Cascades Waterfall - George Crosby Manitou MN State Park
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Secret MN North Shore State Park
I’ve traveled up and down MN-61 along Lake Superior’s North Shore since I was a kid, often multiple times within the same year. We’ve stopped and hiked at all of the MN State Parks in the area over the years, at least I thought. But it wasn’t until my husband and I were training to hike the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim and were actively looking for some new trails to hike that I stumbled across the name of George Crosby Manitou State Park. I saw there was a waterfall and plenty of miles to hike, and so we trekked off the main highway and found this incredible State Park.
Despite not having a very original name, the Cascades Waterfall is my favorite waterfall along the North Shore. In addition to simply being an incredible waterfall, it’s in a secluded and extremely quiet part of the forest. We’ve been to George Crosby Manitou three times so far, and twice we had the only car in the parking lot.
George Crosby Manitou is a rugged State Park. There is no Visitor Center. If you don’t have a MN State Park Pass, you will leave money in an envelope at the kiosk. There is no running water, but there are pit toilets at the trailhead head. Without many other people in the park, being prepared for an emergency is an important consideration before stepping out on the trails. But if you’re up for a little bit of an adventure, then this park is worth at least a half-day.
From the top of Cascades Waterfall looking out on the Manitou River
Location and Parking
Although George Crosby Manitou is only 20 minutes away from Tettegouche and 25 minutes from Temperance River State Parks, as I said above, you won’t simply stumble upon this State Park. It needs to be set as your destination in order for you to find it. GoogleMaps will lead you to the correct trailhead if you type in “George Crosby Manitou”.
From Duluth, George Crosby Manitou is about 90 minutes away. Drive north on MN-61. Turn left (west) on State Hwy 1 just after Tettegouche (State Hwy 1 is the same road that goes past Illgen Falls). After 6.2 miles along State Hwy 1, turn right onto Cramer Rd.(also known as Hwy 7). The last time we hiked in this park was 2018, and at that point in time, part of Hwy 7 was still a dirt road. Stay on this road for 7.5 miles. There will be a sign at this point to turn into George Crosby Manitou State Park. That’s the only sign for the park. Nothing about the drive feels like a typical journey to a MN State Park. Typically there would be more signs, and the dirt road made me assume we were lost on our first visit here.
A short ways down the park road, there is a kiosk. There should be envelopes to use to pay the park fee, and there are maps available. There is a parking next to the trailhead, about 0.25 miles past the kiosk. Note that if you are visiting in the winter, the road will be closed at the kiosk. There are places to park, but keep in mind you need to add a half mile to any planned hike.
We asked park rangers at Tettegouche why it feels so different at George Crosby Manitou compared to other MN State Parks. They told us the family that donated the land for the park wanted it to remain undeveloped. MN has done a fantastic job of honoring this wish, and it makes this park a true treasure.
This post stands on its own, but it is a part of a larger network of posts I’ve written regarding things to do along Minnesota’s North Shore. This is a link to my full North Shore Guide for anyone interested. It’s an external link so you won’t lose your spot. I will also re-post this link at the end.
Hiking along the closed road from the kiosk to the trailhead - that frozen waterfall will be worth the extra half mile of effort
Lodging Options
George Crosby Manitou does have a handful of beautiful backpacking campsites along the Manitou River, but no campgrounds with sites that can be driven into. If you are looking for traditional campgrounds, checkout relatively nearby Gooseberry, Tettegouche, or Cascade State Parks. Split Rock Lighthouse also has a cart-in campground. Additionally, there are rentable cabins up and down MN-61.
If a hotel is preferable, Duluth, Two Harbors, and Tofte have larger hotels and restaurants If you see my young children in pictures and are wondering how we possibly got them to hike such long distances when they were young, check out the Edgewater Hotel in Duluth, which has a waterpark included within the price of your stay, and it works wonders as a bribe. The Edgewater hotel rooms are a bit rundown despite the hotel not being that old, but the waterpark is worth the cost. Just make sure to get reserve an indoor room to get to and from the waterpark - some of the rooms are not connected and you will need to walk outside - which in the winter is extremely cold.
Prior to our boys joining high school sports, we would spend a weekend at the Edgewater each winter, playing in the waterpark at night and hiking to frozen waterfalls during the day.
Playing at the Edgewaater Hotel in Duluth
Hiking at George Crosby Manitou State Park
There’s three main reasons for visiting George Crosby Manitou State Park. The first is to see the Cascades Waterfall. I’ve marked the waterfall with a blue star in the map below (trails are marked in red). The second reason is simply enjoy a day of hiking in the woods. Out-and-back past the Cascade Waterfall to Caribou Waterfall is 14 miles (yellow trail). Or hike down the Manitou River Trail and return via Matt Willis and Beaver Bog Trails for a 10 mile hike (purple trails). A third option is to go canoeing or kayaking on Benson Lake (non-motorized boats only and no portaging required).
