Gooseberry Falls

About Gooseberry Falls

Gooseberry Falls is a run of waterfalls on the Gooseberry River, along Lake Superior's North Shore. The tiers are usually called the Upper, Middle and Lower Falls, and Fifth Falls lies farther upstream. Some sources call the Middle Falls the Main Falls.

Wikipedia says the Gooseberry River cuts through at least 19 North Shore lava flows, dropping over basalt roughly 1.1 billion years old. Tannins give the water its tea color.

According to Wikipedia, preservation of the site was authorized in 1933, and it became a state park in 1937. The Civilian Conservation Corps built the park's basalt stone structures between 1934 and 1941. The Joseph N. Alexander Visitor Center opened in 1996.

The park covers 1,687 acres, Wikipedia says. The DNR lists 20 miles of hiking trail, and the park links to the Superior Hiking Trail and the paved Gitchi-Gami State Trail.

We found no official height for any of the falls. Per-tier figures you may see online are estimates we could not confirm, so this page lists none.

Getting there and parking

Gooseberry Falls State Park sits on Highway 61 about 13 miles northeast of Two Harbors, according to Wikipedia. North Shore Visitor and CBS Minnesota put it about 39 to 40 miles northeast of Duluth. North Shore Visitor lists the Visitor Center address as 3206 MN-61, Two Harbors.

Park in the Visitor Center lots, which North Shore Visitor says are the closest to the falls and have 2 free EV chargers. The DNR's park map says permits are required in the park except at this Visitor Center and DOT Wayside lot. The DNR says parking for longer than two hours is not always available at the Visitor Center lots.

Driving to the lakeshore or the Picnic Flow areas needs a Minnesota state park vehicle permit. State law prices it at $7 for a day or $35 for a year, and we found no 2026 change to those amounts.

The Directions button goes to the Visitor Center lot. The map pin marks the Middle Falls from OpenStreetMap community data, which is approximate; we could not confirm official coordinates.

Planning more stops? Our guide to waterfalls in Minnesota brings the state's pages together. Devil's Kettle, in Judge C.R. Magney State Park near Grand Marais, needs the state park vehicle permit. Minnehaha Falls, in a Minneapolis city park, has free entry and pay parking. We list Devil's Kettle as open and Minnehaha Falls as status unconfirmed, so check each page before you go.

Two more North Shore state parks have falls. Explore Minnesota describes a 20-foot waterfall on the Split Rock River, on the Superior Hiking Trail section in Split Rock Lighthouse State Park. North Shore Visitor's mileposts place the High Falls of the Baptism River, in Tettegouche State Park, farther along Highway 61.

MPR reported in April 2026 that flooding washed out the bottom of the High Falls viewing steps. We could not confirm whether they have been repaired.

Camping at Gooseberry Falls State Park

You can camp at Gooseberry Falls State Park year-round. The DNR's seasonal update says the park has 69 non-electric sites, plus three group campsites in snow-free months. Reserve at mndnr.gov/reservations or call 866-857-2757.

After snowfall, every site except 42-44 is walk- or ski-in only, because campground roads aren't plowed. Stop at the Visitor Center to arrange camping at an unplowed site. The DNR park map sets campground quiet hours from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m., when only registered campers may be in the campground.

The DNR's camping page lists 3 pull-through sites and a 40-foot RV limit. That length runs from the front of the tow vehicle to the rear of the towed vehicle. Four drive-in sites are accessible, and two of them are near the restrooms.

The three group campsites are tents only, and each holds up to 50 people. Nestor Grade is the accessible group camp. One kayak site is first-come, first-served, and it's only for paddlers arriving on the Lake Superior State Water Trail.

Statewide MN DNR rules also apply. Every Minnesota state park campsite needs a reservation. You can book up to 120 days before you arrive, online or at 866-857-2757. The reservation fee is $8 online or $10 by phone, and it's nonrefundable. There's no fee for a same-day reservation. Campers still need a state park vehicle permit.

