Bear Head Lake State Park
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Department of Natural Resources by State of Minnesota, © 11/2009 •M • • •F VISITOR FAVORITES • Fishing pier and boat docks • Snowshoe rental • 5 camper cabins • •P • • • • • • • •4 • FEATURES F PARK STATE BEAR HEAD LAKE sporting and map stores. r the DNR gift shop, from available for purchase Information Maps (PRIM) are Public Recreation r showing federal, state and county lands with their of the state The DNR has mapped separate areas egional offices, Minnesota state parks and major egional offices, facilities. ecreational L ACILITIES AND skiing trails State Trail with the Taconite Snowmobile trails that link beach Beautiful sand swimming Head Lake Guest house Dump station Boat, kayak and canoe rentals swimming beach with a sandy picnic area Large sanitation units hand-pump and pit-type camp with a Rustic group Lake #3 Boat access on Eagles Nest Boat access on Bear Head Lake One boat-accessible campsite sanitation building with electricity) a modern 73 semi-modern campsites (45 OOKING FOR MORE INFORMATION OOKING FOR MORE INFORMATION backpack sites ishing and boating on Bear icnic shelter iles of good hiking and Check it out - you'll be glad you did. ? Park Big Island Entrance ELY 15 miles •walleye •northern pike •smallmouth bass Ruth's Island •black crappie •panfish NITE STATE TRAIL TACO 128 Portage Trail BEAR ISLAND STATE FOREST Cub 1.0 k Lake 1.0 k Stocked with brook trout Stocked with GH1 brook trout SOUDAN UNDER- GROUND MINE STATE PARK - 8 miles 2.0 k .4 k 4.5 k G1 1.0 k Picnic BP5 Shelter Becky Lake PACK1 PACK3 4.5 k PACK2 Speed limit 10 mph •walleye Underlined site numbers PACK4 •northern pike are RESERVABLE •largemouth bass •black crappie W6 •panfish BEAR ISLAND NOTE: This map is intended for Portage informational purposes, not for Trail navigational use. STATE FOREST 0.1.2.3.4.5 1 Miles 0.1.2.3.4.5 1 NORTH Kilometers TRAILS FACILITIES Camper Cabins State Trail (multi-use) Information/Office Primitive Group Camp Snowmobile Picnic Area Watercraft Campsite Hiking/Skiing Swimming Backpack Camping easy Boat Ramp Watercraft/Backpack Camping more difficult Rental House Trailer Sanitation Station Because lands exist within the boundaries of this park most difficult Fishing Pier Private Property that are not under the jurisdiction of the D.N.R., check Public Use Prohibited with the park manager if you plan to use facilities such Hiking Only Camping (Except on designated trails) as trails and roads other than those shown. holds three other fishing lakes. Visitors enjoy lake, but what the owners did or where they boating, swimming, hiking, and fishing in were from isn’t known. GH this remote northern park. park entrance road BEAR HEAD LAKE In 1961 the Minnesota legislature created STATE PARK WILDLIFE: The northern forest that the park. service area surrounds 674 acre Bear Head Lake is home Duluth• to a variety of wildlife. Visitors often see SO EVERYONE CAN ENJOY THE PARK... white-tailed deer, red squirrel, chipmunk, • The park belongs to all Minnesotans. Red Pine Treat it with respect and consideration. loon, bald eagle and red fox. Ocassionally, Aspen Minneapolis/ grey wolf and black bear are seen. • Hunting in the park is prohibited. St. Paul • • Pets must be on a leash no longer than Birch GEOLOGY: Volcanoes and ancient seas six feet. produced the bedrock of the Bear Head • Motorized vehicles may not use park sites Lake area. The bedrock—of ely greenstone trails. Cedar 1—24 and giants range granite—was scoured and • Enjoy the animals, but do not approach White gouged by glaciers. Today, the area is or feed them. electrical Pine BEAR HEAD sites BEAR HEAD LAKE covered with glacial debris—rock and dirt • Do not collect rocks and plants. They make 25—50 STATE PARK LAKE transported by glaciers from many other up much of the park’s beauty. CAMPGROUND STATE PARK places. • Park only in designated areas. 1 25e 50e Underlined site numbers • The park is closed from 10:00 P.M. until 2 3 FOR MORE INFORMATION 26e 4 are RESERVABLE Both Eagles Nest and Bear Head Lakes, 8:00 A.M. except in campgrounds. Loud sites 27e 48e 73 28e 49e Bear Head Lake State Park along with the park’s rolling hills, were noises or other disturbances are 51—73 23 5 9301 Bear Head Lake State Park Road 72e 29e 30e 6 formed from glacial action. At road cuts and prohibited after 10:00 P.M. 47e 46e 24 71e 31e 21 Ely, MN 55731 along the lakes, visitors can see many • Park permits are required for every 45e 22 7 70 69e 8 (218) 365-7229 different shapes and sizes of rock left by the vehicle. Purchase them at park 51 32e 43e 19 ♦ 52e 66e 44e 20 glaciers. headquarters. 68e 33e 34e 42e Department of Natural Resources 53e 67 35e 36e 41e 9 • 10 mph is the speed limit for boats on 54e 40e Information Center 65e 63e 37e 38e HISTORY: Starting in 1895, logging was the Bear Head Lake. There are rocks and other 500 Lafayette Road 39e major activity around Bear Head Lake. In hazards in the lake. Boat operators are 64e 61e 10 11 St. Paul, MN 55155-4040 59e 18 17 1907, the Allen and Whittenburg Company responsible for safe navigation. 55e62e 12 (651) 296-6157 (Metro Area) 56e 60e built a sawmill on the south side of the lake. • Information on boating, navigation, and 13 1-888-646-6367 (MN Toll Free) The company logged the area for two water safety is available from park staff. 57e 58e NORTH 15 TDD (Telecommunications seasons, then sold out. Next, the Tower • Gathering firewood disrupts the forest 16 14 Device for Deaf) Lumber Company purchased the mill. After soil cycle and is not permitted. beach trail (651) 296-5484 (Metro Area) two years, the company discontinued 1-800-657-3929 (MN Toll Free) operations, dismantled the mill, and shipped ♦ it back to Tower. DNR Web Site: www.dnr.state.mn.us This information is available in Information / Office Dock State Parks page: www.mnstateparks.info alternative format upon request. Between 1911 and 1913 several fires swept Parking Boat Ramp the area. These fires consumed the forest BEAR HEAD LAKE STATE PARK is “Equal opportunity to participate in and benefit from Restrooms Picnic Area inside the park boundary. Today, many old, programs of the Minnesota Department of Natural located 18 miles east of Tower. Take U.S. Restrooms/Showers Beach Minnesota charred pine stumps can still be seen along Resources is available to all individuals regardless of race, Highway 169 east to St. Louis County the park’s hiking trails. color, creed or religion, national origin, sex, marital status, Trailer Dump Station Water Highway 128. Take 128 south six miles to status with regard to public assistance, sexual orientation, age or disability. Discrimination inquires should be sent to Fish Cleaning House Toilets DEPARTMENT OF the park. Highway map index: M-7. NATURAL RESOURCES After the loggers left, little was recorded the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, 500 Rental House DNR Maps about the region’s history. At one time a Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN 55155-4031; or the Equal Hiking Trail Bear Head Lake State Park’s 4,000-plus acres Opportunity Office, Department of the Interior, Washington, © 11/2009 by State of Minnesota, few backwoods cabins were built on the Camper Cabin e Electrical Sites surround Bear Head Lake. The park also D.C. 20240.” Department of Natural Resources.