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the USA🇺🇸 | regionsMinnesotaBoundary Waters canoeing, North Shore cliffs, Mississippi headwaters, rail trails | things to do and best time to go

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Backpacking in Minnesota
👍 Recommendedregion ranked #27
By Johan Kruseman 🇳🇱 | Updated October 20, 2026

“Take the Paul Bunyan Trail, hon, not the highway,” said the woman pouring my coffee at a Brainerd-area cafe, sliding over a warm donut like a bribe. Minnesota sits in the north-central United States, and its 10,000-plus lakes are the point, yet most visitors cram them into one weekend and sit in traffic. Smarter: go midweek, base yourself near water, and rent a canoe. Mosquitoes are real, so bring repellent. The Boundary Waters stay quiet because permits cap entry, and loon calls carry across the water at dusk.

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✨ Why go?
Ranked #27 region in the USAWhy visitors keep coming back

Minnesota gives you two very different trips without a plane ticket between them. The Boundary Waters Canoe Area offers over a million acres of paddling and portaging, while the North Shore of Lake Superior lets you hop between waterfalls and fishing towns along one road. Cities like Minneapolis and Duluth supply craft beer, museums and a bed with real sheets in between. Slow travel works well here because distances are driveable and the pace is set by lakes, not schedules.

💡 HighlightsDon't-miss highlights and experiences

  1. Mall of America, Bloomington: the country’s biggest indoor shopping and amusement complex, with a full theme park inside. Go for the novelty, not the shopping.
  2. Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness: a permit-only paddling wilderness with portages, loons and campsites on bare granite.
  3. Split Rock Lighthouse: a 1910 beacon on a 130-foot cliff above Lake Superior, open for tours.
  4. Minneapolis Sculpture Garden: home of the giant Spoonbridge and Cherry, free to wander.
  5. Itasca State Park: step across the headwaters of the Mississippi on stones, a tiny trickle.
  6. Gooseberry Falls State Park: easy waterfall viewing and a short riverside loop near the highway.
  7. Voyageurs National Park: a lake park best seen by houseboat or kayak, with few crowds.
  8. Paul Bunyan Trail: a paved rail trail of more than 100 miles through
… read more 👉
  1. Mall of America, Bloomington: the country’s biggest indoor shopping and amusement complex, with a full theme park inside. Go for the novelty, not the shopping.
  2. Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness: a permit-only paddling wilderness with portages, loons and campsites on bare granite.
  3. Split Rock Lighthouse: a 1910 beacon on a 130-foot cliff above Lake Superior, open for tours.
  4. Minneapolis Sculpture Garden: home of the giant Spoonbridge and Cherry, free to wander.
  5. Itasca State Park: step across the headwaters of the Mississippi on stones, a tiny trickle.
  6. Gooseberry Falls State Park: easy waterfall viewing and a short riverside loop near the highway.
  7. Voyageurs National Park: a lake park best seen by houseboat or kayak, with few crowds.
  8. Paul Bunyan Trail: a paved rail trail of more than 100 miles through pine-and-lake country, quiet and good for bikes.
  9. Palisade Head: a sheer rhyolite cliff and viewpoint that most drivers pass without stopping.
  10. Pipestone National Monument: a quarry where Native carvers still dig sacred red stone, with a short prairie trail.
Minnesota’s highlights take about a week if you drive between them, though the Boundary Waters alone can absorb several days.
Spotted a mistake or missing something? Contact us.

⌛️ 5 daysA smart one-week plan

Day 1: Minneapolis
Start in Minneapolis, because it holds the airport, rental cars and the Sculpture Garden, and you can reach everything else by road. Pick up the car early; there is no useful rail network, so driving sets your pace.
Day 2: Duluth and the North Shore
Head north to Duluth for the lake harbor, then follow Highway 61 to Gooseberry Falls, Split Rock and Palisade Head. Stopping at pullouts is the whole appeal.
Day 3: Ely
Angle inland to Ely, the gateway for canoe outfitters and permits. Detour: Soudan Underground Mine State Park, where a cage drops you half a mile into an old iron mine.
Day 4: Boundary Waters
Paddle in with an outfitter and camp on an island.
Day 5: Boundary Waters
This is the day that justifies everything: dawn mist, loons and silence with no signal.

🌤️ When to go?Weather, crowds, and seasonal trade-offs

  • Summer (June to August): Highs run 24 to 29°C (75 to 84°F) with long daylight, lake swimming, canoeing in the Boundary Waters and the highest prices and crowds, plus mosquitoes.
  • Fall (September to October): Highs of 10 to 20°C (50 to 68°F), peak color along the North Shore, and rates dropping after Labor Day.
  • Winter (December to February): Highs of -12 to -4°C (10 to 25°F), short days, skiing, ice fishing and cheap beds.
  • Spring (April to May): Muddy, 5 to 18°C (41 to 64°F), quiet and thawing slowly.
Book North Shore lodging for fall color weekends a couple of months ahead.

source: climatestotravel.comJANJanuary: below average for travelingFEBFebruary: below average for travelingMARMarch: fair for travelingAPRApril: good for travelingMAYMay: highly recommended for travelingJUNJune: excellent for travelingJULJuly: highly recommended for travelingAUGAugust: highly recommended for travelingSEPSeptember: excellent for travelingOCTOctober: highly recommended for travelingNOVNovember: fair for travelingDECDecember: below average for traveling
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🛏️ Where to stay?Best areas to stay in the USA

