Grand Marais Campground & Recreation Area installs Adaptive Kayak Launch

Grand Marais Campground & Recreation Area installs Adaptive Kayak Launch
New dock offers ADA-compliant access for paddlers with disabilities. 

Grand Marais, Minn. – June 4, 2024 – Paddlers of all abilities now have a safe option for accessing the waters of Grand Marais harbor and Lake Superior at the Grand Marais Campground and Recreation Area. 

The new Parkside Public Water Access on Grand Marais harbor, a project led by the Minnesota DNR and completed this spring, features a BoardSafe Adaptive Kayak Launch, offering safe access for adaptive paddlers, those in wheelchairs, and those with disabilities, to more easily enter and exit a boat.

The new dock can be used by paddlers of all abilities and marks a significant step towards inclusivity and accessibility in outdoor recreation on the North Shore.  “It’s a one-of-a-kind piece of access to Lake Superior,” said Dave Tersteeg, Grand Marais Parks Manager. “Really excited on this one. I think we’re going to attract some attention for Lake Superior access and barrier-free access in particular.”

According to spokesperson Kelly Beals of BoardSafe Docks, the facility in Grand Marais is one of only four BoardSafe docks in Minnesota, and the only one on the North Shore of Lake Superior.  “We are proud to be able to bring an adaptive kayak launch to Grand Marais for the community to enjoy, she said. “It is so exciting to see Grand Marais and other communities in Minnesota prioritizing accessibility and inclusivity for their residents and visitors to the area.”
 

Newly installed adaptive kayak launch installed and open in the Grand Marais Recreation Park

Visit Cook County, Minnesota 
Visit Cook County encompasses the northeastern Minnesota communities of Lutsen, Tofte, Schroeder, Grand Marais, the Gunflint Trail and Grand Portage, commonly referred to as “the Arrowhead” and the “North Shore of Lake Superior.”  Grand Marais, Minn., has earned several national accolades — most recently, it was named America's Best Small Lake Town by Travel & Leisure Magazine, USA Today’s Best Midwestern Small Town, and Outside Magazine’s The 16 Best Places to Live in the U.S. 2016. Rekindle your sense of adventure by exploring the Superior National Forest or paddling through the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Discover what makes the communities of Cook County, Minn. “Naturally Unforgettable.” Connect on social media using #donorthmn, Twitter @CookCoVisitors, Facebook, or Instagram @donorthmn. Learn more at VisitCookCounty.com.

###