Gooseberry Falls State Park Visitor Center and Highway Rest Area
is located on Hwy 61 approx. 1 hour north of Duluth.

The Gooseberry River is one of 20 major Minnesota North Shore rivers and streams emptying into Lake Superior.  Overall Lake Superior drains a basin of  49,300 square miles and 336 tributaries.  Lake Superior lives up to its name.  It is not only the largest and deepest of the Great Lakes - It is also the cleanest , clearest and coldest.  In fact it contains half the water in the Great Lakes.  Its 3 quadrillion
(3,000,000,000,000) gallons  of water would cover all of Canada, the U.S. , Mexico, and South America with one foot of water!

No other lake can match its vast area of 31,280 square miles.  From tip to tip it measures 350 miles and at its widest point it measures 160 miles.

With an average temperature of 40 degrees F , the lake makes summers cooler and winters warmer.  Its spring and autumn storms have caused 350 major shipwrecks.  Up to 95% of the lake can be covered with ice in the winter time.

Gooseberry Falls new visitor center was started in July 1995 and was opened in September 1996.  At a cost of 3 Million dollars it is truly spectacular.  Inside you will find a gift shop, beautiful artwork,  and an information center which includes movies about Gooseberry Falls.

All materials used to build the visitor center were recycled.  On grounds there are over 700 linear feet of 10 foot wide black top trails, radiating from the center to various points of interest on the grounds and connecting with the parks great hiking trail system.  All trails associated with the visitors center are handicapped accessible.