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Built on a steep slope above the far western end of Lake Superior, Duluth looks out over the biggest freshwater lake in North America by area. It grew as a shipping port for iron ore, grain and timber, and freighters still pass through its harbor, making the city's maritime life part of everyday scenery. The rugged North Shore begins just beyond town, and the lake's cool air shapes the climate year-round.
The Aerial Lift Bridge, which raises its span to let ships into the harbor, is the city's best-known landmark. The Lakewalk follows the shoreline from Canal Park, a former industrial area now filled with restaurants and hotels. The Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center beside the canal explains shipping on the lakes, and visitors can walk out on the piers to watch freighters arrive. The S.S. William A. Irvin, a retired ore boat, is open for tours, and the Great Lakes Aquarium focuses on freshwater life. Glensheen Historic Estate, a grand lakeside mansion, offers tours of its rooms and gardens.
Skyline Parkway winds along the ridge above town, passing Enger Tower and wide views of the harbor. Hawk Ridge is known for its fall raptor migration, and Park Point stretches into the lake with a long sandy beach. The Depot houses the Lake Superior Railroad Museum. Duluth is a natural starting point for trips up the North Shore.
WiserMap travel guideDuluth Minnesota Lift Bridge and North Shore DrivesExplore Duluth: the Aerial Lift Bridge, Canal Park, Glensheen, Enger Tower, Park Point and the North Shore, with tips on seasons, food and getting around.Read the guide
Duluth's signature steel bridge spans the ship canal between Canal Park and Park Point. Its center span lifts in about a minute to let 1,000-foot lake freighters and ocean ships pass. Check the posted ship schedule and stand on the canal pier for the closest view and the horn salutes.
A 39-room Jacobean Revival mansion built in the early 1900s for the Congdon family on the Lake Superior shore, now owned by the University of Minnesota. Tours show original furnishings, the carriage house, gardens and boathouse. Book the expanded tour if you want to see the third floor and attic.
A 1910 lighthouse perched on a sheer cliff above Lake Superior about 45 miles northeast of Duluth along scenic Highway 61. The Minnesota Historical Society offers tours of the tower, the keeper's house and the fog signal building. For the classic photo, walk the shoreline trail down to the pebble beach below.
A paved path that runs for several miles along the Lake Superior shore from Canal Park toward the east side, with separate lanes for walkers and cyclists. It passes beaches, the Leif Erikson Park rose garden and rocky points. Go early on summer mornings when it is quiet and the lake is often calm.
A free museum run by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers right beside the ship canal. Exhibits cover lake shipping, shipwrecks, lighthouses and the building of the harbor, with ship models and a pilothouse. Afterward walk out the canal pier to the lighthouse to watch ships pass under the bridge.
A 610-foot Great Lakes freighter that once served as the flagship of U.S. Steel's fleet, now moored as a museum ship near the DECC. Guided tours take you through the engine room, cargo holds, crew quarters and the wood-paneled guest staterooms. Tours run mostly in summer, so check dates before you go.
Duluth's restored 1892 Union Depot now houses the Lake Superior Railroad Museum, with steam engines, rail cars and a massive Missabe Road articulated locomotive indoors. The North Shore Scenic Railroad runs seasonal excursions from here. Buy a combined ticket if you want the museum and a train ride.
Enger Tower is a five-story bluestone lookout from 1939 set on a hill above downtown, with a small Japanese peace garden and bell nearby. Skyline Parkway is the scenic road that winds along the ridge for miles above the city. Climb the tower at sunset for a wide view over the harbor and lift bridge.
Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory sits on a ridge on Duluth's east side and is one of the best places in North America to watch fall raptor migration. From mid-August to October thousands of hawks, eagles and falcons pass overhead. Visit in mid-September on a day with northwest winds, when naturalists count and band birds.
A long, narrow sandbar called Minnesota Point that stretches about seven miles across the bay from the lift bridge. It has sandy Lake Superior beaches, dunes, a beach house and a quiet pine forest trail at the far end. The water stays cold even in August, so most people wade rather than swim.
A freshwater aquarium on the Canal Park waterfront focused on Lake Superior and other great lakes and rivers of the world. Highlights include large lake sturgeon tanks, playful river otters and touch pools where kids can feel stingrays. It is a good rainy-day stop and is within walking distance of the bridge.
A forested state park southwest of Duluth where the St. Louis River crashes over tilted slate rock formations. The famous swinging bridge crosses the rapids, and trails lead through the gorge and along the river. Spring snowmelt brings the most dramatic water, while fall color peaks in late September.
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