Every summer, my family and I pack up the car and take a trip up north. We usually spend several days going up and down the North Shore and doing all of the typical tourist things. We enjoy hiking at all of the state parks in that area, visiting Split Rock Lighthouse, checking out the waterfalls at Gooseberry Falls, and watching the ships roll into and out of Duluth.

I feel like anyone who has been up in that area has probably done most, if not all, of those things. One thing, that I had never done was visit the black beach. Did you even know Minnesota had a black beach? We went for the first time and I highly recommend adding it to your up-north bucket list. Below you’ll see more info on the beach including what makes it black along with some pictures I took.

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TSM Rochester
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 Why Is The Beach Black?

FYI, It's not really black - it's more of a charcoal color. The color comes from taconite that has been dumped into the water by mining companies and washed ashore. By the way, it's not a sand beach so don't expect to make any castles. The beach is made of tiny, poppyseed-sized, pieces of gravel.

Minnesota's Black Beach
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Is It Hot To Walk On?

I fully expected not to be able to walk barefoot on the Black Beach but it wasn't any hotter than the "normal" sandy beach we visited the next day.

Minnesota's Black Beach
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Rock Climbing!

Visitors will climb to the top of the island for a better view. Rock climbing might sound daunting but my 6-year-old was able to climb up without any help. The rocks are big and easy to step up.

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Bring Something To Wipe Off With!

It can be a bit of a hike to get to the beach from where you park and we weren't able to locate any showers or hoses to rinse off with. Thankfully, we had extra towels in the car and were able to dust off all of those tiny black pebbles before leaving.

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TSM Rochester
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Where Is Minnesota's Black Beach?

The Black Beach is located just outside of Silver Bay, Minnesota - about an hour north of Duluth.

Most Visited State Parks In Minnesota: Is Your Favorite in the List?

Minnesota has 75 beautiful state parks. The parks have an average of 9,700,000 visitors each year. Interestingly enough, nearly 19% of park visitors come from other states and countries, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Now, my favorite State Park is Jay Cooke in Carlton, MN, but it did not break into the top 5.

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