Split Rock Lighthouse: The iconic Split Rock Lighthouse, built in 1910, has become one of the most photographed sites in Minnesota. The 54-foot tower sits on a cliff, which is 130-feet high above the waters of Lake Superior. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
By GARY WARREN
Photographer
Formerly of Los Alamos
When looking back at our RV travels, I was reminded of a trip in 2019 to the upper Midwest and the Great Lakes. One of the highlights of that trip was driving the North Shore in Minnesota.
The North Shore Scenic Highway, Highway 61, begins at Duluth, Minn. and hugs the Lake Superior shoreline for 154 miles before crossing the Canadian border. This beautiful drive takes drivers by several lighthouses, pine forests, rocky cliffs along the lake shoreline and many views of Lake Superior.
One lighthouse that we really enjoyed visiting was the Split Rock Lighthouse. The lighthouse is located in Lake County and the nearest town is Two Harbors, Minn.
Split Rock Lighthouse was built following ship wrecks in Lake Superior. In 1905, a single storm claimed or damaged 29 ships and 78 people perished during the storm. The waters of Lake Superior off of the Minnesota coast have been called the most dangerous water in the world.
Split Rock Lighthouse was constructed and opened in 1910. The only access to the site was by water. Prior to construction, a steam powered hoist and derrick was built at water level to transport supplies to the top of the 130 foot cliff.
The tower of the lighthouse stood 54-feet high when completed and the first light was lit on July 31, 1910, atop the 130-foot cliff. By the 1960s more advanced technology was replacing the old lighthouses and Split Rock Lighthouse was decommissioned in 1969.
Keepers of the Split Rock Lighthouse could only reach the lighthouse by water for the first 15 years of operation. In 1924, a highway was built from Duluth, Minn. to the Canadian border making access to the lighthouse much easier. By 1930, the lighthouse had become a popular destination with more than 5,000 visitors stopping at the lighthouse and by 1938 around 100,000 people visited the site. It remains a popular stop on the North Shore Scenic Highway today attracting more than 500,000 visitors annually.
The Split Rock Lighthouse and buildings are now part of a state park. Visitors can enter the lighthouse and view Lake Superior from the top windows of the lighthouse. It has been one of the most photographed sites in Minnesota for years.
After visiting the lighthouse and other buildings, visitors can take a short hike to lake level and view the lighthouse and cliff from that level, which is very impressive viewpoint. The hike does require visitors to walk down and then back up 172 steps along the route. The view from below is well worth the steps!
Editor’s note: Longtime Los Alamos photographer Gary Warren and his wife Marilyn are traveling around the country, and he shares his photographs, which appear in the “Posts from the Road” series published in the Sunday edition of the Los Alamos Daily Post.
Highway Viewpoint: A viewpoint on Highway 61 in Minnesota gives travelers a glimpse of the Split Rock Lighthouse from a distance. The North Shore Scenic Highway, Highway 61, begins at Duluth, Minn. and travels up the shoreline of Lake Superior until it meets the Canadian border. The scenic drive is one of the most beautiful drives in the country. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Lighthouse Grounds: Viewing the Split Rock Lighthouse from the grounds next to the structure is not the best view of the lighthouse and Lake Superior is blocked from view. However, the experience of going into the lighthouse and other buildings on site is very enjoyable. The view of Lake Superior is breathtaking from the site of the lighthouse. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Fog Horns: In addition to lights, which could be seen for miles, Split Rock Lighthouse also was equipped with fog horns that could be heard for many miles. The fog horns are mounted on the roof of a control center next to the lighthouse. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
View From Water Level: The view from water level looking toward Split Rock Lighthouse is the most photogenic view and it gives the viewer a sense of the size of the cliff and the lighthouse. Visitors line the railing at the base of the lighthouse and viewing Lake Superior and the stunning cliffs and shoreline near the lighthouse appear the size of ants in the photo. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Steps: While the view from water level is the best view, it does require visitors to hike a short distance which includes going down 172 steps to reach water level and back up those same steps when returning to the lighthouse area. The views from water level are worth the steps for those who have the time and are able to make the hike. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com