8 Best Lakeside Towns in Minnesota
Minnesota is peppered with bodies of water everywhere you look. In its lakeside towns, you can paddle into the Boundary Waters or enjoy a waterfront festival at the Northwest Water Carnival. In Excelsior, you can even ride the restored steamboat Minnehaha on Lake Minnetonka. And in Detroit Lakes, you can relax on Big Detroit Lake’s mile-long city beach. These are eight of Minnesota’s best lakeside towns.
Grand Marais
Grand Marais sits on the northern shore of Lake Superior, offering a wide range of opportunities for outdoor recreation alongside its busy marina. The town serves as a main gateway to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, making it an ideal starting point for both paddlers and hikers looking to see the region up close.
The town’s waterfront buzzes with fishing boats, sailboats, and visitors strolling along Artists’ Point, a rocky peninsula reaching into the lake. Nearby attractions include the Cook County Historical Society Museum, which showcases the region’s history including its traditional logging and fishing industries. Visitors can also explore cultural sites like the North House Folk School and the Grand Marais Art Colony, which offer hands-on workshops and exhibitions year-round.
Superior National Forest encompasses much of the countryside around Grand Marais, providing easy year-round access to on-land adventure including an extensive network of cross-country skiing trails in the winter months.
Walker
Walker rests along Walker Bay, a part of the larger Leech Lake of central Minnesota. As one of the state’s largest bodies of water, it is a prime destination for fishing, boating, or simple waterfront relaxation around its lengthy shores. The anglers who flock here every year target walleye, muskie, and perch, while those who just want to boat around can explore the lake’s many bays and inlets.
The Paul Bunyan State Trail runs through the town, attracting cyclists in summer and snowmobilers in winter, making it a popular year-round gathering spot. Be sure to also explore the downtown, which features small shops, breweries like Portage Brewing Company, and restaurants that serve both visitors and locals. Other highlights include events such as the International Eelpout Festival and Moondance Jam.
Accommodations are also abundant in town. Chase on the Lake, a historic resort, has been a centerpiece of Walker’s lakeside hospitality for over a century.
Furthermore, the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe has a strong presence in the area, with the nearby Northern Lights Casino and the Cass County Museum highlighting regional history and culture for you to appreciate.
Nisswa
Nisswa is located in the heart of Minnesota’s Brainerd Lakes region, drawing visitors with its chain of lakes and an array of outdoor attractions, from world-class golf courses to campgrounds and parks. This is another town with the Paul Bunyan State Trail running through it, again making it a draw for both snowmobilers and cyclists depending on the weather.
Speaking of the seasons in Nisswa, fall brings colorful foliage to the region’s dense woodlands, while winter turns the area into a hub for ice fishing. Seasonal events like the Nisswa City of Lights Festival and Winter Jubilee also keep the town lively, regardless of when you come.
Gull Lake is the obvious highlight of this community. Located just minutes south, it’s a famous fishing destination and an ideal spot for flatwater activities like canoeing, paddleboarding, or cruising with a motorboat. Nisswa’s local golf courses, including those at Grand View Lodge on Gull Lake’s shoreline, are among Minnesota’s top. The lodge itself is a fantastic place to stay overnight or longer, featuring a 3-star hotel, an onsite spa, and a pub.
Two Harbors
Two Harbors is another good little town on Lake Superior’s North Shore, about a half hour north of Duluth. Shaped by its working docks and access to wilderness both on land and on the water, this town provides a window into Minnesota’s deep connection to the Great Lakes.
The local waterfront bustles with ore freighters docking at Agate Bay, while historic sites like the Edna G. Tugboat and the Two Harbors Light Station highlight the town’s longstanding maritime past. Split Rock Lighthouse, one of Minnesota’s most photographed landmarks, stands just up the coast as well. These landmarks all lie within a stone’s throw of downtown, where locally owned shops and eateries line Waterfront Drive, offering a quieter alternative to the busier tourist destinations farther south.
Explore the outdoor attractions of the region, such as Gooseberry Falls State Park, known for its waterfalls and hiking paths leading to various viewpoints along the Gooseberry River. The Superior Hiking Trail also passes through this area, drawing both long-distance trekkers and casual hikers. During winter, Two Harbors becomes a center for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing, with its frozen shorelines providing a striking difference from the milder summer weather.
