Split Rock Lighthouse State Park is a state park in Minnesota on the north shore of Lake Superior. It is best known for the scenic Split Rock Lighthouse, one of the most photographed lighthouses in the United States. Built by the US Lighthouse Service in 1910, the lighthouse and some of the adjacent buildings have been restored and are operated as a museum by the Minnesota Historical Society. The 2,200-acre (890 ha) state park offers unique cart camping and scenic trails for hiking, cross-country skiing, and biking.
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| Split Rock Lighthouse |
Geography
Split Rock Lighthouse State Park includes about 4 miles (6.4 km) of rocky shoreline on Lake Superior with several prominent headlands. Named shore features from southwest to northeast: Split Rock Estuary, Split Rock Point, Crazy Cove, Corund Point, Split Rock Creek Estuary, Day Hill, Little Two Harbors, Stoney Point (location of the lighthouse), and Gold Rock Point. The name Little Two Harbor comes from the division of the bay by a small island formerly called Tombolo and refers to the town of Two Harbor further up the coast. There are two shallow sea caves at the foot of Stony Point.
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| Split Rock Lighthouse |
The east and west branches of the Split Rock River, not to be confused with the Split Rock Creek, join at the park. There are ten waterfalls on the river, although as they can only be reached by a moderate hike along the Improved Walking Trail and are not marked on park maps, they are easy to visit.