Snow changes the rhythm of the world. The forests quiet themselves, the lake takes on a softer glow, and the roads around Duluth transform into slow-moving passages through winter’s most peaceful moments. These five drives are beautiful in every season — but when the snow begins to fall, they become something entirely different: hushed, cinematic, and deeply calming.
North Shore Scenic Drive
Highway 61 in winter feels like traveling through a living postcard. As you wind north, Lake Superior stretches out beside you in sheets of silver and navy, shifting with the wind. Small towns along the shore glow with warm lights against the white landscape. Cliffs wearing frost glimmer at sunrise, and every pull-off in places like Split Rock, Gooseberry, and Tettegouche invites you into another moment of quiet winter awe. It’s a drive that naturally slows you down — in pace and in spirit.
Skyline Parkway
Perched above the city, Skyline Parkway offers one of the most stunning winter overlooks in Minnesota. The road curves gently along the ridge, revealing Duluth below in patterns of lights and rooftops softened by snow. Some stretches feel like drifting through a cloud, while others open suddenly to sweeping views of the harbor and the endless slate-blue lake. It’s especially magical during golden hour, when the world turns amber and the cold seems to pause, just for a moment.
Old North Shore Road
Tucked away from the main highway, Old North Shore Road feels like wandering through a secret winter corridor. Tall pines gather heavy snow, and the forest hushes everything beneath a soft blanket. It’s the kind of drive where the sound of your tires on packed snow is the only thing you hear — a place where winter feels deep and close, but also comforting. Each bend offers a new pocket of quiet, inviting you to linger just a little longer than planned.
Jay Cooke State Park Drive
Approaching Jay Cooke State Park in winter feels like entering a rugged, frozen wilderness. The St. Louis River twists through basalt formations, creating jagged ice patterns and frozen rapids that look entirely different from one day to the next. Snow settles into the cracks of the cliffs, accentuating every detail of the landscape. Even from the car, it’s dramatic and wild — winter showing its untamed side while you move through it at your own pace.
Park Point to Minnesota Point Lighthouse
Driving the thin stretch of land between harbor and lake feels like following a ribbon pulled straight toward the horizon. In winter, the waves freeze into sculpted ridges, the grasses bow under the weight of snow, and the lighthouse stands steady at the very end — a quiet lookout over the icy edges of Lake Superior. It’s a simple drive, but there’s something beautifully reflective about it, especially when the sky turns soft and pale over the water.
These drives reveal the softer side of winter — roads that encourage you to slow down, breathe deeper, and take in the landscape one quiet mile at a time. And after a day spent watching the world shift through your windshield, warmth becomes a kind of luxury.
Trailside Hotel is where that warmth waits. Step inside and thaw your hands by the fire, settle into soft seating, and watch the evening snow drift past the windows. Let the calm you found on the road linger a little longer. Let the day settle gently around you.
A peaceful winter stay — complete with comfort, quiet, and the glow of firelight — begins at thetrailsidehotel.com.
