On my way north to the Canadian border, I decided to make a quick return to Grand Portage to relive…read moreHigh Falls of the Pigeon River! Plus, lol, I have a new fascination with TikTok and needed to capture some noteworthy content for my next post, hehehe. Alright, so High Falls is the focal point. It's the main event. From the entrance, it's simply half a mile walk to two observation platforms. The 2nd overlook is better than the first, but still, they both offer fantastic opportunities to appreciate the 120 foot drop, which (I believe) makes High Falls the tallest waterfall in Minnesota! During both occasions I was here (once in early morning and the other in late afternoon) not many tourists were in attendance so it gave me a chance to snap some unforgettable photos without fighting for a prime spot at the viewing points. Also this 2nd time around for mid June, the mosquitoes were in aggressive attack mode. It was a race to the lookouts between myself and the mosquitoes. They were trying to eat me alive and I was destined to get pics and videos in and safely arrive back at my car without feeling significant torture. Not to fret though...if you're pressed for time, the entire visit takes a swift 30 minutes. In the end, the mosquitoes weren't the final memory. For traveling to such a remote part of the upper eastern corner of Minnesota, this High Falls is an absolute gem and deserves to be identified for having one of the best waterfall backdrops in the USA!

We moved to Minnesota nine years ago and I am still surprised how many Minnesotans have never been…read moreto our favorite state park. This was our fourth visit to Grand Portage. The High Falls is an easy hike for an unforgettable view. But on this visit we also included the Middle Falls. If your time is limited then be sure to visit the High Falls, but it you want to make Grand Portage a memorable hiking experience be sure to hike both the High Falls and Middle Falls both on Pigeon River. Middle Falls is a twenty feet high waterfall. We first climbed a steep ridge to a scenic overlook with a wonderful view of Lake Superior. The best part of this long steep hike were the trees- the winding paths through mature aspen, birch and spruce. The trail is very steep in places. You have to climb over 300 feet vertically each way. Beware of loose slippery rocks and tree roots- I slipped on these a few times. This is not a hike for young children, older people or faint of heart or those people in poor health. We measured our hike to be 5.5 miles RT if you include the High Falls. Is it worth it? Most definitely yes. Don't do this and Devils Kettle on the same day unless you are an avid hiker.

After checking out of our hotel in Thunder Bay, knowing we were in for a LONG day of driving, we…read morewanted to start off with a leg stretch & falls. This was a relatively close option & was recommended. There is a charge. You choose your duration, with rates based on time: 2hrs, 4hrs, all day We opted for 2hrs at about $6USD, after conversion. There are several paths with boardwalk and viewing platforms. You can view the falls in a matter of minutes, with minimal walking, or put a fair amount steps on the clicker, if you so desire, with the other trails available. If you just want a good view of the falls & some pics, 2hrs is ample time. If you want a better stretch without a full day, 4hrs should do ya. The parking lot is large, plenty of spaces & restrooms The falls are pretty amazing & definitely worth a stop

I'm really surprised Kakabeka Falls only has 2 reviews. It's deserving of some better recognition…read more And...lol, I guess that's why I'm here today, to share in the experience. Alright well, Kakabeka Falls is actually a provincial park located on the outskirts of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. If you're making the 150-mile North Shore Scenic Drive up Minnesota's eastern coast, you'll eventually encounter the border with Canada and if you have a passport, you might as well gain entry and make the 38-mile drive north here. I had a pretty high outlook for Kakabeka Falls, and it didn't 100% fulfill my expectations. During my research, I had read that the 131-foot waterfall is known as the "Niagra of the North". So...I assumed that it'd be similar to Niagara Falls, but...this is just one specific waterfall, (majestic to some degree) that's viewed from a few different observation areas. There's not much to the park other than short hiking trails in nature and a campground. While in comparison, Niagara Falls is one of the great world destinations with an abundance of exploring options. You can use multiple days to admire the magnitude of such an iconic landmark. Although I expected a lot more from Kakabeka Falls, coming to see this with a clear and open mind, overall, I still found it impressive and would recommend it to outdoor and waterfall enthusiasts, lol. There are 3 forms for visiting. You can pay for times... - 2 hour visit - 4 hour visit - All day visit Kakabeka Falls sits right beside the entrance/parking lot so you don't need the entire day to see it. I paid for the 4-hour option which was $8 Canadian or around $6 US. I also purchased a souvenir magnet for $2 as well. There's a boardwalk pathway that navigates around the falls. All you have to do is casually stroll it. It takes 20 - 30 minutes to walk. And just stop at your own accord when you feel like taking a picture. This is the main highlight/feature of the park. For those wanting more hiking/exploring time, here were 3 paths recommended to me by the park ranger... - Mountain Portage Trail - 1.1 km loop - Little Falls Trail - 2.5 km loop - Poplar Point Trail - 3.8 km loop There's also a campground inside the park. They accept travelers with and without reservations. I'd also like to point out the setting. I visited yesterday for the early part of June and the surroundings were perfect. It wasn't hot or humid and simply stopping at different points on the Boardwalk Path to appreciate the sights was worth the small price of admission. Lastly, looking away from the falls was scenic. The river flows down in between a rugged valley gorge and when you're standing high above along the boardwalk path, it makes for special views. Kakabeka Falls can be categorized as an under the radar attraction located just north of the US/Canada border. It's not difficult to access and having time to appreciate a beautiful waterfall backdrop is a winning formula, from my pov.

