If you are choosing just one trail to hike in Lutsen, this it it. This easy 2.5 mile loop trail…read moreoffers stunning views with multiple scenic spots of Oberg Lake, Lake Superior and surrounding mountains. It's especially magical at sunset and during fall, when the landscape is alive with vibrant colors.

This trail is beautiful to hike in the fall! It's not to far off the road, so accessibility is…read morenice. I would say it's my favorite trail in Tofte. It offers great views of Lake Superior, the rich greens of of trees, and Oberg lake itself. The trail seems well maintained and it's pretty easy to figure out where you're going!

A beautiful state park! The campground and trails are incredible and very well maintained…read more We stayed at site 55 in the lower campground. A great site and fairly secluded considering it was in the middle of the campground. They have beautiful sites that sit right at the shoreline of Lake Superior but the downfall to that is your right next to the public picnic area. So scenic view, yes, but can get quite busy around your site. The lower campground only has pit toilets but the upper campground is about a 8-10 minute walk where they have beautiful bathrooms! If you're camping in the lower campground, the turn into the park is BEFORE you get to the main entrance. It took us a bit to figure out how to get to our site. But now we know! One thing that surprised me was how quiet the campground was. The moment it hit 9:30/9:45pm it was SILENT. A high level of respect for the "quiet hours" but I will say highway 61 is very close to the sites so you will hear highway noise all day and night. It never bothered us but worth the mention if you're a light sleeper.

Spending time along the north shore is always a joy. It's a hike to get to from the cities, but the…read moredrive is worth it. I appreciate the camping location off the highway but a quick walk to the lake from the campgrounds. Listening to the waves crash from the campsite is such a calm and relaxing experience. It is a little strange to have parking outside of the actual park for people to visit the two sections on either side of the river. A little inconvenient if you're in the park and want to walk over that way, in my opinion. This is one difficult locations to book for camping if you're looking for a weekend. There is no dump station at this park, so we usually have to drive about 40 min to another park with one.

Cascade is a gem of a state park on the North Shore that truly has something for everyone…read more If you're looking to just visit the waterfalls, it's an easy walk less than a mile from the roadside parking into the falls! Great for children and folks who don't want to walk far. If you're looking for more, there are several trails you can take! We ended up doing a 4-mile moderate hike to the lookout point in the park - and it delivered with stunning views of Lake Superior and the trees from up high. I'll definitely be doing this one again in the fall for foliage views! I'll let the photos do the talking for this review :) The trails are mostly well-maintained, the scenery is wonderful, and we're so lucky to have yet another stunning, waterfall-laden State Park on the North Shore.

Beautiful park with lots to see and do. Clean bathrooms, tidy camp sights, very poor cell service…read more Lots of flys, so a gazebo tent is nice. Traffic noise is loud. But overall loved it!

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!

Carlton Peak has one of the most spectacular views in northern Minnesota. I would suggest not…read moredriving up here unless you have at least an SUV, the road is pretty bumpy. There are a few hiking trails from the summit going to other peaks as well. It would be a perfect place for a picnic! I seen at least one pic bench.

Located just a few minutes south of the Lutsen ski resort on highway 61, this is a small rest stop…read morewith free parking and bathrooms. Note that the bathrooms were closed when we were there in March possibly due to COVID health restrictions. 50 ft of stairs takes you on a well maintained trail with a number of picnic benches with a view of Lake Superior. The dirt trail takes you alongside the Onion River with a option to get down to it.

I've lived in lutsen my entire life, and I had never actually hiked this trail. But this summer my…read morecousin, her two boys (both under 10yrs), and my 6mo old huskador decided too. And it sure wasn't a mistake! -wish I had sooner honestly. I'd consider it a pretty easy/maintained trail, some roots, moderate incline/declines along the way, but then again we only went 1/4 of a mile to the only not-so moderate decline which leads to a pretty "secluded" spot along the river.. my pup sure loved the break we took there, she even took a dip in the water and the boys were able to try and skip rocks, find some agates, and we even seen some water-spiders. (Aka water gliders I believe.) Overall, LOVELY hike and it also has two one stalled bathrooms (1boys/1girls) which are also in good condition, I remember when they built them not too many years ago.

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!

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!

Judge C R Magney State Park is best known for a unique waterfall known as the Devil's Kettle…read moreWaterfall. Why such an interesting name? Well, it's a waterfall, except half of it plunges into a pothole in solid rock! It used to be unknown where it emerges, with many legends and interesting speculations. However, now scientists have concluded that the separate stream of water reenters the river from underground pretty soon downstream. Boo. Regardless of what is actually happening at Devil's Kettle, the state park is still quite enjoyable. The parking lot has free wifi so if you forgot to pay the entrance fee, you can get it before you depart on your hike. Stop at the composting toilet at the trail head too, while you're at it. The hike itself is very pretty, going through the woods. It's well maintained with maps along the way so you don't get lost. Nearing the waterfall, there are about 176 stairs down heading down to the falls & up on return. There's a small area with river access, where you can view the falls and get sprayed by the mist. Of course, stay on the path and don't get close to the falls since it can get slippery.

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.

This state park is best known for a unique waterfall known as the Devil's Kettle. Why such an…read moreinteresting name? Well, it's a waterfall, except half of it plunges into a pothole in solid rock! It used to be unknown where it emerges, with many legends and interesting speculations. However, now scientists have concluded that the separate stream of water reenters the river from underground pretty soon downstream. Boo. Regardless of what is actually happening at Devil's Kettle, the state park is still quite enjoyable. The parking lot has free wifi so if you forgot to pay the entrance fee, you can get it before you depart on your hike. Stop at the composting toilet at the trail head too, while you're at it. The hike itself is very pretty, going through the woods. It's well maintained, and there are several maps on the way so you don't get disoriented. Nearing the waterfall, there are about 176 stairs down heading down to the falls & up on return. There's a small area with river access, where you can view the falls and get sprayed by the mist. Of course, stay on the path and don't get close to the falls since it can get slippery.

Stopped here specifically for Devils kettle and it was quite the sight to see!…read moreAlthough this is only a 2 mile hike, I would say it is not easy. You're pretty much on an incline the whole mile then have to descend ~200 stairs and back up another small incline to get to the kettle. Then climb those stairs to head back home. Make sure to take your time and bring water. Along the way there are plenty of lookouts and rest stops. The only bummer was that the access to the bottom of a smaller waterfall was closed. It looked like there used to be steps and a walk down but it was roped off. Another more adventurous couple scaled down to get some pics but we played it safe. If you're up north, this is a must do hike.