A quiet place to watch Lake Superior

March 25, 2016 4:37 PM

I'm looking for a good spot to see - sit and watch quietly - Lake Superior, in Minnesota. I'm basically looking for a quiet place where I can spend the day sitting and watching very old water without much interruption or awareness of the existence of people, cities, and so on. Does anyone know the area well enough to suggest a place in northern MN where I can get my quiet view of the waters for a day or two during the coming week?
posted by Wolfdog to Travel & Transportation (5 answers total)

I know this corner of the world well....along side Lake Superior in Northern Minnesota, you are often very close to the highway...but there are places where the highway (2 lane road) is a bit further back from the lake along the Lake Superior Hiking Trail. However, we are not firmly into spring here, and there is quite a bit of snow in the bush in many places, so caution is strongly indicated.

There are many resorts/small motels/etc between Duluth and the Canadian Border, so finding somewhere to stay is probably not a problem, but be aware that Lutsen Mountain (decent skiing) is still open, so the area is not as free of people in general as it is sometimes.

Honestly, there are SO many gorgeous little bays and places to walk off the highway, and sit in relative isolation that it is an excess of riches. If you have a vehicle, there are a number of state parks where you can park and walk down to the water and just sit. Even directly alongside the highway, its common to see people just on the beaches sitting (but beware of waves and extremely COLD water!).

You will not go wrong if you just come and drive up the North Shore till you find somewhere that sings to your heart. Just be mindful of private property and the hazards....

Have a wonderful trip.
posted by Northbysomewhatcrazy at 5:12 PM on March 25, 2016 [6 favorites]

I know there are some lakeside hotels in the Tofte are such as Cliff Dweller and Chateau Leveaux. Larsmont Cottages south of Two Harbors also comes to mind. All of these, however, are hotels or small resorts. Maybe try Airbnb if you want a solo cabin. Highway 61 does run close enough to the lake so as to make completely ignoring civilization difficult in most places. For that, most people hike further away from the lake.
posted by Alluring Mouthbreather at 6:01 PM on March 25, 2016

If you can find a tribe member that's willing to take you there, it sounds like you could use some time with the Little Cedar Spirit Tree.

Otherwise hike along the shore at one of the more nothern state parks. Hike far enough and the other hikers will drop out.
posted by littlewater at 6:13 PM on March 25, 2016 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I have driven up the shore many times by myself to sit on a beach (I live in Duluth). Pretty much anywhere, depending on the time of day and day of the week, you can be alone on the beach. Pretty much all of it is public and if you're willing to scrabble down a bluff, you can stop pretty much anywhere. (If there isn't a house there, consider it open to stopping.) Stay on Scenic 61, and stop wherever seems likely.

I once spent an afternoon at a stone beach at Beaver Bay and it was awesome.

I do recommend stopping at Palisade Head. It has a parking spot at the bottom and the road up is usually closed for the winter. Walk up and up and it's a spectacular view from high up. I've sat there for hours and not seen a soul. Then get back in your car and park in Tettegouche and find a nice place to sit.
posted by RedEmma at 12:44 PM on March 26, 2016

(Also, dress for a cold wind. March-April is not particularly warm.)
posted by RedEmma at 1:00 PM on March 26, 2016