North Shore Fall 2022 Hiking Bucket List
leaf-peepers inc, Minnesota edition
After spending the whole summer paddling & traveling British Columbia & the Great Lakes, I’m back on the North Shore for the winter and it feels good to be home on the Lake.
Here on the North Shore of Lake Superior, the last bit of summer is still clinging on. The Lake has been glassy the last for the past few days. I’m trying to make it out either hiking or paddling at least 5 days a week since I’m mostly working from home. I’m thinking about picking up a job in a coffee shop too, to force me out of the house. I’ve decided to apply for graduate school again, and am looking at moving out West next fall.
SHT near Fantasia
But for this fall, I’m here in the company of Lake Superior just south of the Sawtooth Range. The colors haven’t quite started to change yet, but the air is cold every morning and even colder by the lakeside, and there’s a hint of red in the understory.
A quick note on color change predictions: I am using what happened last year in all of these places vs rainfall this year, eyes on current conditions, and factors like localized blueberry crop timing this September to guesstimate week range NOT the official color predictor— I could be very wrong.
North Shore of Minnesota Fall 2022 Hiking Bucket List:
I spent the past two years living in Grand Marais, Minnesota, hiking around the North Shore area North of Tettegouche. This winter, I’m farther south and have been checking out new to me trails and overlooks. I’ve been presently surprised— I’d sort of thought all of the best stuff is in the far North, but that’s really not true. A lot of great hikes are an easy day trip from Duluth.
For the master list of all my trail guides & eBooks, click here.
Easy: Day Hill in Split Rock Lighthouse State Park
Earlier this week I set out on my first sunset hike of the year to Split Rock Lighthouse State Park. Truth be told, I didn’t mean for it to be a sunset hike. I meant to get a workout in and be home before dark, but when I made it to the top of the Day Hill hike, I couldn’t help but stick around for sunset.
(oh hey look! you can embed Instagram posts into Substack now!)
The Day Hill hike in Split Rock is almost two miles from the parking lot, depending on which lot you choose, and is an easy trail for most hikers. There is some uphill, but the path is well-travelled. Sweeping views to the southwest make this an excellent sunset spot, with plenty of chance to view fall foliage. Watch the video above for the full view.
Expected peak: First-Second week in October
Moderate-Difficult: Fantasia Overlook & Johnson Lake
North of Tettegouche State Park along the Superior Hiking Trail, summit a mini-mountain to reach Fantasia Overlook, a lovely little outcropping over a beaver pond. This is a moderate-difficult hike up, and a quick hike back down, but the views from the Spur Trail of Palisade Head below are well worth it. Continue to Johnson Overlook for a 5-6 mile trip.
Fantasia at the Beaver Pond
Expected peak: First week in October, maybe a touch later (went here twice last year, once pre peak and once just after; seems like a shorter window here for peak)
Johnson Lake late September 2021
Easy: The Backroads
Cruise the Sawbill and Caribou Trail early in the morning for fall colors, dreamy light, and a chance to spot a moose. Stop at any number of lakes and scenic pull-offs. Be sure to wear blaze orange if you venture into the woods; it’s hunting season.
Fall backroads
Expected peak: Las week September-beginning October. Inland areas and the area around Lutsen tends to change color earlier than the areas near the shore.
Easy-Moderate: Oberg Mountain
A 3-mile hike in Tofte, Minnesota, with views of both Lake Superior and that classic, perfect circle lake below. This is probably the single most heavily-trafficked fall hike in the North Shore. If you are hell-bent on hiking here, I recommend visiting before 9am in the morning or on a weekday.
We drove by last year to see how crowded it would be and counted 130 some cars crammed into the 20-car lot and lined down the road. We lost count— there were probably more.
Expected peak: end of last week September-first week October. Inland areas and the area around Lutsen tends to change color earlier than the areas near the shore.
Keep in mind that part of Leave No Trace is responsible parking in the Superior National Forest; Parking in a way that damages plant life, impedes traffic, or encourages widening of a road is not Leave No Trace.
Good news! Plenty of trails on this list see far less traffic than Oberg Mountain! If you arrive and the parking lot is filled, pull this list out of your back pocket!
Easy: White Sky Rock & the SHT
North of Lutsen on the Caribou Trail, White Sky Rock is a short, uphill hike to an east-facing overlook of Caribou Lake— a perfect spot for sunrise! The overlook itself is reminiscent of the view at Rose Lake Cliffs (see below), but a much easier hike.
Continue along the the spur trail to the Superior Hiking Trail for a few more lovely overlooks and eventually a sweeping view of the Popular River Valley. Moderate hike if continued out to the other overlooks.
Last year this trail was moderately-trafficked— a lot of Minneapolis-based creators made videos about this hike, so it might be busier this year than in previous years. Still, it’s such a quick hike that parking lot turnover is relatively quick and it’s worth a stop.
