Trails / Minnesota / Superior Hiking Trail

Superior Hiking Trail: Gooseberry Falls to Beaver Bay

Superior Hiking Trail (Gooseberry Falls State Park to Lax Lake Road, Beaver Bay)

This stretch of the Superior Hiking Trail links two North Shore landmarks, the waterfalls at Gooseberry Falls State Park and the Split Rock River gorge, then climbs over ridges to Beaver Bay. Backpacker’s 2012 “Rip & Go” trip ran it as a 16.5-mile point-to-point and promised “pace-slowing views of the world’s largest freshwater lake.”

Like the rest of the SHT, it’s built for backpacking: designated campsites along the way are free and first come, and no permit is needed.

The hike

Backpacker’s route started at Lax Lake Road in Beaver Bay and ended at Gooseberry Falls. Early on, a single-plank boardwalk crosses balsam forest, and at mile 1.4 a short spur climbs to lake views from a basalt dome at Cove Point. At mile 2.6, Fault Line Ridge looks across a valley about 300 feet deep, and Backpacker noted trailside blueberries in July and August. The Superior Hiking Trail Association (SHTA) calls this part “Challenging section with steep ascents and descents and dramatic views both of Lake Superior and inland.”

Backpacker passed the Beaver Pond campsite at mile 5.1 and the Chapins Ridge campsite, sheltered by tall pines, at mile 6.7. It then reached the Split Rock River, which the SHTA describes as “cascading waterfalls and towering Split Rocks.” The trail runs up one side of the river and down the other, about 2.5 miles each way. The old footbridges at the top of the loop washed out, most recently in a 2015 flood, according to the Duluth News Tribune, and the SHTA board later dropped plans for a new bridge because of its cost. North Shore Visitor says hikers ford at low water, which is usually possible in summer but can change after rain.

South of the river, Backpacker describes a cedar grotto with a 20-foot waterfall and Bread Loaf Ridge, which it called the trip’s best panoramas; on clear days it says you can see the Apostle Islands about 30 miles away. The SHTA calls it a “Stunning 1 mile Breadloaf Ridge overlooking Lake Superior.” Backpacker passed the Blueberry Hill campsite at mile 13.1 before a long descent through birch forest into Gooseberry Falls State Park.

The route near Gooseberry has changed since then. The North Shore Journal reported in 2022 that the SHTA finished the “Gooseberry Gap” reroute, a 4.7-mile natural-surface route between the park and Blueberry Hill Road that replaced a road-walk detour in place since 2015.

To keep going north, see Bean and Bear Lakes.

Tips

Check the Split Rock River before you commit. If it’s high, use the SHTA’s Highway 61 detour on the spur trails.
Park where overnight parking is allowed. The SHTA says Lax Lake Road allows overnight parking; at Gooseberry Falls you need a state park vehicle permit and must check in with staff. The Split Rock River Wayside has no overnight parking.
Arrange a shuttle. Backpacker listed a shuttle service for this point-to-point.
Watch for slumping along the river on the Gooseberry spur (SHTA).

Camping

SHT campsites need no reservations, fees, or permits, and every site and its fire ring, latrine, and tent pads must be shared, according to the SHTA. Camp only at designated campsites (hammock campers too), never at trailheads, and the SHTA asks you to limit your stay to one night. Build fires only in the existing fire ring; a campfire ban may be in effect in dry years. Pack out all trash. Use a bear canister or hang your food. Most sites are designed for nine or fewer people, and groups of eight or more must read the SHTA’s large-group page. Don’t use a state park campsite unless you have reserved and paid for it.

The SHTA’s section page lists one campsite between Gooseberry and the Split Rock River Wayside, four on the Split Rock River Loop, and three between the wayside and Lax Lake Road.

Inside Intel: Backpacker’s 2012 trip report suggested skipping the Beaver Pond campsite and continuing less than two miles to better camping at Chapins Ridge, which it describes as sheltered by 90-foot pines.

Trail facts

Distance: 16.5 miles (Backpacker, 2012); SHTA section mileages for this stretch add up to more (see needs review)
Route type: Point to point
Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous
Campsites: About eight SHT sites across three SHTA sections; Backpacker named Beaver Pond (mile 5.1), Chapins Ridge (6.7), and Blueberry Hill (13.1)
Water: Split Rock River, Gooseberry River, creeks; treat all water (SHTA)
Permits: None for SHT campsites
Fires: Only in campsite fire rings; check for bans
Food storage: Bear canister or hang (SHTA)
Dogs: Allowed on a leash
Trailheads: Lax Lake Road (Beaver Bay); Gooseberry Falls State Park visitor center
Last verified: October 17, 2026

The Lowdown

Fault Line Ridge to the Split Rock River:

The SHTA calls this stretch challenging, with steep ascents and descents, and with the Split Rock footbridges washed out, hikers ford the river at low water. Poles help on both, used the right way.

Get the trekking pole tips →

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.