Self-Guided Audio Tour Lake Superior North Shore
Description
Download the GuideAlong self-guided audio tour and you'll discover more on your Lake Superior North Shore road trip. Hear fascinating behind-the-scenes stories, local tips and directions play automatically along Highway 61, all based on your location. You'll be guided to all of the area's famous highlights as well as lessor known gems including one of Minnesota's most photographed lighthouses, a historic mansion that's also the site of a famous murder mystery, and an iconic 932-foot-high scenic lookout over Lake Superior. Enjoy the freedom to explore offline at your own pace, spending more time at places that interest you. - Stories, tips and directions play automatically based on your location - Travel at your own pace - Tour offline using GPS, no cell service or WiFi needed - Suggested itineraries for half, full or multi day use - Buy once, use forever! No expiry, includes free updates - Like having a tour guide along for the drive Purchase one tour per vehicle.
Tour Options
Itinerary
As the audio guides play commentary based on your gps location, you can create your own itinerary along the tour route to match your interests and schedule.
How can a pie shop, along a route abundant with pie opportunities, be a special highlight? Betty's Pies near Two Harbors is a local institution. For decades hungry North Shore visitors have found their way to this historic restaurant to get their fix, and we're big fans of their 5 layer chocolate pie. You will satisfy your need for dessert any time of day.
A Mansion and a Murder. One of the most visited historic homes in Minnesota for its grandeur and splendor, Glensheen Mansion is also the site of a famous Minnesota murder mystery. Located on the eastern end of Duluth.
Millions of years of geological and glacial sculpting of basalt have gone into the creation of these very pleasing falls. This state park is a very popular stop, expecially since we get four waterfalls all in the one place.
The Ojibwe call Grand Portage “The Great Carrying Place” because it marks the start of an 8.5-mile portage - portage means carrying your canoe and all your stuff over land - between Lake Superior and Pigeon River. Today, you can step onto this ancient trading route yourself. Also located at the beginning of this historic trail is the Grand Portage National Monument, with reconstructed buildings of the trading fort and representations of the Ojibwe Village. The Monument and Heritage Center are well worth visiting.
This is a spot that is much more about the context of what it represents than the dock itself. If you like to be haunted by history, the Hovland Dock is a great place to stand still and imagine all the lives that have passed through this area. Today, the dock is all that remains of the once-thriving fishing village and it's interesting for.. well, its state of disrepair!
Many state parks and waysides on the North Shore Scenic Drive have a waterfall for visitors to enjoy, and waterfall chasers will find many delights. The best time of year to enjoy waterfalls on the North Shore is April when the snow typically melts, sending water crashing through the rivers that feed into Lake Superior. Just one great example is Devil’s Kettle Falls, located Inside Judge C.R. Magney State Park. A double waterfall forms where the Brule River splits into two falls separated by an outcropping of hard, volcanic rhyolite rock. On one side, the river falls into a pool of water and continues on its journey to Lake Superior. But where does the other side go?
Popular with peregrine falcons, rock climbers, and sightseers just like us, this geologic landmark near Silver Bay is one of the best viewpoints along the entire North Shore. Hovering 350 feet above the water, Palisade Head is a massive rock formation - it's pretty much a sheer cliff, and from its edge, the views are wide-ranging. It's a sight not to be missed. Here's the best part - no major hiking required. The car park is at the top!
Without a doubt, Split Rock Lighthouse is one of the most iconic photographs to capture on your tour. One infamous storm in 1905 all but destroyed 29 ships, leading to the construction of this navigation aid 20 miles north of Two Harbors. Not only was it purposeful - the setting is majestic. Please share your photo with us!
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- How to Access: After booking you’ll receive an email and text with instructions (search “Download Audio Tour”). Click the link in the email/text to sign in with your preferred Apple or Google account and redeem your voucher code ahead of time.
- Download The GuideAlong App: Download the free app over WiFi or cellular data and sign in with the same Apple or Google account.
- Download The Tour: Download the tour in the GuideAlong app under 'My Tours' over WiFi or cellular data.
- Start The Tour: Open the tour in the GuideAlong app to preview the start locations, tour route and trip planner, or start the tour.
- Location-Based Stories: Audio commentary plays automatically as you drive using your phone’s GPS chip. Wherever you are and whichever direction you’re going, you’ll hear the best stories and tips.
- Flexible Travel Date: Tours are a one-time purchase with no expiry or date/time limit. If your plans change to a different day, there’s no need to change your travel date.
- Tour at Your Leisure: With GuideAlong, you control the pace. Start, stop, and resume the tour any day, anytime, adapting it to your schedule.
- Driving Tours: Group Savings: One purchase covers everyone in the vehicle, making it a cost-effective way to explore.
- Works Offline: No internet or cell service is required once the audio tour is downloaded to your phone, so you can relax and tour offline.
- Bring A Charger: Pack a USB/C car charger for charging and easy sound connectivity, and make sure your device is fully charged.
