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Split Rock Lighthouse
Two Harbors, MN
A lighthouse on a 130-foot cliff above Lake Superior, built after a storm wrecked 29 ships.
After the Mataafa Storm of November 1905 damaged or wrecked 29 ships on Lake Superior, this lighthouse was built and first lit on July 31, 1910. The octagonal brick tower, 16 m (54 feet) tall, stands on a cliff about 40 m (130 feet) high. Its Fresnel lens from Paris floats on mercury and was turned by a clockwork mechanism. At first all supplies arrived by water; Highway 61 was not built until 1924. The light was decommissioned in 1969.
Today the Minnesota Historical Society runs the lighthouse, keepers' houses and visitor center and offers paid tours in summer. Every year on November 10 it is lit in memory of the Edmund Fitzgerald, which sank in 1975. Make time for the surrounding state park as well, at least half a day in total. At Pebble Beach you can swim, skip stones and picnic. The Gitchi-Gami State Trail runs past waterfalls and overlooks for 13.7 km (8.5 miles) to Gooseberry Falls State Park, and you can bike it too.
- Nearest town
- Two Harbors, MN
- Category
- Scenic viewpoints
- GPS
- 47.2000, -91.3670
- Editor's pick
- ★
Hours, fees and access change. Confirm with the operator or park before you go.
Good to know
Best time to go
The most pleasant months are usually May–June and September. Still fine, with some compromises, in July–August. Cold, short days in November–March. (Estimate from long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass seasons)
Sources
Featured in these trip guides
Photo by Luke Tanis on UnsplashLake Superior’s north and south shores
© Tony Webster from San Francisco, California · CC BY-SA 2.0Minnesota’s North Shore: waterfalls and cliffs to Grand Portage
© Sharon Mollerus · CC BY 2.0Waterfalls, lighthouses and northern forest – by camper along the Minnesota North Shore of Lake Superior
Nearby
© Tony Webster from San Francisco, California · CC BY-SA 2.0Gooseberry Falls State Park
© Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States · CC BY 2.0Palisade Head
© Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States · CC BY 2.0Tettegouche State Park
© NPS Photo · Public domainApostle Islands sea caves
Campsites nearby
- Gooseberry Falls State Park CampgroundCampsite6 mi from Split Rock Lighthouse · 69 pitchesDrinking waterShowersWaste disposal
- Black Beach CampgroundCampsite9 mi from Split Rock Lighthouse · 49 pitchesShowersWi-Fi
- Tettegouche State Park CampgroundCampsite12 mi from Split Rock LighthouseTentsElectricityShowersToilets
- Eckbeck Campground and Day-Use AreaCampsite14 mi from Split Rock LighthouseTentsDrinking water
- Burlington Bay CampgroundCampsite18 mi from Split Rock Lighthouse · 102 pitchesTentsCaravansShowers
- Penmarallter CampgroundCampsite22 mi from Split Rock Lighthouse · 24 pitchesTentsElectricityShowersWaste disposal
All campsites in Minnesota · Campsite data: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL 1.0 · Updated October 3, 2026
FAQs
Where is Split Rock Lighthouse?
Split Rock Lighthouse is in Two Harbors, MN, at GPS 47.2000, -91.3670. It is about 6 mi from Gooseberry Falls.
Can you camp near Split Rock Lighthouse?
Yes. The nearest campsite listed in OpenStreetMap is Shipwreck Creek Campround, about 1 mi away; within 25 mi there are 51 campsites and motorhome stopovers.
Which road trips pass Split Rock Lighthouse?
Split Rock Lighthouse is a stop on these CampingSpirit trip guides: Lake Superior’s north and south shores, Minnesota’s North Shore: waterfalls and cliffs to Grand Portage and Waterfalls, lighthouses and northern forest – by camper along the Minnesota North Shore of Lake Superior.
What is there to see near Split Rock Lighthouse?
Places worth a stop nearby: Gooseberry Falls State Park (6 mi), Palisade Head (11 mi), Tettegouche State Park (12 mi) and Apostle Islands sea caves (26 mi).
When is the best time to visit Split Rock Lighthouse?
The most pleasant months are usually May–June and September. Still fine, with some compromises, in July–August. (Estimate from long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass seasons)