:32+00:00Activities & Attractions, Schroeder/Tofte, Waterfalls|

Cross River Falls Cross River Falls is probably one of the easiest waterfalls to visit along the North Shore of Minnesota and is definitely worth the stop. Just southwest of the Temperance River State Park in Schroeder, these falls are part of a wayside park that is actually larger than the nearby state park. The falls are literally within feet of Highway 61 and can even be seen from the highway. The first set of falls are up along the Superior Hiking Trail, but the big portion of the falls is found at the wayside park. The handy pedestrian bridges [...]

2 01, 2020

Caribou Falls
Caribou Falls

Caribou Falls

Martha Finley2021-08-11T15:38:57+00:00Activities & Attractions, Beaver Bay/Silver Bay/Finland, Waterfalls|

Caribou Falls North Shore hikes are truly unlike any others around. Pair it with a spectacular 35-foot waterfall and you will be sure to remember it for years to come. Travel 60 miles north of Duluth on Highway 61 and the hike begins at the Caribou Falls State Wayside rest stop. As of fall 2017, the wayside rest stop has been redone. It now features a newly paved parking lot, bathrooms, and a new section of trail. The trailhead is marked with a Superior Hiking Trail sign to the left of the bathrooms. About a half-mile into the woods where [...]

2 01, 2020

Beaver Falls
Beaver Falls

Beaver Falls

Martha Finley2021-02-25T20:36:39+00:00Activities & Attractions, Beaver Bay/Silver Bay/Finland, Waterfalls|

Beaver Falls Not many adventurers on the North Shore stop to check out the raging rush of water known as the Beaver River Falls. Visible from Highway 61 in Beaver Bay, the falls plummet down over the rocks and provide a perfect place for visitors to have a great hike with beautiful scenery. Keep your eyes peeled from the highway to get a view of the huge stack of four drops that run a course of over 350 feet, or stop at the nearby rest area for the opportunity to get up close to the falls. The falls area of [...]