Reserve the fixed parts.
Book essential ferry crossings, campsites and popular park parking first. Leave the spaces between them flexible.
Ferry connections
Lake Superior · 3-5 days
Minnesota North Shore Slow Drive
A relaxed Duluth-to-Grand Marais route linking harbors, waterfalls and lighthouse country.
Photo: MichaelDPhotos · CC BY-SA 4.0
Split Rock Light Station.jpg by MichaelDPhotos · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and converted to WebP; display crops vary.
Why go
Make it your own.
Highway 61 packs waterfalls, cliff-top lighthouses and harbor towns into about 110 miles — short enough to linger, wild enough to feel far away.
Follow Highway 61 northeast from Duluth, giving each harbor and state park enough time for a real visit. The suggested stops run in coastal order, but you can choose one overnight base or move between towns. Check park alerts and trail conditions; these are optional stops, not a timed driving schedule.
Suggested time3–5 days
Good seasonLate spring to fall
When to go
January: good
February: good
March: off-season
April: off-season
May: good
June: best
July: best
August: best
September: best
October: best
November: off-season
December: good
Loading the map. The links and itinerary below are always available.
Suggested itinerary connections, NOT roads or directions. Gaps are not connected.
4 of 6 stops mapped. 2 remain in the list without a map pin. Unverified locations and precise shipwreck sites are not plotted. Pins are representative locations, not verified entrances.
Black-and-white basemap by OpenStreetMap. Great Lakes highlighted in color. Hold Ctrl (or Command) while scrolling to zoom. Use two fingers on touch screens.
Lake outlines: Natural Earth (public domain). Town centers: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Not for navigation. Selecting Live ships loads an external VesselFinder map for this area. Privacy details.Day by day
The Minnesota North Shore Slow Drive itinerary.
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Day 1
Duluth to Two Harbors
Start at Canal Park, take the scenic old North Shore highway along the water, and reach Two Harbors for its light station and ore docks.
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Day 2
Gooseberry Falls and Split Rock
Walk the falls at Gooseberry, then visit Split Rock Lighthouse and follow its shoreline trail for the classic cliff view.
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Day 3
Tettegouche and the Palisade shore
Hike to the High Falls of the Baptism River and out to Shovel Point, then roll north past Palisade Head.
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Days 4–5
Grand Marais
Settle into the harbor: walk Artist's Point, browse the galleries and drive a few miles up the Gunflint Trail for inland lakes.
Short on time? With a weekend, base in Two Harbors and pair Gooseberry Falls with Split Rock.
Know before you go
Route tips.
- Minnesota state parks require a vehicle permit; an annual permit covers every park on this route.
- Late September and early October bring fall color and the busiest weekends — book rooms early.
- Rocks at waterfalls and shoreline ledges are slippery; stay behind railings and on marked paths.
Stop by stop
The stops that make the journey.
Numbered highlights in route order. Allow your own time at each stop; connecting map lines are illustrative, not roads.
- 01
- 02
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03
Gooseberry Falls State Park
Choose a designated waterfall and shoreline walk.
Minnesota · Lake Superior - 04
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05
Tettegouche State Park
Add a park day if your time and trail conditions allow.
Minnesota · Lake Superior - 06
Route distances and conditions are approximate. Check current road, border-crossing and attraction information before travel.
On the road
Make room for the coast.
Let weather change the plan.
Keep an inland walk, museum or harbor-town stop in mind for rough-water days. No scenic stop is worth ignoring a closure or warning.
Check official forecastsBuild a personal shortlist.
Save the stops you care about most, then add nearby places. Your list stays in this browser and is easy to revisit.
Open your shortlist