The north shore of Lake Superior, and a lighthouse on a cliff
Duluth, Minnesota · 3 nights · June–October · up to 8
Superior holds a tenth of the world's fresh surface water and it makes its own weather; Duluth can be twenty degrees cooler than the rest of Minnesota on the same July afternoon. The city is a working ore port with a lift bridge that goes up for the lakers, and Canal Park exists to watch it happen. The scenic drive north is the trip — waterfalls every few miles, and Split Rock about an hour up. Three nights, and drive it slowly.
The ending
A lighthouse on a hundred-and-thirty-foot cliff standing straight out of Lake Superior, seen from the shoreline below it, with the lake running out to a horizon that has nothing on it.
That is Split Rock Lighthouse State Park — Lake Superior shoreline overlooks. See how private it is and when it’s open.
Do
- North Shore Scenic Drive + waterfall hike
- Lake Superior harbor cruise
- Lakewalk + Aerial Lift Bridge stroll
- Lake Superior Art Glass blowing class
Eat
- Northern Waters Smokehaus
- Silos at Pier B
Stay
- Pier B Resort
- Canal Park rental loft
Is the lighthouse itself open?
The compound is run by the Minnesota Historical Society and the state park around it by the DNR — two bodies, two sets of hours. The shoreline overlooks belong to the park and are the better view of it anyway.
How cold is the water?
Cold in every month. Superior never really warms up, which is part of why the shore is empty a hundred yards either side of any car park.
The planner doesn’t build Duluth, Minnesota yet — we can name the places here but not yet enough of them around it to fill 3 nights without repeating. Read this one, then build your own somewhere we can.