Last updated on June 12th, 2026
In a state known for its lakes, one lake and one beach on that lake stand out from the rest: Minnesota’s Black Beach on Lake Superior.
Minnesota’s only Black Beach is a striking strip of dark sand and colorful rock formations.
Discover why you should visit this unnaturally beautiful North Shore gem and learn its fascinating history.
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Why visit Black Beach?
Black Beach (occasionally referred to as “Onyx Beach”) is the only black beach in Minnesota, and it is a beauty. Black Beach Park includes three beaches in crystal clear coves, each of which has a bit of driftwood and jumbles of lichen-encrusted rock backed by forested hillsides and Lake Superior itself. And, if all that wasn’t enough, the cover that contains Black Beach features a dramatic dark crescent of slate grey shoreline.
Besides, it’s located about an hour from Duluth along Lake Superior’s scenic North Shore. This is the heart of one of Minnesota’s top vacation spots – an area with an abundance of state parks, hiking trails, waterfalls, and scenic beaches.
If you love the outdoors or just want to take in some incredibly beautiful areas, visit Minnesota’s North Shore. And while there, spend some time at Black Beach.
#1: Black Beach is right along the way
Minnesota’s North Shore should be in your travel plans anyway, and Black Beach is right along the way, so why not stop?! You hardly have to leave the main highway to get there!
(Only have a day to explore the North Shore? Black Beach is an easy day trip that combines well with a couple of other top attractions.)
#2: Black Beach is unique
There’s no other beach like it in Minnesota. Or maybe anywhere.
While Minnesota has plenty of black basalt rock, that stone doesn’t naturally erode into black beaches. So, Black Beach is Minnesota’s only black “sand” beach.
(I explain the weird reason why this beach has black “sand” below.)
#3: Black Beach is a great spot for photos
The dark beach combined with the lake, bright lichen-covered rock, and the forested shoreline behind the beach make this a stunning spot for photography. That’s true whether you’re trying to capture the perfect selfie, a stunning sunrise, or an approaching storm.
Because Black Beach is in a cove with rock formations on both ends, you have plenty of places to aim your camera.
#4: Black Beach is the perfect spot to take a break
Black Beach is a great spot to slow down to relax and drink your coffee or have a picnic while enjoying one of the North Shore’s iconic views. There aren’t a lot of hiking trails here, but there are some nice picnic spots on the beach that offer both full sun and cool shade. And it’s a perfect place to just hang out and take in the view.
Picnic tables make Black Beach a great place to take a break along the North Shore.
#5: It MIGHT be warm enough to swim
Black Beach is considered a good swimming beach, as taconite tailings created a broad beach with warm, shallow water. Those are unusual features on this part of the lake. But it still is Lake Superior, so “good swimming beach” is relative. . . as is “warm.”
Black Beach is unnaturally beautiful
Black Beach is a striking sight on a sunny day. The mix of blues in the sky and water, the deep green forest, red and orange lichen-spangled rock, and the dark beach look like something a painter dreamed up. But it’s real, even if it isn’t completely natural.
Black Beach is the only black “sand” beach in Minnesota. And it’s lovely!
This “black beach” isn’t truly black in the same way a black sand beach on a volcanic island would be. And it isn’t natural.
Before the Anishinaabe (also known as the Ojibwe or Chippewa) were forced to cede control of this area to the US government, this beach was a lot like many others along Lake Superior. Rocky.
The dramatic color we see today is the result of industrial pollution (in the form of taconite tailings) that began in the 1950s.
A landmark court case in the 1970s brought an end to that pollution. Subsequent cleanup and restoration projects restored much of the area. But the tailings transformed this beach, turning it into a dramatic beach of fine, dark gravel. Today this unnaturally beautiful beach and the surrounding waters are popular with local residents and visitors alike. And it is completely safe to visit.
