Tettegouche State Park
Encyclopedia
Tettegouche State Park is a Minnesota
state park on the north shore
of Lake Superior
58 miles (93 km) northeast of Duluth
in Lake County
on scenic Minnesota Highway 61
. The park's name stems from the Tettegouche Club, an association of local businessmen which purchased the park in 1910 from the Alger-Smith Lumber Company. The club's members protected the area until its sale in 1971 to the deLaittres family. In 1979, the state of Minnesota acquired 3400 acres (14 km²) from the Nature Conservancy, including Tettegouche Camp. The land was added to Baptism River State Park, which was renamed Tettegouche State Park.
and one supports Walleye
fishing), four waterfall
s, and a beach on Lake Superior. The 70 ft (22 m) tall waterfall High Falls
located on the Baptism River
is the highest waterfall located entirely within Minnesota. The park contains 22 miles (35 km) of hiking trails, 12 miles (19.3 km) of Ski trails, and access to the Superior Hiking Trail
. Tettegouche is bordered to the north by the Finland State Forest
and shares the Red Dot motorized trail with it. The trail is for use by all-terrain vehicle
s and snowmobile
s and is the only ATV trail in a state park.
The park is one of only four state parks in Minnesota offering rock climbing
. Both Shovel Point and Palisade Head
cliffs are popular spots offering climbing directly over Lake Superior.
, woodpecker
, red squirrel
, snowshoe hare
, weasel
, and beaver
. Other wild life that can be seen are moose
, black bear
, river otter, and red fox
. On occasion, the timber wolf
, coyote
, fisher
, pine marten
and northern flying squirrel
can be seen. The park also has peregrine falcon
s that nest in the cliffs along Lake Superior.
-in sites. The Tettegouche Camp, on Mic Mac Lake, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
. and features four hike-to cabins. One drive-up cabin is available at Illgen Falls. There is a visitor center open year-round. The campgrounds feature flush toilets, showers, and public phones. Firewood and ice can be purchased at the campground. The cabins and campsites can be booked through stayatmnparks.com. Five picnic
areas are also available with fire rings and tables.
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...
state park 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...
58 miles (93 km) northeast of Duluth
Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
in Lake County
Lake County, Minnesota
Lake County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 10,866. Its county seat is Two Harbors. Lake County was founded on February 20, 1855, as Superior County, though its name was changed on March 3, of that year to St. Louis County. On March 1, 1856, St...
on scenic Minnesota Highway 61
Minnesota State Highway 61
Minnesota State Highway 61 is a highway in northeast Minnesota, which runs from the junction of Interstate Highway 35 and Minnesota 61 in Duluth and continues northeast to its northern terminus at the U.S.-Canadian border near Grand Portage...
. The park's name stems from the Tettegouche Club, an association of local businessmen which purchased the park in 1910 from the Alger-Smith Lumber Company. The club's members protected the area until its sale in 1971 to the deLaittres family. In 1979, the state of Minnesota acquired 3400 acres (14 km²) from the Nature Conservancy, including Tettegouche Camp. The land was added to Baptism River State Park, which was renamed Tettegouche State Park.
Features
The park is 9,346 acres (37.8 km²), and contains six inland lakes (four of which support Northern PikeNorthern Pike
The northern pike , is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus Esox...
and one supports Walleye
Walleye
Walleye is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the northern United States. It is a North American close relative of the European pikeperch...
fishing), four waterfall
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
s, and a beach on Lake Superior. The 70 ft (22 m) tall waterfall High Falls
High Falls
High Falls may refer to:* High Falls , a waterfall on the Little River in North Carolina, United States* High Falls , a waterfall on the Genesee River in Rochester, New York, United States...
located on the Baptism River
Baptism River
The Baptism River is a river of Minnesota. The High Falls of the Baptism River, in Tettegouche State Park, is the highest waterfall entirely within the state of Minnesota at . The High Falls on the Pigeon River is higher, but is on the border with Ontario....
is the highest waterfall located entirely within Minnesota. The park contains 22 miles (35 km) of hiking trails, 12 miles (19.3 km) of Ski trails, and access to the 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...
