Two waterfalls rush over volcanic rock

Walking bridge over Cascade River. Photo courtesy of Minnesota DNR.

Superior Hiking Trail segment follows river

The Cascade River drops over two waterfalls as it rambles through a fern-laden gorge of 1.1 billion-year-old volcanic rock. A segment of Minnesota’s Superior Hiking Trail heads about 0.85 miles round trip to Cascade Falls and the Cascades, a set of small drops just above it.

To reach the trail, take Minn. Hwy. 61 north from Lutsen. Immediately past the Cascade Lodge, park in the lot on the highway’s left/north side. The trail leaves from lot’s northeast corner.

Spawning salmon
That connector passes beneath a canopy of aspen, birch, and fragrant cedar, fir and spruce trees, angling toward and joining the Superior Hiking Trail along the Cascade River.

While spring marks the best time to see the heaviest waterfall as snow melts off the nearby hills, late summer and early fall offer the surprise of Chinook and pink salmon swimming upriver from Lake Superior to spawn. Regardless of the season, along the shore you’ll pass anglers trying to catch rainbow and brook trout.

In about 0.2 miles, the trail arrives at Cascade Falls, which plunges 25 feet over the black volcanic rock that hardened here some 500 million years before animals appeared on the planet. Despite the basalt’s resistance to erosion, the river still has managed to carve out 120 feet of drops during its last quarter-mile stretch before joining Lake Superior.

After the waterfall, continue north on the trail for about 0.15 miles to The Cascades, a set of five small drops that the river is named for.

Walking bridge
As returning, hikers can cross a walking bridge over the river gorge. It offers incredible views of the cascades that are upstream and of the river flowing downstream. On the bridge, you can feel the vibrations of the rushing water.

On the river’s east side, take the trail about 0.1 miles south to Cascade Falls for another perspective of it.

Hikers will a little extra energy to burn can continue walking south to the extend trail by 0.2 miles (0.4 miles round trip). While heading back to the parking lot by crossing the Hwy. 61 bridge over the Cascade is possible, for safety reasons it’s inadvisable. You’re better to retrace your steps across the walking bridge over the Cascades and return down the river’s west side.

Upon reaching the parking lot, drive across the state highway to the wayside for some nice views of Lake Superior and the Cascade’s confluence with it.

Read more about day hiking Northeast Minnesota in my Headin’ to the Cabin: Day Hiking Trails of Northeast Minnesota guidebook.

Best trails for seeing Judge CR Magney State Park’s wonders

Devil's Kettle

Among the best ways to see the top sights at Minnesota’s Judge CR Magney State Park is via a day hike. Just four short trails will allow you to enjoy each of the park’s highlights – a pair of waterfalls, Lake Superior views, classic trout streams, and Northwoods wildlife.

Devil’s Kettle waterfall
About a mile from Lake Superior, volcanic rock splits the Brule River in a formation known as the Devil’s Kettle. One side of the divided river drops 50 feet while the other half rushes into a pothole. A 2-mile round trip segment of the Superior Hiking Trail crosses the Brule and heads alongside it to Upper Falls and then the Devil's Kettle.

Lake Superior views
Containing 2,903 cubic miles of water, the world’s largest freshwater lake stretches across the park’s eastern and southern horizon. For a grand view, from the campground parking lot take a segment of Superior Hiking Trail south along the Brule River to just above its confluence with Lake Superior. The hike is about 1-mile round trip.

Trout streams
Brook and rainbow trout are abundant in the Brule River and Gauthier Creek. You’re certain to see anglers landing one on either waterway. You can reach Gauthier Creek from the parking lot by taking a segment of the Superior Hiking Trail north to the stream for a round trip of about a 2 miles.

Northwoods wildlife
Moose, black bear, timber wolf, white-tailed deer, ruffed grouse, snowshoe hare, woodchuck, red squirrel, chipmunk, warblers, chickadees, jays, nuthatches, and woodpeckers all reside in the park. To improve your chances of a sighting, go deeper into the park; that can be done via the same Superior Hiking Trail segment to Gauthier Creek except extend the walk about 2 miles (4-miles total round trip) by crossing the stream and doing the loop on its north side.

Find out about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

Best trails for seeing wonders of Minnesota’s Cascade River State Park

Cascade River. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.

Among the best ways to see the top sights at Minnesota’s Cascade River State Park is via a day hike. Just three short trails will allow you to enjoy each of the park’s highlights – waterfalls, fantastic Lake Superior views, and brilliant autumn colors.

Waterfalls
The Cascade River drops over two waterfalls as it rambles through a fern-laden gorge of 1.1 billion-year-old volcanic rock. A segment of the Superior Hiking Trail heads about 0.5 miles round trip from a parking lot off Minn. Hwy. 61 south of Cascade River to Cascade Falls and the Cascades, a set of five small waterfalls just above it.

Lake Superior views
Off the state park’s shores the glacial lake the Ojibwe called gichigami – “the great sea” – stretches for 31,700 square miles. The Lake Trail runs 1.2 miles (2.4-miles round trip) along Lake Superior’s rocky beaches and white cedar trees.

Autumn colors
After Labor Day, the park’s birch leaves turn gold, making for an impressive site against the green spruce and fir. The Lookout Mountain Trail, a 3.5-mile loop, takes you through the forest to an overlook 600 feet above the shoreline, offering a view of the Sawtooth Mountain Range and of blue Lake Superior in the distance.

Find out about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.