A beach transformed by industrial waste
I’ve pretty much always been involved in environmental protection and sustainability. (That probably comes from growing up alongside the environmental movement.) And, as much as I prefer protecting the natural areas and systems, I’m fascinated by how places that have been damaged (or even seemingly destroyed) can again become functioning natural systems. Even if they look or behave differently from what existed before humans messed things up.
Black Beach is a minor example of how a site impacted by pollution was changed. And how it can become a desirable place once again after the pollution stops!
👉 Read more for environmental history geeks
You must have noticed the humongous industrial plant along the road as you came into Silver Bay.
That’s the Cleveland-Cliffs Northshore Mining taconite processing plant. Cleveland-Cliffs is the largest North American producer of both flat-rolled steel (an important material for the automobile industry) and the iron ore pellets used to produce that steel. They also own iron mines in northern Minnesota, and some of the taconite from those mines is shipped to Silver Bay to be crushed and processed into usable iron pellets.
Taconite is a form of iron that has to be crushed into a fine powder in order to separate the iron from the rest of the rock. The process produces a LOT more waste material than iron. Waste material that has to be disposed of somehow.
Reserve Mining changed both Black Beach and environmental regulation
The taconite plant in Silver Bay (as well as the city of Silver Bay) was built in 1955 by a company called Reserve Mining. The plant was built right on the shore of Lake Superior to facilitate dumping crushed rock waste into the lake. This was a cheap and easy way to get rid of tons of waste quickly. And it was perfectly legal.
And pretty much no one really cared one way or another . . . at first.
But after a few years, commercial fishermen realized the waste material was destroying fish habitat. With no fish, there’d be no jobs for fishermen. Nothing would have changed if the only concern were habitat destruction. However, attention eventually turned to strange fibers in the lake that were showing up in the drinking water of Duluth and other cities. No one really knew what effect fibers might have on human health, but they looked similar to deadly asbestos fibers. So maybe they weren’t something people should be drinking.
Not surprisingly, like the muck wrecking the fish habitat, the weird fibers in city drinking water were easily traced back to the slushy mix of crushed rock Reserve Mining was dumping into the lake by the trainload.
All of this led to a landmark case that started in Minnesota and went to the United States Supreme Court. It (eventually) ended the practice of dumping taconite tailings into the lake. (Taconite tailings are now stored in dumps located on land.)
That court case was a very big deal, as it established a whole new way of looking at pollution, environmental risk, and the government’s role in identifying and regulating those risks. It laid the foundation for most environmental regulation since that time. Today you can again see some of the same arguments over the balance between solid proof of current human harm vs the potential for harm in the future and jobs vs the environment playing out!
Learn more about the Reserve Mining Case
Much of the Reserve Mining case in Minnesota’s court system reads like a good thriller. It’s a fascinating story even if you aren’t particularly interested in environmental law! So, here are a few sources to check if you want to learn a little more about this epic battle:
- “Enemies of the People: Asbestos and the Reserve Mining Trial,” (pdf) was originally published in Minnesota History magazine, Volume 59, No. 7, Fall 2005. A shorter version was published on MNopedia.
- “The Legacy of the Reserve Mining Case” from Minnesota Public Radio has a little more detail on what was being dumped in the lake, along with the general story of the court case.
- “Taconite mining in Silver Bay: A tale of extraction and accumulation” is a short summary of Reserve Mining’s operations and the creation of the “tailings delta” that still exists today.
What’s all this environmental history have to do with Black Beach?
Reserve Mining dumped so many tailings into the lake between 1955 and 1980 that they filled in the shore behind the plant, moving the shoreline farther into the lake as tailings piled up behind the plant.
Black Beach is at the far end of this area. Far enough away that it wasn’t buried by tailings. But close enough that the dark tailings mixed in with the beach’s natural sand and stone. It’s those tailings that give Black Beach its distinctive slate-grey color.
Black Beach isn’t really a black sand beach. It’s more of a fine, dark gravel beach.
This would be a nice beach even if it looked like other beaches on Lake Superior’s North Shore. But the tailings (a form of industrial pollution) give the beach an extra bit of drama.
