Cascade River State Park

About this park

Cascade River State Park, established in 1957, stretches along 10.5 miles of Lake Superior shoreline between Lutsen and Grand Marais, protecting land that Minnesota's highway department first acquired in the 1930s to rehabilitate scars left by the construction of Highway 61 itself; a Civilian Conservation Corps camp worked specifically to restore the roadside landscape during that era. The park's namesake river is genuinely dramatic, dropping roughly 900 feet over its final three miles to Lake Superior, tumbling through a volcanic rock gorge lined with moss and ferns that visitors can feel vibrating underfoot from the footbridge crossing above the rushing water. A boreal forest of aspen, birch, fir, spruce, and cedar covers the park's hilly terrain, among the most rugged topography found on this stretch of the North Shore, with trails climbing to the summits of Moose Mountain (1,148 feet) and Lookout Mountain (1,200 feet) for sweeping views back over Lake Superior. More than 18 miles of hiking trails and 17 miles of groomed cross-country ski trails connect into the broader 196-kilometer North Shore trail network, giving the park genuine four-season appeal for both summer hikers and winter skiers. The Cascade River and the surrounding North Shore streams are all designated trout waters, requiring a special trout stamp alongside a standard Minnesota fishing license, and anglers pursue brook trout, rainbow trout, and even coho salmon and steelhead making their way up from Lake Superior. Birders have logged more than 140 species here as part of Minnesota's North Shore Birding Trail, and the park's easy roadside access directly off scenic Highway 61 makes it one of the most visited waterfall stops along the entire North Shore drive.