Gooseberry Falls named nation’s best state park by USA Today

Gooseberry Falls State Park in Two Harbors just picked up a national crown, and the biggest local question is what that visibility will do to a park that already functions like a North Shore magnet. USA Today’s 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards named Gooseberry the nation’s best state park after a field of 20 nominees was narrowed by editors and subject matter experts and then decided in a four-week public vote. For Lake County, the honor is more than a bragging right: the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says Gooseberry has been the most-visited state park in Minnesota in seven of the last 10 years, with an average of more than 760,000 visitors a year.

That scale helps explain why the award matters beyond the trophy case. Gooseberry is already the gateway to the North Shore, and the added attention is likely to intensify the same pressures the park manages every season: parking, traffic, trail wear and visitor behavior. The park’s visitor center area is built to absorb heavy use, with a theater, interpretive displays, a trail center, a nature store, modern bathrooms, vending machines, park offices and travel information. Even so, the DNR’s stewardship message is clear. Stay on trails, park only in designated areas, pack out trash, avoid picking up rocks or flowers, and check conditions before heading out.

The draw is easy to see. Gooseberry has five waterfalls, the Upper, Middle and Lower Falls, a river gorge, Lake Superior shoreline and access to the Gitchi-Gami State Trail. The Waterfalls Walk from the visitor center reaches the Upper and Middle Falls by an accessible route, while the longer Falls Loop Trail leads to the Lower Falls. USA Today’s awards page also highlights 18 miles of trails, 8 miles of mountain bike trails, winter cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, wildlife viewing that includes more than 225 bird species, and a connection to the Superior Hiking Trail.

Gooseberry’s popularity has deep roots. The park was established in 1937 and was the first of eight state parks developed along Lake Superior’s North Shore, according to the Minnesota Historical Society. Nearly all of its buildings were constructed by Civilian Conservation Corps workers between 1934 and 1941, giving the park its distinctive log-and-stone character. That history is part of what makes Gooseberry feel both heavily developed and deeply tied to the landscape.

The new ranking will likely bring still more travelers to Highway 61, Two Harbors and the businesses that serve North Shore visitors. It also raises the stakes for how people use the park. Visitors can park at the visitor center and walk to the falls, or drive to Picnic Flow to reach the basalt shore and pebble beaches, but the message from park managers is the same: enjoy the view without adding to the damage that comes with popularity.