Split Rock Lighthouse State Park
3755 Split Rock Lighthouse Road, Two Harbors, MN 55616
About Split Rock Lighthouse State Park
Split Rock Lighthouse stands on a cliff above Lake Superior about 20 miles northeast of Two Harbors, and it is the most photographed structure in Minnesota. The light was built in 1910 after a series of shipping losses on this stretch of coast, and it is operated as a historic site by the Minnesota Historical Society within a state park managed by the DNR.
The park around it is worth the trip on its own: cliff overlooks, cobble beach, Lake Superior shoreline, cart-in campsites that are among the most sought-after in the state, and connections to both the Superior Hiking Trail and the paved Gitchi-Gami State Trail.
Every November 10 the beacon is lit in memory of the twenty-nine men lost aboard the Edmund Fitzgerald in 1975, and people drive from across Minnesota to stand in the cold and watch it. It is the North Shore's most solemn public gathering and, for anyone considering moving to this coast, a fair introduction to what the lake means here.
Good to know: 1910 Split Rock Lighthouse and historic site, cliff overlooks, cart-in campsites, Lake Superior shoreline, Gitchi-Gami State Trail, Superior Hiking Trail, hiking, cross-country skiing.
Neighborhoods it serves
Where these facts come from
- Minnesota DNR, Split Rock Lighthouse State Park accessed 2026-08-13
Last reviewed 2026-08-13 by Guide editorial.