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Surrounded by state parks and national forests, the city of Silver Bay is engulfed by a true wilderness environment. This is the perfect setting to enjoy the beauty of Superior’s north coast and submerge yourself in nature.
Jeremy Kasapidis, the manager of Silver Bay Marina, said, “It is truly a town for the outdoors type.”
Come get in touch with nature. Relax and enjoy the numerous state parks and the unparalleled scenery they offer. Bring your hiking boots to go on some adventures and don’t forget your climbing shoes either because you’re going to want them.
Silver Bay Marina
Even though Silver Bay has been around for years, the Silver Bay Marina is relatively new. It officially opened in 1999 and is still the only marina there in the city, making it the place to go for all you boaters out there.
Silver Bay Marina has over 100 slips with 40 set aside for transient sailors. The building comes equipped with restrooms, showers and a laundry facility. They also have access to Wi-Fi and a lounge and deck to hang out on with your friends and family. Then when you get hungry, there are picnic areas, playgrounds for kids and barbeques.
“Silver Bay Marina is a friendly, well-maintained full-service marina,” added Kasapidis. “At Silver Bay Marina you are treated as family by the other boaters and staff alike.”
Kasapidid mentioned they also have impromptu boater cookouts on the dock throughout the season. Some of these cookouts are even themed! Now that sounds like a good time.
When you visit Silver Bay, you can be sure to count on all the folks at their local marina to help you have a great time and make the most of your time there.
State Parks
As a city surrounded by the wild and nature, you are definitely going to want to take advantage of the proximity of all those state parks in the area.
“Split Rock Lighthouse is a must for anyone coming to the area,” shared Kasapidis.
This guy knows what he’s talking about. Split Rock Lighthouse is a 2,226-acre park known best for its historic lighthouse overlooking Superior’s North Shore. The view is nothing less than stunning.
The park offers a myriad of scenic trails along the lake which link up to the Superior Hiking Trail. It’s also a popular fishing spot to catch lake trout, salmon and brown trout.
Another state park that deserves a visit is the Tettegouche State Park. This park has 9,489 acres of natural beauty. It is the perfect showcase of the North Shore.
Tettegouche has breathtaking views everywhere, so don’t forget your camera and extra memory cards. The overlooks at Shovel Point are definitely worth a visit while in the park. There is also the 60-foot High Falls on Baptism river and steep cliffs and inland bluffs. Just a beautiful area all around.
The park includes a campsite and miles of hiking trails that overlook the Sawtooth Mountains and snake down to inland lakes that you can only get to by foot.
Hiker's Paradise
Silver Bay is a hiker’s paradise with all the trails available.
The Superior Hiking Trail is the most acclaimed. It has more than 300 miles of hikes and trails. It is absolutely enormous and runs through the parks. Tettegouche State Park has a section of the Superior Hiking Trail running through it and, as mentioned before, the hiking trails in Split Rock Lighthouse connect with this colossal trail.
The Superior Hiking Trail parallels a good amount of Lake Superior’s coastline and passes through exquisite scenery. There are crashing waterfalls and beautiful trees, such as birch, spruce, fir and ash trees.
Additionally, the winter landscape offers a magic of its own. Cross-country skiing is popular along these trails for that very reason.
Let’s Go Climbing
The North Shore Adventure Park is another destination for all you adventurers out there. This is an outdoor climbing park where you will climb real cliff and real rock.
Whether you are a beginner or an experienced climber, this fun adventure park offers something specifically for your level with lessons that range from beginner to expert. The park offers the highest level of fun while improving your climbing skills. It’s sure to be a blast.
The North Shore Adventure Park also teaches ice climbing for all ages and levels. Now that would be a fun and challenging experience worth having. Instead of having a lazy-hazy vacation, get yourself to this park and learn to rappel, rock climb and ice climb.
Glowing Lights and Fishing
The annual Boat Lighting event is fun and sparkling event hosted at the Silver Bay Marina. This event comes on the second weekend of July and everyone is invited to participate in decorating their boats with lights.
The event is quite spectacular to see with all the shining boats parading around on Lake Superior. At the end, awards are given to those with the best lighting displays.
The annual Lake Superior Salmon Classic is another event to put on the calendar. It’s held every year on the third weekend of July
It’s a fishing tournament where all of the money raised through ticket purchases is donated to the Silver Bay Parent Teacher Student Organization. It’s kind of like killing two birds with one stone: you have a great time fishing while donating to help further education. Win, win.
There you have it! If you ever get the chance, swing by Silver Bay for these fun events and don’t forget those hiking boots!
For More Information:
City of Silver Bay, Minn.
www.silverbay.com
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
www.dnr.state.mn.us
North Shore Adventure Park
www.northshoreadventurepark.com
Silver Bay Marina
www.silverbay-marina.com
Photos provided by the City of Silver Bay, Minn. and Silver Bay Marina.
