Grand Portage State Park
Encyclopedia
Grand Portage State Park is a state park
at the northeastern tip of Minnesota
, USA, on the Canada – United States border. It contains a 120 feet (36.6 m) waterfall
, the tallest in the state, on the Pigeon River
. The High Falls and other waterfalls and rapids upstream necessitated a historically important portage
on a fur trade
route between the Great Lakes
and inland Canada. This 8.5 miles (13.7 km) path plus the site of forts on either end are preserved in nearby Grand Portage National Monument
. The state park, held by the surrounding Grand Portage Indian Reservation
and leased to the state of Minnesota for $1 a year, is the only U.S. state park jointly managed by a state and a Native American
band. It is also the only Minnesota state park not owned by the state.
era from 2.2 to 1.9 billion years ago, mud and muddy sand accumulated on the bed of a shallow sea. These sediments compacted into layers of shale
and graywacke. Dubbed the Rove Formation, they are among the oldest unmetamorphosed
sedimentary rock
on earth. 1.1 billion years ago the North American Plate
began to crack in the middle, and lava flowed out of this Midcontinent Rift System
creating the distinctive basalt
of Lake Superior
's North Shore (and Interstate Park
to the south). In what is now Grand Portage State Park, upwelling magma did not reach the surface but intruded into fractures in the Rove Formation, cooling more slowly into diabase
rather than basalt. One set of intrusions formed northeast-to-southwest trending sills
while a later event formed northwest-to-southeast trending dikes
.
Together they are known as the Logan Intrusions after Canadian geologist William Edmond Logan
.
From 2 million years ago to 10,000 years ago a series of glacial periods repeatedly covered the region with ice, scouring the bedrock and scooping out a great basin. The hard diabase intrusions were more resistant to the ice and survived as a network of ridges. At the end of the last glacial period the basin filled with meltwater, forming Glacial Lake Minong
, Lake Superior's precursor. Freed from the weight of the glaciers, the surrounding land gradually rose. This post-glacial rebound
plus draining of the lake caused the shoreline to recede, first exposing the ridges of the park as islands, then leaving the entire area above water. The stages of shoreline recession are revealed by lake terraces composed of beach gravels. The sharp drop from the surrounding land to the lake produces the numerous waterfalls for which the North Shore is famous.
The Pigeon River cut its course through soft sediments and glacial till
. However it intersected two erosion-resistant dikes which created the High Falls and farther upstream the Middle Falls, which cascades 10 feet (3 m) then drops a further 20 feet (6.1 m). Below the High Falls the river has carved a deep gorge through the shale and greywacke of the Rove Formation. The U.S. Geological Survey
estimated that 3200 gallons of water flow over High Falls every second. On sunny days rainbow
s are often visible in the falls' mist. In winter ice can form on the falls 10 to 20 feet thick, but water continues to flow underneath.
with occasional white spruce, eastern white pine
, balsam fir, northern white cedar
, poplar, and black ash
. A more boreal forest appears on ridges and slopes, with black spruce joining the previously listed conifers intermixed with additional birch and aspen. Bottomlands near the river support black and green ash as well as white cedar, white spruce, and yellow birch.
, moose
, black bear
, red fox
, porcupine
, American marten
, river otter, beaver
, snowshoe hare
, striped skunk
, and red squirrel
with the occasional coyote
and gray wolf
. Waterfowl and raptors
such as osprey
frequent the Pigeon River, which also attracts walleye
, northern pike
, and rainbow smelt
for their spring spawn
ing.
land to the south and Cree
to the north. By the early eighteenth century Ojibwe arrived in the area, expanding as middlemen in the fur trade with the French.
The Pigeon River, an otherwise useful route from the Great Lakes to inland Canada, was impassable over its last 22 miles (35.4 km) due to the waterfalls and rapids. To avoid this stretch early native inhabitants developed a footpath known as Kitchi Onigaming in the Ojibwe language
, a name translated by French commercial explorers as Grand Portage, or "the Great Carrying Place." While busy outposts sprang up at either end of the Grand Portage and along routes in the interior, the future Grand Portage State Park remained largely undeveloped.
The region was claimed by the French, then passed to the British following the French and Indian War
under the 1763 Treaty of Paris
. Following the independence of the United States the Arrowhead Region
of Minnesota was disputed with British Canada. In 1842 the Webster-Ashburton Treaty
finally settled the Pigeon River as the international border. When the U.S. began negotiating the 1854 Treaty of La Pointe with the region's Ojibwe, hard-bargaining Grand Portage band leaders such as Adikoons secured a reservation within their traditional territory instead of being displaced west.
