I love state parks, and this one was everything I hoped for and more…read more Visited on a Saturday in August so it was quite crowded, but we still managed to find a parking spot and once we left the parking lot it wasn't too bad. The visitors center is large and clean with lots of information, bathrooms, a gift shop, and places to sit around a fireplace. They were doing a lesson on primitive fire building when we arrived. We unfortunately had a limited amount of time, so we only did the brief hike down the beach and out to Shovel Point, but both were absolutely stunning and I wish we had more time. I'd love to come back someday and hike more and possibly camp as well.

Minnesota really does their state parks correctly - they sometimes double as rest stops for weary…read moretravelers. It's totally a win-win. The rest stop area of the state park visitor center was very nice. Picture windows let the outside sunlight in. Vending machines were well stocked, and the washrooms were spacious and clean. The visitor center was large, with an area with exhibits and displays about the history and the natural features of the park. The information desk abuts this area. There's a gift shop that sells souvenirs and last minute hiking/camping items. There's also ice cream and small snacks. If you want to spend significant time outside here during the summer and forgot mosquito repellent, I highly recommend picking up a canister of 40% DEET. You'll definitely need it!

Small state park. Nice short hiking loops. The falls are very scenic. Nice covered bridge. The…read morestaff at the visitor center are very friendly. There is a campground. It was empty when I was there in early June.

Park in the Covered Bridge lot. Gorgeous view of the falls. No hiking needed! Well maintained…read more Bathroom facilities are cleaned weekly, not daily. Worth the stop!!

This place is always on our stopping list when we're up north…read more The falls being easily accessible are also a great place to put your feet in the water and throw rocks. The visitor center is also very nice and well equipped with the extra bonus of ice cream treats!

Because this state park has a rest area, the admission is free. You only need to pay entry if…read moreyou're going to the campground or driving down to the Lakeshore. You can see the Falls and hike the upper areas for free. Friendly staff, small nature, center, restrooms, vending. Ample free parking. The fall cells are pretty cool. It was fairly busy so there were a lot of people around. If you walk to the other side of the highway and hike up there, there are far fewer people.

This is an incredible (but very busy!) state park. We camped at walk-in site 83, which was hands…read moredown the best site in the park. The walk-in sites in general are all amazing, you're secluded from everyone else but still close to the amenities. Site 83 is about a 4-minute walk from where you park your car. There are two tent pads and plenty of space. It's a beautiful site--book it early! The amenities at the campground were great, plenty of places to recycle, fill up water, and throw out trash. The bathrooms are also very nice, but they are some of the busiest bathrooms I've ever seen! There are plenty of hiking trails as well, a great visitor center and gift shop, and it is an all around lovely state park.

We had an awesome camping weekend here - I'm so glad I got to see this state park! Here's the…read morebreakdown: CAMPSITES: 4/5 Lots of campsites here that we booked well in advance - I'd guess they fill up fast! I'm not super experienced at camping, but the campsites felt quite close together to me. Compared to other places we've been, the sites are much less private. AMENITIES: 5/5 The amount of water spickets and bathrooms around the site were great, and the showers/main bathroom facilities were nice! STATE PARK: 5/5 We loved walking a bit of the state park over the weekend! The suspension bridge is super cool, and it's really fun to walk on and explore the unique rock formations along the water.

We hiked the Lakeshore Trail from the Meyers Beach parking lot. (National Park Service. $5 parking…read morefee; $2.50 if you have a Senior Pass or Access Pass. May, 2023). As noted by others, this is a launch point for kayaks to launch for views of the sea caves and cliffs. We were at this location twice in late May, 2023, and national park Rangers were there on both days (Wednesday, Friday) ensuring that kayakers were prepared for the rough and cold waters, and to provide guidance to hikers. There are clean vault toilets at the location. Regarding the Lakeshore Hike, we did about 2.2 miles of the hike, returning on the same trail to make it about 4.4 miles roundtrip. The trail continues to a campground site (I believe NPS reservations are required) but we didn't go that far. The first 1.8 miles are largely inland, without views of Lake Superior. Of this segment, the first 0.7 miles are almost completely on a double plank boardwalk that goes over swampy land in parts. It requires some stepping up and down on planks, following terrain changes. After you cross a service road at 0.7 miles, the trail alternates between plank boards and regular trails. As you approach the crevasse at 1.8 miles, there are quite a few ascents and descents wherein you go down to a stream-bed and then back up. Some of these are steep but have logs to help with footing. The stream crossings all had sturdy boards or bridges to cross. At 1.8 miles, you reach the crevasse area with views of Lake Superior. Take a look on both sides to see sea caves and the deep crevasse. There are benches here too so it made a great lunch spot. Be careful not to get too close to the edges. It's a long way down! Beyond the crevasse, walk another 0.4 miles to the "basin". This stretch is relatively easy (flat) walking with spectacular views. My husband, who has been hiking in the Himalayas recently, found the entire trail to be easy. For me, I'd characterize it as moderately challenging. On the positive side, there is very little elevation change, so I wasn't huffing and puffing. However, I have balance issues, so I didn't particularly like the footing for the ascents/descents to the stream beds nor all of the roots on the trail. Some of the steps up and down, even on the boardwalk, were also a bit too high for my short legs! Having walked with hiking poles and an occasional hand from my husband helped. Finally, remember bug spray. The mosquitoes are active. 4-star rating overall instead of 5 due to distance required to walk to get views of the sea caves and mosquitoes. 5 stars for the Park Service.

