A trip to the North Shore of Minnesota would not be complete without hiking to some of the beautiful waterfalls that line the shoreline near Lake Superior. During our weeklong vacation to Northern Minnesota, my wife and I set some time aside to see a few waterfalls that we’ve never visited before. I always enjoy stopping to see the larger and more popular waterfalls in Gooseberry State Park and along the Baptism River in Tettegouche but this seemed like a good opportunity to explore a few different areas. The first excursion was on a trail in Split Rock Lighthouse State Park to see the falls along the Split Rock River.
It’s about a mile from the nearest parking area so we set out mid morning in search of some waterfalls. It was a beautiful fall day with the sun shining and temperatures perfect for wearing a sweatshirt to wonder through the north woods of Minnesota along the river catching glimpses of water rushing by on its way to Lake Superior. We arrived at the falls and questioned how close to get to them as the climb from the trail was quite steep. Eventually we decided to work our way carefully down the quickly descending riverbank and found ourselves standing on rocks watching the water moving around them in no time at all.
These falls were a nice cascade of water hugging the rocks carved over centuries as it continued on by. The lighting wasn’t great for photographing here at this time of day but a beautiful place to explore and enjoy. Mid day was approaching so we took one final look at the beautiful landscape before climbing back up the hill and on towards the trailhead where we began. There was a little time enjoying the shores of Lake Superior before heading off to get a bite to eat.
Later during the week, my wife and I continued further north to see the fall colors and more waterfalls. Our journey brought us to the highest waterfall in Minnesota on the Pigeon River in Grand Portage State Park. This river separates the United States and Canada as part of the northern boundary. With rain in very short supply during the summer this river was not running as high as in most years. It was still impressive to see the water crashing over the ledge into the pool below before it continued on towards the big lake. It’s an easy hike on a paved trail to get to the viewing area of this waterfall with the sound of large volumes of water rushing over the edge becoming almost deafening as you turn the corner towards a platform built for gazing over these falls. This is one I’d seen before but continues to be impressive each time.
Another area I’ve never been to was Judge C.R Magney State Park which hosts Kettle Falls where half of the river disappears into a large hole carved into the solid stone it glides over. This is a place I’ve read about as many wonder exactly where this water goes to. I’ve still not found a clear answer to that question but these waterfalls are unique and interesting to view. The hike to get to them is a bit more strenuous than to High Falls in Grand Portage. There are a lot of stairs going down and back up requiring many adventurers to stop for a breather from time to time. For me these are well worth climbing as Kettle Falls is beautiful and the landscape surrounding is very peaceful. Especially with the fall colors beginning to show up.
