Jay Cooke State Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jay Cooke State Park |
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The St. Louis River in Jay Cooke State Park
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 Jay Cooke State Park
Location in Minnesota
Jay Cooke State Park
Location in the United States
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| Location | Carlton, Minnesota, United States |
| Area | 8,125 acres (32.88 km2) |
| Elevation | 928 ft (283 m) |
| Established | 1915 |
| Governing body | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources |
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Jay Cooke State Park CCC/Rustic Style Historic District
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The River Inn is the visitor center for the park and was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps
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| Location | Carlton County, Minnesota, Off MN 210 east of Carlton |
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| Nearest city | Carlton, Minnesota |
| MPS | Minnesota State Park CCC/WPA/Rustic Style MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 89001665 |
| Added to NRHP | June 11, 1992 |
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Jay Cooke State Park CCC/WPA/Rustic Style Picnic Grounds
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1934 water tower/latrine at Oldenburg Point
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| Location | Off MN 210 SE of Forbay Lake, Thomson Township |
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| MPS | Minnesota State Park CCC/WPA/Rustic Style MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 92000640 |
| Added to NRHP | June 11, 1992 |
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Jay Cooke State Park CCC/WPA/Rustic Style Service Yard
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| Location | Off MN 210 E of Forbay Lake, Thomson Township |
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| MPS | Minnesota State Park CCC/WPA/Rustic Style MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 92000642 |
| Added to NRHP | June 11, 1992 |
Jay Cooke State Park is a state park in Minnesota, United States. The park is located about 10 miles (16 km) southwest of Duluth. It is one of the ten most visited state parks in Minnesota, with 378,000 visitors in 2014. In June 2015 the park celebrated its 100-year anniversary.
The western half of the park contains part of a rocky, 13-mile (21 km) gorge. This was a major barrier to Native Americans and early Europeans traveling by canoe, which they bypassed with the challenging Grand Portage of the St. Louis River. The Grand Portage trail and three districts of 1930s park structures are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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History
The first 2,350 acres (9.5 km2) of land on which the park is situated were donated to the state by the Saint Louis Power Company in 1915. The park remained generally undeveloped until 1933, when a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp was established on the site. The CCC camp built a rustic swinging bridge over the St. Louis River. This camp also built a picnic shelter. The camp was disbanded in 1935, but a second camp was set up in 1939. This camp rebuilt the swinging bridge and built the River Inn, which now houses the visitor center. This camp was disbanded in 1942, shortly before the federal government ended the CCC entirely. In 1945 the state began to add more land to the park, eventually giving it its current size of 8,818 acres (3,569 ha).
In 2012 the Duluth area experienced a record-setting rainstorm that resulted in flooding that filled the gorge with debris, devastated the park's roads and trails, and destroyed the historic Swinging Bridge that crosses the St. Louis River. By 2014, extensive repair work had repaired most of the trails and replaced the bridge, and further work is ongoing.
Early canoe route
The earliest North American fur trading did not include long distance transportation of the furs after they were obtained by trade with the Indians; it started with trading near settlements or along the coast or waterways accessible by ship. But later, Coureur des bois achieved business advantages by traveling deeper into the wilderness and trading there. By 1681, the French authorities decided to control the traders. Also, as the trading process moved deeper into the wilderness, transportation of the furs (and the products to be traded for furs) became a larger part of the fur trading business process. The authorities began a process of issuing permits. Those travelers associated with the canoe transportation part of the licensed endeavor became known as voyageurs, a term which literally means "traveler" in French.
The rocky gorge of the St. Louis River was not navigable to canoes, so Native Americans blazed a 6.5-mile (10.5 km) portage around it. Later, the voyageurs employed it too and dubbed it the "Grand Portage of the St. Louis." It was a rough trail of steep hills and swamps that began at the foot of the rapids above the present day Fond du Lac ("back of the lake") neighborhood and climbed some 450 feet (140 m) to the present-day city of Carlton. Above Carlton travelers proceeded upstream and continued on to Lake Vermilion and the Rainy River. Or they may have traveled southwest up the East Savanna River, portaged the grueling six mile long Savanna Portage (now a state park), and then paddled on to the Mississippi River.
