Minnesota Seasons - Cascade River State Park

About • Location • Activities • Ecology

About

Ownership

Minnesota DNR logo

Links

Minnesota DNR

Overview

History

Management

Comments

Location

Size

5,392 acres statutory, 2,875 owned

Driving Directions


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				Cook County
				Northeast Minnesota

Parking

3481 West Highway 61
Lutsen, MN 55612

N47 42.661, W90 30.637

Hours

Daily from 8 a.m. until 10 p.m.

Fees

Daily park permit: $7

Annual park permit: $35

Maps

all season (PDF)

all season (GeoPDF)

Activities

Hiking

Biking

Mountain biking

Horseback riding

Picnicking

Camping

Backpacking

Rock climbing and bouldering

Swimming

Boating

Canoeing

Birding

Nature photography

Geocaching

Cross country skiing

Skate-skiing

Winter hiking

Snowshoeing

Snowmobiling

Trails


Hiking	18 miles The Superior Hiking Trail also runs through the park.
Cross country skiing	17 miles
Snowmobile	2 miles
Snowshoe	Anywhere in park, Please stay off groomed ski and snowmobile trails.

Hunting and Fishing

No hunting. The park may hold one or more managed hunts in the fall.

In most cases, Minnesota residents do not need a permit to fish in Minnesota State Parks.

The Cascade River and other Lake Superior streams are dedicated trout streams, requiring a license and stamp.


Ecology

Ecological Classification
Ecological Province			Laurentian Mixed Forest Province
Ecological Section			Northern Superior Uplands
Ecological Subsection			North Shore Highlands
Land Type Association			North Shore Till Plain

Native Plant Communities*
Alder - (Maple - Loosestrife) Swamp Aspen - Birch Forest: Balsam Fir Subtype Dry Bedrock Shore (Lake Superior) Exposed Mafic Cliff (Lake Superior) Lowland White Cedar Forest (North Shore) Mesic Felsic Cliff (Northern) Mesic Mafic Cliff (Northern) Northern Wet-Mesic Boreal Hardwood - Conifer Forest Paper Birch - Sugar Maple Forest (North Shore) Slumping Clay/Mud Slope (River) Sugar Maple Forest (North Shore) Upland White Cedar Forest Wet Mafic Cliff (Northern) Wet Rocky Shore (Lake Superior): Bedrock Subtype White Pine - Red Pine Forest Young Forest Complex
* Source: The Minnesota Biological Survey, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Division of Ecological Resources

Natural Features


Visitor Photos

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Wayne Rasmussen


Martha Decker

Lower Cascade River Falls		Upper Cascade River Falls


MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos



Park entrance		Trail


Cascade River

Camera

Slideshows

Cascade River State Park
Richard Sanders

About

Cascade River State Park

Cascade River State Park MN
Chris Kratzke

About

Published on Feb 13, 2014

I created this video with the YouTube Slideshow Creator

Cascade River State Park - Minnesota
Campsite Photos

About

Oct 12, 2021

Cascade River State Park Campground sold out? We can help! Get an availability alert when someone cancels with Campsite Assist: https://www.campsitephotos.com/campsite-assist/?c=Cascade+River+State+Park&id=67028

Published on Oct 28, 2013

Cascade River State Park campground has 40 single-family campsites for tents, trailers and RVs (up to 35 feet). Twenty of the sites have electric hookups. There are also 5 backpack sites and 2 group sites. The campground has modern restrooms (showers and flush toilets), drinking water and a dump station. Firewood is available for sale from the campground host. Services are limited during the winter (vault toilets and no water/showers or dump station). There are six drive-in sites available in the winter (3 with electric and 3 without). Each developed site has a table, grill and fire ring.

slideshow


Visitor Videos

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Other Videos

Cascade River State Park
Chris M

About

Nov 12, 2021

Hugging the rugged, rocky coast of Lake Superior, Cascade River State Park is located at the northeastern tip of Minnesota and has more than its share of nature’s majesty. With the rushing Cascade River, spectacular waterfalls, deep gorges with black volcanic rocks covered in moss, and old cedar, spruce, and birch forests with many different types of wildlife, Cascade River State Park is a magnificent spot for hiking, mountain biking, and cross-country skiing. Numerous smaller trails link with the North Shore State Trail and the Lake Superior Trail, offering spectacular views of Lake Superior. The park has several drive-ins and campsites for those who want to stay longer.

Cascade River State Park in Minnesota (June 2018)
wuloonu

About

Mar 5, 2019

Along the trails and river in Cascade River State Park near Lutsen, Minnesota up along Lake Superior's North Shore. Taken during a short camping trip in June 2018.

6 Cascade River State Park, Minnesota
MrZbijadek

About

Published on May 31, 2013

More http://zbijadek.ning.com

Cascade River Hike with Diane and Diane
Bryan Hansel

About

Uploaded on Apr 26, 2009

Hiking at Cascade River State Park in northern Minnesota. Lots of waterfalls. A great place to visit on the Great Lakes.

Cascade River State Park, Minnesota Campground drive through review
BigYingAdventures

About

Published on Jul 23, 2013

This state park is on Minnesota's North Shore of Lake Superior and has a campground, hiking trails, waterfalls, and is close to Grand Marais. This video gives you an overview, and a drive through showing you the campsites.

Cascade River State Park
Dan Pahl

About

Uploaded on May 9, 2011

Cascade River State Park, Mn

Camcorder


Visitor Sightings

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Wayne Rasmussen

Mammals

American red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus)

eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus)

MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings

Visits

8/10/2011

Birds


Three bird species with conservation status in Minnesota have been seen here:
Endangered	Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus)
Special Concern	Boreal Owl (Aegolius funereus) Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)

Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Birds List

Minnesota DNR Bird checklist

eBird Field Checklist (Complete)

eBird Field Checklist (Picnic Area)


Fishes
Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Fishes List

Fungi and Lichens

Two fungi and lichen species with conservation status in Minnesota have been seen here:

Special Concern

Fan Lichen (Peltigera venosa)

Methuselah’s Beard Lichen (Usnea longissima)

Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Fungi List

Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Lichens List

Insects and Arachnids


One insect and arachnid species with conservation status in Minnesota has been seen here:
Special Concern	ocellated darner (Boyeria grafiana)

Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Insects List

Mammals

Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Mammals List

Plants


Eighteen plant species with conservation status in Minnesota are found here:
Endangered	bitter fleabane (Erigeron acris var. kamtschaticus) bog bilberry (Vaccinium uliginosum) elegant groundsel (Packera indecora) pale sedge (Carex pallescens)
Threatened	alpine woodsia (Woodsia alpina) Braun’s hollyfern (Polystichum braunii) small-flowered woodrush (Luzula parviflora)
Special Concern	Allegheny vine (Adlumia fungosa) common butterwort (Pinguicula vulgaris ssp. vulgaris) Douglas hawthorn (Crataegus douglasii) Hudson Bay eyebright (Euphrasia hudsoniana var. ramosior) inflated sedge (Carex vesicaria) intermediate sedge (Carex media) least moonwort (Botrychium simplex) pale moonwort (Botrychium pallidum) quill spikerush (Eleocharis nitida) spike trisetum (Trisetum spicatum) yellow sedge (Carex flava)