Minnesota
Experiences

This Beautiful Minnesota Lighthouse Is Even More Gorgeous Under A Blanket Of Snow

Split Rock Lighthouse State Park in Minnesota is especially beautiful under a blanket of snow, offering scenic views and historic charm.

Published Nov 27, 2019

Written by 

Betsy Rathburn

Minnesota sure is beautiful - especially under a blanket of fresh, white snow. Just about anywhere in the state is transformed by snowfall, but there are a few places that stand out among the rest as the most gorgeous spots in the state. One is popular year-round for its natural and manmade beauty. Split Rock Lighthouse is one of the most popular landmarks in Minnesota, and it gets even more gorgeous under a blanket of snow. Take a visit to Split Rock Lighthouse State Park to see for yourself this winter. Here's what you need to know:

Minnesota’s North Shore is one of the state’s many gems. Full of lovely towns and beautiful scenery, it’s one of the most popular getaways in the state. One of the best spots to visit along the North Shore? Split Rock Lighthouse State Park.

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The park is known for its beautiful scenery along Lake Superior. Many miles of hiking trails wind through the park, offering visitors a chance to take in the landscape up close.

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Phil/Flickr

Under a blanket of snow, Split Rock Lighthouse State Park takes on a completely different look. Sound is dampened by the thick snow, and tree branches shimmer with ice.

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But if you've ever been to the park, you know that it's most known for the gorgeous Split Rock Lighthouse. The historic lighthouse that gives the park its name dates back to 1910. It's one of the most scenic lighthouses in the United States.

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And if you’re really a North Shore aficionado, you know that the view of Split Rock is even better from afar. The 130-foot cliff on which the lighthouse stands towers over the lake.

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When the snow starts to fly, the cliff and surrounding rocks get dusted in beautiful snow. Paired with a frozen Lake Superior, it is a sight that looks like nothing else in Minnesota.

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There are a few roadside stops that make it easy to take in the scene. The official Lighthouse Overlook is just under a mile south of the park’s entrance. Stop off before you enter the park to take photos. You won’t regret it!

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Split Rock Lighthouse is beautiful all year long! For even more great places to visit in the winter, check out our list of 10 places everyone should visit in Minnesota this winter.

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Experiences

This Minnesota Hotel Is Among The Most Haunted Places In The Nation

Palmer House Hotel in Sauk Centre, Minnesota, is renowned for its paranormal activity and historic significance.

Updated Aug 13, 2024

Written by 

Betsy Rathburn

When you pass by certain buildings, roads, or nature areas every day, it's easy to forget that they're full of history. Instead, they fade into the background, making it all the more difficult to learn more about their stories. But when it comes to many places throughout Minnesota, that is a mistake. Why? Because these locations may be the sites of ghostly encounters and decades-old hauntings. That's certainly the case for one haunted hotel in Minnesota. The hotel looks normal on the outside, but it might just be one of the most haunted places in Minnesota - and the nation.

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Palmer House Hotel is located in downtown Sauk Centre, Minnesota.

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This hotel has a long history. It first opened over 100 years ago, in 1901. It was the first building in town to have electricity!

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The Palmer House Hotel, Restaurant & Pub/Facebook

The hotel's cozy common areas and rooms made it a popular place to stay. Today, people still love visiting.

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More often than not, today's visitors come looking for a paranormal encounter.

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Why? Over the years, guests and staff alike have noticed strange happenings inside the hotel. Books flying off shelves, broken cups, and ghostly figures are just a few.

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The basement may be the most haunted part of the hotel. There are tours of this area available, so that may be your best bet for a ghost encounter.

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If you really want a nighttime visitor, book a stay in room 11 or 17. They're said to be the most haunted.

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This old hotel is often noted as one of the most haunted places in Minnesota.

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Its story is so well known, in fact, that it's even considered one of the most haunted places in the entire country.

Have you ever visited the Palmer House Hotel? Would you stay overnight at this haunted hotel in Minnesota? Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below. Don't worry - if you want to visit Sauk Centre and the Palmer House but don't actually want to stay there, you have other, less-haunted options. And if you love haunted hotels and other haunted Minnesota tidbits, be sure check out our article about another Minnesota hotel and restaurant with a haunted history.

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Experiences

The Abandoned Day Hill Ruin In Minnesota Is One Of The Eeriest Places In America

A hike in Split Rock Lighthouse State Park leads to a scenic view and an eerie abandoned fireplace on Day Hill.

Updated Aug 7, 2024

Written by 

Trent Jonas

A popular hike in Split Rock Lighthouse State Park rewards explorers with spectacular views - and a mysterious fireplace in the middle of nowhere. The story behind the ruin atop Day Hill makes the site one of the eeriest - and saddest - abandoned places in Minnesota.

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Most folks who visit Split Rock Lighthouse State Park, probably think about... well, the lighthouse.

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Split Rock Lighthouse/Facebook

The beautiful lighthouse, more than 100 years old, is one of the most photographed in the country. Now operated by the Minnesota Historical Society, the lighthouse and its museum are open to the public.

But the land surrounding the lighthouse is a state park on Lake Superior's north shore, with campgrounds, pebble beaches, and plenty of hiking trails.

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One of the most popular is the trail to Day Hill, which you can access from the cart-in campground parking lot in the state park.

Hikers can also start their hike up Day Hill from the lakeshore, via "Bob's Staircase" - which climbs the southwest side of Day Hill from a cobble beach to the trail through the campground.

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The trail is steep in places, but it is wide and well maintained.

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You'll climb through the birch, aspen, and evergreens of the park's forest.

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The top of Day Hill in Minnesota is a massive rock outcropping.

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You can see why, on some days, it's considered one of the creepy places in Minnesota.

It affords spectacular vistas to the lighthouse, Corundum Point, and out over the lake.

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As you mount the top, though, something else will catch your eye.

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A stone fireplace at the hill's summit.

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The fireplace was built long before the land was a park.

According to local legend, Duluth businessman Frank Day - the site's namesake - purchased the land upon which the hill sits. He intended to build a dream home for his beloved atop the rock.

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He started with the massive stone fireplace, but Day's love abandoned him before he built more. Heartbroken, Day abandoned the hill and his eerie, lonely fireplace.

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Considering Day Hill's history, we wouldn't be surprised if they were ghosts making their home up there, answering the beacon of the lighthouse with fires of their own. Have you visited Day Hill at this Minnesota state park and its abandoned fireplace? You'll find maps of Day Hill Trail and other popular trails at Split Rock Lighthouse State Park - and most of the other state parks, as well - on AllTrails Plus. What are some other creepy, abandoned places in Minnesota that we should know about? Tell us in the comments!

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