. Tettegouche is bordered to the north by the Finland State Forest
Finland State Forest
The Finland State Forest is a state forest located near the town of Finland in Lake and Cook counties, Minnesota. Of the over , the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources manages a third of the land. The federal United States Forest Service manages roughly a quarter of the total forest acreage,...
and shares the Red Dot motorized trail with it. The trail is for use by all-terrain vehicle
All-terrain vehicle
An all-terrain vehicle , also known as a quad, quad bike, three wheeler, or four wheeler, is defined by the American National Standards Institute as a vehicle that travels on low pressure tires, with a seat that is straddled by the operator, along with handlebars for steering control...
s and snowmobile
Snowmobile
A snowmobile, also known in some places as a snowmachine, or sled,is a land vehicle for winter travel on snow. Designed to be operated on snow and ice, they require no road or trail. Design variations enable some machines to operate in deep snow or forests; most are used on open terrain, including...
s and is the only ATV trail in a state park.
The park is one of only four state parks in Minnesota offering rock climbing
Rock climbing
Rock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...
. Both Shovel Point and Palisade Head
Palisade Head
Palisade Head is a large rock formation on the North Shore of Lake Superior in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is within Tettegouche State Park but not contiguous with the rest of that park...
cliffs are popular spots offering climbing directly over Lake Superior.
Wildlife
Common wildlife seen at the park includes the white-tail deer, hawkHawk
The term hawk can be used in several ways:* In strict usage in Australia and Africa, to mean any of the species in the subfamily Accipitrinae, which comprises the genera Accipiter, Micronisus, Melierax, Urotriorchis and Megatriorchis. The large and widespread Accipiter genus includes goshawks,...
, woodpecker
Woodpecker
Woodpeckers are near passerine birds of the order Piciformes. They are one subfamily in the family Picidae, which also includes the piculets and wrynecks. They are found worldwide and include about 180 species....
, red squirrel
American Red Squirrel
The American Red Squirrel is one of three species of tree squirrel currently classified in the genus Tamiasciurus and known as pine squirrels...
, snowshoe hare
Snowshoe Hare
The Snowshoe Hare , also called the Varying Hare, or Snowshoe Rabbit, is a species of hare found in North America. It has the name "snowshoe" because of the large size of its hind feet and the marks its tail leaves. The animal's feet prevent it from sinking into the snow when it hops and walks...
, weasel
Weasel
Weasels are mammals forming the genus Mustela of the Mustelidae family. They are small, active predators, long and slender with short legs....
, and beaver
Beaver
The beaver is a primarily nocturnal, large, semi-aquatic rodent. Castor includes two extant species, North American Beaver and Eurasian Beaver . Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges . They are the second-largest rodent in the world...
. Other wild life that can be seen are moose
Moose
The moose or Eurasian elk is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic configuration...
, black bear
American black bear
The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
, river otter, and red fox
Red Fox
The red fox is the largest of the true foxes, as well as being the most geographically spread member of the Carnivora, being distributed across the entire northern hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to North Africa, Central America, and the steppes of Asia...
. On occasion, the timber wolf
Timber Wolf
Timber Wolf, Timberwolf, Timber Wolves or Timberwolves might refer to:-Animals:* Any subspecies of Canis lupus, the Gray wolf, which inhabits forested areas...
, coyote
Coyote
The coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...
, fisher
Fisher (animal)
The fisher is a medium-size mammal native to North America. It is a member of the mustelid family, commonly referred to as the weasel family. The fisher is closely related to but larger than the American Marten...
, pine marten
American Marten
The American marten is a North American member of the family Mustelidae, sometimes referred to as the pine marten. The name "pine marten" is derived from the common but distinct Eurasian species of Martes...
and northern flying squirrel
Northern Flying Squirrel
The Northern flying squirrel is one of two species of the genus Glaucomys, the only flying squirrels found in North America . Unlike most members of their family, flying squirrels are strictly nocturnal...
can be seen. The park also has peregrine falcon
Peregrine Falcon
The Peregrine Falcon , also known as the Peregrine, and historically as the Duck Hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-gray back, barred white underparts, and a black head and "moustache"...
s that nest in the cliffs along Lake Superior.
Amenities
The park contains several camping areas, with drive-in, cart-in, walk-in and kayakKayak
A kayak is a small, relatively narrow, human-powered boat primarily designed to be manually propelled by means of a double blade paddle.The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each seating one paddler...
-in sites. The Tettegouche Camp, on Mic Mac Lake, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. and features four hike-to cabins. One drive-up cabin is available at Illgen Falls. There is a visitor center open year-round. The campgrounds feature flush toilets, showers, and public phones. Firewood and ice can be purchased at the campground. The cabins and campsites can be booked through stayatmnparks.com. Five picnic
Picnic
In contemporary usage, a picnic can be defined simply as a pleasure excursion at which a meal is eaten outdoors , ideally taking place in a beautiful landscape such as a park, beside a lake or with an interesting view and possibly at a public event such as before an open air theatre performance,...
areas are also available with fire rings and tables.