Top 5 North Shore Waterfall Hikes

The North Shore of Minnesota has so many amazing hikes to discover.  There is something for everyone.  You can find easy trails to hard climbs all while discovering hidden beaches, majestic cliffs, scenic overlooks and rushing waterfalls.  I’ve been on many hikes, but there are still so many more to explore!  When I rounded-out my top 5 hikes they all happened to be waterfall hikes.  TLC had it all wrong, go chase those waterfalls!

Click HERE for an interactive North Shore map of Minnesota

My Top 5 North Shore Waterfall Hikes:

Pigeon River High Falls – Grand Portage State Park

• 

• 

• Easy
• This .5 mile waterfall hike is easy, and very kid-friendly since it is partially paved and there is a nice visitor center with restrooms and a small gift shop.  I am hesitant to even consider it a “hike” … it’s more of a leisure walk, but it has a big payoff!  There are some off-shoot trails along the path to get a closer glimpse of the Pigeon River.  At the end of the trail there is a breathtaking view of High Falls, a 120 foot waterfall – the tallest in Minnesota!  Since it is so close to the Canadian border you can see across the river into Canada, pretty cool, eh?

Caribou Falls

• Easy-Moderate
• Great, easy 1.2 mile out and back trail with a slight incline along the Caribou River gorge.  About .5 mile in you’ll reach a large set of stairs leading down to the base of the 35 foot waterfall.  Bring water-friendly hiking shoes because the pool below the falls is a great place to stop for a refreshing dip!  Follow the trail to the top to see a beautiful lookout of Lake Superior.

Onion River Trail via Ray Berglund Wayside

• 

• 

• 

• Moderate
• This is a scenic 1.1 mile out and back waterfall hike.  Start off with a steady climb above the river gorge and follow the rushing water beneath until you spot a small opening to the left of the trail (about .25 miles in) that leads you down to the river.  You can skip this part and follow the trail the whole way, but then you’d miss the best part!  From there, enjoy hiking the river until you find a small clearing on the right of the river that leads you back up to the main trail.   The lush wooded trail ends at a wooden bridge, which is another fun spot to climb down and explore.

Kadunce River Trail

• 

• 

• 

• 

• Moderate-Hard
• The actual trail hike is just over 1 mile out and back along the Kadunce River gorge and ends with a bridge over the river.  Instead, bring sturdy water shoes and navigate the river bed … it will not disappoint.  The rushing water beneath your feet is nothing too fierce to climb, but just remember what goes up must come down!  We ventured pretty far up the river and my bruised knees and bottom were still worth it for the beautiful breathtaking FernGully views.  If you’ve ever wanted to climb a waterfall or feel like you are walking through a hidden cave this hike is for you!

Baptism River High Falls – Tettegouche State Park

• 

• 

• 

• Hard
• This waterfall hike is a glute burner!  A lot of stairs, but a fun hike with a suspension bridge and great views of the 100 foot waterfall.  Since the Tettegouche State Park has many visitors this is a more heavily trafficked trail.  Bonus, you can view Two-Step Falls off of this same trail which is further upstream, but it’s anticlimactic after viewing the majestic High Falls.  All-in-all, it ends up being about 3 miles out and back, but can also be done in a loop since there are many other trails at Tettegouche that connect.

All of these hikes are doable with a backpack carrier based on your endurance level. I would also consider these hikes to be “kid-friendly with caution” since it’s always a little dangerous hiking next to sheer cliffs and rushing water.  However, all of these trails are clearly marked and easy to follow.  

Happy Hiking!

SS