Tags:
Minnesota State Parks ,
Two Harbors Minnesota Campgrounds ,
Two Harbors Minnesota Parks ,
Two Harbors Minnesota Trails
Welcome to Split Rock Lighthouse State Park located on the shores of Lake Superior near Two Harbors Minnesota.
Park History: The marvelous cliffs that support the foundation of the lighthouse and help make this park unique are made up of anorthosite, an igneous rock formed by lava flows in the region over 1.1 billion years ago. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Norway and white pine forests of this region were logged by the Merrill and Ring Lumber Company. The company transported their products via barge and a local railroad. In 1905, a fierce November Gale, (not too different from the one that took down the famous Edmond Fitzgerald 70 years later) sank many ships within 12 miles of the Split Rock River. These tragic shipwrecks sparked demand for a lighthouse, which was completed in 1909 and commissioned in 1910. For nearly 60 years, the lighthouse keepers shined the 370,000 candlepower beacon in order to warn ships of the treacherous rocks of the north shore.
In 1971, the U.S. Government gave the lighthouse to the State of Minnesota as a historic site and 5 years later in 1976, the Minnesota Historical Society assumed operation. Today, it is one of the most photographed lighthouses in the United States and over 300,000 people visit each year.
Wildlife: This park helps protect wildlife habitat for many wild critters including black bears, moose, beavers, bobcats, lynx, deer, falcons, gulls, loons, and many others. Please treat their home with respect.
For the lover of the outdoors Split Rock Lighthouse State Park boasts miles of multipurpose trails and a picnic shelter. Come on out and explore!
To contact the office please call 218-595-ROCK.
This was RecPlanet place of the day on September 19, 2016.
Split Rock Lighthouse State Park
3755 Split Rock Lighthouse Road
Two Harbors, Minnesota
55616
United States
47.187861, -91.415176
Map:
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