Last August, I took Buzz on a five day doggymoon driving all the way up to Canadian border (we couldn’t cross because of Covid.) We hiked around 8-9 miles per day, Buzz swam out of his heart every single day. It was seriously the best time of our lives so we are making it a yearly thing! Below are the places we hiked, swam and stayed at.
Hiking Places
Caribou Falls State Wayside
This is probably one of the most impressive waterfalls you can access with the shortest amount of hiking! It’s a round trip about 1.2 miles hike where you hike along Caribou River that leads to the base of Caribou Falls (35 foot waterfall.)
When we were there, the water level was so low and Buzz had such a fun time swimming! We sat on the rocks and it was such a peaceful moment.
**Please ensure your dog is leashed in all state parks/wayside (Buzz is leashed but I edited out the leash)
** This is a seasonal wayside. It is not plowed or accessible in winter. The best time to visit is May-October before the first snowfall.
Cascade River State Park
Cascade River has so much to offer from rushing river/grand waterfalls to moss and ferns that grow on black volcanic rocks! We did the hiking club trail up to Lookout Mountain Overlook (3.5 miles.) We hiked through birch, spruce and fir and took us to the overlook that is 1,200 feet about sea level with an excellent view of Lake Superior, Cascade River Valley and the Sawtooth Mountain Range! You can see SEVEN different waterfalls at this park!
**Remember to bring water! I totally forgot to bring water for myself and I was SO TIRED when I got to the top with the altitude.
Grand Portage State Park
Grand Portage State Park has the highest waterfall in the state of Minnesota. The trail to High Falls is only one mile and it’s wheelchair-accessible and paved! You also have the option to hike a rugged 3.5 mile trail to Middle Falls where you can see Canada!
The hike to the falls is very easy but the path isn’t very wide. This was the first time I took Buzz to such a crowded place after his reactivity developed and I was so afraid he would react as there were tons of kids, wheelchair (scary for dogs!) and other dogs. Luckily, he didn’t have any reaction. We didn’t hike all the way up to Middle Falls but we did hiked to the overlook where you can see Canada!
Judge C.R. Magney State Park
Judge C.R. Magney State Park is where the famous Devil’s Kettle Falls resides. It’s a 2-mile trip to get to the falls with A LOT OF STAIRS (410 stairs total – 205 each way.) The park is open year round.
Patridge Falls in Grand Portage
THIS IS A HIDDEN GEM! Patridge Falls is in Cook County, on Pigeon River which is upstream from High Falls from Grand Portage State Park. It is tucked away from a 4.3 mile dirt road which is only accessible during good weather. The 4.3 mile dirt road took us 20 mins to drive through because it’s not maintenaned. Recommended for people whose car has 4 wheel drive.
You can also go there in winter but you would have to hike in!
Bean and Bear Superior Hiking Trail
Bean and Bear Superior Hiking Trail near silver bay is a 6.8 mile out and back loop evaluated as moderate. This is one of the most popular trails up north due to the magnificent view and bean and bear lake once you reached to the top.
It took us about 5 hours and tons of breaks to finish the hike. We chose a Saturday thinking there would be people there to take a picture for us when we reached the top and ended up didn’t see anyone the entire hike. Highly recommend to download “All trails” before you go on the hike as the cell signal isn’t strong up there and you can easily get lost. Also, bring LOTS OF WATER.
Once you reached to the overlook, you can actually hike down the mountain following the camping sign to get to the lake for a swim! Buzz had so much fun getting his energy recharged from swimming.
**DO NOT LET YOUR DOG OFFLEASH, there are bears.
Beach
Black Beach in Silver Bay
Did you know we have Black Sand Beach in Minnesota? This is one of our favorite beaches. The black sand isn’t natural – it is resulted from taconite – dumped into the water for years from mining companies. Besides black sand, the beach also features jagged cliffs and rock formations. It is accessible all year! We just went back a couple weeks ago and the ice and snow make it extra magnificent!
Pro tip – the beach next to black beach (first entrance once you enter the park) is FAR LESS busy since it is just a normal beach.
Iona’s Beach in Two Harbors
Another hidden gem – NOT DOG-FRIENDLY. The entire beach is pink! Due to it being a science natural area, any creatures besides human can’t be on the actual pink beach. However, there are tons of other trails you can walk on to get a view of the pink beach.
Fun fact – besides the beautiful pink rocks, when the waves hit the pebbles, it actually makes a beautiful musical sound.
Park Point
OUR ABSOLUTE FAVORITE BEACH!
Park Point is a 7 mile beach (+ a 4 mile hiking trail with a lighthouse). It is the World’s Longest Fresh Water Sandbar.
Park Point is one of the locals favorites as well! Most of the time, it is very busy! However, don’t let that scare you away. Since it’s a 7 mile beach, you almost ALWAYS can find places just to yourselves. Plus, even if you have a reactive dog like mine, Lake Superior is very shallow near the shore so you can always walk in when people come by. 🙂
Did I mention, it has the prettiest sunrise and sunset as well?
Places we stayed
La Quinta by Wyndham
La Quinta by Wyndham is 20 mins from downtown Duluth & 30 mins from Park Point and it’s Dog-Friendly.
The main reason I chose this hotel besides it being dog-friendly is how close it is to downtown/Park Point. We loved how big the lobby is which is perfect for reactive Buzzy. Our room was also away from the entrance which is perfect for dogs that are sensitive to noises. Dogs are also allowed EVERYWHERE in the hotel besides breakfast area (the law!)
Mountain Inn in Lutsen
We stayed at Mountain Inn for 3 nights. Mountain Inn is at the base of Lutsen Mountain Ski Resort and located in Superior National Forest!
The main reasons why I chose to stay at Mountain Inn was (1) one of the only resorts that have air-conditioning (Buzzy gets hot at night!) (2) The location is SO convenient. It’s in the middle of Grand Marais and Silver Bay which I can go either direction any day!
We loved staying there! The Inn was recently renovated and the staffs were all so welcoming (Buzzy even got a welcoming dog package!)
