Although Grand Portage is a 2 hour and 40 minute drive from Duluth and there are plenty of other things to do and places to hike along MN-61 before you reach the Canadian border, there are two parks bearing the name “Grand Portage” and there is enough to do up here to make the trip worth the effort. In the summer months, the Depot Area inside of Grand Portage NM is open, and there are people dressed in costume performing tasks that show what life was like in the region in the 1780s. Grand Portage State Park has the highest waterfall in Minnesota, which is amazing in any season, and is easily accessible along a paved trail.
Planning a Trip to the North Shore
From Jay Cooke to Duluth and up to the Canadian Border, these are my favorite places to stop along Lake Superior’s North Shore of Minnesota off of MN-61. Included are favorite hikes at Gooseberry Falls, Split Rock Lighthouse, Tettegouche, Temperance River, Cascade, George Crosby Manitou, Judge Magney, Grand Portage, and the Superior Hiking Trail. See amazing waterfalls, sea caves, spend time on the beach, skip rocks, hike to incredible overlooks, and canoe through lakes clean enough to drink from.