The map below uses colors to help me explain where things are in the park, but these colors will not mean anything to you when you hike in the park. Also, there are hyperlinks in the captions. If you click on the trail name, it will bring you to pictures and trail descriptions. There will then be a link back to this map.
Cascades Waterfall (red) - There are two trail options to get to the waterfall - Humpback and Middle Trails
Manitou River Trail (and back following Matt Willis and Beaver Bog Trails) (purple) - For a longer hike, enjoy the rapids along the Manitou River
Caribou Falls (yellow) - For an even longer hiking option, head past the Cascades Waterfall to Caribou Falls
Benson Lake - No trail - Drive right up to place a kayak or canoe in the water
Cascades Waterfall
Out-and-back along Middle Trail - 2 miles (75ft in elevation gain)
Humpback to Middle Trail loop - 2.6 miles (400ft in elevation gain)
Both trails are marked in red.
Humpback Trail - This trail goes up and down and up and down and has several beautiful views of the valley below
On our first trip to George Crosby Manitou, it was just my husband and myself hiking, and as we were training, our goal was to hike distance and elevation gains. The Humpback to Middle Trail is a much harder hike to get to the falls than just out-and-back along Middle Trail. When we returned with our kids a few months later, we did the out-and-back. Similarly when we went to the falls in the snow, we took the easier out-and-back option.
If you pick the Humpback Trail, once trail departs the parking lot, it heads straight up. There are several ups and downs along the trail, and the viewpoints are better than along Middle Trail.
Humpback Trail - Where are we???
There was one spot, picture above, where we did lose the trail for a moment. The trail gets swampy, which is why it’s hard to see. We eventually found some larger boulders that we could walk over, and we caught the trail again. Now we hike with the GAIA app, and it runs off of GPS so access to internet is not required. Look for those larger rocks if you loose the trail, or download the GAIA app to see where you are along the trail at all times.
Manitou River at the top of Cascades Waterfall
Hiking from the Humpback Trail, the first sight of the waterfall is from the top. It’s easy to walk right out on the rocks to the water. The trail is set a bit back from the waterfall, but most of the waterfall can be scaled up and down without needing the trail.
Climbing down the rocks and enjoying more of the waterfall
At the bottom of Cascades Waterfall, there are a couple of large rocks that extend into the Manitou River a perfect amount to get a heads on view of the waterfall. And this waterfall is huge!
Cascades Waterfall at George Crosby Manitou State Park
A better viewpoint showing the multiple stages of this waterfall
We loved this waterfall so much that we returned five months later with our boys to take family pictures. The waterfall changes so much based on how much water is flowing and which rocks are exposed.
Family picture - 2016
We returned in 2018, after we had some winter hiking experience under our belt at busier and easier parks. I didn’t know that the road was closed at the kiosk in the winter, and so we missed the perfect lighting from the sun by about 30 minutes due to having to hike a bit further than we planned. I really wanted another family picture, especially for how hard we worked to get here… This was the best one out of all of them (kids… sigh)
Family picture - 2018
There is something I find so amazing about waterfalls in winter. Water defying gravity and freezing in place on the outside, while you can still here the power of the water flowing underneath the ice.
Frozen Cascades Waterfall
The Middle Trail is easier than Humpback, due to both the shorter distance and the less dramatic ups and downs. I would suggest using the out-and-back Middle Trail to access the falls if hiking with younger children.
Hiking along the Middle Trail
There are a couple of viewpoints along the Middle Trail, although they are not as impressive as the Humpback Trail
To be real for a moment, sometimes hiking with kids looks like this - and even the 10 year-old may need a lift for a short time. He’s since turned into one of my favorite hikers and typically even carries my bag for me now. But it takes years of practice, and some hikes went better than others. Just keep walking through it all.
Trekking out to see the Cascades Waterfall frozen in December 2018
Manitou River / Matt Wills / Beaver Bog Trails
Starting out on Humpback Trail and adding the trail marked in purple down the Manitou River with the Matt Willis and Beaver Bog Trails to return makes a 10-mile loop with an elevation gain of approximately 1500ft.
Misquah Viewpoint
After seeing the Cascades Waterfall, we hiked up to the Misquah Viewpoint and then continued down the Manitou River past all of the backpacking sites. The viewpoint from Misquah was very pretty.
Creek feeding into the Manitou River
The hike along the Manitou River was lovely. The trail dips to the river at multiple points and there are beautiful rapids throughout the river. The rapids result in constantly being able to hear the river while hiking this trail, and without any people or human-made noise, this is a great place to relax. I really like the newer term “forest bathing.” That’s exactly what happens in this State Park.
Rapids along the Manitou River
Below are a few more pictures of the rapids. The whole trail along the Manitou River is full of wonderful views of flowing water.
