Hiking and herring: Celebrate Lake Superior Day

Happy Lake Superior Day! Time to head up the shore for a scenic hike, a dip in the lake, and some good fresh Lake Superior fish. 

For about 20 years now, fans of Lake Superior have taken the third Sunday of July as Lake Superior Day to celebrate the world's largest freshwater lake. Fun educational events are scheduled up and down the North Shore. Events are great, but be sure to have your own Superior celebration.

Make your own celebration with a Superior hike

 

Carlton Peak is a challenging, fun hike you can take all the way from the shore of Lake Superior to one of the highest points and biggest views on the North Shore. Drive to the Highway 61 parking lots of Temperance River State Park, between Schroeder and Tofte at mile marker 80.3. You'll follow the Superior Hiking Trail up the amazing gorge of the Temperance River and then a long steady climb up to the stony knob of the peak. It's 3.5 miles in to the peak with 900 vertical feet to gain. The big views up and down the shore from the summit are the perfect reward for the long hike up. 

You'll be hot when you get back to Highway 61, so finish your Lake Superior Day hike by dipping your toes...or even your whole body...in the lake itself. Although the park is closed to vehicles, you can still follow the trails down the west side of the river to the beach area. 

Hungry for herring

 

Feeling refreshed...and hungry, head for Satellite's Country Inn about eight miles west of Temperance. This is a true mom-and-pop restaurant, with home-made pies on the plate and local history artifacts on the walls. But what makes this THE spot in western Cook County for Lake Superior Day are the fishcakes, made with local, fresh-caught lake herring.

Happy, happy Lake Superior Day!