Family Fun at Minnesota’s North Shore Adventure Park in Silver Bay

Looking for something to do along MN’s North Shore that doesn’t include a hiking trail? It seems like anytime you go north everyone recommends a State Park or two and a trail to hike.

If you need a break, you have to check out the North Shore Adventure Park in Silver Bay MN. Located about 30 minutes north of Two Harbors, just off Highway 61 north. This fun outdoor adventure is a great way to keep the kids and parents entertained.

This post is sponsored by North Shore Adventure Park. I received complimentary admission in exchange for an honest review.

The North Shore Adventure Park

The park was designed for everyone. They have multiple types of courses based on your skill level. Instead of building a course based on height, it’s by age. Participants can start out a low 3 and do their Li’l Rascals ropes course just a foot off the ground.

Kids 7-13 can go on almost all the tracks, Yellow, Green, Blue, and Black. Each increase in difficulty.

Many of the courses require some type of supervision from the ground level, with the harder aerial ropes courses needing supervision on the equipment. The only restriction is you have to be under 265lbs.

Once you check in, you’ll watch a short training video learning about the ins and outs of the park. After getting into your harness, you’ll go through a quick training course learning how to clip yourself in, set up a track for ziplines, and more. Once you are comfortable, you are off on your own to enjoy the park.

Safety in Mind

To make sure you dont miss out on any of the fun, get there 10-15 minutes early. To check in, you need to walk below all the obstacles, adding to everyones anticpiation and jitters.

Each reservation lasts 2.5hrs. In that time, you can complete around four different courses. After our introduction video and training, I was still a little nervous I’d forget everything.

In reality, the biggest concern was learning how to clip yourself in independently.

As a built-in safety feature, you are always connected by a clip that is locked to the cable.

To prevent someone from accidentally unhooking both, you had to press into an attachment on the cable with the unlocked clip. This would lock the clip that’s on the rope and unlock the other one.

There was no concern with the kids that they’d be unsafe all alone. My only worry was if my youngest would struggle with it. But by the end of the first course, he was ready to go solo.

Aerial Ropes Course

The start of all the courses is in one area with staff to guide you into which course based on your interest. If you are new to this type of course, start with a Yellow Courses.

The green level has multiple courses to choose from, so you will not run out of stuff to do.

The hardest is the double black high ropes course. It requires more upper body strength to complete.

There was even a rumor that few have actually been able to complete without needing an early exit.

We decided to stay on the easy stuff and work our way up.

Every course has its own set of unique obstacles. But each one ended with a zipline. If you enjoy doing them, there is a green course that has 3 Zip Lines to do.

If you have a kid on the shorter side, I recommend sticking with them. There were a few instances where my youngest was just a little too short to get his zip line track up to the top of the cable.

Friendly Staff

One thing that made the experience so great was the staff. They were friendly and answered all of your questions. At one point, my daughter wanted to go on one course, and my son wanted to go on another.

The gentleman helping everyone get on the correct course offered to keep an eye on my youngest. I was walking him through the obstacle if he was stuck.

Actually, anytime we got stuck on a contraption all you had to do was yell “STAFF” and someone would come over and help you navigate it.

And in one case, they convinced me that it was safe to jump off a platform when I was sure it meant instant death. On the more complicated elements, they did have signs reminding you of what to do.

Important things to do know before you go

• Currently no concessions. Bring some water and snacks if you think you’ll need them. You can also pack a picnic and use one of their tables.
• On the North Shore, the weather off Lake Superior is unpredictable. Once you get started, it might warm up with the sun, or get breezy by the lake. Dress in layers. Make sure your clothing is tight-fitting so it doesn’t’ get tangled. Have closed-toed shoes and keep your hair tied back.
• If your kids fit into two different categories, you may want to a parent for both. It can be confusing to manage.
• You can buy your own gloves or use the provided ones.
• If you want to take pictures, bring a GoPro. Chest mounts and clips are the best mounts for the rigging. I had some pants with zippered pockets and managed to get a few quick shots from my phone while I was up there.
• Costs are $55 for kids 13 and under, and $59 for adults. Little kids 3-6 cost $16. It includes all of the 6 aerial obstacle courses and 10 zip lines you can complete in the allotted time. Parents, non-participants, well-behaved pets, and other spectators can all watch for free down below for free. I highly recommend buying online and reserving your time. Walkups cost $5 more.

Ax Throwing

Ax Thorwing is now avalible at North Shroe Adventue Park. There is a dedicated staff making sure you know excatly waht to do and how to make sure you have a great time.

It costs $65 per lane for one hour. You can have up to 4 people per lane. Event your teens can participate. Kids aged 12-18 need an adult with them.

Would I go back to North Shore Adventure Park?

Yes, it was a lot of fun. I managed to get a decent workout out of it too, more than what I was expecting. Not only did I face a few fears I got to watch my son go from being completely terrified to not wanting to leave the park.

The North Shore has so many different scenic vantage points, it’s great to have a playground for everyone to explore. If you get the chance and are looking for something different to do along Minnesota’s North Shore, I highly recommend you check out North Shore Adventure Park for some family fun.