🥾 ActiveWeekend · from Minneapolis, MN
North Shore: Duluth Gorge & Gooseberry Falls
Two hours north of Minneapolis on I-35, Duluth sits at the junction of the St. Louis River gorge and Lake Superior — the largest freshwater lake on earth. Jay Cooke State Park, 20 miles southwest of Duluth in the St. Louis River canyon, has 50 miles of trails through one of the most dramatic river gorges in the upper Midwest, including the swinging suspension bridge that crosses the river at the gorge's narrowest point. The following day, US-61 northeast of Duluth follows a cliff-edge route above Lake Superior to Gooseberry Falls State Park, where five waterfalls on the Gooseberry River drop through a basalt canyon to the lake in a single mile of trail.
Day 1 — Jay Cooke State Park Gorge Trails & Duluth WaterfrontDay 2 — Two Harbors Agate Beach & Gooseberry Falls
Day 1 — Duluth
Day 1 — Duluth
🚗 2 hr 20 min driving📍 6 stops
🌅
Morning
🚗
Drive
Minneapolis, MN → Jay Cooke State Park
2 hr
Jay Cooke State Park
★ Reviews →The St. Louis River carves through a narrow basalt canyon at Jay Cooke — the gorge trails here are the most dramatic river canyon hiking accessible from Minneapolis. The swinging suspension bridge crosses the river at a point where the water churns through tilted slabs of Thomson Formation slate; the Grand Portage Trail follows the gorge rim for several miles with continuous views down into the river corridor. The 2012 Duluth flood caused major erosion that reshaped the park; the rebuilt trails have access to geological features that were previously buried. Allow three hours for a thorough circuit of the river trails.
~1.5 hrs📍 See location
🍽️
Lunch
🚗
Drive
Jay Cooke State Park → Canal Park, Duluth
20 min
Northern Waters Smokehaus
★ Reviews →Post-hike lunch in Canal Park — smoked Lake Superior trout, herring, and whitefish sandwiches made from fish sourced directly from commercial fishermen on the lake. The smoked fish spread on dark rye is the best version of the North Shore tradition available in Duluth. Order at the counter and take your food to the Canal Park Lakewalk along the harbor.
~1 hr📍 See location
☀️
Afternoon
Duluth Lakewalk & Aerial Lift Bridge
★ Reviews →The 4.2-mile paved lakefront trail connecting Canal Park to Leif Erikson Park runs along the Lake Superior shoreline — walk or run the section nearest Canal Park to see the Aerial Lift Bridge raises its span for passing ore boats. The ship movement schedule is published on the Duluth Shipping News app and the bridge lifts are announced by horn; if you time it right, a thousand-foot ore carrier passing within 50 feet of the pier wall is one of the better free spectacles in the Midwest.
~1.5 hrs📍 See location
🌙
Evening
Fitger's Brewhouse
★ Reviews →An active brewery in the 1857 Fitger Brewing Company's original redbrick lakefront building — the Lighthouse Golden and Big Boat Oatmeal Stout are brewed here and poured in the taproom alongside rotating seasonals. The walleye and lake trout entrees are the right meal after a day of North Shore hiking.
~1.5 hrs📍 See location
Black Woods Grill & Bar
★ Reviews →A well-regarded dinner spot near Inn on Lake Superior.
~1 hr📍 See location
Inn on Lake Superior
★ Reviews →A Canal Park hotel directly on the Lake Superior shoreline — lake-facing rooms look over the harbor entry and lift bridge. The location is ideal for an early morning departure northeast on US-61 toward Two Harbors and Gooseberry Falls.
Day 2 — Two Harbors & Gooseberry Falls
Day 2 — Two Harbors & Gooseberry Falls
🚗 3 hr 10 min driving📍 3 stops
🌅
Morning
🚗
Drive
Duluth → Two Harbors, MN
25 min
Agate Bay & Two Harbors Breakwater
★ Reviews →Two Harbors is the agate hunting capital of Lake Superior — the volcanic basalt of the North Shore produced Lake Superior agates, banded iron-oxide stones that wash out of the lakebed after storms and collect along the gravel beaches. The ore dock at Agate Bay (the largest wooden ore dock in the world, 1,800 feet long) is the backdrop for the agate beaches; walk the breakwater east of the dock for the best hunting after high water. The Lighthouse Museum at the 1892 lighthouse is a short walk from the agate beaches.
~1.5 hrs📍 See location
🍽️
Lunch
🚗
Drive
Two Harbors → Gooseberry Falls State Park
20 min
Gooseberry Falls State Park
★ Reviews →Five waterfalls on the Gooseberry River accessible on a 2-mile loop trail — the Upper and Middle Falls are visible from the highway bridge; the Lower Falls drops directly into Lake Superior 100 yards from the lakeshore. The trail continues to the Fifth Falls swim hole, a basalt pool below a 10-foot cascade that is swimmable in late summer (the water is cold year-round). One of the most heavily visited state parks in Minnesota but still worth it — the waterfall density per trail mile is unmatched anywhere accessible from Minneapolis.
~1 hr📍 See location
☀️
Afternoon
Betty's Pies
★ Reviews →A North Shore institution on US-61 between Two Harbors and Duluth — open since 1956 and known for 40+ varieties of pie, the walleye sandwich, and a dining room with Lake Superior visible from most seats. Every North Shore road trip passes Betty's on the way back. The five-layer chocolate pie and the fresh blueberry pie are the ones people plan around.
~1 hr📍 See location
🌙
Evening
🚗
Drive
Betty's Pies → Minneapolis, MN
2 hr 25 min
← All Minneapolis trips
More getaways from Minneapolis
Taylors Falls: Glacial Potholes, Basalt Climbing & the St. Croix Dalles — Day trip🥾North Shore Waterfalls: Gooseberry Falls, Split Rock & Tettegouche — Weekend🥾Superior Hiking Trail 3-Day: Waterfalls, Bluffs & George Crosby Manitou — Long weekend🥾Stillwater: Minnesota's Birthplace & the Antique Capital of the Midwest — Day trip🏛️Stillwater & the St. Croix Valley: Antiques, Potholes & a River Bluff — Weekend🏛️Great River Road: Red Wing, Winona & La Crosse Bluff Towns — Long weekend🏛️Stillwater Slow Day: Antiques, Lowell Inn & Sunset on the St. Croix — Day trip🌿Stillwater Weekend: River Town, Sculpture Park & the St. Croix — Weekend🌿
© 2026 theweekendgetaways.com · All itineraries are original content. Terms
Plan your own escapeExplore more trips →