The future state park was originally part of the reservation, but became tax-forfeit and was bought by whites. In the 1890s the Alger, Smith and Company began logging
on both sides of the border. In 1899 a series of sluices, dams, and flumes were built to float the logs safely around the waterfalls and gorges; remains of the wooden timber slide
around the High Falls are still visible on the Canadian side. The Pigeon River Lumber Company began operations in 1900 and within a few years the two companies had stripped the land of salable timber and moved away, leaving the area afflicted with unemployment, forest fires, and poor hunting. In the early twentieth century a remote fishing resort was located within the future park. In the 1930s plans were made to route U.S. Highway 61
across the Pigeon River at the High Falls, but conservation groups like the Izaak Walton League
opposed the plan and the bridge and border crossing were ultimately built farther downstream in 1966.
by Lloyd K. Johnson, a white attorney and land speculator
from Duluth
, who held onto it for decades. In 1985 a park advocacy group, the Minnesota Parks and Trails Council, suggested complementing Ontario's Pigeon River Provincial Park with a Minnesota state park. Johnson, who in the 1930s and 40s had sold hundreds of thousands of acres to the U.S. Forest Service
to help create Superior National Forest
and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
, agreed to sell 178 acres (72 ha) and donate a further 129 acres (52.2 ha). The Parks and Trails Council raised Johnson's asking price of $250,000 through contributions from individuals and foundations and completed the sale in 1988.
Since the land was within the Grand Portage Indian Reservation, the state park bill was drafted with several provisions establishing a novel collaboration. Legislation establishing the park passed unanimously in both houses of the Minnesota Legislature
in 1989. The Parks and Trails Council sold the land to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for $316,000, an amount well under its appraised value. The DNR then began the complicated process of transferring the land to the Bureau of Indian Affairs
, which would hold it in trust for the Grand Portage Band of Chippewa, who in turn would lease the park back to the DNR for $1 a year. Grand Portage State Park finally opened to the public in September 1994. It took so long to finalize the land deal that another entire Minnesota state park, Glendalough
, had been authorized, developed, and dedicated in the meantime.
state park in which the main feature is wheelchair-accessible. Three wooden decks provide different angles to view the falls. A further 3.5 miles (5.6 km) of hiking trail leads to the 30 feet (9.1 m) Middle Falls and provides distant views of Lake Superior and Isle Royale
from hilltops. A 0.2 mile (0.321868 km) path leads from the park office through the picnic area to a historic marker commemorating the Webster-Ashburton Treaty. In winter all of the trails are open for snowshoeing.
Grand Portage State Park is developed for day-use only. The closest camping is in Ontario's adjacent Pigeon River Provincial Park or in the village of Grand Portage, Minnesota
. The park also does not have running water; water is available from a tank in the park office.
The park emphasizes interpretation
of Ojibwe cultural heritage, as a counterpoint to fur trade and natural history interpretation at nearby parks. Many park employees have been members of the Grand Portage Band.
The state park is located at the northern terminus of scenic Minnesota State Highway 61
. A new combination visitor center and highway rest area
is scheduled to open in September, 2010. Together with a similar facility in Gooseberry Falls State Park
, the centers will bookend the eight state parks along Minnesota's North Shore.
border checkpoint
is visible from the park entrance and in fact sits within the park's authorized boundaries.
In September 2008 the park's rugged terrain defeated a rare illegal border crossing
. Two Eastern Europeans were dropped off by a paid accomplice on the Canadian side of the border and waded across the Pigeon River near Middle Falls. They were supposed to hike through the park and rejoin their accomplice, who drove around through the checkpoint, in the parking lot. Instead the rough terrain exhausted them and they fled from the woods toward a nearby duty-free shop
in front of Border Patrol
officers, who took them into custody and alerted other agents who arrested the waiting driver.
Since the High Falls of the Pigeon River is shared with Ontario, the 70 feet (21.3 m) High Falls on the Baptism River
in Tettegouche State Park
is often touted as "the highest waterfall entirely within Minnesota."
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
at the northeastern tip 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...
, USA, on the Canada – United States border. It contains a 120 feet (36.6 m) 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...