And don’t worry about the pollution that led to the plant cleaning up its act. Reserve Mining was required to clean up sediments and restore at least some of the damage. More than 40 years later, the real risk is an injury from falling while climbing around on the rock formations along the beach!
As I started rewriting this post, the Duluth News Tribune published a piece explaining how the beach was impacted by the taconite tailings and the health concerns involved. They also address why the beach is safe. (However, they are wrong about the old electrical cable being exposed over the winter, as you can see it in my pictures from the previous summer!)
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Black Beach is still a (bit of a) hidden gem
Despite fences and “No Trespassing” signs, Black Beach has long been popular with local residents. But a lease agreement with Cliffs and government funding for improvements and amenities brought down those fences.
Black Beach officially opened to the public in 2015 and grows in popularity every year. It’s not a local secret anymore; these days it is very, very busy on summer weekends. But visit in early spring, on a weekday, or early in the morning, and you’ll probably have it almost to yourself.
But first you have to find the beach.
Here’s what you’ll find in Silver Bay’s Black Beach Park
Black Beach is actually just one of the beaches in Black Beach Park. But it is the one you want to visit, as the unusual beach is striking to look at and fun to wander along.
You used to have to know what dirt road by the industrial park you needed to turn on and, at the end of the road, that the path along the fence really would take you to the beach.
Today it’s pretty easy to find Black Beach Park because you can see the campground from Highway 61. But finding the beach itself can still be a little confusing. And access seems to continually change a bit as the campground expands down into the park toward the lake.
To start, turn off Highway 61 onto Mensing Drive/West Lakeview Drive as if going to the campground, but continue toward the lake to East Lakeview Drive. Turn right (south) on East Lakeview Drive. That puts you in Black Beach Park.
Above the beach: Parking area one
Signage changes here all the time, but usually the sign by the first parking area you come to seems to indicate that this is where you park for Black Beach.
It is not.
There’s a picnic area here with a view over the natural beach just to the north of Black Beach.
The picnic area up here isn’t anything special, but the view is pretty good.
The view is nice enough from here, although the beach below is NOT Black Beach. (Black Beach is behind that rocky outcrop at the end of the beach.
Halfway there: Parking area two
Further down the road you’ll find another parking area with handicapped parking spaces.
I’ve only tried this trail once, and it didn’t take me to the best part of Black Beach. There probably are more trails here, but I haven’t looked again. Nor do I recall it being a great accessible trail, but it’s been a while since I checked on it.
I’m also pretty sure there is also a trail from here that leads to that rocky outcrop you got a good look at from the first parking area. The view from there should be great, but I’ve never tried to get up there . (I’m not sure why.) But if you’ve been up there, post a comment telling me where the trail is and what it’s like!
Onward to the beach: Parking area three
I used to think the road was going to end before I got to the last parking area, but it’s a little less abandoned-looking these days. Just keep driving. You won’t miss the parking area. And, if you do miss it, you won’t have to backtrack far because road access ends just beyond the parking area.
From this parking area you reach the beach via a wooded path that mostly follows the taconite plant’s current fence. (The fence separates Black Beach Park from areas where taconite tailings piled up to form new land.) This is a wide trail because it’s a former access road. However, the area is usually so overgrown that it looks abandoned, so you can pretend you’re sneaking into a secret off-limits beach just like a few generations of teenagers from Silver Bay used to!
And then you step out of the woods and onto the beach.
Most of Black Beach is sunny, but there are a few lovely shady spots.
On the beach at last
Black Beach is big. It’s long, wide, open, and flat. Trees line the back of the beach and rock formations jut out of both ends and rise above the water in front.
There’s a lot of room to spread out at Black Beach.
Because of its size, you have plenty of space to spread out — whether you’re there by yourself or with a group.
My favorite end of the beach is the south end, where a few trees near the beach offer a bit of shade and a black sandbar leads out to a large rock formation.
How can you resist a path like that?
