Grand Marais Harbor Park

Nestled on the rugged North Shore of Lake Superior, Grand Marais has a deep connection with its beloved shoreline. Originally used as a commercial and industrial waterfront in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it wasn’t uncommon to see thousands of pulpwood logs stacked on the harbor side.

As the industry started to decline, the City worked with private landowners along the water’s edge to purchase and convert their land for public use. In 2001, the Grand Marais community worked with Trust for Public Land to realize their dream—a unified public shoreline along this historic harbor.

TPL helped acquire a former gas station site, considered by many to be the crown jewel property along the harbor, and organized fundraising efforts with city officials to safeguard this space for residents and visitors to enjoy.

Now permanently protected, Grand Marais Harbor Park offers unrestricted views of Lake Superior and serves as a focal point for the whole city, including community celebrations and festivals. TPL also worked with residents to preserve their community’s history, like utilizing the former warehouse buildings of the U.S. Forest Service that sit on the property. Instead of high-rise condos or unwanted development, today, the site hosts the North House Folk School, which teaches traditional northern crafts like boatbuilding, blacksmithing, and woodworking, and connects everyone back to the rich history of Grand Marais and Northern Minnesota.