Chambers Grove Park (which is where the reunion will be held) is very near the beautiful Jay Cooke State Park. Jay Cooke State Park is a state park of Minnesota, protecting the lower reaches of the St. Louis River. The park is located about 10 miles southwest of Duluth and is one of the ten most visited state parks in Minnesota. The western half of the park contains part of a rocky, 13-mile gorge. This was a major barrier to Native Americans and early Europeans traveling by canoe, which they bypassed with the challenging Grand Portage of the St. Louis River. The river was a vital link connecting the Mississippi waterways to the west with the Great Lakes to the East. Today MN State Highway 210 runs through Jay Cooke State Park. The 9 miles of the route between Carlton and Highway 23 - which include the park - are designated a Rushing Rapids Parkway, a state scenic byway. The park is named for Pennsylvania financier Jay Cooke, who had developed a nearby power plant, which is still in use. The Grand Portage trail and three districts of 1930’s park structures are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2012 the Duluth area experienced a record-setting rainstorm that resulted in flooding that filled the gorge with debris, devastating the park’s roads and trails, and destroyed the historic Swinging Bridge that crosses the St. Louis River. By 2014, extensive repair work had repaired most of the trails and replaced the bridge, and further work is ongoing. In June 2015 the park celebrated its 100-year anniversary. Click here for more info on Jay Cooke State Park programs and services |
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Camping: From the Jay Cooke website: Updated on 8/9/2017 |