This rock formation is popular with visitors who climb one end to take in the view. I’ve only been up here once because the trail is pretty steep and a little slippery. And it seems I didn’t take any pictures!
If you don’t want to clamber up the rocks, you can still get a good look at them from the ground.
There’s actually a lot of color at Black Beach, some of it in the form of bright orange lichens.
Plan your trip to Black Beach
Black Beach is located in Silver Bay, about 1/3 of the way up Minnesota’s Lake Superior North Shore on scenic Highway 61. That’s about halfway between Duluth and Grand Marais, which puts it in the most popular section of Minnesota’s favorite scenic drive.
Getting to Silver Bay
You can drive from Minneapolis to Silver Bay in about three hours if you don’t give in to temptation and stop in Duluth or elsewhere along the way! The beach itself is about an hour north of Duluth, making it an easy stop from anywhere along the lower part of the North Shore.
👉 Read more about planning a trip to Black Beach
Coming from the south, you’ll know you are approaching Silver Bay when you pass the enormous Cleveland-Cliffs taconite processing plant.
The North Shore is a place where you mostly have to travel by automobile, bike, or foot. But there are a few other options, particularly for active travelers:
- Limited bus service appears to be available between Beaver Bay, Silver Bay, Little Marais, and Tofte. However, it’s unclear to me whether this service is available to visitors or just for county residents.
- Cyclists can travel between Gooseberry Falls and Silver Bay along a 17-plus-mile paved segment of the Gitchi-gami State Trail. The trail comes into town above Highway 61, so you’ll need to ride down the hill to get to the beach.
- Kayakers paddling along the Lake Superior State Water Trail will find Black Beach right along the route.
Getting to Black Beach Park
Even after opening to the public, Black Beach really was a hidden gem for a few years, as signage was almost nonexistent. Today it’s not too hard to find Black Beach Park, even if the beach itself can still be a little elusive.
Black Beach is below and to the north of the city of Silver Bay. (Most of the city is on the hill above the lake.)
The best access from Highway 61 is located between the Black Beach Municipal Campground and the AmericInn. There should be a sign for Black Beach Park at West Lakeview Drive. From there, turn south on East Lakeview Drive and choose your parking area – keeping in mind that the best part of the beach is at the end of the road!
Services at Black Beach Park
Aside from the campground, Black Beach Park isn’t really a developed recreation area. There are almost no formal trails, no programmed activities, and no services. This is a park where you have to entertain yourself.
- Toilets of various types are available at the three parking areas. (The best toilet is usually the one at the handicapped parking area.) There are no toilets down at the beaches.
- Trash bins, picnic tables, basic grills, and fire pits are usually available in picnic areas above the beach (parking area 1) and along Black Beach itself. (If idiots destroy any of them, it can take a very long time for replacements to appear.)
There are no park ranger services or lifeguards at Black Beach.
But then, there’s no fee to use the park either!
Tips for visiting Black Beach
Plan on wearing shoes. This is not a sandy beach. The “sand” at Black Beach is a fine gravel. It can be uncomfortable to walk on at any time, and it gets hot on sunny days. You’ll also want good shoes if you plan to explore the boulders on the rock formations at either end of the beach.
Rock hounds should note that this is not a beach where you’ll find many interesting rocks.
Parking areas and the beach can get very busy and crowded on hot summer weekends. Go early or late in the day if you hope to park anywhere near Black Beach itself, claim one of the picnic tables, or just have some peace and quiet.
If trash bins are full, take your trash with you. Better yet, take your trash with you whether or not the bins are full. And don’t leave litter or other garbage around.
Clean up after your pet.
Please be respectful of this place and other visitors! In years past there were seasons without picnic tables or other items because people destroyed them. I’ve even been here when there has been graffiti on some of the rock faces! (What sort of losers deface natural areas?) Have fun, but don’t do it at the expense of the park or other visitors. And if you do see destructive behavior happening, report it immediately.