- Technical Support: The GuideAlong support team is available daily by toll-free phone, online chat, and email.
Reviews(34)
Great purchase! Learning about areas that you're driving past was very interesting and entertaining. We made stops that we weren't aware of if we didn't listen to the audio tours. Strongly recommend!
Outstanding information! Saved a lot of map planning time for our road trip.
Hi Steve, thanks for taking our Lake Superior North Shore audio tour. We’re glad the guide gave you helpful information and made planning your road trip easier. It’s great to hear it helped you spend less time with maps and more time enjoying the drive. We hope to join you on the road again soon!
Good experience. Entertaining. Enjoyed stories while riding. Liked the "road sign coming up" feature. Will definitely use this guide in other future planned road trips. Well worth it.
Hi there, thank you for sharing your experience. We’re glad our Lake Superior North Shore audio tour made the drive more enjoyable with entertaining stories and helpful cues along the way. It’s great to hear the “road sign coming up” feature was useful, and we hope to join you on the road again soon!
Well done narrative enhanced our travel experience by covering the history of the North Shore and sharing anecdotes. The narrator was well-scripted, threw in a few jokes, and kept it very conversational-sounding. I also appreciated that the travel instructions (when to turn, where) were accurate, allowing me to ignore Maps.
Hi there, thanks for taking our Lake Superior North Shore audio tour. We’re so glad the narrative enhanced your trip by covering history, sharing anecdotes, and keeping the commentary engaging with jokes and a conversational tone. It’s wonderful to hear that the travel instructions were accurate and made navigation easier, allowing you to focus on enjoying the scenery. We hope to join you on the road again soon!
Very enjoyable and informative. Gave plenty of advanced warning before the site or turn came up. Nice background information and local history.
Hi Neil, thanks for taking our Lake Superior North Shore audio tour. We’re so glad you found the tour enjoyable, informative, and educational. It’s wonderful to hear that the advanced directions, local history, and background stories helped make the drive even more enjoyable. We hope to join you on the road again soon!
The tour was convenient, able to be started and stopped as we wished, advance notice given when park pass would need to be purchased and option to skip that part. Tour also worked in both directions (going north along the route and coming back south on same route).
Hi Cris, thanks for taking our Lake Superior North Shore audio tour. We’re so glad to hear that the flexibility to start and stop anytime, along with advance notices and route options, made your experience smooth and convenient. It’s great that the tour worked well in both directions, too. We hope to join you on the road again soon!
It was a great experience! Learned a lot about the history, sights to see, etc. Very well done!! So much for too. A great way to tour a area.
Hi Biff, thanks for taking our Lake Superior North Shore audio tour. We're so glad you had a great experience and learned so much about the area's history and sights. It’s wonderful that the tour helped you explore the area in such a meaningful way. We hope to join you on the road again soon!
My sister and I stayed for 4 days in a cute little B&B in Two Harbors. There is a beach/ boat launch 5 blocks from our house. We visited Gooseberry Falls which was only a few miles away. There is a lot of steps if you choose to go off the main path. The trees still had color which was beautiful, there was many people as the weather was perfect. We also visited Split Rock Lighthouse. If you are just going to the lighthouse you don’t need a park sticker. You have to pay $8 each to go to the lighthouse. There was also a small museum where you could read about the area and see an actual glass prism that is used in the lighthouse. The guide had much information on the lighthouse and the water area. He had many stories. The lighthouse was being restored so we couldn’t go inside. We also went to Iona’s Beach. Lake Superior is very clean, you can see all the rock in the water. Loved it Highway 61 is a beautiful drive, you can see the lake on most of it. There is also 2 short tunnels you drive through.
Hi Lynette, thanks for sharing your lovely travel experience. It sounds like you had a fantastic time exploring Gooseberry Falls, Split Rock Lighthouse, and the stunning Lake Superior shoreline. However, we weren’t able to find a booking for our self-guided audio tour under your name, so it seems your review may have been posted on the wrong listing. We’d love for you to try one of our GuideAlong self-guided audio tours on your next trip. Our tours work offline, follow you automatically via GPS, and are valid forever once downloaded. Each tour offers engaging storytelling, local history, and travel tips that make exploring even more enjoyable and stress-free. We hope to join you on the road for your next adventure!
Fantastic way to learn about and explore a huge area at your own pace. I also used the Cape Cod tour and that was great also.
Hi Angela, thank you for taking our Lake Superior North Shore audio tour. We're excited to hear that you enjoyed learning about and exploring the area at your own pace. It’s wonderful to know that you also appreciated the Cape Cod tour—thanks for using both. We hope to join you on the road again soon!
The guides suggested stops and information about state parks gave us many options along our route. The detailed stories of lives along the lake and surrounding area gave us a personalized view rather than just looking at our gps. We will do it again next road trip.
Hi Pamela, so glad to hear our Lake Superior North Shore self-guided audio tour was the perfect travel companion for your trip. We love that the suggested stops and local stories added a personal touch to your journey. We hope to join you on the road again soon!
