North Shore Minnesota Waterfall Hikes

Minnesota's North Shore packs more roadside and trailside waterfalls into 150 miles than almost anywhere in the Midwest. Cold rivers like the Gooseberry, Baptism, and Temperance drop hard off the Sawtooth Mountains on their way to Lake Superior, and most of the best cascades sit a short walk from Highway 61. Here are eight waterfall hikes, including the tallest falls in Minnesota, that are worth planning a North Shore trip around, plus a list of the North Shore waterfalls in order up Highway 61.

Gooseberry Falls: The Easy Crowd-Pleaser

Gooseberry Falls State Park, about 13 miles northeast of Two Harbors, is the busiest stop on the shore for a reason. A paved loop of well under a mile links the Upper, Middle, and Lower Falls, all visible within a few minutes of the visitor center. For a quieter experience, cross under the highway bridge and follow the river toward Lake Superior, where the Gooseberry empties into the big lake. Go early on summer weekends or you will fight for parking.

The Baptism River and High Falls at Tettegouche

Tettegouche State Park hides the tallest waterfall entirely within Minnesota, the 60-foot High Falls of the Baptism River. The hike in is roughly 1.5 miles each way on a rolling forest trail, with a suspension bridge below the falls and a spur up to Two Step Falls. This is also where Superior Hiking Trail miles and state-park trails overlap, so it is an easy place to sample the long-distance route without committing to a full day.

Two Step Falls

Two Step Falls is on the same hike. The DNR park map lists the High Falls Trail at 1.5 miles one-way from the Tettegouche visitor center (5702 Highway 61 East, Silver Bay), with steep terrain, wooden stairs and bare rock. Walk to the mouth of the Baptism River, then follow the trail upriver. A side stairway drops to Two Step Falls on the way to High Falls, and there is no loop, so you come back the same way.

Temperance and Cross River Gorges

Temperance River State Park earns its odd name from a river with no bar (sandbar) at its mouth. The trail follows a narrow, churning gorge where the water has drilled potholes into the rock. A short loop of about 1 mile crosses the river twice on footbridges. Just south of the park, the Cross River drops in a roadside cascade right at Schroeder, good for a five-minute leg stretch. The DNR map shows a second option at Temperance: from the Highway 61 lot on the northeast side of the river, a short paved path reaches a deck facing Hidden Falls, and a 1-mile one-way trail continues upstream to the Upper Falls.

Caribou Falls and Other Quieter Falls

For hikers who want fewer people, the lesser-known cascades deliver:

• Caribou Falls near Little Marais, a steady 0.75-mile climb to a tucked-away 40-foot drop.
• Cascade River State Park, where a 1-mile loop passes a staircase of falls under cedar canopy.
• Devil's Kettle at Judge C. R. Magney State Park, the famous half-vanishing falls reached by a 2-mile round-trip with a steep stairway finish.

High Falls of the Pigeon River

At the Canadian border, Grand Portage State Park protects the High Falls of the Pigeon River, the highest waterfall in the state at about 120 feet on the U.S. side. The trail is a flat, fully accessible boardwalk of well under a mile to a viewing deck. It is a long drive from Duluth, so most people pair it with a Grand Marais overnight.

Waterfalls Near Grand Marais, MN

Grand Marais makes the best base for the northern half of the shore, with three waterfall stops close to town.

• Cascade River State Park (3481 West Highway 61) sits on the highway between Lutsen and Grand Marais. A half-mile Lower Loop passes the Cascades, a series of five small waterfalls, and Cascade Falls, where the river drops 120 feet through a twisting gorge to Lake Superior.
• Fall River, just south of town, is where the paved Gitchi-Gami State Trail crosses the river on a timber arch bridge as the water drops to the lake.
• Judge C. R. Magney State Park (4051 East Highway 61) is northeast of town on the Brule River. The Devil's Kettle Trail is 1 mile one-way, down about 175 stairs and past the Upper Falls. At the Kettle the river splits around volcanic rock, with half dropping 50 feet into a pool and the rest pouring into a pothole. The DNR says to allow 1.5 to 2 hours.

North Shore Waterfalls Map: The Falls in Order Up Highway 61

Driving northeast from Duluth, these are the stops in this guide in the order you reach them. Use the DNR park maps for trail detail at each one.

1. Gooseberry Falls State Park, about 13 miles northeast of Two Harbors.
2. Tettegouche State Park, at Silver Bay: High Falls and Two Step Falls on the Baptism River.
3. Caribou Falls State Wayside, near Little Marais: a three-quarter-mile walk to the falls.
4. Cross River, roadside at Schroeder.
5. Temperance River State Park, just past Schroeder: Hidden Falls and the gorge.
6. Cascade River State Park, between Lutsen and Grand Marais.
7. Fall River, just south of Grand Marais.
8. Judge C. R. Magney State Park, northeast of Grand Marais: Upper Falls and Devil's Kettle.
9. Grand Portage State Park, at the Canadian border: High Falls of the Pigeon River.

When to Go and What to Pack

Snowmelt makes late April through early June the loudest, fullest season for these rivers. Fall brings lower flows but spectacular color, especially the third week of September into early October. Bring traction in shoulder seasons, since spray ices the stairs at Devil's Kettle and Gooseberry well into spring. Wear grippy footwear, carry water, and remember that the rocks beside every one of these falls are slick and the currents are deadly. Stay behind railings.

If you want to string these cascades together with real trail miles instead of just parking-lot views, plan a multi-day route along the Superior Hiking Trail in Minnesota, which threads many of these same river gorges between Two Harbors and the border.