The best things to do at Black Beach
There are no ranger talks, ball fields, organized activities, docks, or playground equipment at Black Beach Park. There aren’t even many places to hike. This is a place where you have to entertain yourself or just relax and enjoy the scenic beauty. But there’s still plenty to do!
Here are a few suggestions:
- Stop at the upper picnic area to enjoy the view.
- Take your time and really look at the trees and other northern woodland plants along the trail as you walk to the beach.
- Walk the length of the beach, taking in the changing view as you go and/or beachcombing for the perfect piece of driftwood.
- Have a picnic. Tables and grills are located along the beach and at the upper picnic area.
- Get your friends together and play simple outdoor games.
- If it’s a hot day, go out and splash around in the crystal-clear water.
- Explore the cove from your kayak or paddleboard.
- Explore the rock formations (just be careful; the footing can be tricky.)
- Fly a kite.
- Sit on the beach and watch the clouds drift above the lake.
- Light a fire in one of the fire pits and tell ghost stories late into the evening.
- Sit in the dark and admire the stars.
This is not the place to go for sunset, although late afternoon light here can be beautiful for photographers. But if you get up early, you might catch a great sunrise here. And you’ll have the beach mostly to yourself!
You can get some beautiful evening light at Black Beach even if you can’t actually see the sunset.
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Lodging and camping around Silver Bay
Silver Bay has always been light on tourist lodging, but the city was planning to change that. (I don’t see any indication that much has changed over the years.)
However, until then, your choices in the immediate area are limited to a couple of hotels in Silver Bay, inland lake resorts outside of town, and the new Black Beach Campground. (Currently I don’t see any Airbnb or VRBO rentals right in Silver Bay, although there are a few nearby.)
Of course, lodging and campgrounds are available throughout the area. And they are usually fully booked throughout the summer. Make reservations well in advance if there is a particular place you want to stay!
Hotels in and around Silver Bay
The city is actively working to bring more tourist lodging to town. That would include a pretty wide range of options, including a luxury resort with condos.
But for now, options right in town are pretty limited.
- The closest hotel is the Black Beach Inn by GrandStay (formerly the AmericInn) right on Highway 61. It’s at the first turn off the highway toward the beach. It’s a nice hotel, but it isn’t cheap. Check reviews and book at Booking.com or Expedia.
- The Mariner Motel was the only other lodging right in town. However, as of spring 2026, it seems to have closed.
Just outside Silver Bay, Lax Lake Resort is along a lovely inland lake. It’s mostly a campground, but they have a mix of lodging options, including some pretty basic options. I stayed here a number of years ago, and it was an adequate option for the price. Just watch out for deer on the road when you head into town!
You can find other options up and down the shore at a wide range of prices, although there isn’t a lot right around Silver Bay. And bargains are challenging to find anywhere on the North Shore unless it’s midweek in winter. You can see what’s available, check reviews, compare prices, and book a room using the map below. But keep in mind that many small resorts won’t be listed on third-party sites, and even if they are, they may require you to contact them directly to actually book.
Camping
A few years ago, Silver Bay opened a campground that is walking distance to Black Beach in what was once supposed to become an industrial park. The upper camping area (the first part to open) isn’t the most beautiful or private campground, but it’s convenient, and all sites have electricity, picnic tables, fire rings, and free wifi. And they are expanding it and making improvements every year. Get more information and make a reservation on the Black Beach Campground website.
Tettegouche is the nearest state park. Camping is available in the park, but must be booked online. Same day online bookings are an option if spaces are still available.
While you’re in the area
While Silver Bay has never been a big tourist destination, it’s in a region that has many things to do whether you are looking to get out in nature, learn about northern Minnesota’s history, or just enjoy the landscape.
Things to do in Silver Bay
Silver Bay isn’t much of a tourist town, but there are a few things worth checking out here.
North Shore Scenic Overlook
Every time we drive through here, I see the signs for the scenic overlook and wonder what’s so scenic about the Cleveland-Cliffs taconite plant. (Which is odd, because I generally like photographing industrial sites.) So, I’ve never gone up here, but apparently there are good views over the plant as well as more traditional scenic views. It’s just off the highway, so it wouldn’t take long to check it out.