, the tallest in the state, on the Pigeon River
Pigeon River (Minnesota-Ontario)
The Pigeon River forms part of the US-Canada border between the State of Minnesota and the Province of Ontario west of Lake Superior. In pre-industrial times the river was a waterway of great importance for transportation and trade.-Geography:...
. The High Falls and other waterfalls and rapids upstream necessitated a historically important portage
Portage
Portage or portaging refers to the practice of carrying watercraft or cargo over land to avoid river obstacles, or between two bodies of water. A place where this carrying occurs is also called a portage; a person doing the carrying is called a porter.The English word portage is derived from the...
on a fur trade
Fur trade
The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of world market for in the early modern period furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the most valued...
route between the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
and inland Canada. This 8.5 miles (13.7 km) path plus the site of forts on either end are preserved in nearby Grand Portage National Monument
Grand Portage National Monument
Grand Portage National Monument is a United States National Monument located on the north shore of Lake Superior in northeastern Minnesota that preserves a vital center of fur trade activity and Anishinaabeg Ojibwe heritage....
. The state park, held by the surrounding Grand Portage Indian Reservation
Grand Portage Indian Reservation
The Grand Portage Indian Reservation is located in Cook County near the tip of Minnesota's Arrowhead Region in the extreme northeast part of the state. The community was considered part of the Lake Superior Band of Chippewa, but is not a party to the treaties that group signed...
and leased to the state of Minnesota for $1 a year, is the only U.S. state park jointly managed by a state and a Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
band. It is also the only Minnesota state park not owned by the state.
Geology
During the PaleoproterozoicPaleoproterozoic
The Paleoproterozoic is the first of the three sub-divisions of the Proterozoic occurring between . This is when the continents first stabilized...
era from 2.2 to 1.9 billion years ago, mud and muddy sand accumulated on the bed of a shallow sea. These sediments compacted into layers of shale
Shale
Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock composed of mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals and tiny fragments of other minerals, especially quartz and calcite. The ratio of clay to other minerals is variable. Shale is characterized by breaks along thin laminae or parallel layering...
and graywacke. Dubbed the Rove Formation, they are among the oldest unmetamorphosed
Metamorphism
Metamorphism is the solid-state recrystallization of pre-existing rocks due to changes in physical and chemical conditions, primarily heat, pressure, and the introduction of chemically active fluids. Mineralogical, chemical and crystallographic changes can occur during this process...
sedimentary rock
Sedimentary rock
Sedimentary rock are types of rock that are formed by the deposition of material at the Earth's surface and within bodies of water. Sedimentation is the collective name for processes that cause mineral and/or organic particles to settle and accumulate or minerals to precipitate from a solution....
on earth. 1.1 billion years ago the North American Plate
North American Plate
The North American Plate is a tectonic plate covering most of North America, Greenland, Cuba, Bahamas, and parts of Siberia, Japan and Iceland. It extends eastward to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and westward to the Chersky Range in eastern Siberia. The plate includes both continental and oceanic crust...
began to crack in the middle, and lava flowed out of this Midcontinent Rift System
Midcontinent Rift System
The Midcontinent Rift System or Keweenawan Rift is a long geological rift in the center of the North American continent and south-central part of the North American plate. It formed when the continent's core, the North American craton, began to split apart during the Mesoproterozoic era of the...
creating the distinctive basalt
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
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...
's North Shore (and Interstate Park
Interstate Park
Interstate Park comprises two adjacent state parks on the Minnesota-Wisconsin border, both named Interstate State Park. They straddle the Dalles of the St. Croix River, a deep basalt gorge with glacial potholes and other rock formations. The Wisconsin park is and the Minnesota park is . The...
to the south). In what is now Grand Portage State Park, upwelling magma did not reach the surface but intruded into fractures in the Rove Formation, cooling more slowly into diabase
Diabase
Diabase or dolerite is a mafic, holocrystalline, subvolcanic rock equivalent to volcanic basalt or plutonic gabbro. In North American usage, the term diabase refers to the fresh rock, whilst elsewhere the term dolerite is used for the fresh rock and diabase refers to altered material...
rather than basalt. One set of intrusions formed northeast-to-southwest trending sills
Sill (geology)
In geology, a sill is a tabular sheet intrusion that has intruded between older layers of sedimentary rock, beds of volcanic lava or tuff, or even along the direction of foliation in metamorphic rock. The term sill is synonymous with concordant intrusive sheet...
while a later event formed northwest-to-southeast trending dikes
Dike (geology)
A dike or dyke in geology is a type of sheet intrusion referring to any geologic body that cuts discordantly across* planar wall rock structures, such as bedding or foliation...
