MAXIMIZE FOR BEST VIEWING IRISHCPTN'S MINNESOTA STATE PARK TOUR Welcome to my tour of some of the parks in northern MN. Here I will show you Duluth,MN, where I live, along with a few of the parks I love the most. The pictures you will be viewing were taken by myself, using a Minolta XG-1 SLR camera. There is a very good reason we call this God's Country, and I hope you will agree after viewing my page. Sit back and enjoy the tour, let me know what you think of it, if you would like more information, just e-mail me, or I will have some links at the end to other sites. Some, if not most, of the parks in the state are accessible to the handicapped. The up-keep of these parks is made possible through the fees collected from permits that are affixed to the lower right hand corner of the vehicle windshield. They are available on a daily ($7.00) or yearly basis. Prices are as follows:           ACTIVE MILITARY PERSONNEL                                                   FREE           Minnesota  Handicapped license plate;                                   $12.00           Regular License plates(resident & out of state                       $25.00           Second vehicle in party                                                              $18.00           Daily Group Permit                                                                        $7.00           (must give 24 hr notice, 10 permit minimum)                            $5.00  THESE PRICES ARE IN EFFECT FOR THE YEAR 2005. The state has just recently revamped the fees for admission to it's parks. I will update these fees when I find out more information. Minnesota boasts 113 state parks and is ranked among the best state park systems in the country. First I will show you a few shots of the Duluth area. Lake Superior is home to the famous Lake Superior Agate, of which you will find many if you look in the right places. These agates were formed millions of years ago when the glaciers moved through the area. they range in size from pea size or smaller to over 20#. Some are clear while others are banded.

This is a shot taken from Enger Tower, a Duluth City Park, looking west up the Saint Louis River. the bridge seen shooting to the left is named for the WWll flying ace Richard Ira Bong, a resident of the area that died in an aircraft accident many years ago. The St. Louis River is a great walleye fishery.

The Ariel Lift Bridge, the channel for which was first dug by hand overnight to avoid an injunction that was threatened by the city of Superior. The bridge is called "the gateway to the world" as most of the grain from the Midwest flows through this port.

Taken from the top of Enger Tower, this is looking east along the North Shore of Lake Superior with downtown Duluth in the foreground.

This is Park Point, the breakwater for the Twin Ports of Duluth/ Superior, it is a 7.5 mile stretch of sand and is from 3 to 6 blocks wide. It is the world's largest fresh-water peninsula. At the end of that 7.5 miles is the recreation area and Sky Harbor Airport.

This is a shot of Brighton Beach looking west to the city. This beach is not what you think of when you think of a beach, it is all rock. There are picnic tables and grills for your use here, all you need is briquets and your food to enjoy "a day at the beach".

Young Lovers would come here to watch the 'submarine races'. On a full moon lit night with calm winds, or no wind, the lights from Duluth would reflect on the water giving it an eerie glow. It is the perfect spot for people in love to come and enjoy the sounds of waves lapping against the shore.

These two shots are of the top of Jay Cooke State Park. This is the Thompson Dam, a major power generator for the state. It is owned by Minnesota Power, and most of the lakes in the region are directed into this dam. Later I will show you more of Jay Cooke.

THE   MAIN  ATTRACTION

Now onto the Cascade River State Park. From Duluth, it is about a 3 hour drive up the North Shore to the small town of Grand Marais, a nice town that boasts the beginning of the Gunflint Trail. The Gunflint is a series of many lakes and rivers, the further north you travel on the trail (which is paved and good traveling for the best part) the more you get into the forest of the Lake Superior National Forest and the BWCAW (Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness) another Federal Park.

The entrance to the park. On the right you see the first series of falls in the park. There are 5 falls in this picture.

Ok, I will give you a break from my ramblings, here you will just see the pictures of the river and falls along the trails, of which there are 18 hiking miles.

To see more falls and trails click here....

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