Hunter’s overlook on Lake Agnes
Expected peak: Last week September for maples. Inland areas and the area around Lutsen tends to change color earlier than the areas near the shore. Yellow birch will peak later, so while White Sky Rock might look near peak, the Popular Valley will be totally green for another week and a half. Popular Valley peak mid-October.
Moderate: Pincushion Mountain
A quick, five-minute drive from Grand Marais, Pincushion Mountain was one of my favorite hikes in town. I was there about once a week when I lived in town, and haven’t shared it before for that reason (ie, I don’t want people to know if there’s a trail I’m on three nights a week).
Pincushion is a four-mile hike, and relatively flat. Be sure to leash dogs as unleashed dogs have been known to be bothered by the local wolf pack (don’t stress! The wolves won’t bother humans!). This hike ends at a lovely northeast-facing overlook of Lake Superior and the hills to the North. For more, continue along the SHT into the Devil Track River Canyon. I like to have lunch on the Bridge before heading back.
You’ll almost definitely be able to find parking here— it’s got a sizable parking lot with bathrooms, and I’ve never seen the lot anywhere near full.
Grand Marais below
Expected peak: Second week October, but might still get decent color into late October. Last year trees were mostly bare by last day of October.
Difficult: Rose Lake Cliffs via Caribou Rock Trail
The Caribou Rock Trail is probably the single most difficult trail in Minnesota— pair it with a section of the Border Route Trail, another notoriously difficult Minnesota Trail, and you’ve got the hike out to this beautiful overlook:
Before you hit the trail read this full trail guide. It’s about 13-14 miles round trip, over pretty unforgiving ups, downs, and ankle twisters. While we usually make 25 minute miles on trail, our pace was a 40 minute mile here. There is no cell service in the BWCA. It is a 1+ hour drive from Grand Marais to get to the trailhead. Permits are required. I strongly strongly recommend a GPS with two-way communication and/or Sat phone. This hike will take the entire day— but it is worth it.
Expected peak: First-Second week October.
Easy-Moderate: Magnetic Rock Trail
If you’re looking for your Outlander moment, head up the Gunflint Trail to Magnetic Rock for a beautiful hike over interesting rock formations, past several overlooks, and out to the mysterious 30-ft tall standing stone at the edge of the Boundary Waters. Yes, it is magnetic.
This trail winds through the remnants of the Ham Lake Fire, giving it a very tundra-eque look to it. Plant-life is rebounding, but you can see wildlife and views far and wide in most areas.
Expected peak: First-Second week October.
Day Canoe Routes in/around the BWCA
In the BWCA, day permits are required and can be filled out at your entry point. Canoe rentals can be arranged at most outfitters. Pads & straps for cars are generally provided.
Clearwater Lake: Paddle under the Palisades of Clearwater Lake for one of the prettiest day trips in the BWCA. Easy.
Bearskin Lake-Duncan Lake-Rose: Paddle from Bearskin put-in to the Ducan Lake Portage. Portage into Duncan. Paddle to Stairway Portage on Rose Lake. Hike to Rose Falls and/or the cliffs above Rose Lake. Intermediate.
Brule Lake: Paddle the maze of rugged islands on Brule Lake. Easy.
Easy: Grand Portage
Head as far north as you can go without crossing the border to catch the earliest fall show. Hike Mount Rose in Grand Portage National Monument for views of the historic fort below, Grand Portage Island, and even Isle Royale National Park on clear days. An easy, paved hike with some uphill.
Head up to Grand Portage State Park and trek out to High Falls to see one of the biggest waterfalls in the Midwest.
Expected peak: Last week September for inland areas. Last year third week October Em & I took this photo— near shore areas near Grand Portage had good color till October’s end.
More Resources:
As always, you can find a list of all my free trail guides here
Detailed Hiking Guide for the North Shore (PDF download with Google Maps links).
Detailed Hiking Guide for the Gunflint Trail (PDF download with Google Maps links).
Hidden Gems of the Northern Great Lakes, full-length guidebook
For downloads of ALL of the guides & eBooks above, join the Hello Stranger paid list. Paying subscribers not only get access to all of the Midwest adventure resources above, but access to a backlog of exclusive essay content, and my unending gratitude for making it possible for me to exist as an independent writer.
Bonus: Bean & Bear (moderate)
Oh hey you made it to the end of this heinously long post! Check out Bean & Bear loop this fall, just south of Tettegouche State Park. At 7-8 miles round trip, this moderate hike is a heavily-trafficked fall bucket lister! The parking lot is fairly large, and if the ups & downs prove challenging, there are plenty of overlooks without hiking the whole loop. This loop is probably best visited during the week or in the early morning, or after peak colors— it gets a LOT of traffic from leaf-peepers! You can find just as beautiful views on some of the other less crowded routes above!
Good luck and happy hiking!
-Maddy
I liked this. We hit bean/bear for the first time this year. Wed morning. Got there on the early side. Crowded but bearable. We also visited Sawmill Dome and Mount Trudee. Had some spectacular views. Magnetic Rock is on my bucket list. I love MN fall!