Cascade River State Park With waterfalls falling over
its rock gorges, the Cascade River State Park is one of the most beautiful sights in Minnesota.
It’s located between Grand Marais and Lutsen, easily accessed through Highway 61.
The park has been untouched and preserved ever since the 1950s,
being a stunning place for nature lovers to relax. Today, it has a number of activities for visitors,
such as watching the waterfalls, cross-country skiing, hiking, and fishing.
Since cedar trees surround the Cascade River State Park, it’s just the spot for
having a picnic with friends and family. Barbecuing or having lunch in the middle
of this natural retreat is an experience that will be etched in your memory forever.
Things to do in Cascade River State Park In-Season Activities
Once you’re done eating, there’s plenty to do in the state park.
Birdwatching is an excellent pastime for people who love engaging with the friendlier wildlife
and being mesmerized by the beautiful voices, colors, patterns, and shapes of these birds.
The Cascade River State Park has more than 100 different bird species,
giving avid bird watchers a chance to enjoy their day to the fullest.
If you’re lucky, you might see the bald eagle, which is a national symbol of America.
Another rare species in the park to keep an eye out for is the peregrine falcon.
Before you get your binoculars out, download a list of birds
from the website of the Department Of National Resources to keep track of everything you see.
If you’d rather be busy doing something more physically demanding, go for a hike in the
Cascade River State Park. Bordering Lake Superior,
the park has a magnificent shoreline that’s surrounded by multiple hiking trails.
The most popular trail is the Lookout Mountain that takes you on a hike along the
sight-pleasing scenery and interesting geology. As the ferns and aspen leaves change color
during fall, the hike becomes even more visually appealing during the fall season.
Besides hiking, travelers also love fishing at Cascade River State Park.
Make sure you’ve purchased a fishing license from Grand Marais or Lutsen.
You can catch different fish depending on the season.
While spring increases your chances of catching the steelhead trout, fall is for fishing salmon.
Since tributaries fall into the river, there are different kinds of fish in the river year-round.
Off-Season Apart from these rather stationary activities,
the Cascade River State Park also has a ton of adventurous sports for you to partake in.
During the winter, you can rent a snowmobile from the park and go down the two-mile trail.
As the trail passes through frozen waterfalls and rapids, you’ll have the sights of your life.
The park also has designated routes for skiing spanning up to 17 miles. You can also ski at
the Lutsen Mountains as there are 85 ski runs, catering to people of all ski expertise levels.
Your trip to the Cascade River State Park doesn’t have to be all about doing activities. If you’re
there for a rather serene and calming experience, the Cascade waterfalls provide just that.
Cascade Waterfall The Cascade River lives up to its name since it
drops up to 900 feet in just three miles, and four of the drops are in the Cascade River State Park.
The best way to view the waterfalls is to park your vehicle at the parking spot of Highway 61.
Hike all the way to any side of the river, but if you want to see the lowest drop,
it’s only accessible from the west side. After that, you’ll come across two more drops,
followed by another one that’s most visible from the east side.
If you don’t want to go all the way up, you can watch the falls from the footbridge.
The drops are smaller here, but it’s just the view worth photographing.
Take a drive up north, you’ll see many other waterfalls such as the Devil’s Kettle Falls,
Cross River Falls, Caribou Falls, and the High Falls of Pigeon River.
If it’s your time going to the Cascade River State Park, you might have some trouble finding it.
But if you take Highway 61 between Grand Marais and Lutsen, you’ll find it easily.
The official entrance is at 3481 West Highway 61 on the side of
the highway that’s not adjacent to the lake. You can park for free along Highway 61 and hit
the hiking trails right away. The Cascade River State Park is also open to RVers, and there’s a
campground that charges standard rates. The campsite has some facilities,
including toilets and showers. But they’re only available in the peak
season from May to October if the weather permits. As for the opening season, the park is open all
around the year. However, the Visitor’s Center is open from 9 am to 3 pm while the summer hours
are longer. This is where you come from basic camping facilities, such as ice and firewood.
Do note that the cell service isn’t all that great in the park,
even if you have a reliable provider. So, it’s better to have backup sources of communication
and take a map along rather than relying solely on Google maps.
Want to hear the best part? You can find all the information about the park from our personal
experience at the park on ViaTravelers.com. So, if you’re planning to visit this
bewitchingly gorgeous park, make sure to plan ahead of time to make the most of your visit.
For more awesome travel content, be sure to follow us on Instagram via our handle
@viatravelers or check out our blog at ViaTravelers.com.