.
Together they are known as the Logan Intrusions after Canadian geologist William Edmond Logan
William Edmond Logan
Sir William Edmond Logan was a Scottish-Canadian geologist.Logan was born in Montreal, Quebec, and educated at the High School in Edinburgh and the University of Edinburgh . He started teaching himself geology in 1831, when he took over the running of a copper works in Swansea. He produced a...
.
From 2 million years ago to 10,000 years ago a series of glacial periods repeatedly covered the region with ice, scouring the bedrock and scooping out a great basin. The hard diabase intrusions were more resistant to the ice and survived as a network of ridges. At the end of the last glacial period the basin filled with meltwater, forming Glacial Lake Minong
Glacial Lake Minong
Glacial Lake Minong was a proglacial lake that formed in the Lake Superior basin during the Wisconsin glaciation around 10,000 B.P. . This was the last glacial advance that entered Michigan and covered only part of the upper peninsula. Lake Minong occurred in the eastern corner of the Lake...
, Lake Superior's precursor. Freed from the weight of the glaciers, the surrounding land gradually rose. This post-glacial rebound
Post-glacial rebound
Post-glacial rebound is the rise of land masses that were depressed by the huge weight of ice sheets during the last glacial period, through a process known as isostasy...
plus draining of the lake caused the shoreline to recede, first exposing the ridges of the park as islands, then leaving the entire area above water. The stages of shoreline recession are revealed by lake terraces composed of beach gravels. The sharp drop from the surrounding land to the lake produces the numerous waterfalls for which the North Shore is famous.
The Pigeon River cut its course through soft sediments and glacial till
Till
thumb|right|Closeup of glacial till. Note that the larger grains in the till are completely surrounded by the matrix of finer material , and this characteristic, known as matrix support, is diagnostic of till....
. However it intersected two erosion-resistant dikes which created the High Falls and farther upstream the Middle Falls, which cascades 10 feet (3 m) then drops a further 20 feet (6.1 m). Below the High Falls the river has carved a deep gorge through the shale and greywacke of the Rove Formation. The U.S. Geological Survey
United States Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and the natural hazards that threaten it. The organization has four major science disciplines, concerning biology,...
estimated that 3200 gallons of water flow over High Falls every second. On sunny days rainbow
Rainbow
A rainbow is an optical and meteorological phenomenon that causes a spectrum of light to appear in the sky when the Sun shines on to droplets of moisture in the Earth's atmosphere. It takes the form of a multicoloured arc...
s are often visible in the falls' mist. In winter ice can form on the falls 10 to 20 feet thick, but water continues to flow underneath.
Flora
A mixed hardwood forest covers most of the park, chiefly paper birch and quaking aspenPopulus tremuloides
Populus tremuloides is a deciduous tree native to cooler areas of North America, commonly called quaking aspen, trembling aspen, American aspen, and Quakies,. The trees have tall trunks, up to 25 metres, with smooth pale bark, scarred with black. The glossy green leaves, dull beneath, become golden...
with occasional white spruce, eastern white pine
Eastern White Pine
Pinus strobus, commonly known as the eastern white pine, is a large pine native to eastern North America, occurring from Newfoundland west to Minnesota and southeastern Manitoba, and south along the Appalachian Mountains to the northern edge of Georgia.It is occasionally known as simply white pine,...
, balsam fir, northern white cedar
Thuja occidentalis
Thuja occidentalis is an evergreen coniferous tree, in the cypress family Cupressaceae, which is widely cultivated for use as an ornamental plant known as American Arbor Vitae. The endemic occurrence of this species is a northeastern distribution in North America...
, poplar, and black ash
Fraxinus nigra
Fraxinus nigra is a species of Fraxinus native to much of eastern Canada and the northeastern United States, from western Newfoundland west to southeastern Manitoba, and south to Illinois and northern Virginia....
. A more boreal forest appears on ridges and slopes, with black spruce joining the previously listed conifers intermixed with additional birch and aspen. Bottomlands near the river support black and green ash as well as white cedar, white spruce, and yellow birch.
