North Shore Trails

September 10-September 12

Finland, Minnesota

Temperance State Park

Cascade River State Park

Banning State Park

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Finland Minnesota

This excursion to the north shores of Minnesota was like a whirl wind of places to see and things to do.

This time we stayed at a place called Wild Hurst Camp Grounds.

The spots are secluded from  other campers; nice for privacy. Each site that we saw was large and our site was  surrounded completely by underbrush and trees.  Each site was equipped with a nice fire ring and picnic table.

The grounds were clean and neat. Covered garbage cans lined the  driveway to dose of your trash to keep out unwanted creatures. Out houses were across from the camp site, making this experience feel a bit more rustic.

First we stopped  the lodge or bar that sells liquor, soda, hot pizza and other miscellaneous items to check in.  You will see the craftsman's ship of the log house that was used to build the lodge. They have provided a fireplace and a comfortable sitting area to enjoy your friends and family. It was here we found the bathrooms. Each bathroom is  equipped with a shower for your use.

 Through out the summer months they do have entertainment lined up and they have a television for those games that you just can't miss.   The people were friendly and made us feel right at home.

At your site don't be surprised if you are visited once or twice by a little creature or two. I had tossed watermelon on the the ground not a smart move but I did. Not long after wards I noticed a noise from the wooded area. Naturally I think a bear or wolf and thought oh my god what do we do now. What the rustling noise was were two hungry, playful chipmunks  fighting over possession of the watermelon chunks. Quite daring of these two to come right out in the open area of our camp and steal the tossed food during the daylight. This is a place that we plan on going back to again in spring or summer.

Within minutes of driving from Wild Hurst you can find yourself immersed in waterfall heaven. George H. Crosby Manitou State Park is only 7miles from this site. This park has a waterfall that you wouldn't believe. Within a short driving distance you can find yourself at Gooseberry Falls, Split Rock Lighthouse, Tettegouche, Temperance and the Cascade State Parks. Grand Portage is not far from here being about 100 mi to the north.

Going east from Wild Hurst which is located in  Finland Minnesota  Hwy 1; the view of Lake Superior is spectacular. Going west on Hwy 1 you can see the Saw Tooth Mountain Range. In the fall this view is breath taking.

After setting up camp and looking at maps then making our plans for each place that we intended to visit the next day. Inspecting the map closer we found there was another waterfall that we didn't notice before. We decided to go check it out since it wasn't that far from where we were and we had enough daylight hours left.         

AAALynx lights our nightly campfire at Wild Hurst

Caribou River

The first stop is at Caribou River.

You can find Caribou River on going north on Hwy 61; just south of Temperance State Park. You will need to look for the wayside rest area sign as this isn't a state park. If you are needing to the use the restroom prior to the hike this is not the place for you. When we were there I didn't find an out house or portable toilet to use. 

From the parking lot at the wayside rest area you hike about one and one half miles and you will find the thundering falls. The route that we took on this hike was a bit treacherous as it was washed out by mudslides. As with any hiking experience we suggest that you always use caution. We followed the river and in the day light this was not a bad walk. It looks like the state is making some restoration to the path and the falls area which are needed. 

Once we reached the the top of falls we saw that extensive work was being done and decided not to go any further. We saw that this was the area that the state was working on at the time making the hike even a bit more difficult. It was there that we found a different path that lead back to the parking area that provided a bit more safety.

Cross River Falls

The Ojibwa called the Cross River the
“Tchibaiatigo zibi” or “Wood of the Soul (or
Spirit) River”.

The next day was sunny and warm. We left our site early in the morning as we had planned a lot of site seeing for the day. On the way to Temperance State Park we found a wayside rest area in the town of Schroeder and chose to stop. It was here that we found Cross River Falls. The falls are there at the roadside so not much hiking to do. There is another falls further up that we did not get to at this time.

This rest stop did have restrooms for public use which I think are necessary. The falls are what I would call cascading falls as the water doesn't drop over the edge of a cliff.

Temperance State Park

Temperance State Park map pdf file

The Ojibwa name for the Temperance River
was “kawimbash” or “Deep Hollow River”.

Next we progress to Temperance State Park. We found the path that lead to the Hwy 61 where you can see the first falls and where it flows into Lake Superior. We found a trail that lead down to the river and it was here that you can see the fall drop. This is only the first falls and not the big Temperance falls.