The DNR alerts tab (updated July 29, 2026) says the lower campground shower building is closed for construction through the end of the season. Campers may use the showers in the upper campground. An earlier DNR alert said the closure includes the lower building's flush toilets and picnic shelter. WDIO and FOX 9 also reported the closure for the 2026 season.

In a normal year, the DNR says, the shower buildings open the first week of May. The Upper building stays open through the third weekend in October. The DNR says water is turned off and the shower building closes in late October. Other water facilities close early in October.

The dump station is usually open from the first week of May to mid-October; the DNR asks non-campers to use the Two Harbors or Silver Bay stations. By that normal-year schedule, the upper building may already be closed for 2026; we could not confirm its 2026 closing date.

Map and nearby falls

The hike

The shortest walk at Gooseberry Falls is a paved, accessible path of about 0.1 mile from the Visitor Center to the Middle Falls, per North Shore Visitor. The same source puts the loop to the Upper and Middle Falls, which passes under Highway 61, at about 0.5 mile in total. No single round-trip figure covers every tier.

The DNR's Waterfalls Walk is the short route to the Middle and Upper Falls. A search excerpt of the DNR's self-guided tour says it is ADA accessible if you take the ADA segment instead of the stairs. The DNR map also lists a longer 1-mile Falls Loop Trail. Explore Minnesota's description of the Falls View Loop says it adds the Lower Falls and is not ADA accessible.

The DNR's seasonal update says the park has 20 miles of hiking trail. Those 20 miles include 1 mile of wheelchair-accessible trail in total, starting at the Visitor Center and reaching the main falls area. Park trails connect with the Superior Hiking Trail.

For a longer outing, the DNR map lists the River View Trail at 1.25 miles one way. It runs past the falls and downstream to the river mouth and the Picnic Flow Area. The map calls the Fifth Falls Trail a rugged 2-mile loop up the river, and it invites you to stop and wade along the way. Some other sites give longer figures for that loop, so treat 2 miles as the DNR's number.

We could not confirm elevation gain or walking times for any of these routes. News outlets reported that April 2026 flooding closed all trails beside the river. On October 29, 2026, the DNR alerts tab (updated July 29, 2026) listed no trail closure. It warned that contractors are working on the historic buildings, and construction vehicles may be on or beside trails there. Check the DNR alerts or call 218-595-7100 before you go, even for the paved walk.

If you're riding, the DNR map says the paved Gitchi-Gami State Trail runs 8 miles one way from the Picnic Flow Trailhead to Split Rock Lighthouse State Park.

When to visit

Gooseberry Falls State Park is open year-round, according to Wikipedia and the DNR's Minnesota Conservation Volunteer magazine.

We found no official best month for flow. CBS Minnesota quoted the DNR describing the falls at "their spring high level" in April 2026, during the snowmelt.

The DNR's park map lists park hours of 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. The map says the DOT Wayside at the Visitor Center lot stays open 24 hours, and North Shore Visitor says the same of the wayside restrooms. The DNR's seasonal update says the Visitor Center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The DNR says Gooseberry was Minnesota's most-visited state park in 7 of the last 10 years, averaging more than 760,000 visitors a year. In May 2026 the DNR announced that the park had won USA Today's 10Best Readers' Choice award for best US state park.

Winter brings frozen falls in long cold spells. The DNR says the only maintained winter walking trail goes to the Upper Falls, and lower paths can be icy, so cleats are recommended. The DNR's seasonal update lists half a mile of winter hiking trail. Snowshoeing is allowed anywhere except on groomed ski trails.

The DNR's seasonal update also lists 12 miles of groomed cross-country ski trail, including one large loop of about 1 mile for skate skiing. The update lists 2 miles of snowmobile access trail as well. North Shore Visitor says skiers need a Minnesota Ski Pass. The DNR states, "Fat bikes are not allowed at this park."

Safety and swimming

Photos

Gooseberry Falls FAQ

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No other waterfalls within 75 miles are on the site yet.

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