Come for the quiet, the solitude, and the famous
Devil's Kettle waterfall. The most popular hike leads from the trailhead
upstream along the Brule River to Devil's Kettle, where the river splits around
a mass of volcanic rock. Half of the river plunges 50 feet into a pool, while
the rest pours into a huge pothole. Anglers can catch brook and rainbow trout in
the Brule River or its tributary, Gauthier Creek. The park offers camping,
picnicking and hiking.Quick stats:
4,674 acres
66,334 annual visits
5,599 overnight visits
Naturalist:
Check at the park office for a schedule of programs.
Wildlife
Moose, white-tailed deer, black bears, and timber wolves are among the larger
animals that inhabit the park. Smaller mammals that visitors may see include the
woodchuck, snowshoe hare, red squirrel, and chipmunk. In the spring and summer,
listen for the songs of warblers. All year round, chickadees, nuthatches, jays,
woodpeckers, and ruffed grouse can be seen in the park.
History
Concrete foundations in the campground and picnic areas of the park are
remnants of a transient work camp built there in 1934 by the State. The camp
provided work and lodging for men displaced during the Depression years. In
addition to building trails, logging, and completing public service projects,
these men helped fight a fire in 1935 that burned more than 10,000 acres in the
area. Later the men set up a sawmill and began to salvage fire-damaged wood. In
1957, a 940-acre parcel of forest along the Brule River was set aside as Bois
Brule State Park. The park became Judge C. R. Magney State Park in 1963 when the
Minnesota legislature selected this park as a memorial to the late Judge Magney,
a lawyer, mayor of Duluth, justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court, and a strong
advocate of Minnesota State Parks, especially those along the North Shore. With
his influence, he was instrumental in establishing 11 state parks and waysides
along Lake Superior. Over the years, parcels of land have been added to the park
which today totals 4,674 acres.
Geology
The bedrock exposed along Lake Superior's North Shore has a geologic history
that goes back some 1.2 billion years. During the mountain-building, volcanic
activity of that time, molten lava poured through great fissures that developed
in the earth's crust. One particular flow complex, the Brule River rhyolite flow
is thought to be as much as 3,500 feet thick. As these flows accumulated, the
land along the rift zone sank to form a great basin, presently occupied by Lake
Superior. Long periods of erosion followed. The local Sawtooth Mountains of the
Grand Marais area in Minnesota are the remnants of this ancient mountain range.
More recently, glaciers also took their toll on the area as massive ice sheets
gouged out basins and scoured the surface of the bedrock. In Cook County where
the park is located, the glacial action eroded more earth than it deposited.
Landscape
The vast open waters of Lake Superior moderate the area climate. Summers are
generally cool and winters are usually mild with abundant snowfall. The scenic
Brule River races through the park, forming whitewater rapids and waterfalls on
its way to Lake Superior. Along the lower stretches of the river are a series of
spectacular waterfalls. Birdwatchers will find a bonanza of warblers during the
nesting months of May, June, and July. Early fall is a good time to observe
migrating hawks as they congregate along the shore of Lake Superior. Large white
spruce grace the campground and other upland areas. The forested areas are
dominated by birch and aspen stands. Wildflowers begin to show in early spring
with the marsh marigold, wood anemone, and violet. In summer, look for the rose,
thimbleberry, moccasin flower, coral root, clintonia, wild sarsaparilla, and
fireweed. Asters and goldenrod add to the fiery colors of autumn.
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