What is it like Living in Duluth Minnesota on Lake Superior

Share This Article:

Canal Park

Living in Duluth Minnesota provides a lot of access to Lake Superior. One of our main areas to visit by Lake Superior is Canal Park. You will see locals and tourists hanging out in the Canal Park area.

Canal Park in Duluth MN has a few aspects that draw attention. The Duluth Lakewalk, Aerial Lift Bridge and Harbor, restaurants, shops, and ease of getting around. There isn’t going to be a ton of parking down there. But the Decc parking ramp or walking over from downtown Duluth are some closer alternatives.

There are many restaurant options in the Canal Park area as well. Maybe you are looking to have a sit down experience at Old Chicago or Green Mill. I enjoy getting a sandwich down at Northern Waters Smokehaus (you might have to order a few hours early!). There are multiple brewery options as well. You will have a fair amount of retail shops to search through as well.

One of the main areas people visit is the Canal and Aerial Lift Bridge path. Many people like to view the bridge going up to allow the ships to pass through. You will be able to walk down to our lighthouse as well. There is a Duluth Canal Cam in case you want to view it when you aren’t in the area as well.

The Duluth Lakewalk is one of the main attractions in the city. It runs for about 8 miles starting over in Bayfront and running down to Brighton Beach. There is a good amount of the path that runs along Lake Superior. A great option if you want a shorter walk can be to start in the Canal Park area and head down to Leif Erickson Park. I enjoy walking down that path because it has great views of Lake Superior and different access points. The train tracks run alongside part of it as well. For part of the year there are train tours running throughout the day. This Lakewalk path will have the option of going up to Superior St at different points. A great stop is The Portland Malt Shoppe.

Regardless of the time of year, the Canal Park area is a great spot to visit. The days we have storms or high winds are some of my favorite times. Storms look amazing over the lake and the high winds will produce massive waves.

Views of Lake Superior

A unique part of living in Duluth Minnesota are the views we have of Lake Superior. You don’t have to travel far to see Lake Superior. The Duluth Hill stretches for miles. That is a big reason why you will have many opportunities to have a view of Lake Superior.

I enjoy driving from the top of the Duluth Hill down Glenwood St into the Lakeside neighborhood and having Lake Superior front and center. One of our main scenic drives is Skyline Pkwy. There will be stopping points throughout the roadside. If you go to the Hawk Ridge area, there will be opportunities along Skyline Pkwy there to use different trail systems that have a view as well.

One of the interesting parts to having four distinct seasons in Minnesota are the seasonal views. You might be able to see Lake Superior in certain parts of the year when the leaves are gone. Regardless of the time of year, the lake offers different looks and opportunities to experience it.

We also have restaurants with amazing views of Lake Superior. I enjoy eating at Va Bene in the section with a view of the lake. It can be one of the best spots to be when there is a storm going on. I was lucky enough to be there when we had a lightning storm going over the lake.

Looking To Work With Us?

I work with many people buying and selling homes in Duluth and the surrounding area! Click the phone number below to reach out:

Call/Text: (218) 428-1178

Schedule Appointment

Lake Superior Weather

Living next to Lake Superior can produce different weather conditions. The lake effect we have from our proximity to the lake is a big part of the lifestyle here. It is one of the reasons we are more protected from tornadoes. It makes the news when we have any kind of funnel because the lake effect can be a great defense against them. It also keeps the temperature cooler than some other parts of the state.

It can make the weather a little more difficult to predict. Sometimes you won’t know if a storm or rain prediction is going to be accurate until it is supposed to start. We also receive more snow than some other parts of Minnesota. The lake effect will affect the snow in other ways as well. You will see some areas here will get some more snow than others.

Park Point

The last thing I want to discuss today is Park Point in Duluth. Park Point is supposed to be the world’s longest freshwater sandbar at about 7 miles. When you cross the Aerial Lift Bridge from Canal Park you will enter the Park Point area. On one side there will be the harbor and on the other the sand beach side along Lake Superior.

There will be some homes on Park Point as well. There is a very limited number of homes that come up for sale on Park Point every year. Some of them are on the sand beach side or have waterfront on the harbor side.

As you travel down the main road you will see a few stopping points. The main option is Park Point Park. There is a field, sand volleyball, and access to the beach area over there as well. There is free public access to the beach. You will see a large crowd down there on a nice warm day. This is a great area if you are looking to swim in Lake Superior as well.

If you continue your journey down past the Park Point Park, you will come to the small airport. There will be more parking and access to the beach as well. That is where you will access the Minnesota Point trail system as well. You can go to the end of Park Point using the trail system.