Detroit Lakes
Detroit Lakes anchors a region of more than 400 lakes, making it a center for water-based recreation in Minnesota. Big Detroit Lake is the focal point here, where clean beaches, marinas, and waterfront parks keep the shoreline busy in warmer months. Its mile-long city beach draws families and sunbathers, while anglers come here for the lake’s variety of game fish. As seasons change, you will notice ice fishing houses appear on the lake, and snowmobile trails cut through the countryside.
The town takes pride in its lakefront with the annual Northwest Water Carnival, a tradition for over 80 years that includes boat parades and water ski shows. Beyond the lake, Detroit Mountain Recreation Area offers mountain biking in the warmer months and some ski runs in winter. Additionally, the Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge, a short day trip north of Detroit Lakes, provides a tranquil setting for wildlife viewing and nature walks through diverse forests and wetlands. With activities throughout the year and a relaxed lakeside vibe, Detroit Lakes remains a must-visit regional destination in the western part of the state.
Ely
Located on the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Ely serves as a launch point for paddlers exploring its vast network of lakes and rivers. Canoe outfitters can conveniently be found in town, supplying you with everything needed for a proper backcountry adventure.
If you do want to spend some time in town, either before or after your trip, check out Ely’s own assortment of attractions. For one, the International Wolf Center and North American Bear Center, each located on either side of Ely, will educate you on the region’s predatory wildlife (perhaps a good idea to stop by before delving into the wilderness alone), while the Dorothy Molter Museum tells the story of the last resident known to live full time within the Boundary Waters area.
Downtown Ely also has all the modern comforts and amenities you could want, including gear shops, restaurants, and hotels. The Grand Ely Lodge Resort & Event Center is a particularly luxurious accommodation on the shores of nearby Shagawa Lake. It sits beside the Pioneer Mine Museum and Ely Arts & Heritage Center, and is situated less than a mile from the Voyageur highway, which cuts right through the heart of town.
Fall brings vivid colors and leaf peepers to Superior National Forest, while winter transforms the area into yet another favorite in Minnesota for cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, and even dogsledding, with the annual WolfTrack Classic drawing mushers from across the country. Shagawa Lake on the town’s western edge is a relaxing place for fishing and ice skating as well, making it a nice spot to find solitude whether casting from the shore or ice fishing.
Excelsior
Excelsior is a small city on the southern shore of Lake Minnetonka, a body of water in which Prince claimed to have found purifying properties. Whether or not this is true, Excelsior’s small-town character and easy access just west of Minneapolis make it one of Minnesota’s most popular lakeside towns.
The restored steamboat Minnehaha provides scenic cruises, highlighting Excelsior’s history as a 19th-century resort destination. On land, Excelsior Commons, a lakeside park, acts as a communal space for concerts, picnics, and swimming at its public beach. Trails for hiking and biking, including the Lake Minnetonka LRT Regional Trail, connect visitors to the wider landscape, which features numerous other lakes worth exploring.
Water Street, a major city thoroughfare, hosts popular local spots such as the Excelsior Brewing Company, a top choice for a refreshing drink after a day of activities. The Coalition Restaurant is another favorite, offering American cuisine and cocktails available indoors or on its streetside patio.
Brainerd
Brainerd is more well-known as a riverside destination, located on the shores of the Mississippi River, but several nearby lakes make it an idyllic place to spend some time by the water, whatever form it may take. Local lakes such as Crosby Lake and Rice Lake provide excellent settings for fishing, boating, and swimming, while numerous other smaller bodies are home to countless cottages, resorts, and even beachfronts like Whipple Beach just west of town.
This town is known for its extensive trail networks, including the nearby Paul Bunyan Trail, which features biking, hiking, and snowmobiling routes through scenic landscapes. Additionally, the Northland Arboretum, located just a short walk from downtown Brainerd, provides easy nature trails and educational programs about local plants and wildlife. Brainerd International Raceway adds to the town’s attractions, drawing motorsport fans with events such as the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals.
Enjoy Minnesota’s Lakes
Whether you want to explore the rugged shores of Lake Superior or you are looking for a more laid-back outing in the woods, these idyllic lakeside towns provide everything you could need for a fun and memorable trip this year. From historic landmarks to quiet beaches, any kind of traveler will find something to do across Minnesota from spring to winter.
