Harbor Friends welcomes you to Grand Marais.
A non-profit guide to Grand Marais, Minnesota: the town, its harbor, and the wilderness around it, with live weather, festival info, up-to-date guides, and a unique map.
Eighteen guides, fact-checked
Boundary Waters entry points, the marina and launch, the Gunflint Trail, festivals, and more. Every claim is checked against the agency responsible, with sources listed.
Weather for three spots
The harbor, the Sawtooth ridge, and up the Gunflint, side by side, with the lake's water temperature and tonight's sunset.
News from the harbor
A few emails a season: festival dates, conditions, and new guides. A name and an email address are all it asks for.
About Harbor Friends
A visitor or a resident of Grand Marais comes with a question: where does this Boundary Waters entry point start, what does a slip at the marina cost, is the lake too cold to swim, what is the wind on the ridge. The answers are scattered across agency pages written for the agency. Harbor Friends answers each one in one place.
Eighteen guides cover the harbor and its history, Lake Superior, boating, the Gunflint Trail, the Boundary Waters, the Superior Hiking Trail, festivals, wildlife, and more. Each is original writing, with every fact checked against the agency responsible and the official sources listed beside the text. A map of the area marks every Boundary Waters entry point and the public campgrounds, from Voyageurs to Grand Portage.
Live weather shows three spots at once: on the harbor, up on the Sawtooth ridge, and up the Gunflint. A newsletter goes out a few times a season with festival dates, conditions, and new guides. The site sells nothing: no payments, no reservations, no ads.
Common questions
Who is Harbor Friends for?
Anyone visiting or living in Grand Marais, Minnesota, who wants a straight answer about the harbor, Lake Superior, the Gunflint Trail, or the Boundary Waters without reading five agency websites.
Does it cost anything?
No. Harbor Friends is a non-profit guide. It takes no payments or reservations and shows no ads.
Where do the facts come from?
Each guide is original writing checked against the agency responsible, such as the Forest Service, the Minnesota DNR, or the Army Corps of Engineers, and the official sources are listed beside the text.