Grand Marais offers several distinctly different ways to spend your stay. The Gunflint Trail Scenic Byway begins here, public art can be explored on a tour, and live craft demonstrations on the North House Folk School campus can be part of your visit. There’s also the Grand Marais Recreation Area and a seasonal sailing opportunity aboard the schooner Hjørdis.
Byway, Trails and Shoreline
The Gunflint Trail Scenic Byway begins at State Highway 61 in Grand Marais and includes designated hiking trails. You can therefore use the byway as a concrete starting point for your planning and consider whether you’d rather focus your trip on the route, hiking trails or both. The designated trails add another way to engage with the route alongside the Scenic Byway views.
The Grand Marais Recreation Area brings together a different combination of features: it includes the Sweetheart's Bluff Nature Area, a municipal marina with two public water access ramps, and more than a mile of shoreline. If you want to distinguish between the nature area, shoreline and water access when choosing activities, these details can help you identify the different features of the area.
Craft and Art in Different Forms
Visitors can experience live craft demonstrations on the North House Folk School campus; these demonstrations may be part of the day’s program. If a particular demonstration is a deciding factor for your visit, check in advance what’s scheduled for that day. This lets you take the program into account without assuming a demonstration will be available on every date.
The Grand Marais Art Colony’s Entry Points offer hands-on art activities, artist talks and exhibitions. That gives you three different options: take part in a hands-on activity, attend artist talks or view exhibitions. This mix offers a concrete starting point if art is to be an important part of your stay.
Public Art and Seasonal Sailing
The public art tour in Grand Marais features colorful murals depicting the town’s history and mosaics created by elementary and middle school students. This self-guided tour uses a map to navigate between different public art locations. The murals give the tour a historical focus; the mosaics also showcase the work of young artists from the town.
During a stay in Grand Marais, you can sail aboard the schooner Hjørdis. Trips typically run from June through September. If a sailing trip is important to your visit, check whether one is scheduled for your travel dates. The season provides a useful timeframe for planning, but doesn’t guarantee a trip on any particular date.
Winter Activities in the Gunflint Trail Area
Cross-country skiing and downhill skiing are among the favorite activities of winter visitors to the Gunflint Trail area. If winter sports are the main reason for your trip, associate these activities with the Gunflint Trail area. This provides a regional perspective alongside the attractions in Grand Marais, without conflating winter activities with the features of the Recreation Area or the art tour.
Discover more destinations: Lutsen, Tofte.
See the full travel guide: Cook County.
