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One of America’s most dramatic coastal road trips isn’t alongside the Atlantic or the Pacific, but rather along the wild North Shore of Lake Superior in Minnesota. From the port city of Duluth, an industrial shipping hub since the 19th century, Highway 61 skirts the rocky shoreline for 151 miles up to the Canadian border, offering a round-trip jaunt that takes in one of the most iconic lighthouses in America, a stunning overlook 300 feet above the crystal-clear waters of the lake, and a picturesque harbor that will make you think you’re in Nova Scotia, not Minnesota.
The roadside landscape is one giant boreal forest broken only by the occasional, dramatic glimpse of the lake or of a river cascading down into it, often producing waves large enough to surf. Paddling and hiking opportunities entice at nearly every mile, but with charming towns and roadside attractions along the way, it’s easy to make the trip as adventurous or as laid back as you want.
Duluth has a small regional airport with roughly half a dozen flights daily, but it’s better to fly into the much larger international airport in Minneapolis, which has more flight options and, likely, lower fares. Rent a car there and you’ll be in Duluth, 158 miles north, in about 2 1/2 hours. In autumn, when the leaves are in peak color, bypass Interstate 35, the fastest route, in favor of Wisconsin’s winding Highway 35, which you can pick up across the St. Croix River near Stillwater and Oak Park Heights. This scenic route will add an hour to the drive, but the reward is some of the nation’s best leaf peeping in a relaxed, forested corner of Wisconsin.
Day 1: Duluth to Silver Bay (55 miles)
Duluth
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Duluth is worth its own long weekend, but to get a flavor for the city in a half day, head to Canal Park, a peninsula between Lake Superior and the St. Louis River. There, old factory buildings have been repurposed as shops, restaurants and hotels, and a wheelchair-accessible boardwalk, called the Lakewalk, delivers stunning views of Lake Superior and the iconic Duluth Harbor North Pierhead Light that marks the entry to the Duluth Ship Canal. From the boardwalk, you can listen to the waves crashing against the nearby jetty and feel the brisk air coming off the cold Superior water.
For a better sense of what’s under the water’s surface, walk 15 minutes past the William A. Irvin Museum, a historic iron and ore freight ship you can tour, to the Great Lakes Aquarium, which is dedicated to freshwater ecosystems, like those in and around the Great Lakes. It’s a perfect activity for multigenerational travel, serving as a fun, informative primer on the landscape you’re about to traverse.
Come lunchtime, grab a sandwich at Northern Waters Smokehaus, near the Lakewalk. The deli-style restaurant smokes its fish in-house, from Atlantic salmon to Lake Superior trout and whitefish, as well as other meats. And the price is reasonable for such exceptional food.
When you’re ready to leave town, you’re only going 55 miles up the coastline on Highway 61, so take your time. About 40 miles on, at Gooseberry Falls State Park, wander along accessible paths to admire the cascades of the Gooseberry River flowing into Lake Superior. Another 6 miles farther up the road, don’t miss the Split Rock Lighthouse, a dramatic brick structure perched atop a 130-foot cliff. The building, in service from 1910 to 1969, is one of the country’s most visited lighthouses. Paved paths and ramps lead up to the visitor center and into the caretaker’s house and fog signal building; from there, you climb 22 steps to reach the observation deck. The best view of the lighthouse, however, is from the park’s campground near the lakeshore. The walk from the campground trailhead to the beach isn’t suitable for wheelchairs because it’s a mix of gravel and dirt, but it’s an easy amble — roughly a quarter of a mile — to the beach and stunning lighthouse views.