This is a great national monument that teaches about the history of fur trade and native American…read more(Ojibwe) relation in the area. The visitor center is two stories and according to the rangers there, has the highest rated park film of any in the parks. There's also a fort about a hundred yards outside the visitor center which has events and other info. It's all free to visit.

A charming natural area with a faithful recreation of the early North West Company trading post. We…read moreenjoyed a eyngaging presentation from an enthusiastic guide, in which he demonstrated how the early fur traders made fire. Our kids were enthralled (ok, I was too!).

Beautiful place…read more Tough hike, lots of stairs. But a beautiful hike. The trail was in great shape. Spring must be a raging river.

This moderate hike 2mi RT out and back trail is well maintained and HEAVILY TRAFFICKED. I call it…read moremoderate as there are 176 stairs down heading to the falls & up on return, plus the uncounted step ups along the path. The trail itself is rather easy. Allow 1-1.5hrs for this section. The overlooks are small platforms & hikers politely wait their turn. If you are going to take a lot of pictures, it's courteous to step aside & let others go, then hop back up... as most people only spend a minute or 2 gazing and take a few quick selfies or snapshots. Prior to arrival at the main attraction, there is a staircase to the left that takes you to the lower falls view, with water access. A great place to relax, feel the mist and take some photos. This portion of the trail is dog friendly. If you have a fear of dogs, I would not recommend this section. All dogs were well behaved but many were off-leash, which could be a problem. As 2 miles is fairly short, we continued down the Superior trail, beyond the falls, along the water. It was far less populated, (aside from the mosquito armies once the trail curved away from the water), crossing paths with only 1 other hiker on the way. This area is not mainly at the same level & ramps up in difficulty/overgrowth in some areas.

Staff is very helpful, parking and road on the way really nice pavement, I think every Canadian…read moreshould pay respect at least once remembering his accomplishment and his resilience to help others such a young age

If you're Canadian, you have to go here. There is no passing Go. There is no collecting $200…read more You go here and you see a monument erected in the name of one of Canada's most famous athletes that never got the chance to fulfill his dream of running across the country to raise awareness and funds for cancer research. His name lives on in many forms, be it the annual Terry Fox charity run or the number of buildings and monuments erected in his honour. This is one of the finest ones I've seen. What makes this monument so grand is the placement. It lies mere feet from the point where his journey was cut short, making it one of the most fitting, poignant, and gripping monuments dedicated to Terry Fox. As a Canadian, or a humanitarian for that matter, you cannot help but be moved.

This was a fun little hike that we were recommended by an employee at the place we were staying. He…read morehad recommended it because we were looking for a flat and easy hike that would be doable for someone with limited mobility. While it was pretty flat, I don't know if I would've recommended this hike to someone under our circumstances. It's basically a lifted concrete path that's about 3 feet wide with no railing most of the way right over the lake and rocks. For someone with bad balance, this is definitely a risk and my dad wasn't able to make it to the end of the hike because we were too nervous about him falling off the trail. All that said, the views are beautiful and the lighthouse is really cool, though you can't go up into it. The wind was brutal and none of us had enough layers because we didn't realize it would be that intense, but everything was gorgeous so still worth it. It was also interesting reading the billboards about the history of the area, including the tragic shipwreck that resulted in the construction of the levee.

All I can say is, take the hike out, it's worth it even on a cloudy day. You get the whole…read morepanoramic view of grand marais.

I found the best broasted chicken in the state at this casino. It's stopped me at my tracks for…read moresure so I don't jump ship into Canada. This is a very good reason to visit Grand Portage again. If you do it gamble like me, just come here for the chicken which is available for take out everyday. It does take half hour to prepare fresh so if you are in time crunch, do not order this. The broasted chicken is so moist on the inside and so crunchy on the outside. It is perfectly seasoned. I think I had tears in my eyes when I ate it because of pure joy. The casino is also very nice laid out with ample of parking. It is very laid back and the people are nice so respect this reservation land.

The good: the lodge is affordable and the rooms themselves are simple yet comfortable. I slept very…read morewell on the beds and had all the basics I needed. It's well positioned as a base for exploring the area. The bad: common areas were lacking attention and cleanliness. No toilet paper in the bathrooms in the pool and fitness areas. Hot tub was fairly cool and they were out of pool towels with seemingly no one planning to add more. We interested with several staff members during the course of our stay and none of them seemed particularly interested in helping us. Not the level of hospitality you usually receive. So long story short, if you plan to explore northern MN and just need a place to sleep, this is a good choice. For anything else, perhaps consider a different place to stay.