Towns

Silver Bay, MN

Lodging and things to do at the gateway to Tettegouche

Silver Bay was built in the 1950s as a company town for the taconite plant on the lake, and it still has the tidy planned-town feel. For visitors it is the trailhead town: the Bean and Bear Lakes hike, Tettegouche State Park, Palisade Head and Black Beach all start within a few minutes of the highway here.

There is a marina, a grocery store and a handful of places to eat, and lodging just south in Beaver Bay puts you five minutes from all of it.

Bean & Bear Lakes

The most famous hike on the Superior Hiking Trail, a roughly 7-mile loop from the Silver Bay trailhead to overlooks above two cliff-lined lakes.

Silver Bay trailhead

Black Beach Park

Dark taconite sand, dramatic rock and a campground on the lake — an unusual North Shore beach walk right at the edge of town.

Silver Bay

Tettegouche State Park

High Falls on the Baptism River, inland lake overlooks and some of the best hiking on the shore, just north of town.

5–10 min north

Palisade Head

Drive to the clifftop for the shoreline view, or watch climbers work the rhyolite face below the parking area.

Between Silver Bay and Beaver Bay

Northwoods trails & marina

Groomed nordic skiing and summer singletrack behind town, plus a small-craft harbor for fishing and paddling.

Silver Bay

Where to stay

Cove Point Lodge and North Shore Camping Co. are five minutes south in Beaver Bay — the closest lodging to the Silver Bay trailheads.

Nearby

Common questions

What is there to do in Silver Bay, MN?

Silver Bay is the gateway to Tettegouche State Park. The Bean and Bear Lakes hike leaves from town, Black Beach Park has a striking dark-sand shoreline and campground, and Palisade Head and High Falls are minutes away.

How far is Silver Bay from Duluth?

About 55 miles northeast on Highway 61, a little over an hour.

Where should I stay near Silver Bay?

There's limited lodging in Silver Bay itself, so most visitors base in Beaver Bay five minutes south — Cove Point Lodge for lakefront lodge rooms and cottages, or North Shore Camping Co. for furnished tent camping.

Where to stay

Cove Point Lodge

Beaver Bay, MN

North Shore Camping Co.

Beaver Bay, MN