Last updated July 21, 2026
About 20 to 25 minutes north of the lodge — roughly 18 miles up Highway 61 — Grand Marais is Cook County's only real town, and even now it's still small. It's the cultural heart of the North Shore: a working Lake Superior harbor, an artists' colony, and a walkable downtown you can happily lose an afternoon in.
For a lodge in Lutsen, Grand Marais is the town you drive up to — for groceries and galleries, a harbor stroll, a pizza, a festival weekend. Here's how we'd spend a day there.
The harbor & Artist's Point
The must-do stroll
Grand Marais is built around a working harbor on Lake Superior, and the walk everyone should do at least once is out to Artist's Point — the low granite point by the Coast Guard lighthouse, out past the harbor. It's a short, uneven ramble over bare rock and pine, with the open lake on one side and the harbor on the other. Wear real shoes; the rock is uneven and the lake spray makes it slick.
A working harbor, an artists' colony, and a downtown you can walk end to end — the North Shore's small-town heart.
Arts & culture
Why it's an artists' town
Grand Marais has drawn artists for generations, and it shows. The Grand Marais Art Colony is one of Minnesota's oldest, and North House Folk School, on the harbor, teaches traditional northern crafts — from timber framing to boatbuilding — in hands-on courses. Add the downtown galleries, Drury Lane Books (a good independent bookstore), and the Cook County Historical Society museum, which makes a fine rainy-day stop. Hours are seasonal across all of these, so check ahead before you plan a day around any one of them.
Eat & drink
The iconic stops
A few Grand Marais places have earned their reputations. World's Best Donuts is a summer institution — go early, because they genuinely sell out. Sven & Ole's is the town pizza place, the Angry Trout Cafe sits right on the harbor, and Voyageur Brewing Company pours local beer with a lake view. Hours are seasonal — some places close or cut back in the off-season — so check current hours, and see our full ranked dining list for the wider North Shore.
Provisioning
Groceries for the group
Grand Marais is also where you stock up. It has the county's only full-size grocery, Gene's Foods (note: closed Sundays), plus the Cook County Co-op for local and natural foods. For a full-house group at the lodge, it's worth a proper provisioning run on the way in — see our groceries & supplies guide for how we'd plan it.
Plan around Sunday. Gene's Foods, the county's only full-size grocery, is closed Sundays. If you're arriving for a big group, do your main shop on the way up or on a day the store's open — check current hours before you count on it.
Festivals & events
Time your visit
Grand Marais keeps a real calendar. The Fisherman's Picnic (late July / early August) is the town's signature festival; the Grand Marais Arts Festival comes in July; the Art Along the Lake fall studio tour runs across September and October; and Moose Madness lands in October. Dates shift year to year and popular weekends fill lodging fast, so book early and see our North Shore events guide for the full year.
The lodge as basecamp. Grand Marais is close enough for a morning donut run and a harbor walk, but Nordhus keeps you out in the quiet of Lutsen — eight wooded acres and room for the whole group, about 20 minutes down the shore. Come to town for the festival; come home for the fire pit.
Common questions
How far is Grand Marais from Nordhus Lodge?
Grand Marais is about 20 to 25 minutes north of Nordhus Lodge — roughly 18 miles up Highway 61 from Lutsen. It's Cook County's only real town and the cultural heart of the North Shore, and it's the closest place for a full-size grocery, galleries, and a harbor stroll.
What is there to do in Grand Marais?
Grand Marais is a working Lake Superior harbor town with an artists' colony and a walkable downtown. The must-do is the stroll out to Artist's Point, the granite point by the Coast Guard lighthouse. Beyond that: the Grand Marais Art Colony, North House Folk School, galleries, Drury Lane Books, the Cook County Historical Society museum, and iconic stops like World's Best Donuts, Sven & Ole's pizza, the Angry Trout Cafe, and Voyageur Brewing Company. Hours are seasonal, so check ahead.
When is the Fisherman's Picnic in Grand Marais?
The Fisherman's Picnic is Grand Marais's signature town festival, held in late July or early August. Exact dates shift year to year, and lodging fills fast around it, so if you're planning a trip around the Picnic, book early.
Related
Planning the day itself? See Best Things to Do Near Grand Marais in the journal for the harbor-town activity list.