Self-Guided Audio Tour Lake Superior North Shore

As the audio guides play commentary based on your gps location, you can create your own itinerary along the tour route to match your interests and schedule.

How can a pie shop, along a route abundant with pie opportunities, be a special highlight? Betty's Pies near Two Harbors is a local institution. For decades hungry North Shore visitors have found their way to this historic restaurant to get their fix, and we're big fans of their 5 layer chocolate pie. You will satisfy your need for dessert any time of day.

A Mansion and a Murder. One of the most visited historic homes in Minnesota for its grandeur and splendor, Glensheen Mansion is also the site of a famous Minnesota murder mystery. Located on the eastern end of Duluth.

Millions of years of geological and glacial sculpting of basalt have gone into the creation of these very pleasing falls. This state park is a very popular stop, expecially since we get four waterfalls all in the one place.

The Ojibwe call Grand Portage “The Great Carrying Place” because it marks the start of an 8.5-mile portage - portage means carrying your canoe and all your stuff over land - between Lake Superior and Pigeon River. Today, you can step onto this ancient trading route yourself. Also located at the beginning of this historic trail is the Grand Portage National Monument, with reconstructed buildings of the trading fort and representations of the Ojibwe Village. The Monument and Heritage Center are well worth visiting.

This is a spot that is much more about the context of what it represents than the dock itself. If you like to be haunted by history, the Hovland Dock is a great place to stand still and imagine all the lives that have passed through this area. Today, the dock is all that remains of the once-thriving fishing village and it's interesting for.. well, its state of disrepair!

Many state parks and waysides on the North Shore Scenic Drive have a waterfall for visitors to enjoy, and waterfall chasers will find many delights. The best time of year to enjoy waterfalls on the North Shore is April when the snow typically melts, sending water crashing through the rivers that feed into Lake Superior. Just one great example is Devil’s Kettle Falls, located Inside Judge C.R. Magney State Park. A double waterfall forms where the Brule River splits into two falls separated by an outcropping of hard, volcanic rhyolite rock. On one side, the river falls into a pool of water and continues on its journey to Lake Superior. But where does the other side go?

Popular with peregrine falcons, rock climbers, and sightseers just like us, this geologic landmark near Silver Bay is one of the best viewpoints along the entire North Shore. Hovering 350 feet above the water, Palisade Head is a massive rock formation - it's pretty much a sheer cliff, and from its edge, the views are wide-ranging. It's a sight not to be missed.
Here's the best part - no major hiking required. The car park is at the top!

Without a doubt, Split Rock Lighthouse is one of the most iconic photographs to capture on your tour. One infamous storm in 1905 all but destroyed 29 ships, leading to the construction of this navigation aid 20 miles north of Two Harbors. Not only was it purposeful - the setting is majestic. Please share your photo with us!