High Falls, Palisade Head and 9,000 acres of inland lakes
Tettegouche is the biggest and most varied state park on the Minnesota shore — roughly 9,300 acres running from a mile of Lake Superior coastline back into a plateau of cliff-walled inland lakes. It holds High Falls on the Baptism River, at 70 feet the tallest waterfall entirely within Minnesota, and Palisade Head, a 300-foot rhyolite cliff you can drive to the top of.
The rest area visitor center sits right on Highway 61 near Silver Bay with maps, exhibits and restrooms open year-round. If you only have one day for a North Shore state park and you want hiking rather than a paved loop, this is the one to pick.
The park entrance is about eight miles north of Cove Point Lodge and North Shore Camping Co. in Beaver Bay, which makes those two the closest lodging to High Falls and Palisade Head.
Tettegouche State Park · 5702 Highway 61, Silver Bay, MN 55614 · open daily 8am–10pm · Minnesota state park vehicle permit required · Directions · Official park page (MN DNR)
About 1.5 miles each way to a suspension bridge and a platform at the lip of the 70-foot falls — the tallest falls entirely in Minnesota. Two Step Falls is a short detour on the way.
A 300-foot sheer cliff with the best long view of the shoreline anywhere on Highway 61, and a five-minute walk from the parking area at the top. Rock climbers work the face below.
Trails climb to overlooks above Nipisiquit, Mic Mac and Tettegouche Lakes, cliff-lined and largely undeveloped — the signature big-view hiking in the park.
A basalt point on the lake reached by a stair-and-boardwalk trail from the visitor center, with sea caves below and the classic view back down the shore.
Drive-in and cart-in campsites plus historic log cabins on Mic Mac Lake, hiked or biked in — one of the most memorable places to stay in the Minnesota park system.
The famous Superior Hiking Trail loop above two cliff-walled lakes starts from the Silver Bay trailhead just south of the park.
High Falls on the Baptism River, at 70 feet, which is also the tallest waterfall entirely inside Minnesota. It is about 1.5 miles each way from the trailhead.
Yes. A narrow paved road climbs to a parking area at the top of the 300-foot cliff, and the viewpoint is a few steps away. The road is not suited to large RVs or trailers and closes in winter.
Roughly 9,300 acres, running from a mile of Lake Superior shoreline inland to a plateau of cliff-walled lakes — the largest and most varied state park on Minnesota's North Shore.
High Falls for waterfalls, the inland lake overlooks for big views, and Shovel Point for a short walk to a dramatic point on the lake. Bean and Bear Lakes, just south of the park, is the marquee hike in the area.