The Saint Louis River Grand Portage was divided into 19 pauses (stopping/resting places) spaced one-third to one-half mile apart. To portage the freight, each voyageur carried two or three packs weighing up to 90 pounds each. These were supported by a portage strap, which passed around the voyageur's forehead and reached to the small of his back. Once he reached a pause with his load, the voyageur would jog back to the last stop for more packs. It took an average of three to five days for a crew to complete the Grand Portage, sometimes longer under bad conditions. It was backbreaking labor, and the voyageurs would be plastered with mud and covered with mosquito and fly bites.
The Grand Portage was still in use as late as 1870, but a new railroad meant the end of the old passage. Also, fur animals became less plentiful and the amount of North American fur trading declined.
A portion of the trail has been renovated for hiking and information is available at the park shelter.
Glaciation
The rocky riverbed around the swinging bridge is Jay Cooke's best-known feature. However, elsewhere the land is characterized by glaciation. Most of the park lies on red clay sediments deposited 10,000 years ago at the bottom of a proglacial lake.
On the south side of the river are several steep, curving valleys that are former meanders. The river's downcutting eventually passed through the Pleistocene lake sediments and into the Precambrian bedrock, exposing the rocky, 13-mile (21 km) gorge that characterizes the western half of the park.
Wildlife
The park is inhabited by 46 species of mammals and is an important wintering area for White-tailed Deer. Black Bears, Wolf packs, and Coyotes have been spotted within the park. The park houses 173 species of birds including the Pileated Woodpecker, Northern Harrier, and the Great Blue Heron. Sixteen species of (non-venomous) reptiles are found within the park.
Recreation
The park has over 50 miles of hiking trails, with several scenic overlooks over the Saint Louis River. Certain trails, such as the Greely Creek Trail, Triangle Trail, and Gill Creek Trail, are also open to mountain biking. The Willard Munger State Trail runs through the park. From the park, one can bike or skate to Duluth, about 15 miles (24 km) away. This segment of the trail features very scenic views of the Duluth harbor, as well as cuts in the rock made for the building of the St. Paul and Duluth Railroad.
Park activities include camping, hiking, biking, cross-country skiing and kayaking. Park rangers offer over 400 naturalist outreach events each year including nature walks, evening campfire talks, snowshoe-building lessons, and geocaching. As part of the "I Can!" program for kids and families, the park provides a number of classes and guides to help with camping skills, canoeing, fishing, archery, and other activities.
Brown trout are taken in the Saint Louis River (some walleye and northern in slower stretches) and in Otter Creek. Brook trout are found in Silver and Otter creeks. There are two dams on the Saint Louis River near the park; the Thomson Dam (near the northwest boundary) and the Fond du Lac Dam (near the northeast boundary).
Interesting facts about Jay Cooke State Park
- The park is named for Pennsylvania financier Jay Cooke, who had developed a nearby power plant, which is still in use.
- The oldest bedrock visible in Jay Cooke State Park is the Thomson Formation, dating to the Paleoproterozoic era 1.9 billion years ago.
- Most famous of the park's landmarks is the swinging bridge designed by Oscar Newstrom. It runs 200 feet (61 m) long, 126 feet (38 m) of which run over the river itself.
- The North Country National Scenic Trail passes through the park. It is the longest of the eleven National Scenic Trails, stretching approximately 4,600 miles (7,400 km).
- Minnesota State Highway 210 runs through Jay Cooke State Park.
- The 9 miles (14 km) of the route between Carlton and Highway 23—which include the park—are designated the Rushing Rapids Parkway, a state scenic byway.