Manitou River Trail in George Crosby State Park
One last picture of the Manitou River Rapids
We hiked back to the car following the Matt Willis and Beaver Bog Trails, and I can tell we were tired as we didn’t take any pictures along the way. To our credit, we had hiked over 30 miles by this part in the weekend. Typically we don’t leave our cameras out while hiking up in elevation - it’s just one extra thing to deal with when sometimes hiking up is really just about making it to the top. These trails are pretty wooded though without much from a view standpoint to take pictures of anyway. There are a few intersecting trails, but all were well marked. It was overall a great day hike, but not much worth noting from these last sections of the trail.
To Caribou Falls
Starting at the Middle Trail trailhead and hiking past Cascades Waterfall to Caribou Falls and back is 14 miles with an elevation gain of 2,100ft. This trail is marked in yellow, however, I don’t have the whole trail shown on the map as Caribou Falls is outside of George Crosby Manitou State Park.
Caribou Falls
I have not hiked this portion of the Superior Hiking Trail yet, but I have visited Caribou Falls from the more accessible state wayside, and it’s a cool waterfall. If you are looking for a longer hike and a full day of forest bathing, I’m sure this would be a great option.
If you would prefer a shorter hike to visit the nearby Caribou Falls, see my below post. The exit to Caribou Falls is off of MN-61.
Hiking Caribou Falls - Click to get to my post
Other Outdoor Things to Do within an Hour Drive
Below are hyperlinks to other posts I’ve written about things to do that are located within an hour’s drive from George Crosby Manitou State Park.
Tettegouche State Park
(south) This is my favorite MN State Park. There are four waterfall hikes within the park, amazing views of Lake Superior along the cliffs above the water, secret beaches with sea caves, and more inland there are some incredible views from above of smaller lakes (especially gorgeous in the fall colors).
Bear and Bean Lake Loop
(south) Part of both the Superior Hiking Trail and Tettegouche State Park, the Bear and Bean Lake Loop is one of the most popular trails along the North Shore. The views are amazing, and the trail is fun to hike. Be warned though this is a 7-mile loop trail with an elevation gain of 900ft.
Black Beach
(south) This is a free beach on Lake Superior’s shoreline, lined with black rocks. There is an island that can be explored by foot. There are also tables right on the beach, making this my top recommendation for a picnic location.
Split Rock Lighthouse State Park
(south) Pebble Beach is my favorite place to stop and play along the North Shore, and I think the best place in Minnesota to skip rocks. Little Two Harbors is the best short trail to see the lighthouse up close. Split Rock River is the best long trail with small waterfalls and views of Lake Superior. Day Hill is a shorter trail with views of Lake Superior.
Iona’s Beach
(south) This is a free beach on the Lake Superior shoreline, full of beautiful pink rocks.
Gooseberry Falls State Park
(south) Hike to three amazing waterfalls in 1.3 miles. Additional hikes included within the link.
Two Harbors, MN
(south) Not a hiking recommendation, but Betty’s Pies really is a fantastic place to stop for pie!
Caribou Falls State Wayside
(north) An easy hike to large but quiet waterfall.
Sugarloaf Cove
(north) A privately owned section of Lake Superior with an interesting bay protected by rock formations. This park has a small fee and includes its own visitor center.
Sawbill Canoe Outfitter
(northwest) The closest entry to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area from MN-61 is Sawbill Lake. There is a canoe outfitter on the lake where canoes and other gear can be rented. There is a 4.5-mile three-lake trek for a single day exploration, and multiple options for multi-day canoe trips.
Temperance River State Park
(north) This is the most unique State Park along MN-61 where seven waterfalls can be seen in a hike less than 2 miles. Several of these waterfalls occur in dramatic pothole formations. The official MN State Park map undersells this state park, as does the size of the parking lot off of MN-61.
Oberg Mountain
(north) This is overlook hike is part of the Superior Hiking Trail, and therefore parking is free. This is a busier trail, especially in the fall.
Lutsen Ski Resort
(north) Lutsen is the best ski resort in Minnesota. During the summer months, the gondola continues to run. There are hiking trails and a half-mile Alpine Slide.
Cascade River State Park
(north) This park has multiple waterfalls that cascade, making it difficult to provide an actual waterfall count. Similar to Temperance, most of the waterfalls are within a hike less than a mile long. This is also the only MN State Park with a true hike along the Lake Superior Shoreline.
Grand Marias, MN
My favorite pizza along MN-61 is at Swen & Ole’s Pizza in Grand Marias.
Lake Walk - Superior Hiking Trail
The only section of the Superior Hiking Trail that is along Lake Superior’s shoreline is the Lake Walk, a 1.5 mile stretch of sand / loose gravel, just south of Judge Magney State Park. Note that this is an awesome beach, but a hard place to hike long distances due to the soft ground.
Link to Full North Shore Guide from NatureImpactsUs.com
For more ideas of things to do up and down MN-61 along Lake Superior, visit my North Shore Guide.
Other Hiking Ideas
If you are looking for more hiking suggestions, please check out my below map which has additional posts linked to each pin.