Things to do in Minnesota
28 places worth stopping for and 2 places to stay on a road trip through Minnesota.
See and do
- Waterfall
Waterfall · Two Harbors
Gooseberry Falls State Park
Five waterfalls with paved paths, the classic first stop on the North Shore.
- History
History · Two Harbors
Split Rock Lighthouse
A 1910 lighthouse on a 130-foot cliff, and the North Shore's best-known photo.
- Lake
Lake · International Falls
Voyageurs National Park
A water-based national park of lakes and islands on the Canadian border.
- Waterfall
Waterfall · Silver Bay
Tettegouche State Park
Minnesota's tallest waterfall, a short walk through woodland.
Waterfall · SchroederHidden gem
Temperance River State Park
A narrow gorge where the river squeezes through potholes just off the highway.
- Waterfall
Waterfall · Grand MaraisHidden gem
Judge C.R. Magney State Park
Home of the Devil's Kettle, where a river splits and half disappears.
- Viewpoint
Viewpoint · Silver BayHidden gem
Palisade Head
A 300-foot cliff with a drive-up viewpoint and views up and down the shore.
- Town
Town · Grand Marais
Grand Marais (Minnesota)
A tiny harbour town at the end of the North Shore, with artists and a lighthouse.
- Waterfall
Waterfall · Grand Portage
Grand Portage State Park (High Falls)
Minnesota's tallest waterfall, on the Canadian border, with a short paved path.
- Waterfall
Waterfall · LutsenHidden gem
Cascade River State Park
A string of waterfalls tumbling into the lake from a short walk.
- History
History · Grand Portage
Grand Portage National Monument
A reconstructed fur trade depot on Lake Superior, free to visit.
- Waterfall
Waterfall · Little MaraisHidden gem
Caribou River Falls
A forest river falls with a boardwalk to the gorge, off the main tourist track.
- Roadside oddity
Roadside oddity · Duluth
Aerial Lift Bridge, Duluth
A big lift bridge that raises for ships, a Duluth icon.
- Wildlife
Wildlife · LuverneHidden gem
Blue Mounds State Park
Quartzite cliffs above a bison herd on the Minnesota prairie.
- Wildlife
Wildlife · Ely
International Wolf Center
Educational wolf centre with a live pack in a woodland enclosure.
- History
History · Pipestone
Pipestone National Monument
Sacred red quarry where Native Americans dig catlinite for pipes.
- Town
Town · LanesboroHidden gem
Lanesboro
River town on the Root River Trail with bike hire, cafes and theatre.
- Wildlife
Wildlife · Wabasha
National Eagle Center
See live bald and golden eagles up close beside the Mississippi.
- Walk
Walk · Altura
Whitewater State Park
Trout stream valley with limestone bluffs and a swimming beach.
- Cave
Cave · Preston
Mystery Cave
Minnesota's longest cave, toured with a guide at Forestville.
- History
History · Soudan
Soudan Underground Mine State Park
Ride a cage 2,300 feet down an old iron mine.
- Waterfall
Waterfall · Minneapolis
Minnehaha Regional Park
53-foot waterfall in the middle of Minneapolis.
- Museum
Museum · AustinHidden gem
Spam Museum
A free museum about the canned meat, with silly interactive exhibits and samples.
Roadside oddity · Bemidji
Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox
Giant 1937 statues of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox on the lake shore.
- History
History · ComfreyHidden gem
Jeffers Petroglyphs
Thousands of carvings in a pink rock outcrop on the prairie.
- Viewpoint
Viewpoint · FrontenacHidden gem
Frontenac State Park
Mississippi River bluff views over Lake Pepin, great for migrating birds.
- History
History · Minneapolis
Stone Arch Bridge
Old railway bridge over St Anthony Falls, now a pedestrian walkway.
- Roadside oddity
Roadside oddity · Blue EarthHidden gem
Jolly Green Giant statue
A 55-foot Jolly Green Giant statue watching over a Minnesota town.
Food stops
Places to stay
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Plan the drive, not just the stops
Roadtrip works out what the drive costs in fuel for your car, splits it into days with the best stops and places to sleep, and finds the cheapest fuel on the way.
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