Day Hiking Trails: Great trails surround Gooseberry Falls

Thursday, February 4, 2016

Great trails surround Gooseberry Falls

Lake Superior vista from Silver Creek Cliff Wayside Trail.

While Minnesota’s popular Gooseberry Falls State Park offers plenty of trails to explore for more than a few days, there are a number of great sights nearby that bear visiting.

The majority of them stretch between Two Harbors and the state park. Among the highlights are inspiring vistas of Lake Superior, agate-laden beaches, and modern harbors. The trails include:
• Silver Creek Cliff Wayside Trail
• Flood Bay Beach Trail
• Lighthouse Point Trail

Several great hiking trails also can be found north of Gooseberry Falls on the short stretch to Split Rock Lighthouse State Park. The sights include a beach of pink rock, trails winding through rare giant tufts of Arctic lichen, and a red rock gorge. Those trails are:
• Iona’s Beach Trail
• Superior Hiking Trail, Blueberry Hill Road to Split Rock River Valley segment
• Split Rock River Trail

Learn about more day hiking trails at and near Gooseberry Falls State Park in my Day Hiking Trails of Gooseberry Falls State Park guidebook.

Meet the Author

My name is Rob Bignell. I'm a long-time hiker, journalist and editor. My son Kieran and I have been hiking together for the past decade. Before Kieran, I taught middle school students in New Mexico and Wisconsin, served as an infantryman in the Army National Guard, and worked in newspapers. I've won several journalism awards, from editorial writing to sports reporting. In 2001, The Prescott Journal, which I served as managing editor of, was named Wisconsin’s Weekly Newspaper of the Year. Currently I own and operate an online editing business, Inventing Reality Editing Service. After spending several years in Southern California, my son and I now live in Wisconsin on the scenic Red Cedar River.