Fauna
Fauna of the park include white-tailed deerWhite-tailed Deer
The white-tailed deer , also known as the Virginia deer or simply as the whitetail, is a medium-sized deer native to the United States , Canada, Mexico, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru...
, 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...
, 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...
, porcupine
North American Porcupine
The North American Porcupine , also known as Canadian Porcupine or Common Porcupine, is a large rodent in the New World porcupine family. The Beaver is the only rodent larger than the North American Porcupine found in North America...
, American 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...
, river otter, beaver
American Beaver
The North American Beaver is the only species of beaver in the Americas, native to North America and introduced to South America. In the United States and Canada, where no other species of beaver occurs, it is usually simply referred to as "beaver"...
, 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...
, striped skunk
Striped Skunk
The striped skunk, Mephitis mephitis, is an omnivorous mammal of the skunk family Mephitidae. Found over most of the North American continent north of Mexico, it is one of the best-known mammals in Canada and the United States.-Description:...
, and 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...
with the occasional 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...
and gray wolf
Gray Wolf
The gray wolf , also known as the wolf, is the largest extant wild member of the Canidae family...
. Waterfowl and raptors
Bird of prey
Birds of prey are birds that hunt for food primarily on the wing, using their keen senses, especially vision. They are defined as birds that primarily hunt vertebrates, including other birds. Their talons and beaks tend to be relatively large, powerful and adapted for tearing and/or piercing flesh....
such as osprey
Osprey
The Osprey , sometimes known as the sea hawk or fish eagle, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and across the wings...
frequent the Pigeon River, which also attracts 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...
, northern pike
Northern Pike
The northern pike , is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus Esox...
, and rainbow smelt
Rainbow smelt
The rainbow smelt, Osmerus mordax, is an anadromous species of fish of the family Osmeridae. The distribution of Osmerus mordax is circumpolar. The rainbow smelt was introduced to the Great Lakes, and from there has made its way to various other places. Walleye, trout, and other larger fish prey on...
for their spring spawn
Spawn (biology)
Spawn refers to the eggs and sperm released or deposited, usually into water, by aquatic animals. As a verb, spawn refers to the process of releasing the eggs and sperm, also called spawning...
ing.
Early history
At the beginning of historical times Grand Portage and the Pigeon River lay along the border between DakotaSioux
The Sioux are Native American and First Nations people in North America. The term can refer to any ethnic group within the Great Sioux Nation or any of the nation's many language dialects...
land to the south and Cree
Cree
The Cree are one of the largest groups of First Nations / Native Americans in North America, with 200,000 members living in Canada. In Canada, the major proportion of Cree live north and west of Lake Superior, in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories, although...
to the north. By the early eighteenth century Ojibwe arrived in the area, expanding as middlemen in the fur trade with the French.
The Pigeon River, an otherwise useful route from the Great Lakes to inland Canada, was impassable over its last 22 miles (35.4 km) due to the waterfalls and rapids. To avoid this stretch early native inhabitants developed a footpath known as Kitchi Onigaming in the Ojibwe language
Ojibwe language
Ojibwe , also called Anishinaabemowin, is an indigenous language of the Algonquian language family. Ojibwe is characterized by a series of dialects that have local names and frequently local writing systems...
, a name translated by French commercial explorers as Grand Portage, or "the Great Carrying Place." While busy outposts sprang up at either end of the Grand Portage and along routes in the interior, the future Grand Portage State Park remained largely undeveloped.
The region was claimed by the French, then passed to the British following the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
under the 1763 Treaty of Paris
Treaty of Paris (1763)
The Treaty of Paris, often called the Peace of Paris, or the Treaty of 1763, was signed on 10 February 1763, by the kingdoms of Great Britain, France and Spain, with Portugal in agreement. It ended the French and Indian War/Seven Years' War...
. Following the independence of the United States the Arrowhead Region
Arrowhead Region
The Arrowhead Region is located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Minnesota, so called because of its pointed shape. The predominantly rural region encompasses of land area and comprises Carlton, Cook, Lake and St. Louis Counties. Its population at the 2000 census was 248,425 residents...
of Minnesota was disputed with British Canada. In 1842 the Webster-Ashburton Treaty
Webster-Ashburton Treaty
The Webster–Ashburton Treaty, signed August 9, 1842, was a treaty resolving several border issues between the United States and the British North American colonies...
finally settled the Pigeon River as the international border. When the U.S. began negotiating the 1854 Treaty of La Pointe with the region's Ojibwe, hard-bargaining Grand Portage band leaders such as Adikoons secured a reservation within their traditional territory instead of being displaced west.
