Eagle Mountain

See the great expanse of Minnesota wilderness from this, the state’s highest point. Eagle Mountain rises more than 500 feet from the surrounding landscape to present spectacular views of the marshy headwaters of the Cascade River and the surrounding wilderness. The solid granite that makes up Eagle Mountain is part of a large volcanic formation called the Duluth Complex, formed 1.1 billion years ago. The landscape is rocky, steep, root covered, and often wet. If you haven’t had enough solitude when you return to the base of the mountain, head 6 miles north on the Brule Lake Trail, or camp at one of two secluded sites near Whale Lake. Here, you’re likely to hear the loon’s distinctive cry. Remember, permits are necessary. The trail begins in the Superior National Forest at an elevation of 1,800 feet and climbs 500 feet over 3.5 miles to the top of Eagle Mountain. The Eagle Mountain Trail, which lies in the Superior National Forest and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW), is often wet on the lower section of trail before Whale Lake, crossing water-filled bogs and streams over boardwalks. It begins as a fairly level trail then changes dramatically. From Whale Lake, the trail climbs 600 feet in less than a mile, where Eagle Mountain’s 2,220-foot high sister peak is visible below, mirrored in calm water. Near the summit, there are three main overlooks that offer panoramic vistas of the surrounding landscape, where the north branch of the Cascade River, the Sawtooth Mountains, the Misquah Hills, and several lakes, hidden at lower elevations within the vast forest, are now visible. A plaque on a boulder marks the top of Eagle Mountain, where many hikers come to log their accomplishment. Included among the entries are those who aspire to reach the highest point in all 50 states. The Superior National Forest is one of the largest federal forests in the Lower 48, containing 3.9 million acres and more than 2,000 lakes; dense moss-carpeted forests of pine, spruce, aspen, birch, cedar, and tamarack, as well as vast bogs and swamps. There are 400 miles of designated hiking trails and more than 1,500 miles of canoe routes through the BWCAW, as well as more than 2,700 miles of roads outside the BWCAW.