Cabins, ski hills and the wildest stretch of the North Shore
Lutsen is 90 miles up Highway 61 from Duluth, past Tofte, where the shore stops being a day trip and starts being a destination. The hills climb straight out of Lake Superior here — this is the only place in Minnesota with real vertical — and the Sawtooth Mountains behind town hold the Superior National Forest, the Cascade and Temperance rivers, and some of the best hiking and skiing in the Midwest.
It is quieter than the lower shore and more spread out: no downtown grid, just resorts, cabins, a winery and a handful of very good restaurants strung along the highway and the county roads that run inland. Grand Marais is 20 minutes north for groceries, galleries and the harbor.
Ours Resort is the property we feature here — six log cabins on private Lake Superior shoreline off County Road 35 — and Cove Point Lodge, North Shore Camping Co., Superior Shores Resort and The Harbors are all an hour or more back down the shore if you would rather split the drive.
Minnesota’s biggest ski area — four interconnected mountains, 95 runs and 1,000 feet of vertical, plus summer gondola rides, an alpine slide and mountain biking.
The river drops 900 feet in its last three miles in a staircase of waterfalls, with a loop trail along the gorge and the Lookout Mountain climb above it.
A slot canyon carved into solid rock, with the toughest and best-rewarded climb on this part of the shore right behind it.
An 27-hole course along the Poplar River with Lake Superior views from several holes — consistently rated among Minnesota’s best public golf.
North Shore Winery pours cold-climate wines up County Road 35, and the Lutsen–Tofte stretch has the strongest cluster of restaurants and galleries north of Two Harbors.
Ours Resort has six log cabins on 600 feet of private Lake Superior shoreline, about a mile and a half off the highway — the quiet option in a busy area.
About 90 miles, or two hours, north on Highway 61 through Two Harbors, Silver Bay and Tofte. From the Twin Cities it is roughly 250 miles and four and a half hours.
Yes. Lutsen Mountains runs a summer season with gondola rides, an alpine slide and lift-served mountain biking, and the hiking around Cascade River, Temperance River and Carlton Peak is the best on the shore. Fall color here peaks in late September, about a week ahead of the shoreline.
Ours Resort is the quiet choice — six log cabins on seven wooded acres with 600 feet of private Lake Superior shoreline, a mile and a half off Highway 61 on County Road 35. Cabins are two and three bedrooms with full kitchens, fireplaces, grills and firepits, and rates start around $150 a night.
Grand Marais is about 20 minutes north and has a full grocery store, hardware, galleries and the harbor. There is a smaller store in Lutsen and another in Tofte, 15 minutes south.