The future state park was originally part of the reservation, but became tax-forfeit and was bought by whites. In the 1890s the Alger, Smith and Company began logging
Logging
Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
on both sides of the border. In 1899 a series of sluices, dams, and flumes were built to float the logs safely around the waterfalls and gorges; remains of the wooden timber slide
Timber slide
A timber slide is a device for moving timber past rapids and waterfalls. Their use in Canada was widespread in the 18th and 19th century timber trade. At this time, cut timber would be floated down rivers in large timber rafts from logging camps to ports such as Montreal and Saint John, New...
around the High Falls are still visible on the Canadian side. The Pigeon River Lumber Company began operations in 1900 and within a few years the two companies had stripped the land of salable timber and moved away, leaving the area afflicted with unemployment, forest fires, and poor hunting. In the early twentieth century a remote fishing resort was located within the future park. In the 1930s plans were made to route U.S. Highway 61
U.S. Route 61
U.S. Route 61 is the official designation for a United States highway that runs from New Orleans, Louisiana, to the city of Wyoming, Minnesota. The highway generally follows the course of the Mississippi River, and is designated the Great River Road for much of its route. As of 2004, the highway's...
across the Pigeon River at the High Falls, but conservation groups like the Izaak Walton League
Izaak Walton League
The Izaak Walton League is an American environmental organization founded in 1922 that promotes natural resource protection and outdoor recreation. The organization was founded in Chicago, Illinois by a group of sportsmen who wished to protect fishing opportunities for future generations...
opposed the plan and the bridge and border crossing were ultimately built farther downstream in 1966.
State park creation
The land adjoining High and Middle Falls was purchased as a possible commercial propertyCommercial property
The term commercial property refers to buildings or land intended to generate a profit, either from capital gain or rental income.-Definition:...
by Lloyd K. Johnson, a white attorney and land speculator
Speculation
In finance, speculation is a financial action that does not promise safety of the initial investment along with the return on the principal sum...
from 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,...
, who held onto it for decades. In 1985 a park advocacy group, the Minnesota Parks and Trails Council, suggested complementing Ontario's Pigeon River Provincial Park with a Minnesota state park. Johnson, who in the 1930s and 40s had sold hundreds of thousands of acres to the U.S. Forest Service
United States Forest Service
The United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...
to help create 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...
and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness , is a wilderness area within the Superior National Forest in northeastern Minnesota under the administration of the U.S. Forest Service...
, agreed to sell 178 acres (72 ha) and donate a further 129 acres (52.2 ha). The Parks and Trails Council raised Johnson's asking price of $250,000 through contributions from individuals and foundations and completed the sale in 1988.
Since the land was within the Grand Portage Indian Reservation, the state park bill was drafted with several provisions establishing a novel collaboration. Legislation establishing the park passed unanimously in both houses of the Minnesota Legislature
Minnesota Legislature
The Minnesota Legislature is the legislative branch of government in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is a bicameral legislature located at the Minnesota Capitol in Saint Paul and it consists of two houses: the lower Minnesota House of Representatives and the Minnesota Senate...
in 1989. The Parks and Trails Council sold the land to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for $316,000, an amount well under its appraised value. The DNR then began the complicated process of transferring the land to the Bureau of Indian Affairs
Bureau of Indian Affairs
The Bureau of Indian Affairs is an agency of the federal government of the United States within the US Department of the Interior. It is responsible for the administration and management of of land held in trust by the United States for Native Americans in the United States, Native American...
, which would hold it in trust for the Grand Portage Band of Chippewa, who in turn would lease the park back to the DNR for $1 a year. Grand Portage State Park finally opened to the public in September 1994. It took so long to finalize the land deal that another entire Minnesota state park, Glendalough
Glendalough State Park
Glendalough State Park is a state park of Minnesota, USA, in Otter Tail County near Battle Lake close to Minnesota State Highway 78. The park was once used as a resort and game farm by the owners of Cowles Media Company, owner of what is today the Star Tribune newspaper. The park contains on land...
, had been authorized, developed, and dedicated in the meantime.
