Rocky river gorges, hidden waterfalls, and cauldrons. An intriguing prologue to this bucket list North Shore hike. A captivating collection of waterfalls and cascades tumble through this lower section of the Temperance River. From the Highway 61 bridge, two trails on either side of the river delve into stunning, rugged scenery of plump cedar trees, towering white pines, and white and yellow birch. The trees hug the edges of a craggy gorge with hard angles and vertical walls lined with lightning bolt cracks. A nifty footbridge crosses the river just below the zigzag gorge for great views in both directions.
The Temperance River is called a “wild and violent river,” with good measure. The Temperance does not glide gently around a bend of chattering riffles; it announces itself with guns blazing, thundering through these canyons in angry cracks of rapids, with unimaginable force pounding into colossal boulders and sluicing cliffs of shadowy basalt. Thousands of years of this relentless battle of water and rock created huge potholes in the soft lava of the river bed, and the potholes grew and eventually succumbed to the watery assault, collapsing into the next pothole, and the one after that, to create the deep, slender gorge you see today.
One of the spoils of this primeval skirmish is the series of waterfalls on the river in a short section of the gorge between Lake Superior and higher ground upstream. The first treasure is Hidden Falls, concealed way back in a dark, deep cave of the gorge. From here, the path follows the river to a collection of overlooks and climbs a flight of stone steps, like an aged stairway through Tolkien’s Mines of Moria. Farther along is a skinny waterfall with whiskers of deep green moss and blotches of rusty lichen clinging to adjacent rocks, while suds of foam float around on the small pool below. A small rise in the trail leads across the Gitchi-Gami State Trail, a fantastic multiuse recreation path that will soon wander through nearly 90 miles of stunning North Country scenery from Two Harbors to Grand Marais.
A short trek up the hallowed Superior Hiking Trail, past some of the most beautiful, unadulterated North Country land in the Arrowhead region, is another postcard waterfall. The gorge opens up and exposes cliff walls like the teeth of a great beast, with a white tongue of water and foam hissing at the center of its blackened maw and a frothy bubble bath at its base.
One more waterfall lies in wait before the SHT gradually leans away from the river toward Carlton Peak, a 1,526-foot hill with knock-your-boots-off views of Lake Superior and its grand shore. This falls is a pretty little cascade, considerably tamer than its downstream brethren, but still radiating enough allure to hold you riveted to its rugged grace.
Temperance River State Park hosts all of this amazing scenery and tops it off with an excellent campground an agate’s throw from the waters of Superior. This is a highly recommended, author-favorite, don’t-miss stop on any North Shore visit.
Why this place matters
The Temperance and nearby Cross rivers are designated trout streams, filled with brook, brown, and rainbow trout that have established natural lineage after years of DNR stocking.
