By P.Moraski/Tower

The drive begins in Duluth, where Lake Superior is already waiting. The lift bridge rises and falls, ore ships come and go, and the harbor feels alive with motion. Once you turn onto Highway 61 and leave the city behind, the lake takes over and the real North Shore adventure begins.

The first stop is almost required—Gooseberry Falls. Even if you’ve been before, the rush of water never gets old, and a quick walk puts you right at the heart of it. Not long after, Split Rock Lighthouse appears on its cliff. You’ve seen it on calendars and postcards, but in person it still surprises you, as if you stumbled onto the cover shot itself.

Northward, Beaver Bay and Silver Bay invite short breaks. Beaver Bay holds the title of the Shore’s oldest settlement, while Silver Bay looks out on the lake and hides the strange, beautiful Black Beach with its sparkling dark sand. Just beyond, Tettegouche State Park calls with its waterfalls and Palisade Head—three hundred feet of sheer rock hanging over Superior. Stand there long enough and you’ll start to understand just how enormous this lake really is.

The road keeps winding, and soon the Temperance River cuts deep through its gorge. Lutsen follows with its ski hills and gondola, proving this stretch isn’t just a summer draw. By the time you reach Grand

Marais, the pace slows. The harbor town is small and inviting, with boats rocking gently in the water and a creative, artsy vibe that lingers in the galleries and shops. A donut from World’s Best Donuts seals the deal, and a walk along the breakwater at sunset is the perfect pause.

But if you keep going just a little farther, you’ll find Naniboujou Lodge & Restaurant tucked along the lakeshore. Built in the 1920s, it feels like stepping into another world. The dining room is covered floor-to-ceiling in bright Cree and Art Deco designs, anchored by one of the largest native-stone fireplaces you’ll ever see. The food is hearty and classic, the kind of comfort that makes you want to sit a while before continuing north. It’s part meal, part experience, and one of those stops you’ll end up talking about as much as the waterfalls and cliffs.

Beyond Naniboujou, the road grows quieter and more rugged. The lake is never far, the forest presses in, and pull-offs reveal secret beaches and hidden cascades. At the very end of Highway 61, Grand Portage State Park waits at the border. Here the Pigeon River plunges over High Falls—Minnesota’s tallest waterfall—roaring between the cliffs that mark the line into Canada. Standing there, with the spray on your face and the border just beyond, feels like the perfect exclamation point to the journey.

From Duluth’s busy harbor to Naniboujou’s painted dining hall, and finally to the thunder of the Pigeon River at the Canadian line, the North Shore drive is more than a route—it’s a rolling collection of stories, each curve and stop adding to the memory of the lake always at your side.