Along the Shore

North Shore Adventure Park: Fun for the whole community

By Eric Weicht

SILVER BAY—The North Shore Adventure Park—located in Silver Bay with a view of Lake Superior—kicked off its fifth season this year on May 26 with some exciting new offerings and fresh local discounts.

North Shore Adventure Park offers six high ropes courses with ziplines (including one that is 400 feet long), and incorporates 75 “adventure challenges” that encourage participants to develop their climbing skills and endurance in a way that is both engaging and fun for the whole family. There is even a “Lil’ Rascals” course for kids ages 3-6 who are not quite ready for the high ropes.

“What most people don’t understand,” says Alice Tibbetts, president of the North Shore Adventure Park, “is that our courses and ziplines are not something that you get on and then stay on for the whole experience. It is kind of like skiing at a resort, where after you finish a ‘run’ you return to the top to try another.”

“There’s a central platform where all of the different courses start,” continues Tibbetts, “and people are in charge of their own experience once they get up there. This is nice for large groups and families since everyone can do their own thing, and have an experience based on their own level of confidence.”

In addition to the high ropes course and ziplines that have been mainstays at the park since its inception, there are now six new axe throwing lanes that give visitors a way to experience the park while keeping both feet on the ground.

“We’re excited about the axe throwing,” says Tibbetts, “people really had fun with it at the end of last summer when the lanes first opened, and since then we’ve come up with a number of games to keep it engaging.”

“It’s another great family activity,” continues Tibbetts. “Kids love it, parents enjoy it, and for us it’s been nice having something to offer people who don’t want to go up in the air.”

The axe throwing lanes are the first of their kind on the North Shore, and—according to Tibetts—are the only “permanent outdoor axe facility in Minnesota.” They are covered, however, so that the games can continue rain or shine.

There are two axe throwing leagues planned for early summer—a competitive adult league for folks ages 16 and up, and a “social” league for ages 12 and up—though, at the time this article was written, exact dates had yet to be determined.

While owning and operating a high ropes adventure park on the North Shore wasn’t exactly what Tibbetts had in mind when she retired, she has enjoyed the process and continues to share the park’s success with the greater North Shore community by hiring locally and giving back in meaningful ways.

“When you run a business on the North Shore,” says Tibbetts, “you get asked to donate to a lot of different causes, and with all of that we felt like we needed to really focus in on a few community initiatives that we were passionate about supporting.”

“So,” continues Tibbetts, “one thing that we decided to support are our local libraries and school. We support their reading incentive programs by donating free tickets and other prizes, and then will be giving a percentage of sales to the library on June 4 and Labor Day.”

Tibbetts is an avid cyclist, so North Shore Adventure Park has also been active in supporting development of the Gitchi Gami State Trail—a paved bike path that will one day connect Grand Marais to Two Harbors along the shore of Lake Superior.

“The Gitchi Gami bike trail is the other project that we’ve been supporting,” says Tibbetts. “A lot of people don’t realize that they can pedal the spur from Beaver Bay up to downtown Silver Bay. It’s a really pretty ride.”

“The trail takes riders right into town,” continues Tibbetts, “and not only can you get to the adventure park from there, but riders can support some of our great local businesses, like the Northwoods Café and the new Timber Coffee shop that just opened in town.”

In addition to giving back to the community through libraries, schools, and bike trails, North Shore Adventure Park will also be offering discounts to North Shore locals throughout the 2023 season.

The Adventure Park has been offering discounted local tickets both for single visits and season passes since 2022, but new this year is the “Sunday Special” for Twin Ports residents. Every Sunday through the 2023 season, Twin Ports residents can enjoy a $5 off discount on their ticket in an effort by the Adventure Park team to encourage folks to “drive North when the tourists head south.”

For current ticket options and more information on the North Shore Adventure Park, visit their website at: northshoreadventurepark.com.