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In Pictures: Strolling along Lake Superior in downtown Duluth
By Tom Adkinson
August 12, 2022
DULUTH, Minnesota – Many cities brag about their walking and cycling routes and great scenery, but Duluth has an asset that makes its bragging superior – Lake Superior. Much of the 7.5-mile-long Duluth Downtown Lakewalk is right beside the eastern tip of the greatest of the Great Lakes. Canal Park, a vibrant recreation, restaurant, hotel and attractions area, anchors one end of the Lakewalk and features one of the funkiest bridges you’ll ever see. It’s the Duluth Aerial Bridge, which lifts a whole block of a city street high into the air so massive freighter ships can pass under it and into a safe harbor.
A morning walk
Even in summer, walkers often wear sweaters or windbreakers on morning walks. Regardless of the air temperature, the breeze off of Lake Superior is refreshing. Down the shoreline, the Lakewalk turns away from the water and enters residential neighborhoods. Image by Tom Adkinson
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Pedal power works, too
Cyclists, walkers, joggers and serious runners share the Lakewalk. There are several places to take a break, stroll on the rocky beach and look for Great Lakes freighters, some up to 1,000 feet long. Image by Tom Adkinson
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Sailboat watching
Recreational sailboats dance across the top of Lake Superior under watchful eyes. This couple is at the far end of a canal that leads from open water into a safe harbor for the freighters. Image by Tom Adkinson
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Aerial Bridge
The frame of the Duluth Aerial Bridge is the city’s identifying landmark. From March to January, bridge tenders will lift an entire block of Lake Avenue 120 feet into the air as many as 5,000 times for ships, fishing boats, tour boats and other craft to pass underneath. Image by Tom Adkinson
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One long and two shorts
When a freighter passes under the elevated bridge, the captain blasts out a greeting on the ship’s horn – one long a two shorts. The bridge tender replies in kind. Transit times for the giant ships are posted in Canal Park’s Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center so spectators know when to watch. Image by Tom Adkinson
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Twilight on the lake
Lake Superior can take on a quiet, almost meditative, appearance during the quiet time of summer twilight. Of course, the scene can be dramatically different when a storm comes blowing in off the lake. Image by Tom Adkinson
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Trip-planning resources: VisitDuluth.com, CanalPark.com and ExploreMinnesota.com
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