Gooseberry Falls State Park is located along the North Shore on Hwy 61, about 25 miles northeast of Duluth or 12 miles northeast of Two Harbors. The park's main landscape attractions are a rocky shoreline picnic area and about 18 miles of all-seasons hiking trails,as well as five spectacular waterfalls along the Gooseberry River. The park visitor center also features a large nature store.
Near the Hwy 61 bridge the Gooseberry River can be viewed rumbling over the upper falls on the north side, and the two-tiered middle and lower falls on the south side. Paved trails with handicapped access, and railed stairs allow easy access to the falls from the visitor center. Hiking trails lead through mixed evergreen, aspen, and birch forests, as well as along the Gooseberry River to the gently-sloped rocky shoreline picnic areas and beach. The shore and falls areas were formed out of lava flows which cooled to form volcanic bedrock about one billion years ago.
White-tailed deer winter in the park, herring gulls have nesting colonies along the lakeshore, and loons, black bears, gray wolves, and ravens are common inhabitants. Anglers are often seen fishing for trout and salmon along the Gooseberry River and Lake Superior shore. The wildflowers are everywhere, waiting to be viewed. |