Minneapolis is the easiest base, with hostel and budget options near Uptown, Dinkytown and the Mississippi riverfront, plus lively bars, bike trails and light rail to the airport. Beds run about US$30 to 60 in dorms. St. Paul feels calmer and cheaper, with walkable Grand Avenue and Lowertown. Duluth is the social choice up north: its Canal Park and downtown suit hikers, paddlers and Lake Superior fans, with easy access to the North Shore. Ely works as the gateway for Boundary Waters canoe trips, and outfitters there are used to first-timers.
Best hostels in the USA


Best quality hotels in the USA

🚌 Getting aroundHow to get around Minnesota

Minnesota is not a walking state outside the cores of Minneapolis, St. Paul and Duluth, where a few neighborhoods are pleasant on foot, and beyond that the distances turn a stroll into a multi-day commitment. Most backpackers end up combining a few modes, and it works if you accept that the schedule is thin.
  • Metro Transit light rail and buses: Fares are about US$2 to 2.50, and the Blue Line runs from the airport to downtown Minneapolis in roughly 25 minutes. Transit is built for commuters, so skip the late evening.
  • Intercity buses: Jefferson Lines and Greyhound link the Twin Cities with Duluth for about US$20 to 40 in around 2.5 to 3 hours. Service is sparse beyond the main corridors, so check days of operation first.
  • Amtrak Empire Builder: One daily train each way crosses St. Paul toward Chicago
… read more 👉
Minnesota is not a walking state outside the cores of Minneapolis, St. Paul and Duluth, where a few neighborhoods are pleasant on foot, and beyond that the distances turn a stroll into a multi-day commitment. Most backpackers end up combining a few modes, and it works if you accept that the schedule is thin.
  • Metro Transit light rail and buses: Fares are about US$2 to 2.50, and the Blue Line runs from the airport to downtown Minneapolis in roughly 25 minutes. Transit is built for commuters, so skip the late evening.
  • Intercity buses: Jefferson Lines and Greyhound link the Twin Cities with Duluth for about US$20 to 40 in around 2.5 to 3 hours. Service is sparse beyond the main corridors, so check days of operation first.
  • Amtrak Empire Builder: One daily train each way crosses St. Paul toward Chicago or Seattle, often at odd hours. Fares vary widely, from US$30 to over 100.
  • Rental car: From about US$40 to 70 a day, and the honest answer for the North Shore, the Iron Range and the northern lakes, where public transit is basically a rumor.
  • Rideshare and bikes: Uber and Lyft cover the cities, and Minneapolis has excellent trails and bike rentals for US$2 to 3 per short ride.
Rent a car for only the days you leave the metro, since parking downtown is an expense you can dodge.

🍲 FoodLocal Cuisine & Drinks

Start with the hotdish, a casserole of tater tots, ground beef and cream-of-mushroom comfort that tastes like a church basement in the best way. Try walleye, fried or broiled, and the wild rice soup up north. The Juicy Lucy, a burger stuffed with molten cheese, is a Minneapolis rite of passage, so let it cool before biting. Cheap eating means food halls, diners, farmers markets and the State Fair’s food-on-a-stick, a meal in about US$10 to 18. Craft breweries pour everywhere, and tipping 18 to 20 percent is expected.

FAQCommon questions from travelers

Plan 4 to 5 days for Minnesota if you want the Twin Cities plus a taste of the north. Give Minneapolis and St. Paul 2 days, Duluth and the North Shore 2 days, and add 3 to 5 more for a Boundary Waters canoe trip out of Ely.
Getting around Minnesota without a car works inside the Twin Cities, where light rail and buses cost about US$2 to 2.50. For Duluth, take an intercity bus for roughly US$20 to 40 in 2.5 to 3 hours. Beyond that, the North Shore and Boundary Waters really need a rental or shuttle.
Minnesota is known for its 10,000-plus lakes, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, and Lake Superior’s North Shore. It also has the Twin Cities arts and music scene, the Mall of America in Bloomington, and the Mississippi River headwaters at Itasca State Park. Winters are famously cold, with January highs near -9°C (15°F).
⚠️ Things can change over time, so always validate details locally before you go.

Other American regions near Minnesota

Explore more nearby:

  • North Dakota—Badlands bison, Medora, scrap-metal sculptures, prairie border| 404 km away
  • South Dakota—Rushmore faces, Badlands pinnacles, Needles Highway, Black Hills caves| 458 km away
  • Wisconsin—Cheese curds, Apostle Islands sea caves, Door County orchards, Driftless bluffs| 473 km away

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We 💚 feedbackSumming up the experience

Minnesota trips go wrong when people stay in Minneapolis and call it done. I would skip a second museum, drive north, and book a Boundary Waters permit months ahead because popular entry points fill early.

✈️ When did I visit the USA?
In January 2023 I visited New York. Many years before, before digital cameras existed, I discovered most of the national parks in the West.

✍️ Help improve this page!
The information on this page is based on my own backpacking experience in the USA, supplemented with up-to-date research and feedback from other travelers. Travel details can change, so if you notice anything outdated or incomplete, feel free to let me know.



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Johan, backpacker and founder of TakeYourBackpackHi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past 3 decades, I’ve backpacked through 90+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.

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