Take A Road Trip
Through Lake Superior's Small Towns
Palisade Head in Silver Bay, MN.
Highway 61 leads north to Minnesota’s quiet waves and aquamarine hue.
Bob Dylan’s 1965 album Highway 61 Revisited threads his spiritual connections to the bluesy Highway 61 cities of St. Louis, Memphis and New Orleans. But it also nods to his birthplace of Duluth, Minnesota, the starting point to a mind-blowing highway tunneling through rock cliffs and dramatic overlooks alongside Lake Superior’s endless aquamarine hue.
For 150 majestic miles north to the U.S.-Canada border, then 38 more miles as Ontario Highway 61, the route fiddles in and out of palisaded shores, through the Sawtooth Mountains, all the while following the shoreline of a true inland sea.
The classic Dylan record makes a fine road trip soundtrack along Minnesota’s rugged North Shore, toward the serenity and natural beauty of Minnesota state parks and public beaches to comb for ancient agates. Then set up camp and let the tunes give way to the rhythm of lapping waves.
DULUTH → TWO HARBORS
MILES: 27
BRUNCH: DULUTH GRILL, DULUTH
GUIDED FLY FISHING: NAMEBINI, DULUTH
HAPPY HOUR: CASTLE DANGER BREWERY, TWO HARBORS
Start a MN 61 odyssey in Duluth—the most inland port in the world. Lake Superior is, basically, always cold, and the season never ends for the Duluth Cold Water Dolphins, a weekly crew of cold plungers. Stand-up paddleboarding or surfing here convey much the same bragging rights. SUP and kayak rentals are available from Zenith Adventure in Canal Park. At The Back Alley Surf Shop, owner Jerome Fischer has intel and equipment.
Minnesota Point. You won’t encounter sand beaches anywhere up the rocky North Shore, so while in Duluth, visit the world’s longest freshwater sandbar, where the grassy sand dunes are reminiscent of Cape Cod.
Twin Cities
Winter action and juicy lucys, apple breeders and TV anchors, Indigenous history and music legends.
Knife River. Cold water immersion is going to make you hungry, so head up to Russ Kendall’s Smokehouse about 20 minutes north of Duluth in the hamlet of Knife River. Follow signs for “Scenic Highway 61” (rather than “the Expressway”) for the best Lake Superior views. Russ Kendall’s carries the original finger food: smoked fish. Choose locally sourced smoked salmon, lake trout or herring, and take this Minnesota picnic a few minutes up “the Scenic” to the Knife River public beach.
Two Harbors. Get cozy for the night in the cool Lake Superior breeze at Burlington Bay Campground in Two Harbors. The waterfront RV park and tent campground is one of the more protected spots to launch a kayak on the North Shore. Increased national attention is being paid to Lake Superior’s natural air conditioning properties as people seek climate refuge. “Cooler by the lake,” as the locals say.
Pie Showdown. Up for dessert? The dilemma is the choice between renowned Betty’s Pies in Two Harbors or the cultish Rustic Inn Café in Castle Danger (yes, that’s the town’s name). These two iconic diners have an eternal competition for the title of best North Shore pies. Or ... must one really choose?
Road Intel
BORDER CROSSING
If you’re crossing into Canada, remember to bring your passports and leave your firearms at home.
CAMPGROUNDS
Grand Marais Recreational Area, a municipal campground, offers almost 300 sites, with varied accomodation. Peak season rate for full electric/water/sewer hook-up: $50 per night. There are 29 full-hook-up sites at Grand Portage Marina. Adventurous hikers and paddlers find backcountry refuge at Fort Charlotte. To get in touch with Minnesota’s famed Scandinavian vibe, consider the walk-in glamping set-ups at North Shore Camping Co. in Beaver Bay, designed to embody the zen-like Swedish concept of “lagom” (not too little, not too much, a Goldilocks-like state of just right).
TWO HARBORS → GRAND MARAIS
MILES: 83
BURGERS (OR ALL-DAY BREAKFAST): NORTHWOODS FAMILY GRILLE, SILVER BAY
OUTFITTER: SAWTOOTH OUTFITTERS, TOFTE
WATERING HOLE: GUNFLINT TAVERN, GRAND MARAIS
Minnesota’s pride and joy resides in its state parks system, with eight of the state’s 65 parks located on the North Shore. The first en route is Gooseberry Falls State Park, the most famous (and the most visited) in the system. Park at the beautiful visitor’s center to walk the paved trail five minutes to Middle Falls. From here it’s just a few minutes’ walk up or down the Gooseberry River to Upper Falls or Lower Falls.
Shipwreck Exploration. To escape the crowds at Gooseberry (nearly 800,000 visitors in 2021), hire a kayaking guide on the “Big Lake” for an expedition to the Madeira shipwreck. This wreck (among the 550 documented Lake Superior shipwrecks) is visible from the surface on a calm day in crystal-clear Lake Superior, right below a cliff in Split Rock Lighthouse State Park. Other parks famous for their hiking trails: Tettegouche, Temperance River and Cascade River state parks, all on Highway 61.
Grand Marais. After paddling or hiking, see Superior from midair on the Summit Express gondola in Lutsen. Then keep pushing north for the night to the idyllic fishing town of Grand Marais, where you can’t miss The Fisherman’s Daughter on the side of 61. Heads up: it closes at 7 p.m. But it’s a go-to for fresh-out-of-the-boat Lake Superior whitefish or herring. For a fancier fish meal, the neighboring Angry Trout Cafe is the spot for watching fishermen unload dinner right at the dock.
Lakeside Camping. Grand Marais Tourist Park, a veritable village of RV and tent sites alongside Lake Superior, has hot showers and EV chargers. Nightlife is a five-minute walk to downtown Grand Marais, with lively bars and restaurants such as Voyageur Brewing Company or the legendary Sven and Ole’s pizza joint.
GRAND PORTAGE → THUNDER BAY
MILES: 79
COFFEE: ROSE N CRANTZ ROASTING CO, THUNDER BAY
WATER EXPLORATION: STONE HARBOR WILDERNESS SUPPLY, GRAND MARAIS
LOUNGE: GRAND PORTAGE LODGE AND CASINO, GRAND PORTAGE
Highway 61 runs through the lands of the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. Native fur traders held rendezvous with European voyageurs as far back as the 18th century at Grand Portage National Monument. Today’s Rendezvous Days reenactments are held August 9-11 this year.
Island Views. From Grand Portage, continue north for the stunning views from Mount Josephine to views of Susie Islands and Isle Royale, Superior’s largest island. For a last stop in America, Ryden’s Border Store sells snacks, beer and local artwork. Exchange currency and gas-up at American prices.
Canadian Crossroads. The international frontier leads to Canada’s own Highway 61, and through the rich farm country north to Thunder Bay. The Slate River Valley is known as the breadbasket of northwestern Ontario, with miles of grain fields surrounded by rugged mesas. Belluz Farms harvests local sweet corn in August—a true miracle this far north. Crown your Superior-sized road trip with a walk amongst the ships and sailboats in the Thunder Bay Marina.
