Black Beach

Silver Bay, Minnesota · on Lake Superior

Verified · 3 independent sources

WATER: lake
ACCESS: Designated swim area
FEE: No fee found
SEASON: Varies by conditions

About Black Beach

Black Beach is a Lake Superior swimming hole in Silver Bay, Minnesota, formed from decades of taconite (iron ore) processing tailings dumped along the shoreline, which created a broad, dark-gravel beach with shallower, relatively warmer water than the typical rocky North Shore shoreline. Long a local secret among North Shore places to swim while under mining-company ownership, it was opened to the public in 2015 following an agreement between the City of Silver Bay and the Minnesota DNR, and the city now operates an adjacent campground within walking distance of the beach.

The beach sits on Lake Superior's North Shore in Silver Bay, framed by rock formations at either end with trees along the back edge; an offshore sandbar leads out to a large rocky island. The beach surface is fine dark gravel/tailings rather than typical sand, a legacy of the taconite processing operations that historically discharged tailings into the lake here.

Swimming at Black Beach

Described by a first-hand visitor as "a good swimming beach" by North Shore standards because the tailings-built beach profile creates a broad, shallow shoreline that warms up more than the deep, rocky Lake Superior shoreline typical of this coast, though it is still Lake Superior, so the water remains cool relative to inland lakes. No lifeguards are present.

How to get to this swimming hole

Three parking areas serve the park; a first-hand account recommends the third lot at the end of East Lakeview Drive, from which a wide, mostly-flat wooded trail (a former taconite-plant access road running along the plant's current fence line) leads to the beach.

Parking: Three designated parking areas/lots serve Black Beach Park, per a first-hand visitor account; the lot at the end of East Lakeview Drive is cited as giving the best beach access.

The hike in

Former taconite-plant access road (unofficial name; part of the Black Beach Park trail network)

Difficulty: easy

Trailhead: Best access is from the third/farthest parking lot at the end of East Lakeview Drive in Silver Bay, MN; the other two closer lots also connect via shorter paths but this one gives the recommended route.

A wide, mostly flat, wooded gravel path running alongside the current taconite plant's fence line leads from the East Lakeview Drive lot down to the beach; exact one-way mileage was not published in any source found.

Flat, non-technical walk suitable for most visitors; no elevation gain, river crossings, or scrambling involved on the approach itself (footing gets uneven only once you're on the beach's rock formations).

Plan your visit

Bringing kids

OK with supervision

Broad, shallow, gently-sloping gravel beach with a sandbar makes entry easier than the typical rocky North Shore shoreline, but there are no lifeguards or ranger staff on site, the gravel/tailings surface gets very hot underfoot on sunny days, and Lake Superior water stays cold even where it's shallower here, so supervise kids closely and bring water shoes.

Parking

Lot

Three designated parking areas serve Black Beach Park; a first-hand visitor account recommends the lot at the end of East Lakeview Drive for the best/most direct beach access via a wide, mostly-flat wooded former plant-access-road trail. No parking fee was found on any source retrieved.

Restrooms

Yes

Toilets of various types (including an accessible unit) are located at the three parking areas serving the park; there are no restrooms down at the beach itself.

Water clarity

Clear

A first-hand visitor account (explorationvacation.net) describes the water as crystal-clear, consistent with Lake Superior's typically high clarity; the beach's tailings-built profile also makes the shallow water noticeably warmer than the deep, rocky shoreline typical of this coast.

On the water

KayaksPaddleboardsCanoes

Black Beach sits along the Lake Superior State Water Trail, a mapped route for kayakers; a first-hand source notes paddleboarders and kayakers using the adjacent cove/offshore area near the sandbar and rocky island. No motorboat launch or motorized-watercraft facilities were found associated with this beach; no explicit restriction notice (e.g., no-wake, electric-only) was found either, so restrictions field is left null rather than guessed.

Rentals nearby

Sawtooth Outfitters

Kayak (single/tandem, recreational and Lake Superior sea-kayak rigs) and canoe rentals, plus bikes, skis, snowshoes, camping gear, and a portable sauna

Prices: Recreational: $34/day single, $54/day tandem. Sea kayaking (Lake Superior setup): $36 half-day/$46 full-day single, $44 half-day/$62 full-day tandem; wetsuit $6/day. Includes paddle, life jacket, and car-top carrier (sea kayak rentals add spray skirt, paddle float, and pump).

7213 Hwy 61, Tofte, MN, roughly 20-25 miles northeast of Silver Bay/Black Beach along Highway 61 · Summer (May 22-Sept 5): daily 7am-6pm. Spring/Fall: daily 8am-6pm. Winter: Thu-Sun 8am-6pm (closed Mon-Wed Jan 8-Apr 5). Closed Oct 19-Dec 25 and Apr 6-Apr 30.

What regulars say

No additional visitor quotes could be verified this pass; the water-clarity and crowding notes above come from a firsthand trip report rather than secondhand commentary.

Backstory

Black Beach's dark sand/gravel comes from decades of taconite (iron ore) processing tailings discharged along this stretch of Lake Superior shoreline by the local mining operation. The beach was privately held by the mining company and effectively off-limits to the public until 2015, when the City of Silver Bay and the Minnesota DNR negotiated public access; it has since grown into a popular North Shore attraction alongside nearby Tettegouche State Park and Split Rock Lighthouse.