Once again, a great place to stop if you want to experience nature and all that the outdoors has to…read moreoffer while in the Duluth area without having to drive too far out of the city. There is a great little indoor exhibit for the kids to warm up and chill in but the main attraction here is the outdoor recreation opportunities. Lots of different trails take you past lakes, rivers, and beautiful wooded areas. Looks like you can rent mountain bikes, skis, and snowshoes for an extra fee which offers a different vibe if you just don't want to hike. Large area for picnics, so bring a lunch with you and enjoy a relaxing walk in nature. Cheap and fun thing to do with family, a date, or just by yourself!

Hartley Nature Center is a nice retreat. There are plenty of walking paths that are ski trails in…read morethe winter. The trails are well kept and marked. The inside of the nature center had some live rescued animal exhibits with information. Very nice place to spend your time!

Wow- Bentlyville! At Bayfront Festival Park. Everything is free but be sure to give a donation…read more This is a true Christmas wonderland for all ages. This was our third visit and one of the best in recent memory during a pandemic. It's right for the soul and a perfect place to celebrate with family. We came on a Tuesday night later to avoid the crowds making our night special.

Bayfront is one of the coolest places to do just about anything in Duluth. The park runs right up…read moreagainst the lake, which serves as a mighty and majestic backdrop. I might be biased, but my very favorite thing to do here is attend the annual Trampled by Turtles concert in July. We've gone every year they've done it. There's something about the lake, the night air and the backdrop of Duluth that makes it one of the most magical experiences ever. Of course, there are other things you can do here -- see a different concert, go to the All Pints North beer festival or a million other things. The venue is big and open, which means it can be used for a lot of different things. The facilities are nice (though at big events you're usually stuck with portapotties) and the staff generally is pretty cool. Always a plus for an event when I see it's at Bayfront.

I really love the recent remodel of this park. Nice paved road to drive in on with plenty of legit…read moreparallel parking spaces. And it has a nice pebble beach to come down on and enjoy the lake. A perfect place for rock throwing.

This is a very pretty spot to sit, relax and enjoy this immense lake. Having lived in a coastal…read morestate my hole life until 2019, I was kinda missing a big body of water. Boy did Lake Superior scratch that itch and this park here might be my favorite spot to relax and enjoy the lake.

The Duluth Lakewalk is a popular attraction when visiting the Canal Park area. The 7-mile walk…read moreshows you the best views of Duluth, including parks, gardens, bridges, and several shops. We chose to walk in the area near the pier to be able to view the lighthouse and aerial life bridge. If walking isn't your thing, several scooters along the path are available for rent, and many people rent multi-person bikes. You'll be able to find vendors selling ice cream, popcorn, and meals along your way, making this the perfect way to spend a warm summer day.

Very nice place to stroll around. There is a ton of shop above. I like sitting on the patio at boat…read moreclub looking over the lake walk.

At the east edge of Duluth, this park offers 9+ miles of hiking & mountain biking trails between…read moreAmity Creek & Lester River. Waterfalls abound in this park, even from the parking lot. The playground/picnic tables/pavilion/bbq grills aren't far from the parking lot, just across the bridge. Cross country ski, snowshoe, hiking, mountain biking trails. Birding and wildlife watching, as well as fishing. Well worth the stop and check out!

This is a beautiful overlook just south of Fond du lac, MN on state highway 23. The view is across…read morethe St Louis river valley. Plaques describe the geology and history. It's built as a round monument and if you stand in the middle your voice & sounds you make revered in a very cool way. It's worth the time to stop & look.

We are always looking for new things to do near the Northern Shore as we take a trip at least once…read morea year up that way. This was our first time driving into Duluth through Superior Wisconsin so we had to make a stop at Pattison State Park. Our favorite view of the Big Falls was from the parking area across the street from the park entrance ( you still need a park permit to park there). Short hike to the viewing area and they also have a selfie station to get a great picture in front of the falls. The colors were beautiful as we came in the fall time but I would love to come back in the spring to see the falls raging!

I spent 3 wet, foggy days camping with my family at Pattison last weekend. The sites and trails are…read morevery well maintained and the hiking was great. The bathrooms were clean for the most part but the showers were kind of gross- however some of that was due to other campers. They are also in the process of building a new shower/bathroom facility. The most standout part of our stay however was Ranger Chris. He was incredibly nice and helpful, especially towards my 5 year old who always has about a million questions and observations. Ranger Chris hooked him up (pun intended) with a series of much treasured "fish cards" and a neat activity book that we had fun completing as a family so my boy could earn a Wisconsin patch. Thanks for making our (and especially his) stay wonderful, Ranger Chris!!

What a gem of a place. Nature's wonder is on full display and the fishing is great too.read more

For beautiful, unspoiled wilderness in the Midwest, the BWCA can't be beat! This was my first…read moremulti-day paddle trip and we had a nice beginner friendly route. The lakes and rivers are just beautiful. We saw so many loons, bald Eagles, and other small wildlife (chipmunks...lots of chipmunks...). Campsites are quite nice with fire rings, grates and flat tent areas. There are also "government boxes" into the woods behind each campsite which eliminate the task of digging holes when nature calls. Portages are evil...my advice is to keep gear as light as possible...think backpacking...not car camping... Be ready for rain; this is the north woods of the Midwest after all! We had an extra layer of plastic in the bottom of our tents and were very glad we did this when we got soaked with 5-1/2 inches of rain and water soaked up through the bottom of our tents. The plastic kept our sleeping bags dry! Read up on the area, learn to read maps and use a compass and do at least a few nights of backcountry camping and some day paddling before heading up here, but if you've done that, don't be intimidated by the area if you are a first timer!