Recreation
The High Falls is at the end of a gentle 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) paved trail and boardwalk, making it the only North ShoreNorth 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...
state park in which the main feature is wheelchair-accessible. Three wooden decks provide different angles to view the falls. A further 3.5 miles (5.6 km) of hiking trail leads to the 30 feet (9.1 m) Middle Falls and provides distant views of Lake Superior and Isle Royale
Isle Royale
Isle Royale is an island of the Great Lakes, located in the northwest of Lake Superior, and part of the state of Michigan. The island and the 450 surrounding smaller islands and waters make up Isle Royale National Park....
from hilltops. A 0.2 mile (0.321868 km) path leads from the park office through the picnic area to a historic marker commemorating the Webster-Ashburton Treaty. In winter all of the trails are open for snowshoeing.
Grand Portage State Park is developed for day-use only. The closest camping is in Ontario's adjacent Pigeon River Provincial Park or in the village of Grand Portage, Minnesota
Grand Portage, Minnesota
Grand Portage is an unorganized territory in Cook County, Minnesota, on Lake Superior, at the northeast corner of the state near the border with northwestern Ontario. The population was 557 at the 2000 census...
. The park also does not have running water; water is available from a tank in the park office.
The park emphasizes interpretation
Heritage interpretation
Heritage interpretation is the communication of information about, or the explanation of, the nature, origin, and purpose of historical, natural, or cultural resources, objects, sites and phenomena using personal or non-personal methods....
of Ojibwe cultural heritage, as a counterpoint to fur trade and natural history interpretation at nearby parks. Many park employees have been members of the Grand Portage Band.
The state park is located at the northern terminus of scenic Minnesota State 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...
. A new combination visitor center and highway rest area
Rest area
A rest area, travel plaza, rest stop, or service area is a public facility, located next to a large thoroughfare such as a highway, expressway, or freeway at which drivers and passengers can rest, eat, or refuel without exiting on to secondary roads...
is scheduled to open in September, 2010. Together with a similar facility in Gooseberry Falls State Park
Gooseberry Falls State Park
Gooseberry Falls State Park is a state park of Minnesota, USA, on the North Shore of Lake Superior. The park is located in Silver Creek Township, about 13 miles northeast of Two Harbors, Minnesota in Lake County on scenic Minnesota Highway 61. The Joseph N...
, the centers will bookend the eight state parks along Minnesota's North Shore.
International border
Grand Portage State Park follows 2 miles (3.2 km) of the Pigeon River, which marks the Canada – United States border. The U.S. CustomsU.S. Customs and Border Protection
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is a federal law enforcement agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security charged with regulating and facilitating international trade, collecting import duties, and enforcing U.S. regulations, including trade, customs and immigration. CBP is the...
border checkpoint
Border checkpoint
A border checkpoint is a place, generally between two countries, where travellers and/or goods are inspected. Authorization often is required to enter a country through its borders. Access-controlled borders often have a limited number of checkpoints where they can be crossed without legal...
is visible from the park entrance and in fact sits within the park's authorized boundaries.
In September 2008 the park's rugged terrain defeated a rare illegal border crossing
Illegal entry
Illegal entry is the act of foreign nationals arriving in or crossing the borders into a country in violation of its immigration law.Migrants from nations that do not have automatic visa agreements, or who would not otherwise qualify for a visa, often cross the borders illegally in some areas like...
. Two Eastern Europeans were dropped off by a paid accomplice on the Canadian side of the border and waded across the Pigeon River near Middle Falls. They were supposed to hike through the park and rejoin their accomplice, who drove around through the checkpoint, in the parking lot. Instead the rough terrain exhausted them and they fled from the woods toward a nearby duty-free shop
Duty-free shop
Duty-free shops are retail outlets that are exempt from the payment of certain local or national taxes and duties, on the requirement that the goods sold will be sold to travelers who will take them out of the country...
in front of Border Patrol
United States Border Patrol
The United States Border Patrol is a federal law enforcement agency within U.S. Customs and Border Protection , a component of the Department of Homeland Security . It is an agency in the Department of Homeland Security that enforces laws and regulations for the admission of foreign-born persons to...
officers, who took them into custody and alerted other agents who arrested the waiting driver.
Since the High Falls of the Pigeon River is shared with Ontario, the 70 feet (21.3 m) High Falls 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....
in Tettegouche State Park
Tettegouche State Park
Tettegouche State Park is a Minnesota state park on the north shore of Lake Superior 58 miles 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...
is often touted as "the highest waterfall entirely within Minnesota."