Naomikong Creek Suspension Bridge: A Hidden Gem Along Lake Superior

If you didn't know it was there, you'd probably drive right past it.

Along the Lake Superior shoreline between Brimley and Paradise is a little Forest Service parking area called Shallows Day Use Area. From there, the North Country Trail disappears into the woods.

Follow it for roughly half a mile and you'll find something I definitely wasn't expecting out here.

**A wooden suspension bridge in the middle of the woods.**

Yep. A suspension bridge.

And once you're done checking that out, Lake Superior is right there too.

For such a short walk, there's a surprising amount packed into this little corner of the eastern U.P.

Start at Shallows

There are a couple ways to access this section of the North Country Trail, but if you're mainly coming to see the suspension bridge, I'd start at **Shallows Day Use Area**.

That's where I parked when I visited.

The parking lot was completely empty.

Not mostly empty. Nobody else was there.

That doesn't mean you'll have the place to yourself. The North Country Trail Association actually describes this broader stretch of trail as popular and well-used.

But that day?

Nobody.

From Shallows, it's roughly a half-mile walk along the North Country Trail to Naomikong Creek.

That's short enough to make this an easy stop if you're already traveling along Lake Superior. But I wouldn't rush in, see the bridge and immediately turn around.

There's more here than just the bridge.

The "Mini-Mac" in the Woods

Eventually the trail reaches Naomikong Creek, and there it is.

A wooden suspension bridge stretching across the water.

And it's not some little plank thrown across a creek, either. It's an actual suspension bridge, which feels a little out of place when you've just been walking through the woods.

The original bridge was built in the **1980s by a Youth Conservation Corps crew** as the North Country Trail was being developed through the area.

After decades of U.P. weather, a 2018 inspection found serious structural deterioration and the bridge was closed. A major rehabilitation followed in September 2019, and the bridge reopened to hikers.

Apparently, it even picked up a nickname over the years.

**The "mini-Mac."**

Calling it a miniature Mackinac Bridge might be stretching things a little. 😂

Okay... maybe a lot.

But standing on a suspension bridge surrounded by woods with Naomikong Creek flowing underneath you?

I get it.

Then There's Lake Superior

The bridge was what brought me here, but it wasn't the only thing I liked about the stop.

Lake Superior is right nearby.

There's sandy shoreline around Shallows, and I spent some of my visit wandering along the beach instead of staying entirely in the woods.

Honestly, it'd be pretty hard for me to come this close to Lake Superior and *not* wander down to the water.

I'd still use the **North Country Trail as the route to the bridge**. Shoreline conditions can change with water levels, waves and erosion, so the beach shouldn't be treated as an alternate trail.

Think of it as a bonus.

Walk out to the bridge, explore for a while, then head down and spend a little time along Lake Superior.

That's a pretty good little afternoon.

Blueberries... and Bugs

There was something else I noticed while I was wandering around.

Blueberry plants.

**A lot of blueberry plants.**

I'm not calling this a blueberry-picking spot because I haven't verified the gathering rules here, but they were all over during my visit and added to that wild Lake Superior shoreline feel.

Unfortunately, something else was plentiful that day.

Bugs.

Lots and lots of bugs.

And they apparently liked me.

Conditions obviously change, but if I were doing this again during warm weather, bug spray would absolutely be coming with me.

Actually, I'd probably put it on before leaving the parking lot.

People Have Been Coming Here a Long Time

The bridge may only date to the 1980s, but people have been coming to the Naomikong area for much, much longer.

Archaeological research around the broader **Naomikong Point area** has documented evidence associated with the Laurel tradition of the Middle Woodland period. Research also shows people repeatedly used the broader area for fishing long before there was a North Country Trail or suspension bridge here.

I'm deliberately keeping that broad.

Archaeological resources on federal land are protected, and there's no reason to turn an interesting piece of history into directions for finding sensitive sites.

But I think it's worth knowing while you're walking through here.

Today, you might pull into Shallows for a quick hike to a suspension bridge.

People were coming to this broader stretch of Lake Superior shoreline long before that bridge, that trail or even that parking lot existed.

That gives this little stop another layer I wasn't expecting.

Visiting Naomikong Creek

If you want the short version of this adventure, start at **Shallows Day Use Area in Hiawatha National Forest**.

Follow the North Country National Scenic Trail for roughly **half a mile each way** to the Naomikong Creek suspension bridge.

Parking is available at Shallows, and vault toilets are currently listed there. Naomikong Overlook provides another public access point farther east.

The trail itself is natural, so conditions can vary. I'd bring decent walking shoes and definitely pack bug repellent during warmer weather.

Seriously.

Bring the bug spray.

And if Lake Superior is rough, give the shoreline the respect it deserves. It's beautiful out there, but it's still Lake Superior.

Worth the Stop?

Absolutely.

But not because this is some massive attraction you need to plan an entire day around.

Actually, that's kind of the point.

You pull off the road at a little parking area, disappear into the woods for about half a mile and suddenly there's a suspension bridge crossing Naomikong Creek.

No big buildup.

It's just... there.

Then you walk back toward Lake Superior and you've got a sandy beach to explore too.

When I visited, I had the place to myself.

That's probably what I'll remember most about this one. An empty parking lot, a walk through the woods, that bridge waiting out there and Lake Superior just a short walk away.

Nothing huge.

Nothing fancy.

Just one of those little U.P. places that makes you glad you pulled off the road.

**A suspension bridge, Lake Superior and a short walk through the woods.**

Yeah... that's my kind of hidden gem.