Picnic Spots in Duluth~Superior
There’s nothing better than a picnic on a lazy summer day. Here are a few of our favorite spots to spread out the blanket, open the basket and enjoy the weather.
• Kitchi Gammi Park
Brighton Beach Rd. and Congdon Blvd., Duluth
This park located on Brighton Beach is the perfect place to enjoy Lake Superior while on a summer picnic. Kitchi Gammi Park sprawls along Superior’s shore with plenty of grassy space to lay out your blanket. The park offers picnic tables for those of you who wish to break with tradition. Grills are also planted throughout the park, just don’t forget to bring your charcoal. Brighton Beach’s stony shore provides a chance for a refreshing swim after your picnic on those hot summer days. After cooling off in Superior you take advantage of the shade and lay down beneath one of the many leafy trees in the park. One thing to remember, where there is water there are gulls. Keep a watch on your picnic basket or it may just fly way with the gulls.
• Enger Park
16th Ave. W. and Skyline Drive, Duluth
Enger Park offers much to summer picnic goers. Atop Duluth you will benefit from some of the best views the city has to offer. Areas to picnic include tables shaded by gazebos, grassy ground shaded by trees, or even flat rocks on the edge of the park with a view of the Waterfront. The park is also filled with blooming flowers and hiking trails for those who wish to get a little exercise after their meal. Children will also enjoy a climb up Enger Tower to get an eyeful of the favorite view of many Duluthians.
• Lester Park
60th Ave. E. and Superior St., Duluth
Just off the lakeshore in the Lakeside neighborhood you’ll find Lester Park, which attracts hikers and bikers in the summer, skiers in the winter and picnickers anytime the weather permits. This park includes a playground for the kids, a gazebo for getting out of the sun and plenty of picnic tables and grills. Close by you’ll also find a popular swimming hole in the Lester River, where kids make their parents crazy by plunging from the rocks into the deep river below. Don’t look, Mom. Let the kids have some fun.
• Pattison Park Park
6924 State Hwy. 35, Superior (follow Tower Avenue 13 miles outside of town).
If you’ve never been to Pattison State Park, it’s definitely worth a visit. Bring the kids, a picnic basket, beach gear and walking shoes. There’s much to do here. Pattison Park is located on the Black River, and it boasts the highest waterfall in Wisconsin, Big Manitou Falls. Little Manitou Falls isn’t too shabby, either. There are plenty of hiking trails for you to access these beauties. If a day at the beach is more your speed, this park has also got a pretty beach on Interfalls Lake with a bathhouse and restrooms. You’ll also find a separate picnic area with tables and grills. Campsites are also available if you’d like to spend the night in the park. Like all state parks, Pattison charges a fee for admission. If you haven’t got a state parks sticker, it’s $7 per day for Wisconsin residents and $10 for those from across the border.
• Billings Park
West end of N. 21st. Street off Tower Avenue, Superior
This delightful city park includes a new gazebo and picnic area, grills, picnic tables, a play area for kids and restrooms, all overlooking the St. Louis River in Superior. There’s even an old-fashioned swing that affords the best view, looking straight across the river to Spirit Mountain. This park feels like a hidden gem — not many Duluthians know its there. Bring your kayak and paddle the shoreline, or just enjoy the view. You’ll also find a walking trail down near the water and close-by access to the Millennium Trail for biking, all in the midst of one of the prettiest neighborhoods in Superior.
