Finland State Forest

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Max stay

14 nights

About

Finland State Forest is located in south-central Lake County and southwestern Cook County. Various portions of the forest can be reached from U.S. 61, State Highway 1, and Lake County 2. Refer to the Minnesota state highway map for directions. Located near George H. Crosby Manitou and Tettegouche state parks, Finland State Forest campgrounds serve as a handy overflow or alternative option. Campgrounds and picnic areas are available in the Eckbeck Campground and Day Use Area , the Finland Campground and Day Use Area and the Sullivan Lake Campground . Miles of maintained state forest roads provide access for foresters, loggers, anglers, hunters, and other forest visitors. Stretching through this forest are parts of the Superior Hiking Trail , Silver Bay/Northwoods Ski Trail , C.J. Ramstad North Shore ATV Trail , Wild Country ATV Trail , and Prospector ATV Trail Finland State Forest has abundant warm-water lakes and trout streams, along with the Sand Lake Peatland Scientific and Natural Area . Management From year to year, you may see changes in these forests. The DNR manages the trees, water, and wildlife in state forests to keep them healthy and meet recreational, environmental, and economic goals. Trees are harvested to make a variety of products, such as lumber and building materials, pulp for making paper, pallets, fencing, and utility poles. Through careful planning, harvesting, and planting, land managers work to improve wildlife habitat. The DNR manages state forests for everyone, while preventing wildfires and ensuring forests continue to keep air and water clean. Landscape Trees: Aspen, paper birch, and sugar maple are widespread. White spruce, white pine, and white cedar are also common. Red and jack pine grow on sandier soils and rock outcrops. Peat bogs and swamps feature black spruce, white cedar, black ash, and an occasional tamarack stand. Wildlife: Mammals include moose, white-tailed deer, black bear, gray wolf, Canada lynx, bobcat, fisher, American pine marten, snowshoe hare, beaver, otter, mink, muskrat, gray and red fox. Birds include spruce and ruffed grouse, woodcock, waterfowl, common loon, trumpeter swan, northern goshawk, and bald eagle. Also found are boreal chickadees, olive-sided flycatchers, Canada jays, Canada warblers, boreal owls, great gray owls, and common nighthawks, plus many other raptors, songbirds, and woodpeckers. History This remote boreal forest north of Lake Superior features dramatic cliffs and rock outcrops, interwoven with myriad lakes, bogs, and streams. Large areas of land have little or no vehicle access. The bedrock exposed along Lake Superior's North Shore has a geologic history that goes back some 1.1 billion years. During the dramatic volcanic activity of that time, molten lava poured through great fissures that developed in the Earth's crust. As these flows accumulated, the land along the rift zone sank to form a great basin, into which huge volumes of sediment were deposited after volcanic activity ended. Several periods of glaciation and eons of erosion followed. Remnants of these great, tilted lava flows can be seen in the area's mountain-like slopes. Pristine wetlands feed scenic rivers and streams that flow through rapids and dramatic waterfalls on their way to Lake Superior. Wildflowers beginning in early spring include marsh marigold, wood anemone, and violet. In summer, look for rose, thimbleberry, moccasin flower, coral root, blue-bead lily, wild sarsaparilla, and fireweed. Asters and goldenrod add to the fiery colors of autumn. The Ojibwe people have lived throughout the region for hundreds of years, attracted to plentiful sugar bushes, fishing, and hunting. During the Fur Trade Era, French Voyageurs transported animal skins by canoeing through the area's interconnected lakes and rivers to trading posts along Lake Superior. Loggers arrived after the Voyageurs left. In 1898, the Alger-Smith Lumber Company began removing millions of board feet of virgin pine, cedar, black spruce, and white spruce. Much of the timber was floated in rafts on Lake Superior and towed to Wisconsin paper mills. Today, sustainable timber harvest is an important economic force in the area.