👉 Read more about things to do in and around Silver Bay
Silver Bay Marina
This used to be one of my favorite places to stop because you could walk on the breakwater partway out to an island. It was fun to photograph, particularly in winter. Now most of this publicly funded marina and park are not open to the public, although a picnic area and basic restroom with flush toilets (the nice restroom is only for marina guests) are still available.
Of course, if you have a boat, this is a great place to spend a few days. It was (supposedly) built as an emergency “safe harbor” refuge along a section of the shore where there aren’t good places for boats to tie up if the weather turns rough. However, state tax dollars built a gorgeous facility that seems designed mostly to boost tourism by attracting cruising vacationers and fishermen.
Learn more about the Silver Bay marina and yacht club on their website.
Beaver Bay
Just south of Silver Bay, Beaver Bay is a very small town with a waterfall right along the west side of the road.
Beaver Falls viewed from the highway bridge on a foggy morning.
It’s also home to the Beaver Bay Agate Shop, which has been in business since 1941 and has a lot more than agates. If you have any interest at all in rocks, you should stop in – you’ll see some cool things and learn a lot.
Palisade Head
The drive up Palisade Head is not for the timid. But once you get to the top, you’re rewarded with sweeping views over the lake.
Palisade Head is just 10 minutes down the road from Black Beach. And Shovel Point at Tettegouche State Park (visible in the distance) is just a bit farther down the road.
Tettegouche State Park
Tettegouche State Park is perfect for almost any sort of outdoor exploration, with spectacular scenery both along the lake and inland, including windswept Shovel Point and the High Falls on the Baptism River. It’s a gorgeous place for a leisurely stroll along the shore or a strenuous hike to one of the waterfalls or inland lakes.
Tettegouche has both fabulous rock formations and dramatic waterfalls.
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See more Black Beach photos on CindyCarlsson.com.
Is building a sand castle possible?
NO, I don’t think so. The beach is really coarse material, so I don’t think you could get it to hold togeter. It sort of rolls underfoot when you walk across it.
Can you please tell me who claims that this beach is safe? The tailings dumping was stopped only after finding asbestos in the tailings.
The material wasn’t actually asbestos but an “asbestos like material.” It doesn’t seem anyone ever actually determined whether or not it was truly dangerous, but the quantity showing up in Duluth’s drinking water was high enough to raise concerns. Even if the material is dangerous, it needs to be breathed in or swallowed in significant quantities and, after all these years, what might have been in the tailings on the beach seems to have washed away. It’s more complicated than that, but that’s sort of the gist of it. (I’ll try to find the articles I read with the science behind this and post a link.) The lake is regularly monitored for water quality and safety, but that seems to be mostly for things like fecal coliform and E. coli. Still, I wouldn’t stir up a ton of dust on the beach and then breathe it in deeply or drink water straight out of the lake. But it seems safe enough for a picnic or a hike or general beach recreation.
The owner at the Mariner Motel is very nice. Nice restaurant, coffee shop and Grocery store up the hill from the motel.
Thanks for the update. I’ve been hearing good things about the Mariner these days and have updated my text accordingly. The coffee shop was closed for an event the last time I was in town, so didn’t get to try it. And yes, there is a grocery store up the hill.
Is it okay to camp overnight at the beach overnight? Gas anyone done it?
I don’t believe camping is allowed.They had a lot of problems with late night parties and vandalism when they first opened it, so they probably keep an eye on it.
Sorry, Jesse. I can understand your disappointment. I imagine how wonderful it was to have it to yourself (I know how much I hate to get out there and find all sorts of other people there!), but I’m still glad they made it available to people like me too.
Yes, you should visit. I think you’d like it.
Thanks for the tip; I’ll try to remember this for my next excursion up the shore.
It’s where my youngest sons family hangs out – and me, too, occasionally. Glad you found it.
Maybe we can hang out there together some day!