02/25-28/2022

If you live in the upper midwest and haven’t traveled to the North Shore during those harsh winter months, then you are missing out on a beautiful experience! Over a year ago I would have never planned a vacation to go further north during the winter, but after seeing multiple videos and pictures of the great lakes and their incredible ice formations throughout the coldest months, I knew I had to go. And it was so worth it!

My boyfriend, dog, and I had such a blast hiking along the northern part of Lake Superior’s coast! We also got pretty lucky with the weather while we were up there, with the warmest day being around 20°F and the coldest at 10°F.

If you are planning on traveling north during the winter here are some tips;

• Bring lots of warm clothes! You will need fleece layers, mittens, hats, gators, super warm socks and waterproof winter boots. I was so happy that I stayed warm this whole trip, otherwise, it definitely would not have been as amazing.

• Bring boots that have good friction because there will be a lot of ice on trails, or be smarter than I was and pack ice cleats.

• If you bring your dog make sure they also have warm layers, such as a dog vest, dog socks, and boots. This really helped our dog be able to hike the whole day with us without freezing her paws.

• Bring your camera! Trust me, there is a lot of beauty up on that shoreline in winter.

• The main goal is to stay warm and dry, and if everyone is able to do that then your trip will be a success!

April 25

We began our first day by eating a quick breakfast at home, then loading up the car and heading North towards Lake Superior.

On our drive up we made a quick stop at Banning State Park and hiked for about a mile. We didn’t end up bringing our cameras on this hike, so there are no pics, but it was still an enjoyable time. However, there was so much snow that you could hardly see the river or the rock formations along the river. I’d still be down to go visit this state park again in the summer or fall sometime.

After our first quick hike, we headed straight to Two Harbors. I absolutely loved the Airbnb we stayed in! It was the coziest space for the three of us, was so warm and toasty, and had the best bathtub ever! I could easily stay here every time I visit Two Harbors. This Airbnb was called, The NorthShore Guesthaus, and I would highly recommend booking this place when it’s available.

After settling in at the Airbnb we headed over to Gooseberry Falls for some sunset photos, which, as you can see below, was so worth it.

To finish off the first day we picked McQuade's Pub and Grill for our dinner.

April 26th

On our first morning (after some morning cuddles with Layla) we all headed out for a quick breakfast before our first big day of hiking.

Cedar Coffee Company was a very cute cafe to stop at. They had a good selection of drinks and morning sandwiches, and they also had a short hiking trail in the back of their property. We thought they were a bit over-priced, but overall is was a nice aesthetic and good food.

Now that we were full and energized it was time to head to Tettegouche State Park for our day of adventures!

This park was incredible! We spent our entire day here hiking as many trails along the shore and clif line as we could. The ice was beautiful, the air was crisp and clean and the views were breathtaking.

I was so happy we were able to see so many cool ice formations such as the iced over pebble beach and ice disks in the photos above.

It was also super windy the whole day, but that made for some extra spectacular waves! We really lucked out with the weather and it was such a special day of hiking along the lakeshore.

After a full day out in the cold and hiking for miles (totally worth it), it was time for a nice warm bowl of soup and Black Woods Bar & Grill completely satisfied my cravings. I had their warm bowl of vegetable soup with a side of corn bread with a cocktail on the side. This was a pretty good way to end the day.

April 27th,

In the morning we stopped for breakfast at Vanilla Bean - Two Harbors, and it’s safe to safe we were not impressed with these Swedish pancakes. They were very soggy, almost seemed undercooked, and other then the jam had zero flavor. Just don’t get this meal if you stop here. But the hot coco was good!

Most of our second day we filled with hiking beautiful snow-covered trails at Gooseberry Falls State Park. It was a bit too icy at the main waterfall to hike with Layla, so we instead hiked back into the woods along the river to fifth falls. Throughout the hike, we could not see the river because there was so much snow, and when we got to the falls it was also just a big pile of snow, but the hike was still fun and the snow was very pretty.

After hiking through the woods for a while it was time to explore the shoreline again. We hiked around the agate beach area and saw more specular ice formations. Just absolutely gorgeous!

For lunch, we stopped at Rustic Inn Cafe. This place was super busy so I would recommend making a reservation in advance, but the wait was worth it for this warm cup of hot chocolate.

At sunset, we drove over to Split Rock Lighthouse State Park. We didn’t quite get as much color in the sky as we were hoping, but it was still a great way to spend our last evening, and we were able to see a few more interesting ice formations while out on the little island. Also, having the opportunity to walk across that ice land bridge was very exciting!

April 28th

For the last morning up on the North Shore we decided to give Vanilla Bean - Two Harbors one more chance, and this time we were both much more satisfied with our meals! This eggs benedict was delicious and I’m happy we were able to have a more positive experience at this café.

During the drive home, we made a quick stop at Jay Cooke State Park, and there was so much snow we could hardly see the river. We mostly just spent time on the bridge and then headed back to the car. Hopefully, we can make it back to this state park either in the summer or fall.

Layla was not a fan of being on this bridge lol.

I really want to visit the North Shore in the winter every year! If you decide to visit the North Shore in winter, and you prepare yourself for the cold, I promise you will have a great time. The ice formations are breathtaking and the winter atmosphere is incredible!