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The color varies from year to year dependent on rainfall, temperatures, etc, but on a perfect year the colors I have seen rival any that I have seen in photos of Vermont and other new England states! It is like driving through a kaleidoscope of neon colors in some spots! Grab the maps that the forest service offers at various visitor centers. The color season is short, so watch the online reports, and when it is near peak - GO SEE IT!

If I had a favorite place in MN, this would probably be at the top. This state park is typically less crowded than other north shore state parks, and there is a wide variety of landscapes - Deep gorges, rocks, waterfalls, rapids, meandering rivers. This is the only place I ever saw the ladyslipper orchid in 25 years! The gorge/inlet near lake superior is my favorite part of the park, a protected inlet has high cliff walls on either side opening to a fantastic view of the lake on one end and waterfalls on the other. The water is fairly warm for swimming by july, just be aware of water levels and undercurrents which can be dangerous for even experienced swimmers if water levels are high or if there has been a recent storm. And DO NOT ride the rapids down - there have been many deaths that way.