America's Best Small Lake Town Is the Place to Chase Summer Nostalgia, Fiery Fall Foliage, and Winter's Northern Lights
An unexpected arts enclave, tiny Grand Marais, Minnesota, bursts with galleries, local shops and restaurants, and lake-filled getaways galore.
Two hours north of Duluth seems like an unlikely spot for most things, much less America’s best small lake town. But should you venture to Grand Marais, that’s exactly what you’ll find. In-the-know travelers flock here looking for an increasingly rare vintage seaside vibe, adventures into the state’s famed Boundary Waters, and local-yet-world-class art. Set along the forested edges of Lake Superior, up the state’s North Shore, this is also Minnesota’s artsiest town.
With that rare Goldilocks touch — think far more food trucks and art galleries than stoplights (in fact, there’s just one in the whole county) — we’re happily calling Grand Marais the nation’s best small lake town. With new openings, eclectic redesigns, and an accidentally hip devotion to all things local, Grand Marais is a grand foray on America’s “Fresh Coast.”
Courtesy of Sawtooth Aviation
The Best Times to Visit
Grand Marais’ high season is distinctly summer. Travelers converge on the town as their basecamp for adventures into the Boundary Waters, one of the country’s last great wildernesses, or onto Lake Superior. Others come to get away from it all — while staying steps from 16 art galleries and countless local restaurants, with not a chain in sight.
But locals like Katie Mumm, owner of Fisherman’s Daughter, the town’s iconic dockside restaurant, will tell you Grand Marais shines brightest beyond summer. “Those who want the area to themselves know that the best time to come is in late fall, winter, and spring.”
A lack of crowds isn’t the town’s only off-season appeal. Autumn means blazing fall foliage in the surrounding maple and birch forests; winter means snow adventures, Milky Way-gazing, and chasing the Northern Lights. The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, of which Grand Marais is the eastern entry point, is the largest International Dark Sky Sanctuary in the world.
"Those who want the area to themselves know that the best time to come is in late fall, winter, and spring."
Katie Mumm, Fisherman's Daughter
Susan Rydberg/Getty Images
Things to Do
The iconic Grand Marais experience starts on Wisconsin Street. For summer visitors, the standard introduction starts with a donut — a ring of local tradition since 1969 — from World’s Best Donuts. From there, wander toward the water, heading for the Grand Marais Lighthouse and Artist’s Point, named for the creatives who’ve long used the view for inspiration. It’s an easy one-mile jaunt, usually broken up by the town sport: skipping rocks into the harbor.
Courtesy of World's Best Donuts
If looking at the nation’s largest lake doesn’t cut it, get on the water via kayak tour with Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply. You could also nab a spot on North House Folk School’s Hjordis, a traditionally rigged schooner named after the Norse goddess of war. North House is a great spot for local events and classes, as is the Grand Marais Art Colony — two spots that cemented this town’s artsy reputation.
When you’re ready to venture further afield, explore the Gunflint Trail, a 57-mile National Scenic Byway that starts in town and leads to the Boundary Waters’ Saganaga Lake. Along the forested way are nature-filled lodges and restaurants, shops and outfitters, plus hundreds of miles of hiking trails, paddling opportunities, and scenic outdoor spots.
In autumn, the Gunflint Trail also offers incredible fall-foliage chasing — consider booking a ride with Sawtooth Aviation, taking in that glorious color from a four-seat Cessna. In winter, don your cross-country ski gear on the Pincushion Mountain Trail System, off the Gunflint Trail, later joining the locals circling the firepit at Fisherman’s Daughter.
Courtesy of North House Folk School
Where to Stay
Grand Marais got its first boutique-hotel touch in 2020: the Mayhew Inn. Between the backyard courtyards, rooftop deck with water views, and the fireplace-filled lounge, it’s as good for happy hour as it is to hang your head — and it’s right in downtown’s artsy mix.
The local institution, though, is the Best Western Plus Superior Inn & Suites — but that name is deceptive. The family-run property knows it’s all about that sense of place. Local artists are featured in every room, notes owner Katriana Mehlhaff, from lamps made from the rocks off Grand Marais shores to one-of-a-kind artwork by local legend Howard Sivertson. With a private cobblestone beach, most rooms have a lakefront balcony, and the bistro lobby bar offers local dishes and North Shore beverages.
For those looking for true “Up North” vibes (or simply space for a group), there’s Cascade Vacation Rentals. Choose from cabins, yurts, cottages, beach access, forest hideaways ... the list goes on.
Two more new options are Cook County Teardrop — you reserve your campsite, and they’ll deliver a fully equipped teardrop trailer, from queen-sized mattress to French press coffee — and Tofte Trails, five luxury cabins set in the verdant Superior wilds.
Courtesy of East Bay Suites
Where to Eat and Drink
For breakfast, beeline for Blue Water Cafe and their locally harvested wild rice omelets, homemade pies, and beloved cranberry wild rice bread. The town’s “meeting place,” locals have been dining and delighting here since the 1970s.
Lunch means one of the town’s food trucks (like the brand-new Taste of India Spice & Curry or Shook! Smoothies), or back to Fisherman’s Daughter — which is a Grand Marais must. A team of local fishermen base out of the restaurant’s lower level, returning every morning with herring, whitefish, and lake trout by 9 a.m. “They clean the fish and bring it up to us so we can prepare and serve it just hours later,” says Mumm. For the “true experience,” she recommends walking up to the counter and ordering the fish and chips — it’s 90% of sales. (You can also help make the fishermen’s day: Buy them a beer for $2.)
Courtesy of Fisherman's Daughter
If you’re not opting to head into the wilderness or onto the water, break for ice cream at Sydney’s Frozen Custard, where you can nosh on the rooftop. The newly renovated sweet spot is built out of shipping containers.
For dinner, Birch Terrace Supper Club climbs to the top of the list — set in a “log mansion” on the water, it’s the kind of old-school joint that neither needs nor has a website (order the walleye). The Gunflint Tavern also rarely disappoints, what with its timber-framed, pirate-themed bar and rooftop, AKA the Raven’s Nest. Poplar Haus, out on the Gunflint Trail, mixes up fantastic cocktails, like the Northwoods Mule and the Gunflint Sazerac.
Bonus tip: Head up the Gunflint Trail earlier in the morning for cardamom rolls at the new Loons Nest Coffee. They’re already a sell-out hit.
Where to Shop
Start your Grand Marais shopping at Sivertson Gallery, the one that “started it all.” Jan Sivertson originally wanted to showcase the work of her father, Howard; 40 years later, the artsy spot has grown into a destination, where local, regional, and even far-north, Inuit artists can display and sell their creations.
From there, Joy & Co is another local hotspot — it showcases more than 130 local artists and entrepreneurs across all types of mediums, from ceramics and jewelry to wood and metalworking. Gunflint Mercantile offers homemade fudge and truffles, rice blends, and a “local pantry” to stock up on cabin goodies. Upstate MN is all artist-made goods, from clothing and homewares to wall art and handcrafted games.
Lastly, Joynes Ben Franklin is the staple of Cook County. One of the rare remaining Ben Franklin “five and dimes,” this one — locally owned, naturally — has also upgraded, offering Pendleton goods, a vast selection of local coffees, and more. “We love that our community is entirely made up of small, family-owned businesses,” say owners Tyler and Jessica Dean. “Go anywhere, and you’re directly supporting your friends and neighbors.”
Courtesy of Sivertson Gallery
How to Get There
Most visitors to Grand Marais will drive from Minneapolis (four hours away) or Duluth (two hours away) — both cities are served by international airports.
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