Getting here
Grand Marais sits on Minnesota Highway 61, the North Shore Scenic Drive, between Duluth and the Canadian border. Most visitors arrive by car. The airlines stop at Duluth and Thunder Bay, so plan the trip around the highway.
| Coming from | Distance | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Duluth | About 120 miles from Duluth's airport | The drive takes roughly two hours. |
| Twin Cities | About 265 miles to Cascade River State Park, which is 10 miles short of town | Cook County is four and a half hours north of the Twin Cities. Grand Marais is well up the county's shoreline, so allow more. |
| Thunder Bay, Ontario | About 90 miles from Thunder Bay's airport | The drive takes about an hour and a half, before any wait at the border. |
| The border at Pigeon River | About 36 miles northeast on Highway 61 | The U.S. port of entry is Grand Portage, at 9403 E Highway 61. |
Check road conditions and closures on Minnesota 511 before a winter drive or a holiday weekend.
Crossing the border
The Highway 61 crossing is the Grand Portage port of entry on the U.S. side and Pigeon River on the Canadian side. Carry a passport or another approved travel document. What you need depends on your citizenship and age. Confirm hours and requirements on the U.S. Customs and Border Protection port page and with the Canada Border Services Agency before you go.
Ontario is on Eastern time and Minnesota is on Central. Near the border your phone can pick up an Ontario tower and jump ahead an hour. If you have a reservation to keep, set the time by hand.
Flying
Airlines serve Duluth, Thunder Bay and Minneapolis-St. Paul. The Grand Marais/Cook County Airport, 7 miles northwest of town, is a county field with one paved 5,000 by 100 foot runway, fuel and an on-field operator for private aircraft. The airport phone is 218-387-3024.
Bus
Arrowhead Transit is the public bus. As of September 2026 it lists:
- Grand Marais Dial-A-Ride: Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., $2 a ride.
- Grand Marais to Duluth: Tuesdays only. It leaves Grand Marais at 7:15 a.m. and starts back from Duluth at 2:30 p.m. The fare is $5 each way.
Call 800-862-0175, option 8, to book or to confirm the run is going.
Start at the information center
The Visit Cook County Information Center is at 116 West Highway 61 in Grand Marais. Call 218-387-2524 or 888-922-5000, or write to info@visitcookcounty.com. It covers the whole county, and its website carries trail conditions, a fall color report and a lodging directory. The center does not post hours on its contact page, so call before you count on a late stop.
What each season is like
Lake Superior runs the weather here. The temperature on the shore is often different from the woods a few miles inland, and it changes fast. Pack layers in every month, and check the live conditions before you head out.
| Season | What to expect | Plan around |
|---|---|---|
| Summer, June to September | The busy season. The municipal campground's peak rates run June 1 to September 30 and the marina's season is June through September. | Festival weekends fill every bed. See the festival calendar. |
| Fall, late September to October | Color season. The county's studio tour is timed to peak color in late September and early October, and Moose Madness falls in mid October. | Forest Service campgrounds stop services in mid October. The campground at Judge C.R. Magney State Park closes from mid October to early May. |
| Winter, November to April | Snow season. Sled dog races run in January, and Cascade River State Park grooms 17 miles of ski trail. | City winter parking rules run November 15 to April 15. Not every back road is plowed, and some become snowmobile trails. |
| Spring, April to May | The slow season, with muddy trails. | Campground bathhouses and water come back in May. Forest Service campgrounds opened between May 4 and May 8 in 2026. |
Where to stay and when to book
Visit Cook County's lodging directory sorts the county's lodging into resorts and lodges, hotels and motels, cabins, bed and breakfasts, vacation rentals, hostels and bunkhouses, and campgrounds.
Book as early as each system allows for summer and fall color weekends:
- The municipal campground releases sites six months before the arrival date.
- Minnesota state parks release sites 120 days ahead.
- Some Superior National Forest campgrounds take reservations on Recreation.gov. The rest are first-come.
The full rules, fees and backups are in the campground guide.
Parking and walking the town
Downtown is compact, and the harbor, the shops and the folk school are a few blocks apart. Street parking is ample within a few blocks of North House Folk School, on the harbor, including both sides of Highway 61. Park once and walk. The Gitchi-Gami State Trail runs along the north side of the campground and connects it to downtown.
Know the city's parking rules:
- No on-street parking from 2 a.m. to 7 a.m. on Highway 61, or on Broadway, First Avenue West, Second Avenue West and First Avenue East south of the highway, or on Wisconsin Street and First Street east of it.
- In September 2026 the city council made the overnight ban on Highway 61 year-round.
- From November 15 to April 15, calendar parking applies: park on the odd-numbered side of the street on odd dates and the even-numbered side on even dates.
Public restrooms are at City Hall, 15 N Broadway, open when City Hall or the city liquor store is open: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.
Electric vehicle chargers are in the City Hall lot (one dual Level 2 and one DC fast charger) and at the municipal campground (one dual Level 2). They are open around the clock through the ZEFNET app. As of 2026 the city lists 25 cents per kWh for Level 2 and 40 cents for fast charging.
Groceries, fuel and medical care
Grand Marais is the county seat and the supply town for a county of 3,340 square miles. It has grocery stores, gas stations, hardware stores and outfitters. Fill the tank and the cooler here before you drive the Gunflint Trail or the back roads.
| Need | Where | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency | Call 911 | North Shore Health's emergency department is staffed 24 hours a day |
| Hospital | North Shore Health, 515 5th Ave West | 218-387-3040 |
| Clinic | Sawtooth Mountain Clinic, 513 5th Ave West | 218-387-2330. Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to noon |
| Visitor information | Visit Cook County, 116 W Highway 61 | 218-387-2524 or 888-922-5000 |
| City Hall | 15 N Broadway | 218-387-1848 |
| Public bus | Arrowhead Transit | 800-862-0175, option 8 |
Sawtooth Mountain Clinic also lists sites in Tofte and Grand Portage.
Cell service and wifi
Do not plan on a signal outside town. Coverage is limited, so download maps and directions before leaving. The John Beargrease sled dog race reports no coverage at its Sawbill Trail checkpoint and spotty coverage at Trail Center on the Gunflint Trail. Carry a paper map.
For free wifi, use the hotspot at the Recreation Area park office, which runs 24 hours a day in and around the building. Judge C.R. Magney State Park has hotspots at the ranger station, by the campground host and in the day use lot. The Grand Marais Public Library, 104 2nd Avenue West, is open Monday to Saturday. For severe weather, tune to WTIP at 90.7 FM.
Accessibility
- The Lake Loop Trail at Sweetheart's Bluff, in the Recreation Area, is built for barrier-free access to the woods and the lake.
- The High Falls Trail at Grand Portage State Park is paved and wheelchair accessible, a 1-mile round trip to Minnesota's tallest waterfall. The park does not require a vehicle permit.
- Cascade River State Park has two accessible drive-in campsites and accessible showers in season. Judge C.R. Magney State Park has one accessible campsite.
Local etiquette
- Buy firewood where you burn it. The municipal campground does not allow outside wood unless it is state certified, and state parks allow only approved firewood.
- Keep dogs on a leash of six feet or less in the campground and the state parks, and pick up after them.
- Quiet hours in the municipal campground and the state parks are 10 p.m. to 8 a.m.
- At the Grand Portage pow wow, follow the emcee: stand and remove your hat when asked, take photos only when it is allowed, and leave pets at home. The Grand Portage guide has more.
- Watch for moose on the Gunflint Trail.
- Take only photos. Leave rocks, plants and driftwood where they are.
