Planning a family trip to the north shore? If you are, then you might want to add Minnesota’s most popular State Park to your list. The park is open year-round, and each season offers very different views and environments. Springtime is when the falls are at their highest water volumes. Summer offers warm weather, lush green forests and it does tend to be busy on the weekends. Autumn brings an explosion of color to the forest, while winter offers crisp, refreshing time outdoors that is popular with cross-country skiers and snowshoers.
There are 20 miles of hiking trails in the park, with several of them offering overlooks of Lake Superior and access to the waterfalls. There is a 1-mile handicapped accessible trail the runs directly to the main falls. During the winter months, there are 4 miles of hiking trails as well as snowshoeing trails. They also have 20K of groomed cross-country skiing areas that are mostly moderate difficulty level trails.
The kids really enjoyed being able to explore the area, seeing a beaver, learning about the lava flows, climbing over rocks, looking for fish and just listening to the roar of the falls. The older kids spent some time away from the group practicing photography skills.
When planning your trip, be prepared for weather changes along Lake Superior. During our visit in August, the afternoon weather was unseasonable cool (54 degrees) with occasional rain and drizzle. This really helped keep down the volume of visitors but did make for some fun technical challenges getting pictures and not slipping in the mud too much.
We did not get a chance to walk across the bridge or the suspended walkway, but we will be returning in Spring 2019 to see the views from here. On a clear day, you can see Wisconsin and Sand Island, which are about 30-40 miles away. You may even get a chance to see one of the lake freighters carrying iron ore.
TIP: Check out the HarborLookout website to see which freighters are expected in the area during your trip.
The visitor center/nature store offers a nice place to gather and discuss what may be seen on the trip. You can learn about the animals that roam the area and information about the Gooseberry River Watershed. In 2018, the center added new, interactive exhibits about the Watershed and the origins of the waterfalls. The exhibits are a great way for your family to learn about how the journey of every drop of water flows to Lake Superior and great visual explanations about how lava seeped out of the rift that is now Lake Superior and the surrounding areas.
TIP: Make sure you check out the geology section to learn what some of rocks and minerals look like before hitting the trails. Make sure you check out the display on Minnesota’s State gem, the Lake Superior agate.
TIPS:
- AVOID the summer holiday weekends as the crowds tend to be excessive (We made this mistake the first time we were in the area and could not find a parking spot)
- Arrive early to enjoy the park when the crowds are less
- Wear comfortable footwear (waterproof boots recommended); some areas may be uneven and wet
- Take time to enjoy the visitors center and the interactive exhibits
- Plan on spending about 2 hours exploring the park
- Spring/summer visits bring a light jacket/sweatshirt; temps are generally about 10 degrees cooler due to the proximity of Lake Superior
- Download the Gooseberry Falls Go App to be alerted when approaching points of interest, such as cool rock formations and historic sites
- If you have a DSLR camera, remember to bring a tripod. Use a shutter speed of 1/5″ or longer to capture the softness of the flowing water.
Future trip alert:
In the late spring of 2019, we are planning on taking the “North Shore Waterfall Tour”. This 2-3 day trip includes exploring the Jay Cooke, Tettegouche and Gooseberry Falls State Parks. Some highlights of thiggs trip we are looking forward including:
- Swinging Bridge over the Saint Louis River at Jay Cooke S.P.
- Thompson Pioneer Cemetery (Late 1800’s cemetery)
- Cascades waterfall
- Lake Superior views from Palisade Head
- Visit all five falls
- Walk across the bridge and then the suspended walkway
- Civilian Conversation Corp log and stone structures, including “Castle in the Park”
TIP: Visit the DNR site
Be sure to check out the official DNR (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources) site for Gooseberry Falls State Park and take special note to the “Visitor Alert” section as they will post important information and advice.
QUESTION: If you have visited Gooseberry before, what advice do you have for families with childre planning a trip there?