Bean and Bear Lake Hike Review
Fall in Minnesota is absolutely beautiful – especially along Minnesota’s “North Shore” – the area that stretches from Duluth all the way up to the Canadian Border. I’ve lived in Minnesota most of my life and I try to make one trip up to this area during the fall, even if it’s just for a few days. One of the best hikes to do in this area is the Bean and Bear Lake hike – and the best time to do this hike happens to be in the fall. In this guide, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about hiking Bean and Bear Lake hike, so let’s begin!
Bean and Bear Lake Hike Details
Hike Distance: 6.5 miles
Elevation Gain:
Hike Type: Out and Back or a Loop, depending on which way back you take after reaching the lake. We did it as an ‘out and back.’ The distance is essentially the same either way you go.
Difficulty: Moderate
Time Needed: About 3-4 hours.
Dogs? Yes! Dogs are allowed as long as they are leashed.
There are no restrooms anywhere, including at the trailhead.
Bean and Bear Lake Trailhead Location:
The Bean and Bear Lake hike is part of the larger Superior Hiking Trail (SHT). This particular section is the most popular ‘day trip’ hike on the trail. If you’re looking for a bigger adventure, you can thru-hike the entire SHT, which is over 300 miles.
The trailhead for this is located just outside of Silver Bay, Minnesota and is at the “Silver Bay Trail Head” on Google Maps. This trailhead location is also known as the Penn Blvd Trailhead.
It can be a little tricky to find, as the signage isn’t that good – but just stick “Silver Bay Trail Head” into your Google Maps and you should be able to find it. There is a large parking lot at the trailhead, so you’ll definitely know it’s correct when you roll up here.
What is the best time to hike Bean and Bear Lake Loop?
You can hike this trail all year long, but the best time to do this hike is in the fall, when the leaves are at, or almost at peak fall color. If you hike this trail in the spring or summer, you’ll either get a crusty view of bare trees or you’ll see your typical “green trees and blue lakes” which is fine, but isn’t all that special, especially when you’re in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. The fall colors is really what makes the Bean and Bear Lake special. To time your hike correctly, you’ll want to visit the Minnesota DNR Fall Leaf Finder -it’s frequently updated starting in early September (or if you’re local to Minnesota, watch your local news!).
Our Experience Hiking Bean and Bear Lake
We did this hike the first week of October on a Thursday morning and arrived at the trailhead around 9:30am. The parking lot at the trailhead is fairly large, and we were able to find a spot with no problem, but it was filling up. I suggest that if you do this hike on a weekend, you will want to be here before 8am to make sure you get a spot. This is an extremely popular hike, especially within the last few years.
RELATED: Check out all of my hiking content and guides here!
At the trailhead, just follow the signs for the Superior Hiking Trail. The trail itself is very well-marked, and if you do get confused, there are blue paint marks along the trail to help guide you in the right direction.
The trail surface is a mix of regular, dirt packed soil, footbridges over areas that frequently get flooded, and some large rocks.
The elevation gain here is pretty decent, especially for a Minnesota hike. You’ll climb up and down small hills and along the way, which will literally keep you on your toes, and the views start to open up as you get closer to the first overlook.
The first overlook (Bean Lake) is a great spot to take some photos.
From here, you’re about a 1/2 mile before you reach the main overlook – the spot where you can see both Bean and Bear Lake in the same spot. To get there, just keep following the trail. You’ll get some great views as you walk above the lake, and soon you’ll be at the iconic spot.
At the main overlook, there is a very large smooth rock outcropping where there is plenty of spot for groups to have a snack, as well as take photos.
From here, you can either take the loop back or you can just re-trace your steps and head back the way you came. I’ll be honest, we weren’t exactly sure where to take the loop, so we just went back the same way we came. I don’t think you’re missing out on anything by NOT doing the loop – probably just a bunch of trees.
All in all, this was a much more difficult hike than I expected. I do a lot of hiking in the mountains out west, and I’m quick to write off any hikes in Minnesota as way too easy — I mean, how much elevation gain can you get in a state that’s pretty flat? But Bean and Bear surprised me – this did give me a decent workout and I really enjoyed this hike.
Where to stay?
I’ve stayed at many, many different properties along the North Shore, but for this particular trip, my sister and I stayed at the Gooseberry Cottages – check out my review. This was a nice place to stay and it was about a 20 minute drive to the trailhead. I definitely recommend it! Silver Bay itself is a small town and has very few hotels, and if you’re here in the fall, they charge $300-500 a night for a shitty AmericInn!
Bean and Bear Lake – Final Thoughts
Was hiking Bean and Bear Lake worth it? YES!!! I’ve done some amazing scenic hikes before and I still think this was a great hike – I didn’t know that hikes in Minnesota could actually be a bit challenging! IMO, the Bean and Bear Lake is the best hike in Minnesota. I saved this hike to do in fall because of the fall colors, and timed it so that we had a sunny, clear day (I’m local-ish, so I can do that!). It was well worth it and it’s a must-do if you are up in the North Shore area in fall.
Have you hiked Bean and Bear Lake? What did you think? I’d love to know in the comments!
