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North Shore Scenic Drive fall foliage drive
The North Shore Scenic Drive follows Highway 61 for about 150 miles along Lake Superior, from Duluth to Grand Portage near the Canadian border. Rivers drop to the lake through a string of state parks, and the hills above the shore are covered in maple, birch, and aspen. Grand Marais typically peaks around September 26 and Duluth around September 28.
- Route
- MN 61
- From – to
- Duluth to Grand Portage
- Length
- About 150 miles
- Typical peak
- Sep 26 – Sep 28
2026 foliage season
Typical season
Peak around September 26 at Grand Marais. Turn on JavaScript to see today’s status and the five-week outlook.
Status shown for Grand Marais, at 700 feet. See below for other points along the drive.
Peak along the route
Bars show the typical best-viewing window at each point. The dark mark is the typical peak. The last column shows today’s status.
Along the way
- Duluth, at the southern end, with Skyline Parkway above the city.
- Gooseberry Falls State Park, where the Gooseberry River drops through a series of falls near the lake.
- Split Rock Lighthouse, on a cliff above the lake.
- Tettegouche State Park and nearby Palisade Head, with high cliffs over the water.
- The Temperance and Cascade rivers, each dropping through narrow gorges to the lake.
- Grand Marais, a harbor town and the start of the Gunflint Trail.
- Grand Portage State Park, near the border, home of the High Falls on the Pigeon River.
Short walks
Gooseberry Falls has short walks to the falls. Near Tofte, the Oberg Mountain loop looks down over hills of maple and birch above the lake. At Grand Portage State Park, a trail leads to the High Falls.
The season at Grand Marais
Bar height shows how good the viewing typically is on each day, from September 1 through November 30. Colors show the stage, from green through peak red to bare.
Nearby destinations and guides
Trees you’ll see turning
Common questions
When is peak fall foliage on the North Shore Scenic Drive?
In a typical year, color along the North Shore Scenic Drive peaks from about September 26 at Grand Marais to about September 28 at Duluth. Weather can shift the timing by about a week either way.
How long is the North Shore Scenic Drive?
About 150 miles, Duluth to Grand Portage.
Peak dates come from the Leaves.com model of typical years. They are not live observations. How it works.