Last updated July 21, 2026
These are the same day plans from our full itinerary, in the order we'd run them for a 7-day stay. Mix and match freely — nothing here is precious.
Day 1
Arrive & land softly
Grocery stop en route (Duluth for the big run). Unload, walk the property, flights at North Shore Winery a few minutes away, an easy dinner (Moguls if it's open; Cascade Lodge as the always-open fallback), then the fire pit and the stars.
Winter swap: gear sorted into the garage racks, thermostats up, an early night before a first-tracks morning.
Day 2
Grand Marais day (~20–25 min)
Early: World's Best Donuts (in season — remember Tue/Wed) or Java Moose. Walk Artist's Point, browse the harbor shops, peek into North House. Lunch at the Fisherman's Daughter or Hungry Hippie. Afternoon on the shore hunting agates. Dinner at the Angry Trout (seasonal) or the Gun Flint Tavern, with a rooftop nightcap at Voyageur.
Rainy swap: galleries, North House, the Cook County museum, and a long lunch turn a wet day into a good one.
Day 3
Waterfall day, southbound
Temperance River gorge, then choose your depth: Tettegouche's Shovel Point, or push on to Gooseberry and Split Rock (about an hour-plus each way — the honest number). Coho Cafe fuels the drive home. Group dinner at the lodge and a shuffleboard bracket downstairs.
Honest note: rain makes waterfalls better, not worse. This is the day to keep even in weather.
Day 4
The mountain
Winter: a Lutsen ski day (Ikon works here now), après at Moguls, a legs-up evening. Summer/fall: gondola to a Summit Chalet lunch, the alpine slide, and the Oberg loop late in the afternoon when the light gets good.
Day 5
The Gunflint Trail & the dark sky
Drive the Gunflint — 57 miles one way to the edge of the Boundary Waters, a dead-end road worth a half day, with moose eyes on. Picnic from the Co-op. Back for an early dinner, because tonight is the stargazing night: moon phase permitting, the fire pit and the Sanctuary sky.
Day 6
Trail day & a slow afternoon
Oberg Mountain's summit loop, or the gondola up Moose Mountain and the ridge back down or a Cascade River loop from the state park. Afternoon at the lodge: the game room, board games, hot drinks. Winter: Nordic skiing on the Norpine system — the Hall and Massie loops if you want the elevation, Deer Yard Lake for a gentler morning; snowshoes optional.
Day 7
The far shore, or the slow goodbye
Big finish: Devil's Kettle and Grand Portage High Falls up north (an hour-plus — the honest number), with lunch in Grand Marais on the way back. Or the gentle version: one last donut run, a final Artist's Point walk, and a 10 AM checkout done right.
Sleeps 12 · 5 bedrooms · eight wooded acres, three miles from Lutsen Mountains. Book direct for the best available rate.
Common questions
What fills a full week on the North Shore from Lutsen?
A seven-day stay runs the full arc: an arrival day, a Grand Marais day, a southbound waterfall day, a mountain day at Lutsen, and the Gunflint Trail with a stargazing night. The week then adds a trail day with a slow afternoon at the lodge, and a final far-shore day. That last day goes north to Devil's Kettle and Grand Portage High Falls, or stays gentle with one last donut run and a 10 AM checkout done right.
What are the northernmost waterfalls on this itinerary?
The far-shore day heads north to Devil's Kettle and Grand Portage High Falls, about an hour-plus each way from the lodge, which is the honest number. You can break the drive with lunch in Grand Marais on the way back. It is the big finish of the week, saved for the last full day.
What hikes are near the lodge for a trail day?
The trail day on a seven-day stay gives you options close to the lodge: Oberg Mountain's summit loop, the gondola up Moose Mountain with the ridge back down, or a Cascade River loop from the state park. In winter it turns into Nordic skiing on the Norpine system, with the Hall and Massie loops for elevation or Deer Yard Lake for a gentler morning. The afternoon is left slow, with the game room, board games, and hot drinks.