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 Grand Marais is one of the most charming small towns on Lake Superior—an artsy harbor village where the town center feels friendly and walkable, and the lakefront scenery feels endless. It’s special because it combines small-town culture (galleries, cafés, shops) with immediate access to some of Minnesota’s most iconic wilderness landscapes.
Natural Setting
Grand Marais sits on the Lake Superior North Shore, where rocky coastlines, forested hills, and open-water vistas create a dramatic setting in every season. The harbor itself is a natural gathering place—walks along the water, lighthouse views, and constant lake light that makes the town a photographer’s favorite.
Nearby, the region connects into vast protected landscapes, including gateway access toward the Superior National Forest and the broader wilderness-and-lake-country systems that define northeastern Minnesota. Outdoor opportunities are excellent: hiking, kayaking, shoreline walks, scenic drives, fishing, birding, and fall-color touring. Wildlife viewing is a real perk in the surrounding forests and along the lake.
Historical, Economic & Cultural Importance
Grand Marais has long been tied to Lake Superior’s working-waterfront history, but today it’s also culturally important as an arts and outdoor community—a place where creativity and wilderness travel overlap naturally. Its economy is built around tourism, local makers, and outdoor recreation, and it wears that identity well.
The town’s shopping and dining scene is strong for its size: local galleries, craft shops, bookstores, cafés, bakeries, and destination-worthy casual restaurants, plus outfitters that support serious hiking and paddling. Grand Marais feels authentic, beautiful, and easy to love—exactly what this Spotlight category is meant to capture.
 Ely is a true wilderness gateway town—small, friendly, and deeply connected to one of America’s most celebrated canoe-and-forest landscapes. It’s special because it isn’t pretending to be something else: Ely exists to help people enter the wild, and its culture is built around that purpose.
Natural Setting
Ely sits at the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (within the larger Superior National Forest), one of the crown jewels of American backcountry travel. The landscape is a mosaic of lakes, pine forests, rocky shores, and quiet water corridors that invite multi-day canoe trips, portages, and remote campsites.
Recreation is world-class for wilderness lovers: canoeing, kayaking, fishing, backpacking, wildlife viewing, photography, and winter activities (seasonally). This is also one of the best places in the lower 48 for wildlife experiences—moose sightings are possible, and the broader forest ecosystem supports rich birdlife and seasonal activity.
Historical, Economic & Cultural Importance
Ely’s history includes mining and timber roots, but its modern cultural importance is as a premier wilderness access town. Economically, it thrives on guiding, outfitting, lodging, and services for travelers heading into the Boundary Waters—one of the few places where “outdoor logistics” becomes a proud cultural identity.
Downtown, you’ll find what wilderness travelers need and appreciate: outfitters, gear shops, permit help, hearty cafés, local restaurants, coffee stops, and small shops with practical goods and regional character. Ely is the kind of town that becomes part of the adventure—where the trip feels like it begins the moment you arrive.
Songs Associated with
The State of Minnesota
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