Jay Cooke State Park
Minnesota State Park · Carlton, Minnesota
Nine thousand acres on the St. Louis River just above Duluth, where the water drops through a gorge of slate and greywacke tilted up on end by ancient continental collision — jagged black rock at improbable angles that looks nothing like the rest of Minnesota. A swinging suspension footbridge crosses the river at the centre of it, first built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, destroyed by a catastrophic flood in 2012 and rebuilt. Fifty miles of trail run through the surrounding forest, and it is twenty minutes from downtown Duluth.
780 Highway 210, Carlton, Minnesota, 55718, United States
Open daily year round, generally 8 AM to 10 PM, with a Minnesota state park vehicle permit required. The visitor centre keeps seasonal hours and the campground is open to registered guests around the clock. The swinging bridge closes for ice and for high water after heavy rain — check park conditions before travelling if it is the reason you are going.
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