We found the trail that lead to Temperance falls. This trail is about one mile in length and was interesting to follow. There were parts that were washed out but there was enough traffic on the path that made the trail hike able.  We came across some areas on the path that you had to climb up boulders to get to the remaining trail. Once you get to the main falls area the terrain is easy to navigate with flat lava rock to walk on. You will see a deep ravine where the river flows.

 The waterfall was free falling with force and power. It really is a site to behold. The falls is cut back into a deep ravine making it hard to get a front view. If your daring enough to stand on the edge of a cliff you should be able to get a nice view of the falls. The lava rocks that surround the ravine do provide a nice walk way and platform. We did not spend that much time at this fall since we had many others to visit this weekend. We  found a trail that lead away from the falls back to the park that was easier to navigate. On to the next park.

Cascade River State Park

Cascade State Park map pdf file

Before you enter the main park area there is a small wayside rest to the right of the highway. I would suggest you stop there. Not only is it a nice picnic area but the views of Lake Superior are fantastic. You can climb down on the rocks and watch the tide roll in. We really enjoy the scenery and the sound.

From the picnic area the main park entrance is on the left hand side of the road not even a half a block away.

This hike wasn't as bad as the one at Temperance. The paths were well defined and easy to navigate. There were many areas along the path to stop and take in the view. The length of the hike is about a half of a mile. It was at this point that we found the larger of the cascading falls. This falls is easier to see than Temperance but still hard to get a front view picture. There is a bridge to stand on to get some good shots but I for one would love to get down into the ravines and get better angles. You will see the larger falls dumping its water into a pool then cascading over a smaller falls. We thought that this was all there was to see here. Being a bit disappointed we ventured out on the trail again and came across some more cascading falls not more than 700 ft away. We hiked out onto the lava rocks right to the edge of river and falls. Once at the edge you can see the big falls with all its power flowing over the edge down into the cascade river. Here you can also see the scenic cascading falls rolling over the lava rocks providing my favorite view. I love to sit there on the rocks with my eyes closed listening to the sound. I have to say that this is my favorite falls.

With night time falling upon us; we headed back to camp.

We broke camp early started on our way back home. The skies turned gray in Finland and it started to rain. As we progressed south we came across sunshine and we decided to stop at our next park Banning State Park. We didn't know what we would find there but we were anxious to see the rapids area. 

Banning State Park

Banning State Park map summer pdf file

Banning State Park map winter pdf file

We drove down to the river area and were delighted to see the Kettle River rapids. We headed out on the trail not know what to expect and came across the concrete ruins of the once known town of Banning. On this path you will see plenty of pot holes in the rocks and the beauty of the sandstone in this area.

Thinking that this was all there was we chose to venture on a path that looked well traveled in hopes of getting to Wolf Creek falls. We followed the path and ventured through the over growth and through jungles of roots and branches tunnels. We traversed many boulders and followed the path which at times ended and had to climb 20-50 ft down or up as the case maybe. Finally we came to a dead end on this trail but landed in the well known Hells Gate of the Kettle River on the jagged rocks of the river. The rapids here are fast and plentiful. In my opinion I think the hike was more exciting than the rapids. After coming to the end of the trail we had to decide how to go further down river to get to the falls.  We had two options one was to go back the same way we came or the other was to climb up 30-50ft cliff. We chose to go about 30-50 ft up a cliff to get to flat land in hopes to find another trail that lead to Wolf Creek Falls. Looking down all I could see were the explosive rapids and jagged rocks that were beneath me and prayed that I didn't make a wrong step. We certainly had to clear mind and plan our every step. Finally after what felt like a long climb I thought it to be a real adrenalin rush to look back down.

Keep in mind we had never done this before so it was quite a feat for us to do. Also keep in mind that we are doing all of this only one week after AAALynx had surgery on his back. Not to bad for young looking and young acting middle aged folks.

Once on top of the cliff we made our way back to a trail or something that resembled a trail and followed that till we heard the marvelous sound of the water falls ahead.  We followed a river to the falls. What we came upon was a wide falls. Not like the ones that we had encountered on the north shore. This one didn't have as much force behind it not like the ones that we had grown accustom to in the Arrowhead region. It was a nice, cute little falls in the middle of the forest. It is not one that I would go out of my way to see again.

With that done we were once again on our way home planning on resting up for the next big adventure. Please stay tuned as it only gets better. In fact I am taking a mini-break in writing and you will now be hearing from my partner in crime AAALynx.

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Come see all the waterfalls and other treasures that we have found to share with you this  past year. All you need to do is click on the Park Lynx Prints to find them. Hope you enjoy the sites and scenery