5 Must See North Shore Beaches

Refreshing water, sea glass, and the most amazing views- welcome to Minnesota's North Shore! Beaches along Lake Superior are a must-see any time of the year. While any place along the shore is a great way to spend a day, here are a few unique beaches to check out on your next adventure:

1) Knife River Beach: This is one of our fam’s most frequented beaches! I love it because it’s a short drive from our home in Duluth and it is typically not super crowded. It’s a larger pebble beach- perfect for agate picking. If you have kiddos, I would highly recommend this spot because it has quite a bit of shade and the water is easy to wade into.  It’s located right next to a neat boat marina to explore as well. And pssst.. swing by Great Lakes Candy Kitchen afterwards for a caramel turtle! 

2) Iona’s Beach: This beach is one of a kind and would make a great pit stop on your way up the shore. The beach is almost entirely made up of pink rhyolite- so the stones are pink! It's also known as the musical beach, because of the high pitched sound the waves make as they hit the rocks. Iona’s beach is only about 300 yards long, but it is a great spot to do a little exploring.

3) Sugarloaf Cove. Goodness, this place is amazing! It’s a beautiful spot just a short hike off Highway 61, and it has its own little nature center! We have spent many afternoons here skipping rocks and exploring the trails.

Sugarloaf Cove

4) Park Point Beach. I’m 99% sure you’ve already heard about this one! It’s the beachiest beach of them all, and a gem of Duluth. It’s sandy and shallow, but usually crowded. We go there more in the winter months than the summer ones, for that reason! There’s a beach house open most days in the summer, with bathrooms and basic concessions available. There’s usually a lifeguard on duty as well. If you are headed there for the first time, research rip tides and check the swim hazard risk before you go.

5) Black Sand Beach. Run, don’t walk! The sand is amazing, and it’s BLACK. This beach has picnic tables throughout, bathrooms, and plenty of space to explore. And a fun little tip:  bring along some magnets for the kiddos to play in the sand with - it contains enough ore to be magnetic! Science lesson = complete.

If you are visiting during the summer, here are a few items to pack specifically for North Shore beaches:
-Bug spray (for flys!)
-Water shoes. Most beaches are made of pebbles, not sand.
-Long sleeves, too! Winds change and temps sometimes drop significantly in a short amount of time, so an extra layer is always a good idea.

What North Shore beach would you add to this list?
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Happy adventuring, 
Sara