Grand Portage State Park receives $1.1 million for trail, infrastructure improvements

Funds from the Get Out MORE project have been allocated for renovations at Grand Portage State Park, including repaving the trail from the visitor center to High Falls.

High Falls is one of Minnesota’s most recognizable natural attractions and a popular destination during the spring, summer and fall. Visitors can access three viewing areas along a paved, 1-mile trail.

According to park officials, the project’s design and engineering phase is scheduled for summer and fall 2026. The project is expected to go out for bid in late fall or early winter, with construction planned for 2027. Officials expect the work to be completed by the end of October 2027.

The trail pavement and boardwalk were originally installed in 1994.

“Thirty-two years of our seasons here in northern Minnesota are pretty hard on facilities, and so the paved trail has quite a few cracks in it,” Park Supervisor Travis Novitsky told WTIP. “We did some crack sealing on the trail in 2020, but it’s old enough and worn out enough now that it needs to be addressed on a broader scale.”

Novitsky said one section of the trail is particularly in need of repair because of significant frost heaving each spring.

The project will remove the existing asphalt, rebuild the trail base and install new pavement. A wooden box culvert beneath the trail will also be replaced. Additional work includes redesigning the wooden steps leading to the viewing platforms near High Falls and making minor repairs to the park’s parking lots.

The stairs require ongoing maintenance because of constant exposure to moisture from the falls.

“Our prioritization on the boardwalk was to do a redesign of those steps, and we don’t yet know what that is going to look like in terms of the final design,” Novitsky said. “But it’s to get them modernized to where we don’t have to be replacing boards anymore.”

The Get Out MORE — Modernize Outdoor Recreation Experiences — initiative is a $150 million state investment in outdoor recreation infrastructure. The funding is divided among five areas: improving access to public lands, modernizing camping facilities, enhancing fisheries infrastructure, upgrading boating access and restoring streams and other water-related infrastructure.

According to Novitsky, $34.5 million was allocated to projects focused on improving access to public lands and welcoming new users. Grand Portage State Park received $1.1 million through that funding category.

Established in 1989, Grand Portage State Park is the only Minnesota state park not owned by the state. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources manages daily operations, while the land is owned by the Grand Portage Band.

“When we first started looking at these projects for the Get Out MORE funding, we had tribal council leadership come and visit the park, along with DNR district and regional leadership, and some of the Grand Portage Natural Resource staff were here as well,” Novitsky said.

While High Falls is the park’s most popular destination, visitors can also hike the 4.5-mile round-trip trail to Middle Falls.

“When you get to the high point in the park, which is on the Middle Falls Trail, you’re on top of a ridge, and you’ve got a fantastic view of Lake Superior,” Novitsky said. “You’ve got a view down into the Pigeon River Valley, and up into these, see these ridge lines up in Ontario.”

Novitsky said visitors also come to learn about Ojibwe culture and history through the interpretive exhibits in the visitor center.

WTIP spoke with Novitsky about the Get Out MORE funding and the planned improvements at Grand Portage State Park. Audio of that conversation can be found below.

Josh Hinke June 15, 2026