Being from Minnesota (self-proclaimed land of 10,000 lakes), we typically camp in locations that are close to a body of water as most Minnesotans are naturally drawn to bodies of water. We are no exception; we typically camp in locations on or near lakes or rivers. We could ramble on until we are blue in the face about all the great camping locations scattered along shores of the great lakes, US / Canada boundary waters, bluffs in southern Minnesota, various lake regions in MN / WI / MI, etc. However, we’ll focus on the location we enjoyed visiting the most this past summer. Without further a due, let us tell you why Tettegouche State Park was our favorite location to camp.
Tettegouche State Park is located on the north shore of Lake Superior and is approximately one hour north of Duluth, MN (refer to the link at the bottom of this blog for specific details such as pricing, current conditions, etc. from the MN DNR). We spent a few days camping at Tettegouche State Park which was centrally located to various other great state parks within 30 – 60 minutes (e.g., split rock light house, gooseberry falls, temperance river, etc.) of Tettegouche so we were able to easily visit multiple parks during our visit. The reason we liked Tettegouche State Park the most was the Shovel Point trail which is a fairly short and easy trail to hike / walk but we thought it was stunning. It winds along steep cliffs that overlook Lake Superior and there are numerous overlooks along the trail that are absolutely breathtaking. There are even a few spots along the trail that lead down to the lake which offers additional views of the crystal clear water and serves as great spots for a breather, picnicking, or a swim in the cool waters if you are there on a warm summer day. See below for a few of our photos / views (cliché’ comment alert - the picture don’t do it justice 😉).
As far as the actual camp sites, they were exactly what you would expect from a state park. They were all well maintained and had a nice flat space to pitch a tent, fire ring, picnic table, and a bear-proof steel box to store food if you’d like. The downfall was there was only a few campsites that had direct views of the lake and they were all occupied when we were there so we had to settle for a site that was further back in the woods.
Overall, we highly recommend this state park and would recommend it to anyone.
Link to the DNR: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/park.html?id=spk00269#homepage
Link to the Tettegouche trail map: https://files.dnr.state.mn.us/maps/state_parks/spk00269.pdf