5 Gorgeous State Parks Along Minnesota North Shore

Aug 13, 2025

The Minnesota North Shore area offers a variety of excitement for outdoor lovers and adventure enthusiasts. Known for its scenic beauty along Lake Superior, the area is home to numerous state parks chock full of stunning waterfalls, hiking trails, lush forests, and campsites. We find ourselves coming back here time and time again to immerse ourselves in these stunning state parks, as well as the charming seaside town of Grand Marais. Today we’re exploring five great places along Minnesota’s North Shore region for you to kick back, relax, and get back to your roots in nature.

Gooseberry Falls State Park

While the main attraction to this park are the namesake waterfalls, there’s another outstanding must-see attraction: Agate Beach! This beautiful beach is located at the mouth of the Gooseberry River where it meets Lake Superior. All along its shores lie the prized stones known as Lake Superior Agate. These stones generally have a warm hue like orange, red, yellow, and brown, but sometimes can be white, grey, or the rare blue. The beach is never the same experience twice, as the terrain changes at the transition of each winter to spring, and summer storms shift the sandbar and stones. For hiking, try The River Trail, Gitchi Gami Trail, Wolf Rock, and Fifth Falls trail. The Civilian Conservation Corps buildings make a great self-guided tour stop.

Tettegouche State Park

Covering an impressive 9,300 acres, this area encompasses overlapping parklands and is considered a North Shore Bicultural Region. You’ll find one mile of Lake Superior Coastline leading to the mouth of the Baptism River. The river has three different waterfalls, including the highest waterfall within Minnesota! Waterfalls include Illen Falls, Cascade Falls, Two Step Falls, and High Falls. For hiking, you just can’t beat Tettegouche Lake Loop which brings you to four scenic overlooks. Fantasia Overlook Hiking Trail is another popular inland hike with an overlook of the Lake as you wind through the forests.

George Crosby Manitou State Park

If you’re looking for untouched wilderness and secluded camping, this 3,400 acre area is the park for you. This quiet park is situated on the Maintou River and offers beautiful waterfalls cascading through volcanic canyons and forests teeming with wildlife. It is located between Tettegouch State Park and Temperance River State Park. Parklands encompass the area around the river near the shores of Lake Superior. The trails here are generally fairly challenging, making it highly recommended by backcountry campers and avid hiking enthusiasts. The Superior Hiking Trail will lead you to Caribou Wayside and Caribou Falls. Humpback Trail offers a wide view of the valley and a steep path down to Manitou River Trail. Cascades Waterfall and Manitou River can be seen from Middle Trail.

Temperance River State Park

This unique park has a rocky shoreline with exquisite natural river-carved gorgeous. Temperance River Gorge is a scenic area formed by glacial movement and river water; it offers rugged terrain, deep pools of water, river rapids, and absolutely outstanding waterfalls! Over the gorges flows the Upper Falls, Hidden Falls, and Lower Cascades – the latter of which tumble into Lake Superior! You can view the waterfalls from several footbridges along the trails and old waterfall beds. There is a public beach with access to Lake Superior. Please use caution if you’re along the banks of the Temperance River as it has an extremely strong current, especially after rainy weather; mind posted signage for your safety, and do not swim or enter the water if you’re unsure of conditions. This area is also popular with rock climbers and hikers as it offers access to Carlton Peak. We don’t recommend visiting with small children or pets!

Judge Magney State Park

Offers more quiet and solitude for your parkgoing adventures. The Brule River makes its way through the park’s real claim to fame is the “Devil’s Kettle”, where half of the Brule River and Upper Falls crash into an apparently bottomless ravine with an unknown outlet! Devil Kettle’s Trail is also an award winning trail, making it into the USA Today 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards for hiking trails. The park manages campgrounds in Grand Portage State Forest and Pat Bayle State Forests, as well as Devilfish Lake, Esther Lake, McFarland Lake, and Twin Lakes Campgrounds. You’ll find an abundance of wildlife here including woodchuck, snowshoe hare, red squirrel, black bear, timber wolves, and moose as well as numerous species of migrating hawk.