Why visit Silver Bay
Townapedia lists 1 museum or landmark, 7 parks and trails, 6 places to eat, 12 places to stay and 8 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Mariner Mountain, Hesper, Beaver River Beach and North Shore Adventure Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 76°F; January lows average 1°F, and about 94 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Silver Bay
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Silver Bay
Silver Bay is a city in Lake County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,857 at the time of the 2020 census. It is the largest population center in a natural tourism area which includes Tettegouche State Park and the Split Rock Lighthouse. While Silver Bay is a port along Lake Superior for iron ore, it does not have taconite mining facilities of its own.
From the Wikipedia article Silver Bay, Minnesota (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do8
Beaver Falls
Waterfall · 2.5 mi
Very nice photogenic waterfall, easy access from parking lot.
North Shore Mining/Lake Superior Overlook
Scenic view · 0.6 mi
Overlook facing North Shore Mining and Lake Superior
Museums and landmarks1
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Hesper
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.5 mi
Bulk-freighter steamship that sank in Lake Superior
Parks, trails and playgrounds7
Beaver River Beach
Beach · 2.4 mi
Small privately owned rocky beach between Beaver River and Lake Superior with posted public access path along highway. Location for rock...
Restaurants and cafes6
Timber Coffee Company
Cafe · Coffee Shop, Breakfast, Sandwich, Pastry
98 Outer Drive, Silver Bay
Mo 07:00-14:00; Th-Fr 07:00-14:00; Sa-Su 08:00-14:00
History
The city of Silver Bay was founded on May 1, 1954, after previously being known as the Beaver Bay housing project. The company town was built to process taconite mined and shipped by train from Babbitt, Minnesota, 60 miles to the northwest.
Silver Bay attained widespread publicity in the 1960s when it was discovered that the Reserve Corporation was dumping taconite tailings into Lake Superior. In 1972, they were forced to stop and charged with violating the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899, which prohibited the dumping of harmful materials into interstate waters. In 1977, after a long trial, a new waste-storage facility was built 7 miles inland. It is often referred to as “Mile Post 7".
In 2015, the taconite tailing-rich Black Beach opened to the public, with the negotiation with the mining company for public access to the beaches in the area being brokered by the city of Silver Bay and the state DNR. Black Beach Park contains three beaches and a municipally owned campground.
From the History section of Silver Bay, Minnesota on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay12
Churches and places of worship1
Shopping6
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries3
Healthcare1
Map of Silver Bay
46 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 19°F | 1°F | 1.3 in | 24.0 in |
| Feb | 24°F | 3°F | 1.2 in | 15.5 in |
| Mar | 35°F | 15°F | 1.7 in | 12.1 in |
| Apr | 46°F | 28°F | 2.7 in | 8.5 in |
| May | 60°F | 40°F | 3.5 in | 0.4 in |
| Jun | 70°F | 49°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 76°F | 54°F | 3.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 74°F | 54°F | 3.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 65°F | 46°F | 3.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 51°F | 34°F | 3.5 in | 1.5 in |
| Nov | 36°F | 21°F | 2.7 in | 10.0 in |
| Dec | 24°F | 9°F | 2.0 in | 22.2 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Wolf Ridge Elc (11 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Lake County has had 9 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for floods.
- 2024-06-28: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
- 2022-07-13: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Flood)
- 2020-04-07: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2018-09-05: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Flood)
- 2012-07-06: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Ely Municipal Airport (LYU) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 45 miles away.
- Two Harbors 26 mi southwest, about 42 min by car
- Babbitt 39 mi northwest, about 1 h by car
- Bayfield 39 mi southeast, about 1 h by car
- Hoyt Lakes 43 mi northwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Washburn 46 mi southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Rice Lake 48 mi southwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Aurora 48 mi west, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Ely 50 mi northwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Duluth 54 mi southwest, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Grand Marais 54 mi northeast, about 1 h 30 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Silver Bay, Minnesota aerial, Doc Searls from Santa Barbara, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Re-Union Hall, Silver Bay, Minnesota, Myotus, CC BY 4.0
- Silver Bay City Hall-02, Myotus, CC BY 4.0
- Silver Bay City Hall-01, Myotus, CC BY 4.0
- Spur Trail entrance, Silver Bay, Minnesota, Myotus, CC BY 4.0
- Cleveland-Cliffs Northshore Mining - Silver Bay, Minnesota (48660657438), Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Iron Ore Mining Plant on Lake Superior - Cliffs Northshore, Silver Bay, Minnesota (40160129753), Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, CC BY 2.0
- Cliffs Northshore Mining Taconite Plant Viewpoint, Silver Bay, Minnesota (39057179320), Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, CC BY 2.0
- Cliffs Northshore Iron Ore Mining Plant on Lake Superior, Silver Bay, Minnesota (40784082322), Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, CC BY 2.0
- Cliffs Scenic Overlook - Silver Bay, Minnesota in Winter (39895255415), Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, CC BY 2.0
- Cliffs Northshore Mining Taconite Plant, Silver Bay, Minnesota-04, Myotus, CC BY 4.0
- Cliffs Northshore Mining Taconite Plant, Silver Bay, Minnesota-03, Myotus, CC BY 4.0
- Cliffs Northshore Mining Taconite Plant, Silver Bay, Minnesota-02, Myotus, CC BY 4.0
- Hesper 016, Elkman, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bay Area Historical Society Museum and Visitor's Center-05, Myotus, CC BY 4.0
- Bay Area Historical Society Museum and Visitor's Center-04, Myotus, CC BY 4.0
- Bay Area Historical Society Museum and Visitor's Center-02, Myotus, CC BY 4.0
- Bay Area Historical Society Museum and Visitor's Center-03, Myotus, CC BY 4.0
- Bay Area Historical Society Museum and Visitor's Center-01, Myotus, CC BY 4.0
- DSC07197 (35163259743), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- DSC07195 (35931849676), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- DSC07194 (35584324130), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- DSC07198 (35584291750), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- DSC07196 (35584311820), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- DSC07193 (35163271323), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- DSC07178 (35163329413), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- DSC07179 (35163324883), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- DSC07180 (35133428684), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- DSC07181 (35802594742), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- DSC07182 (35132907124), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- DSC07184 (35802573382), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- DSC07183 (35802583422), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- DSC07185 (35802562142), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- DSC07186 (35840756791), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- DSC07190 (35973353755), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- DSC07189 (35840741831), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- DSC07188 (35840748061), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Air Emissions and Pollutants - Mining Company (48659848652), Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, CC BY 2.0
- DSC07201 (35840664141), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- DSC07202 (35163229723), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
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