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! Palisade Head was absolutely gorgeous.

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 is a super pretty waterfall which also happens to be a short walk away! Highly worth stopping…read moreby if you're traveling on the road and want to stretch out your legs, or to visit as an attraction in of itself. It's great since you don't need to purchase a permit to park in the wayside/visitor center lot. There's a pretty large visitor center with washrooms, a nature store, and exhibits. The exhibits were informative, ranging from the rocks of Lake Superior, to the animals of the forest park. I spent about 15 minutes here reading all the signs. The park store has ice cream, clothing, cards, and other sundries. It was pretty busy with people purchasing Gooseberry Falls State Park swag. I guess this park is pretty beloved! Finally, the walk to the falls was beautiful. It's paved all the way and very clearly laid out so there's no chance of getting lost. Some people were wading in the river and taking some amazing photos of this beautiful place.

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!

We absolutely loved this. It is a bit difficult to get to as you have to go past the train tracks…read moreand onto a dirt road, but it is well worth it. There is a large parking lot to park here in a beautiful beach with lots of places to sit and enjoy the scenery you can see old structures from mining and such you can also walk across a cement structure to the lighthouse at the end, which was very fun as well. This was a great spot for skipping rocks and enjoying the beautiful scenery and weather. Great photo opportunities here.

Agate Bay Beach sits beside the waterfront town of Two Harbors, Minnesota…read more First off, the town of Two Harbors, MN is a worthwhile stop to make while driving along the popular 150-mile North Shore Scenic Drive up the northeastern part of Minnesota's coast. Here at Agate Bay, you can pause to appreciate the setting viewing onto the endless waters of Lake Superior. The big highlight is walking on a cement pathway that extends out to a remote lighthouse observation point. This pedestrian strip only takes 10 minutes to walk, but it affords you a picturesque overlook into the wide-open appearance of Lake Superior. You can breathe in the fresh air while making the stroll over to the lighthouse and ultimately, coming to Agate Bay allows for a casual rest from driving, if you're not in any hurry. While visiting back in early June, there were a couple of cars parked in the lot and just a few tourists checking out this cool little beachfront. Generally, it was quiet and not nearly as congested as I had anticipated it to be for peak summer visitations. The historic lighthouse at the end of the beach pier is a rewarding opportunity for a picture with Lake Superior in the background. Lol, it made me ponder...how many of the 5 Great Lakes had I been to??? But overall, it's a pleasant moment outside. And definitely, making the journey on North Shore Scenic Drive is the epitome of enjoying nature, with loads of beautiful state parks and gushing waterfalls. Lastly, located just before the walking pier, they have a few picnic tables set up which is a nice chance to enjoy lunch with a view. From here at Agate Bay, I'd suggest grabbing dessert 3 miles away at Betty's Pies before spending time at fantastic MUST DO - Gooseberry Falls State Park.

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.

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!

A beautiful hike with breathtaking views of Lake Superior and the sea caves. You have to pay $5 to…read morepark there, which I never have a problem doing to keep areas like this around. The hike was about 1.8 miles to the sea cave over looks and back. You can keep going to see more if you wish too. There are also portions of the sea caves where you can actually climb onto to keep an even more up close and personal view. Highly recommend!

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.

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.

Palisade Head is located near Silver Bay within Tettegouche State Park. There is a small day use…read morefee associated with the state park, although I'm not sure how strictly they enforce this here as the parking lot is a distance away from the visitor center. I highly recommend stopping here for at least a few minutes as you get breathtaking views of Lake Superior. There's a pull out lot by the side of the road if you don't feel comfortable driving the narrow road to the real parking lot just a few steps from the cliff. It wasn't too crowded when I visited, but I'm not sure if the road can handle two way traffic... There isn't really a pathway to get to the edge of the cliff, but you can see there's a small stone wall erected so people can stand a little bit closer to appreciate the view of the water. Great place for photos.

Great view on a clear day, and a nice amount of parking. This is not accessible with a trailer or…read moremotor home though! Terrain is rough, the road is strap and only one lane (watch for cars coming down!). They have designated motorcycle parking and some signage with I for about the area and hiking.

Pebble Beach is in the heart of Split Rock Lighthouse State Park. It's gorgeous! Walking down the…read morebeach, you will scramble up some rocks right into the iconic Lighthouse view. The beach itself is gorgeous. It does it crowded in the Summer but going in the Spring or Fall works too. I enjoy stopping by for pictures. It's really pretty!