The Sawtooth Mountains are a range of low, serrated ridges situated on the North Shore

North Shore (Lake Superior)

The North Shore of Lake Superior runs from Duluth, Minnesota, United States, at the southwestern end of the lake, to Thunder Bay and Nipigon, Ontario, Canada, in the north to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, in the east...

 of Lake Superior

Lake Superior

Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...

 in the U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Minnesota

Minnesota

Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...

, extending about 30 miles (50 km) from Carlton Peak

Carlton Peak

Carlton Peak is a summit in the Sawtooth Mountains in southern Tofte Township, Cook County, in northeastern Minnesota in the United States. In 1848 Reuben B. Carlton of Fond du Lac, Minnesota ascended the peak with Col. Charles Whittlesey, who was participating in a geological survey expedition...

 near Tofte

Tofte, Minnesota

Tofte is an unincorporated community in Cook County, Minnesota, United States. Tofte is located on Minnesota State Highway 61 between Grand Marais and Little Marais....

 on the west, to Grand Marais

Grand Marais, Minnesota

Grand Marais is a city in Cook County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,351 at the 2010 census. It is also the county seat of Cook County...

 on the east.

Description

The Sawtooth Mountains rise from Lake Superior at angles between 8 and 20 degrees and drop off steeply on their north sides.
They received their name as a result of their relatively uniform size, angles, and regularity of spacing; seen from Lake Superior

Lake Superior

Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...

 to the east, "the visible crest line thus presents a remarkable profile, resembling the teeth of an immense saw."
From the west, rising from the Temperance River

Temperance River

The Temperance River is a river in northern Minnesota, which drains into Lake Superior along its north shore just south of Tofte. It flows out of Brule Lake in Cook County towards its mouth within Temperance River State Park. Its name is supposedly a pun on its lack of a sand bar.-Name:The...

, major prominences are Carlton Peak

Carlton Peak

Carlton Peak is a summit in the Sawtooth Mountains in southern Tofte Township, Cook County, in northeastern Minnesota in the United States. In 1848 Reuben B. Carlton of Fond du Lac, Minnesota ascended the peak with Col. Charles Whittlesey, who was participating in a geological survey expedition...

 above Temperance River State Park

Temperance River State Park

Temperance River State Park is a state park of Minnesota, USA, just north of the town of Schroeder on Highway 61 on the North Shore of Lake Superior. It has campsites, picnic areas, and hiking trails on both sides of the Temperance River.-History:...

, Leveaux Mountain and a knob immediately across the Onion River, Moose Mountain

Moose Mountain (Minnesota)

Moose Mountain is a peak in the Sawtooth Mountains of northeastern Minnesota in the United States. Its elevation is 1689 feet above sea level. Located close to Lake Superior and reaching 1087 feet above its waters, it is part of the Lutsen Mountains ski resort....

, the Eagle Mountain at Lutsen, peaks along a ridge above Cascade River State Park

Cascade River State Park

Cascade River State Park is a state park near the northeastern tip of Minnesota, USA, on the north shore of Lake Superior. The park is in a rocky and rugged location, and has many different types of wildlife....

, Murphy Mountain, and Sawtooth Bluff above Grand Marais.

Tourism

The Sawtooths are home to many picturesque hills, rivers, and parks. Some of the notable sites include:

• Cascade River State Park
  Cascade River State Park
  Cascade River State Park is a state park near the northeastern tip of Minnesota, USA, on the north shore of Lake Superior. The park is in a rocky and rugged location, and has many different types of wildlife....
  
  
• Judge C.R. Magney State Park
• Superior Hiking Trail
  Superior Hiking Trail
  The Superior Hiking Trail, also known as The “SHT,” is a 275-mile long footpath in Northeastern Minnesota, which for most of its length follows the ridgeline overlooking Lake Superior. The path is 18-inches wide and is set in the middle of a 4 foot clearing. The footpath travels through forests of...
  
  
• Superior National Forest
  Superior National Forest
  Superior National Forest, part of the United States National Forest system, is located in the Arrowhead Region of the state of Minnesota between the Canada – United States border and the north shore of Lake Superior...
  
  
• Temperance River State Park
  Temperance River State Park
  Temperance River State Park is a state park of Minnesota, USA, just north of the town of Schroeder on Highway 61 on the North Shore of Lake Superior. It has campsites, picnic areas, and hiking trails on both sides of the Temperance River.-History:...
  
  

Lutsen Mountains

Lutsen Mountains

Lutsen Mountains is a downhill and cross-country ski and snowboard area located on the North Shore region in Cook County, Minnesota, USA.Lutsen is one of the northernmost ski areas in the United States outside of Alaska. It is located in the rugged Sawtooth Mountains, part of the Superior...

 Ski Resort is located in the Sawtooths, just northwest of the town of Lutsen; the area includes Moose Mountain

Moose Mountain (Minnesota)

Moose Mountain is a peak in the Sawtooth Mountains of northeastern Minnesota in the United States. Its elevation is 1689 feet above sea level. Located close to Lake Superior and reaching 1087 feet above its waters, it is part of the Lutsen Mountains ski resort....

, one of the higher peaks of the range, and Eagle Mountain (to be distinguished from the other Eagle Mountain

Eagle Mountain (Minnesota)

Eagle Mountain is the highest natural point in Minnesota, at . It is located in northern Cook County and is in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Superior National Forest in the Misquah Hills, northwest of the community of Grand Marais. It is a Minnesota State Historic Site.Eagle...

in Cook County, the highest peak in the state located well inland from the lakeshore).

Sources

• Upham, Warren (2001) Minnesota Place Names, A Geographical Encyclopedia, Third Edition; MHS Press; ISBN 0-87351-396-7.