The upper right portion of Minnesota runs along Lake Superior. They call it The North Shore and man oh man, is it beautiful.

We stayed in Lutsen, MN, which is slightly above the middle of the North Shore, so that we could range up and down the coast. Our first day on the North Shore, we headed south to Gooseberry Falls State Park and then worked our way back up, visiting interesting sights as we went.

There are 3 main parts to Gooseberry falls – these are very sensibly called the Upper, Middle and Lower Falls.

From the visitor center it’s an easy short hike to the Middle and Lower falls. They are very close together. We went down one side, crossed a bridge and then walked back up the other side. Even with dabbling in the water for awhile, climbing some rocks, and posing for photos, we completed the loop in approximately 1 hour. I didn’t see any signs for distance but I would estimate it was under one mile. There are many many trails in the area, so you can hike for as long or as short as you want.

Gooseberry Falls State Park is the first, and therefore most popular, state park on the North Shore when coming from the south. We visited in July 2021, when there were still many pandemic regulations in place. This included the large visitor center being closed, which was just too bad, because it looked gorgeous. The park was the most crowded spot we visited on the North Shore and therefore we only did a short hike and then moved on.

During a normal year, I had read they do naturalist programs and you can check out GPS or birding kits from the visitor center, which would be fun. Some day I’m going to get more into birding. I love nature and adore check lists so having a list of birds to find sounds like my kind of hobby.

Things you should know

• The parking lot is huge. When you first pull in, you can’t see the whole thing and it appears you may not find a spot. Remain calm. There is more parking.
• Given more time, my first choice for a more traditional hike would have been the 2.5 mile Gitchi Gummi Hiking Trail. Partially for the name alone but also for the great views of the Gooseberry River Valley and Lake Superior. I certainly hope the visitor center stocks T-shirts that announce “I survived the Gitchi Gummi.” People will be so confused – were you jello wrestling? In an eating contest? A dance competition? Its gotta be a great conversation starter. Someone let me know.
• In true Minnesota fashion, you can walk right up to the falls, play in the water, slip on the rocks or accidentally go over the ledge if you desire. It’s very fantastic and I hope Minnesota never changes. Take along your common sense.
• At the falls themselves, there is not a picnic area. However, the park does offer a picnic area on the shores of Lake Superior.
• We went to hike, so we were wearing hiking shoes. Some people went to wander and dabble in the water, which also appeared fun. Swimming is prohibited at the Upper Falls, but we saw people wading around at the Middle and Lower Falls. If doing so, I would highly recommend wearing water shoes, not flip flops, and keeping a firm grip on small children. There are places along the edges and down below the falls that are kid-friendly places to stomp in the water but there are no changing rooms, picnic areas etc around the falls, just hiking trails and nature.
• Minnesota charges $7/day for a vehicle permit to their state parks. Or you can purchase a year pass for $35. This is fine, just noteworthy for people coming from places with no state park fees. Once you purchase your pass for the day, its good for any Minnesota state park so buy it and get hussling.
• I want to put a disclaimer on the crowds. If you enjoy concerts, state fairs, full beaches, sold out stadiums or, bless your heart, Disney, this park will seem deserted. There were maybe 100 people spread out around the falls, with more on the hiking trails. Our family is normally a fairly social bunch but on vacation, we’re averse to lines, so it seemed crowded to us. We were there on a Wednesday morning in July.