9 Minnesota Towns With A Slower Pace Of Life
Modern life can wear you down, and Minnesota is full of antidotes. Across the state, towns answer with limestone bluffs and quiet harbors. Lanesboro sits in the Root River Valley, while Grand Marais invites long harbor walks and lazy gallery hours. These nine towns are a great place to find a calmer side of Minnesota.
Lanesboro
Lanesboro is a tiny gem in the Root River Valley, where winding rivers, limestone bluffs, and wooded hills set an easygoing tone. It is the self-proclaimed Bed and Breakfast Capital of Minnesota, and stays like the 1889 Queen Anne Historic Scanlan, all stained glass and original woodwork, make the case. Pedal the 42-mile Root River Trail through the bluffs, catch a play at the Commonweal Theatre Company, and if you visit in June, join the Rhubarb Festival for a bake-off, the famous Stalk Toss, and free tastings.
Stillwater
Stillwater earns its peaceful name. Set along the 164-mile St. Croix River, the town pairs river views with a historic downtown full of antique shops, galleries, and cafes. Wander Lowell Park to watch the historic lift bridge, or come in January for the World Snow Sculpting Championship, when teams from more than 16 countries carve giant blocks of snow. Antique hunters are spoiled here, with Midtown Antiques alone packing in over 65 dealers. For a different view, book a riverboat cruise through the wooded bluffs with Stillwater River Boats.
Red Wing
Famous for boots and pottery, Red Wing has quietly become a music town. Every February, the Big Turn Music Fest turns downtown into a multi-venue party with more than 100 regional acts. Music runs deeper than the festival, too, at Stoney End Music and Hobgoblin USA, a folk-instrument haven on the west end that is a paradise for harp lovers. Hike Barn Bluff for big Mississippi River views, then catch a show at the Sheldon Theatre, one of the oldest continuously operating municipal theaters in the country and a Beaux-Arts beauty.
Nisswa
There is no rush in Nisswa, a small town ringed by shimmering lakes and pine forest in central Minnesota. Gull Lake is the local star for boating and lakeside resorts, while the Nisswa Family Fun Center delivers classic waterpark thrills for the kids. Settle into a rustic cabin at the Eagles Nest resort right on the water. Best of all, the Paul Bunyan State Trail runs along the edge of the property, giving you miles of paved biking and walking on the longest continuously paved rail-trail in the country.
Grand Marais
Grand Marais sits where Lake Superior meets the deep northern forests, a calm place shaped by water and wilderness. Everyone raves about Artist's Point, a rocky stretch made for wandering, with cool rock formations, a lighthouse walk, and a beach perfect for a picnic. Watch the waves roll in, follow the sailboats into the harbor, and stay for the sunset. The 57-mile Gunflint Trail climbs into the wilderness toward the Canadian border, and the North House Folk School, modeled on 19th-century Danish folk schools, teaches hands-on woodworking, cooking, and sailing.
Ely
Ely is the gateway to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, a million-plus acres of forest and water that set their own relaxed rhythm. Paddlers come for the interconnected lakes and portages and one of the most remote wilderness experiences in the lower 48. Just east of town, the International Wolf Center offers a comfortable observation room to watch one of the world's smartest predators. History buffs can tour the state's oldest iron ore mine at Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park, or visit the Dorothy Molter Museum to meet the legend of the "Nightingale of the Wilderness."
Bemidji
Bemidji invites you to take it at your own pace, whether you are watching sunrise over Lake Bemidji, pedaling the Paul Bunyan Trail through dappled forest, or ordering wild rice pancakes at the Minnesota Nice Cafe. The towering Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox statues have stood at the waterfront since the 1930s and rank among the most photographed roadside attractions in America. Outdoors, Lake Bemidji State Park rings the water with old-growth forest and trails. Its quarter-mile Bog Walk boardwalk leads into a conifer bog full of oddities like insect-eating pitcher plants and wild orchids.
Wabasha
In Wabasha, the Mississippi River rolls by in no particular hurry, and neither do the locals. Bald eagles wheel over the bluffs, and winter mornings draw crowds to the National Eagle Center to learn about the sharpest-eyed bird around. Below the bluffs, the sandstone Caves of Wabasha hide stories of old mushroom farms and Prohibition-era speakeasies. After dark, the intimate WideSpot Performing Arts Center keeps music personal, and Herb + Arrow serves flatbreads on a riverside patio with knockout water views.
Two Harbors
A lakeside town on Lake Superior's North Shore, Two Harbors pairs deep history with knockout scenery. Its Split Rock Lighthouse perches dramatically on a cliff above the blue, built after the devastating Mataafa Storm of 1905 wrecked dozens of ships along the lake. Pull up a seat at Castle Danger Brewery for a relaxed pour and an easy outdoor vibe. Then head to Iona's Beach, a dreamy stretch of smooth pink rocks that, if you listen closely, seem to sing.
Minnesota's Calmer Side
After a week of gridlock and back-to-back deadlines, a few quiet days up north can reset everything. The best part is you do not have to leave the state to find them. Minnesota's laid-back towns serve up first-rate fishing and canoeing, raw North Shore scenery, and more lakes than you could paddle in a lifetime.
