Tettegouche State Park is 25 minutes southwest of Overlook Hus on Highway 61. It covers 9,346 acres of the Sawtooth Range, four inland lakes, two rivers, and some of the most dramatic Lake Superior shoreline in Minnesota. Most people visit for one trail and leave wishing they had stayed longer.
A Minnesota State Parks vehicle permit is required. Buy an annual pass before you go if you plan to visit more than two state parks. It pays for itself on the first trip.
Shovel Point
Shovel Point is the trail most people come for, and for good reason. It is a 1.8-mile round trip along the cliff edge above Lake Superior. The basalt headlands drop straight to the water below. On a clear day, the view stretches for miles in both directions along the shore.
The trail is rocky and uneven in places. Wear appropriate footwear. Keep back from the edges — the cliff faces are steep and the rock can be slick when wet.
Arrive early on summer weekends. The Shovel Point trailhead parking lot fills by mid-morning in July and August.
High Falls of the Baptism River
The High Falls of the Baptism River is the tallest waterfall in Minnesota, at 60 feet. It is about a mile inland from the visitor center on a well-maintained trail. The falls drop in two tiers through a narrow basalt gorge.
Spring and early summer are the best times. Snowmelt pushes the river high and the falls run hard. By late August the flow drops significantly. Still worth the walk, but the spring version is the one worth planning around.
The suspension bridge near the base of the falls is the best viewpoint. The trail continues past the falls to Two Step Falls, a smaller cascade a short distance upstream that most visitors skip. It is worth the extra ten minutes.
The Inland Lakes
Tettegouche has four inland lakes: Mic Mac, Nipisiquit, Tettegouche, and Sample. The trails to the lakes run through old-growth boreal forest with significant elevation change. Tettegouche Lake is the most remote and the most rewarding — about 3.5 miles from the trailhead with 600 feet of gain.
These trails get almost no traffic compared to Shovel Point. If you are looking for a full day of hiking with solitude, the inland lake routes are where to go.
Palisade Head
Palisade Head is part of Tettegouche State Park but is not contiguous with the main park area. It sits approximately two miles east of the main entrance — between Silver Bay and the Tettegouche visitor center — so you pass it first on the drive from Overlook Hus. It is not a trail. It is a parking area on top of a 350-foot rhyolite cliff face. The view from the top is one of the most striking on the North Shore. The cliff is a popular destination for technical rock climbers.
It is easy to miss. Watch for the small brown sign on the right heading southwest toward Silver Bay.
Practical Notes
Permit: Minnesota State Parks vehicle permit required. Available at the park entrance or at mndnr.gov.
Timing from Overlook Hus: 25 minutes southwest on Highway 61. The main entrance and visitor center are well-signed off the highway.
Best season: Spring for waterfall flow, fall for color on the inland lake trails, summer for Shovel Point in good weather. The park is open year-round. Winter hiking on the Shovel Point trail requires traction devices — the rock gets icy.
Trail difficulty: Shovel Point and High Falls are moderate and accessible to most visitors. The inland lake trails are more demanding. The park map at the visitor center shows all trail distances and elevation profiles.
Dogs: Allowed on trails on a 6-foot leash.
Tettegouche is the kind of park that rewards spending a full day rather than checking off the two main trails and leaving. The interior is largely empty on any given day. The lake views are as good as anything on the shore.
Overlook Hus is 25 minutes northeast on Highway 61. Check availability and book directly.