The shores of Lake Superior.

Field guide ◆ North Shore + Boundary Waters

Inland sea. Northern silence.

The North Shore of Lake Superior is the part of Minnesota that doesn't look like Minnesota. Black basalt cliffs drop into water cold enough to kill a swimmer in twenty minutes — even in August. Highway 61 hugs the shore from Duluth up to Grand Portage, with state parks every 20 miles and waterfalls visible from the road.

Best 4-day route: drive 61 north from Duluth, camp at Tettegouche State Park (Shovel Point, the Baptism River), continue to Grand Marais for one night in town, then push west into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness for two nights of paddle-in lake camping. Bring a canoe or rent one in Ely.

The BWCA is one of the few wilderness areas in the country where you can camp on a different lake every night for a week without seeing another person. Permit required. Mosquitos in June. Fall colors in late September.