The North Shore of Minnesota is full of waterfalls, beautiful overlooks, and more. It’s a great spot to practice your photography, fluff up your Instagram game, or just have a beautiful hike. From the Lakefront to the Sawtooth Mountains, here are the 10 best North Shore spots for photography.

In my opinion, what makes a location especially great for photography is an impressive view, ease of access, and variety of different shots available. All of the places included have parking nearby, and are meant for visitation. From south to north, here are your must-stop photography locations along the North Shore of Minnesota.

Best Photography Locations on the North Shore of Minnesota

In my two years living on and photographing the North Shore in all seasons, here are my favorite photography locations on the North Shore!

10) Gooseberry Falls

Gooseberry Falls is located just north of Two Harbors, Minnesota, and one of the first stops on your North Shore Photography tour. There are several sets of impressive falls and overlooks in Gooseberry Falls State Park, including views of Lake Superior.

Several of the trails in Gooseberry Falls State Park are ADA accessible. In summer months, Gooseberry Falls tends to be very crowded. The falls are especially beautiful in the Spring after the snowmelt.

9) Split Rock Lighthouse

Did you know that one of the most photogenic lighthouses in the US is right here in Minnesota? Built in 1910, Split Rock Lighthouse stands watch over the palisades at Split Rock. Split Rock Lighthouse makes for an excellent sunrise spot.

This view of the lighthouse is less than a quarter mile from the parking lot. Beyond the lighthouse itself there are many other photographic opportunities in Split Rock Lighthouse State Park.

Between the photogenic lighthouse, crystal clear water, and rocky cliffs, Split Rock is one of the best photography locations in Minnesota.

8) Palisade Head, Tettegouche State Park

Palisade Head is home to massive cliffs overlooking Lake Superior, and one of the easiest photography locations on the North Shore to reach. Facing northeast, the overlook is a beautiful sunrise location and a potential place to view the Northern Lights.

Beyond Palisade Head, Tettegouche State Park is home to several of the best photography locations along the North Shore. There are four different waterfalls in Tettegouche, cliffs and sea stacks, and more stunning views.

If you can only make it to one place along the North Shore, go to Tettegouche.

7) The Sawtooth Mountains

Between Tofte and Lutsen along Minnesota’s North Shore you can find some of the of the best mountain views and vistas in the Midwest! The Sawtooth Mountains are what remains of ancient volcanos. Rivers and streams over the course of a billion years have carved out the dramatic vistas and gorges that we see today.

My favorite spots in the Sawtooths are all along the Superior Hiking Trail. For that beautiful, Minnesota Mountain look, head up to Carlton Peak or Oberg Mountain, both incredible vistas with Lake Superior in the distance.

Looking for the best fall color locations on the North Shore? I’ve got some ideas!

6) Cascade River State Park

Cascade River State Park is easily one of the best photography locations on the North Shore of Minnesota. Here, you can see seven waterfalls in less than one mile. After, you can hike up to Lookout Mountain for impressive views of Lake Superior and the hills to the north. Before you leave, you can walk out to a small beach on the lake itself.

Cascade River State Park is not only one of the best photography locations on the North Shore, but it’s also home to some of the best hiking trails in Minnesota. This classic MN State Park is great for families and photographers in a hurry!

5) Honeymoon Bluff on the Gunflint Trail

Looking for a perfect and accessible sunset spot? In the Winter, the sunset is easily visible from Lake Superior. In the Summer, the sun sets farther north and calls for a journey up the Gunflint Trail into Boundary Waters country.

Honeymoon Bluff on Clearwater Road is a short, less than a mile hike up to an overlook of Hungry Jack Lake to the west. It’s a beautiful place to watch the sunset over Boundary Waters Lakes from a high bluff.

Honeymoon Bluff is easily one of the best sunset photography locations along the North Shore. After catching the sunset, head to Trail Center Lodge for a delicious pile of northland eats.

4) Border Route Trail

Stretching from the Arrowhead to the Gunflint, the Border Route Trail is a 65 mile hiking trail with many of the best vistas along the North Shore. While the BRT is a photographer’s dream, it’s also incredibly difficult to access.

Pictured above is one of the many overlooks around the Border Route Trail. This overlook, like many others, can only be reached by a multi-day hike or paddle/hike on a rugged and difficult trail. Between sunrises on the Boundary Waters lakes and sweeping overlooks, the Border Route Trail will take you to the best photography locations in Minnesota.

I recommend hiking the Border Route in small sections for photographers! Thru hiking with the purpose of photography is hard. It’s nearly impossible to concentrate both on taking excellent photos on a DSLR and on being a part of an expedition/thru hike. Rather than hike start to finish, grab a McKenzie Map and a compass, and scout out accessible longer day hikes!

3) Kadunce River (and other North Shore canyons)

One of the coolest things about Minnesota’s North Shore is the rivers. These rivers over a billion years have cut through volcanic rock like the rhyolite pictured below, creating beautiful and ornate canyons. One of these river canyons is the Kadunce River, pictured below.

The Kadunce is one of the better known Minnesota canyons, with easy access and a parking lot. Twisting canyons, green moss, and a shallow river depth make it one of the best locations for photography on the North Shore.

The Kadunce River is one of the most “Instagramable” locations on Minnesota’s North Shore! Scroll through a few of your favorite MN photographer’s pages and you’ll likely find several very similar shots of the river and canyon.

The Kadunce is beautiful, and accessible, and a great place to visit, but there are other slot canyons to explore along the North Shore. Instead of heading to the Kadunce River, I recommend investing in a Topographical map (McKenzie Maps work great). With a Topo map, you can investigate potential canyons or geologically interesting spots on your own!

Make sure you’re in publicly owned land before you venture out, and be sure to be fully prepared and follow Leave No Trace principles!

2) Artist’s Point, Grand Marias

Just a stone’s throw from downtown Grand Marais is beautiful Artist’s Point. For me, Artist’s Point lives up to its name. Between the lighthouse, tombolo, and breakwater basalt, Artist’s Point provides endless inspiration.

Personally I’m partial to the location on winter mornings when the ice makes the shoreline a whole other world.

Above is a compilation of some of my favorite shots of Artist’s this past year. You can find more & prints in the Minnesota gallery.

Between the winter ice and summer fog, boats, and flowers, Artist’s Point is easily one of the best photography locations on the North Shore.

1) High Falls on the Pigeon River

Hidden on the border of Grand Portage and Canada is the large and impressive High Falls waterfall, tumbling nearly 90 feet over large cliffs. Not only is High Falls the largest waterfall in Minnesota, it’s easily one of the most photogenic.

High Falls is in Grand Portage State Park on Anishinaabee Nation Land. The Grand Portage Band manages this state park. When visiting Grand Portage, be sure to stop by Grand Portage National Monument to learn more about Anishinaabe culture and history.

I also highly recommend watching the park film A Grand Portage Story to learn more about the Ojibwe/Anishinaabe history and culture in Northern Minnesota. When recreating in Northern Minnesota, you are on Ojibwe/Anishinaabe traditional homelands.

check out the Midwest Adventure eBook Bundle for over 300+ pages of detailed adventure planning including hidden waterfalls, the best campsites, off-the-beaten-path adventures, and more covering Sleeping Bear to the end of the Gunflint Trail and everything in-between!

Where will your next adventure be?

• Check out the Best Hiking on the North Shore
• Read the 30 Best Things to do on the North Shore
• Here are thirty midwest hiking trails, ranked best to worst. Where does your favorite fall?

Want to save Best Photography Locations on Minnesota’s North Shore for later? Pin me!