The 10 Most Scenic Parks On The Shore Of North America's Largest Lake

Few bodies of water on Earth live up to their name quite like North America's impressive Lake Superior. This gargantuan inland sea is the largest of North America's Great Lakes. Beyond its four Great Lakes peers, however, Lake Superior is also the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area. Among the lake's many superlative stats are about 3,000 cubic miles of water, a maximum depth of around 1,332 feet, and more than 1,800 miles of shoreline. This shoreline doesn't merely provide access to the lake itself. Lake Superior's coastline hides remarkable geological, ecological, or historical features that are made all the more beautiful in contrast with epic lake views. It should come as no surprise that many of Lake Superior's top attractions form the basis of amazing green spaces and public lands.

The many parks that dot Lake Superior's shores extend across the U.S. states of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, as well as the Canadian province of Ontario. In both countries, Lake Superior parks include popular, federally-managed national parks and lesser-known (but still spectacular) state or provincial parks. There are a few special parks on the shores of Lake Superior that stand out from the others for their particularly photogenic views, memorable experiences, and overall excellent introduction to North America's largest lake. Based on geological and ecological features, sightseeing trail options, and the quality of lookout points, these 10 parks in the United States and Canada offer some of the most scenic views of the mighty Lake Superior. 

Much of Lake Superior's northern shore features lofty cliffs that look down on the water, most of which call Minnesota's Tettegouche State Park home. Pictured above, Tettegouche's 300-foot Palisade Head, is the site of Minnesota's best trail with cliffs and waterfalls, the Palisade Head Trail.

Alongside these stunning cliffs, Tettegouche State Park offers additional Lake Superior views at the Shovel Point overlook. Further inland, the park has expansive lakeside forests, interspersed with lovely woodland streams. As if Lake Superior wasn't enough, this state park also boasts the 100-foot High Falls of the Baptism River, one of Minnesota's loveliest waterfalls. 

Whether along the ocean or a Great Lake, a shoreline hike is made all the more picturesque with a lighthouse to further enhance its scenery. Minnesota's Split Rock Lighthouse draws consistent praise as one of Lake Superior's loveliest, and Split Rock Lighthouse State Park has the best vantage points for premium shots.

As you can see here, the lighthouse's clifftop location, overlooking the lake, is worth a thousand postcards on its own. Split Rock Lighthouse State Park's cobbled beaches and forest views only add to the setting, with dense pine forests, extensive trails, and numerous Lake Superior overlooks to enjoy. 

One key characteristic of many Lake Superior parks is the addition of a dazzling waterfall to complement the Great Lakes beaches. In the case of Minnesota's Gooseberry Falls State Park, you'll find three scenic waterfalls within viewing distance of the lake. 

Waterfall views like this one are abundant on Gooseberry Falls' many trails, bridges, and scenic overlooks, with additional views of enchanting forests of aspen, cedar, and evergreens along the Gooseberry River. Add the beautiful Lake Superior shore just a brief hike away, and it's clear why USA Today readers chose Gooseberry Falls as "America's Best State Park". 

Lake Superior's beautiful shores aren't limited to the mainland. The lake also has numerous islands with their own exceptional shorelines and beaches. Notably, Wisconsin's Big Bay State Park is located on Lake Superior's Madeline Island, the largest island of the Apostle Islands archipelago. 

Though often overshadowed by Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Big Bay State Park is a noteworthy preserve of lakeside sandstone cliffs, old-growth hemlock forests, bogs, boardwalks, and fun beaches. Accessing Big Bay State Park usually requires a ferry ride, though private boating (or, in the winter, ice roads and/or wind sleds) may be available. 

The thought of towering mountains perched over Lake Superior may seem like a fantasy, and yet, the titular range of Michigan's Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park is exactly that. The "Porkies" (as they're affectionately known) are a prominent feature of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. At 60,000 acres, their designated state park is Michigan's largest. 

Mountaintop views of Lake Superior aside, the park also features attractive waterfalls and old-growth forests. The smaller Lake of the Clouds is another unmissable landmark nestled in the Porkies' rich forests.

Though far from Lake Superior's highest, the cliffs at Michigan's Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore pack extraordinary scenic qualities into just a few meters. The distinctive coloration of these sandstone cliffs comes from extensive mineral seepage from groundwater. Elements like iron, copper, and manganese "paint" the cliffs in shades of red, green, and black, respectively. 

Pictured Rocks' 40 miles of Lake Superior shoreline provide a scenic treat for visitors, with beaches, waterfalls, and forests decorating the colorful cliffs. Unsurprisingly, the nearby Upper Peninsula city of Munising is a haven for kayaking through pristine waters and other scenery-rich outdoor activities. 

Moving across the northern border, Canada's Pukaskwa National Park is a treasure trove of beautiful scenery on Lake Superior's Canadian side. Pukaskwa's seemingly endless Lake Superior views complement its equally vast boreal forests extending inland from the lake's shores. 

Visitors can discover the rugged side of Lake Superior at Pukaskwa's rough granite coastal areas, or take a dip in the lake's perpetually cold waters at one of the park's sandy beaches. Pukaskwa National Park's natural areas include forest ecosystems of rare and endangered plants, mountainous geology, and inland lakes that do their best to mimic the nearby Great Lake. 

Ontario has a few provincial parks that are tucked along Lake Superior, but Sleeping Giant Provincial Park may take the crown for its monumental scenery. Located just over an hour from Thunder Bay, Sleeping Giant includes many of the most dramatic geological phenomena along Lake Superior's shores. 

The above image gives a taste of the vertigo-inducing Top of the Giant Trail atop the massive Sleeping Giant formation. If your fear of heights compels you toward less precarious Lake Superior views, Sleeping Giant also features lower-altitude attractions like a charming lakeside rock formation called The Sea Lion that is, thankfully, much closer to ground level. 

Though Michigan's Little Presque Isle measures less than 500 acres, it hides many of the best views in the Upper Peninsula. Among the park's secret gems are beautiful sandy beaches, lakeside cliffs, wooded dunes, and exposed rocks that are more than two billion years old. 

Hikers can find plenty of picture-perfect Lake Superior lookouts in Little Presque Isle's deceptively small area, while the Little Presque Isle Recreation Area is perfect for swimming, paddling, hiking, and sightseeing. The nearby Huron Mountains represent the wildest land left in Michigan, and provide a grandiose backdrop for those enjoying Little Presque Isle Beach. 

Wisconsin claimed part of Madeline Island for Big Bay State Park, but much of the remaining Apostle Islands are protected by the National Park Service as the one-of-a-kind Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. The park's 21 islands have some of the most eye-catching geological formations anywhere on Lake Superior. 

Pictured above is one of the many exquisite sea caves that the lake has carved into the Apostle Islands' colorful sandstone cliffs. Visitors can also explore ecologically rich sandscapes, gem-like splashpools, and America's largest collection of historic lighthouses.