Kelly Schneider

My boyfriend and I went here to celebrate our one-year anniversary. We rented a condo from some friends, and it was right on the shore. At the end of August, there weren’t many families on vacation, so I suspect that it wasn’t as busy as if it were mid-summer. And most of the rest of the tourists cleared out on Sunday afternoon, so it was really quiet that night and Monday morning.

After receiving some good recommendations of things to do from friends and on this site, we had a list of things to do. We made another list while we were there, since we discovered things we’d like to try or do but didn’t have time for. Great excuse to plan another trip.

Some things we especially enjoyed: Sven & Olie’s pizza, hiking (we tried the Sweetheart’s Bluff trail, which was really difficult to find, but a nice climb up a cliff once we did), donuts (“World’s Best”), Artist’s Point, and skipping rocks on the shore.

Some things to keep in mind: lots of places closed on Sunday; Gene’s IGA had a better selection than Johnson’s grocery; bring good walking sandals for the beach (it’s rocks, not sand); the fog seemed to roll in as the sun began to set, so make sure and spend as much time in the outdoors in the morning and afternoon as you want; use sunscreen before going out on a hike – there’s not much shade, and it’s stronger than you might think (I got pretty burnt our last day there).

The drive from the Twin Cities isn’t too long – about 5 hours, give or take. Duluth was a nice stopping point for halfway. At the end of August, the sun was setting around 7:30 or 8, so bring a good book to read or some movies to watch, since there’s nothing to do in town after dark except eat.

All in all, I can’t wait to go back. Off-season rates at the hotels might be something to look into, if you’re looking to get away and can do so in the fall or spring. Also, you’re only about 50 miles from Canada, so if you’re planning a longer trip, it might be worth it to add in a day to go up there. We didn’t, so I can’t offer any advice as to what might be up there (other than Canadians), but maybe someone else can.

If you’re driving up the North Shore on 61, you can’t miss Cascade Falls. The road actually takes you directly through the park. When the speed limit drops to 40, pay attention, and pull off at the parking lot that appears. There’s only one. (Be careful when parking – the lot is short, and an SUV parked next to us made it a little dangerous trying to pull back out again, since you basically have to pull out into traffic. This might be more of an issue during the summer/busy season – at the end of August, it wasn’t that bad.)

Once you get out of your car, there’s a sign showing you the trail to take to the falls. It tells you to take the first path (the one on the left) and follow it along. My advice is to cross the little bridge and take the far path. You’ll be doing it “backwards,” but it shouldn’t be a problem. The views on the south side are much better, so if you do travel the trail in reverse, you’ll end with the more spectacular views, instead of being disappointed towards the end.

The trail isn’t that long. We stopped on our way back from Grand Marais, and spent less than half an hour there, and I still managed to take over 20 pictures. The trail isn’t handicapped-accessible, but we did see several retired couples traveling it, so it should be fun for all. Follow the trail along until you get to the main bridge, making sure to stop at all of the gated vistas along the path.

It wasn’t busy at all when we were there, but it was Monday afternoon at the very end of August, so there weren’t many people on vacation anymore. I’m not sure what it would be like in the middle of summer. Also, the water levels were low this year, and in a year with more rain, I’m sure the view would be even more spectacular.

There are a few larger falls, and many smaller ones in-between. Different kinds sure to please everyone. We strayed from the path onto the rocks and put our hands in the water. Brrr! No swimming here, either – the water travels fast, and some of the pools between falls appear very deep, with big rocks jutting out. I’d watch kids closely if you bring them.

All in all, a must-see if you’re passing through. You can also camp at the park, which we didn’t do. Check the MN DNR site for information on that.

My boyfriend picked Scenic State Park out for his first camping trip (I grew up camping with my family). It is a beautiful state park (true to its name), though a bit small. Many other state parks have more hiking trails or other natural attractions, but for a short weekend camping trip or if you like fishing, this is the place to go! The non-electric loop of campsites emptied out Sunday afternoon, so it felt like we had the place to ourselves.

Many of the other state parks fill up with reservations early in the season, but there were plenty of sites available just a few weeks before our trip.

The hike up to Chase Point (1.9 miles each way) is worth the view – mildly difficult terrain, but some people in front of us managed to get their off-roading baby carrier most of the way there. We rented a canoe for an afternoon, and the lake was quite peaceful. The lake is fairly shallow (I think 36 feet at its deepest), so no water-skiing or other antics that might disturb the calm. There is a small swimming spot on the shore, as well as several spots to dock your own boat if you bring it.

The park rangers who work there are very friendly. They were more than willing to help us out when we arrived late to buy more ice, and patrolled the park after hours to keep the volume down, which we appreciated.

There isn’t a playground, so other than swimming, kids might get bored if you go for a long time. There’s really only two hiking trails (including the one to Chase Point), which is why I say Scenic is the perfect place for a weekend camping trip. If the naturalist program hadn’t been cancelled due to budget cuts, I’m sure there would be more to do. The Bog Walk (a little detour off the longer hiking trail) was closed unfortunately, and I think that would have been an interesting guided tour.

Make sure you bring some serious bug spray with DEET (the Cutter Skintastic we brought didn’t work, but Deep Woods OFF did), otherwise you’ll get eaten up. But it’s not unbearable, as long as you have something with DEET in it.

I don’t know if we’ll go back, but that’s just because there are so many state parks in Minnesota and I’ve only been to a handful of them. So much more to discover in my new home state!