You have to come check out the sea caves on the shoreline of Lake Superior. Meyers beach is the…read morelaunching point for kayaks. It's also the location for the hiking trail. The views from the water are beautiful! I highly recommend the water instead of the walking trail. There are multiple vendors you can rent kayaks and wet suits from. You can even take a guided tour. We personally, have our own kayaks and decided to do our own trip. The DNR do sit at the beach and give you the whole spiel on safety and risks. It is recommended to use sea kayaks due to the rough waters of Lake Superior. We have used normal lake kayaks and used good judgement on the water/ weather conditions. Both times were just fine on the normal kayaks. Just be careful. The waters are freezing all year-round and if you do go overboard near the caves there's no good spot to pull off. Check out my pics of the stunning caves!

Loved the park. Tower was much shorter than imagined. Beautiful grounds and the peace bell was neat…read moreto see

We found out about this tower from the hotel front desk and thought, why not--it's free! Parking…read morewas easy, and the views did not disappoint. From the top you get a full 360° view of Duluth, including the aerial lift bridge, which was super cool to see. The tower's only a few stories high and has rails to help with the climb, though it's not ADA accessible. Along the way, we also learned about Mr. Enger and his impact on the city, plus Duluth's special ties to Norway. Definitely a neat little stop! Not to mention there was a Japanese Zen garden and a few trails.

This is such a fun beach and about an hour-ish north from Duluth!…read more There is a small parking lot(free) and if you get lucky, you may be able to park there! Otherwise there is street parking and overflow!(both free) There is a golf cart that takes people back and forth from overflow to the beach for free! He does work off of tips, so be sure to throw some money his way! He is super nice, places music and has a cool bubble machine! You will walk down a short path and then... BEACH TIME!!! The beach has some areas with coarse rocks and then fine black sand! The beach is kept pretty clean and there are garbage cans as you are coming onto the beach and leaving. There are fire pits and picnic tables on a first come first serve basis. There are rocks for kids to climb on and stay entertained! The water is always cold, but on those hot days, it feels so good!!! It is a smaller beach and is gorgeous. We like to stop at the Rustic Inn, grabs some slices of pie, and eat the on the beach! Respects the area and make sure you leave with your trash! Together we can keep this beach as outstanding as it already is! **I dropped a star because there is no toilet, only a Biffy)

We didn't get to spend as much time here as we'd have liked to, as we were traveling with the…read moreparents & they prefer "from the car" experiences. We will be making a return trip for a more in-depth venture. The "black sand" is more like ground rock - don't expect a powder feel. Still, it's rather cool & a great place to stop, especially off-season!

This is a relatively easy, well maintained, and beautifully scenic trail…read more Whether or not you're able to actually see falls, really depends on the level of water flow. We were here during a dry spell and so there were no falls to be seen. That said, the trail itself is gorgeous and the end (right before it loops you back toward the parking lot) has a stunning view of Lake Superior. Pro-tip: There's more than a view of Lake Superior. There's a staircase down to an outcropping of flat rock that while we were there folks were using as a jumping off point to take a dip in the lake! It's pretty protected and makes for a great swimming hole. We didn't get in the water but enjoyed watching others take the leap. Get to it!

A very pretty short hike through a nice scenic gorge. We never did see any falls and barely any…read morewater in the creek (guess it is a very dry summer). The end of the trail leads to a great view of the bay and a place to stretch out in the sun. The boardwalk on this hike is one of the nicest and sturdiest boardwalks I had ever encountered. This thing is made to last. Even without any water falling it is worth the time to see this place.

An amazing gem for those looking for a more secluded experience with nature on the North Shore. The…read moreparks along the North Shore are all good, but this one really stands out as a way to escape the crowds and enjoy nature. Lots of cool hike-to camping sites.

This waterfall is gorgeous! The hike is very hard so be careful if doing this with kids. There is…read moreno pathway everything has been getting taken back by nature. There are two routes one 0.8 miles roundtrip and the other 1.5 miles round trip! They have a nice little parking lot as well! Highly recommend if you're adventures and love a good challenging hike!