GOOSEBERRY FALLS - Known as the gateway to the North Shore, Gooseberry Falls State Park is just as impressive in the winter as it is during the summer months.

Nestled along Lake Superior’s North Shore, the park is known for its spectacular waterfalls - and some say the park's lower falls are more beautiful than they've ever been before. 

"You have to see the ice to experience the beauty of it, it's so beautiful," said park manager Paul Sundberg.

Sundberg has been the park manager since 1983; he says this is one of the most exceptional ice flows he's seen on the lower falls.

"There is just thousands and thousands of pounds of ice that have formed in layers so there is just thousands of icicles that are hanging in the front and have formed together; it's just fabulous," he said.

Every year a cedar tree above the falls forces water away from the rock, and it freezes in place so you can actually step behind the lower falls.

"The water keeps running over the top and down again so now we got layer upon layer of ice formed across the face of the lower falls," Sundberg said. 

The sound of the water calms your soul.

"The water is so neat; you can hear the water from behind the waterfalls, you can hear it from below at the base where it's gurgling up and you can also hear the water in the rapids further down here," Sundberg said.

It’s a peaceful outdoor experience Sundberg takes advantage of every day. 

"I come down here after work or early in the morning just on my own just because I just love seeing this, and I [also] photograph it," he said.  "When you take pictures of the ice it's just so unique because it changes daily." 

Last Saturday, nearly 1,000 people visited the park. 

"I’ve been sending a lot of people down here and they are always saying, 'Wow, I didn't expect it to be that beautiful,'" Sundberg said.

Sundberg says the trails at Gooseberry Falls State Park are extremely icy, so ice cleats are recommended.

For more information on Gooseberry Falls State Park, go to: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/gooseberry_falls/index.html