Palisade Head

Palisade Head is a large rock formation on the North Shore of Lake Superior in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is within Tettegouche State Park but not contiguous with the rest of that park. [cite web | title = Map, Tettegouche State Park | publisher = Minnesota DNR | url = http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/maps/state_parks/spk00269.pdf | accessdate = 2007-01-06 ] Palisade Head is located at milepost 57 on scenic Minnesota State Highway 61 approximately 54 miles (86 km) northeast of Duluth and three miles (five km) east of Silver Bay.

Geology

"Palisade Head" is formed from a rhyolitic lava flow which was extruded some 1.1 billion years ago. During the Mesoproterozoic era of the Precambrian eon, the continent spread apart on the Midcontinent Rift System extending from what is now eastern Lake Superior through Duluth to Kansas; this rifting process stopped before an ocean developed. A flow some 200 feet (60 meters) thick formed extremely hard volanic rock which resisted a billion years of erosion which cut down surrounding formations. [cite web | title = Lake Superior Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Report - Minnesota| publisher = MnPCA | url = http://www.pca.state.mn.us/publications/reports/cnp-section1.pdf | accessdate = 2007-01-06 ] This formed both Palisade Head and Shovel Point, which is within the main part of Tettegouche State Park about two miles (three kilometers) to the east.cite book | last = Ojakangas | first = Richard W. | coauthors = Charles L. Matsch | others = Illus. Dan Breedy | title = Minnesota's Geology | year = 1982 | publisher = University of Minnesota Press | location= Minneapolis, Minnesota | id = ISBN 0-8166-0953-5 ] [cite web | title = America's Volcanic Past - Minnesota| publisher = USGS | url = http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/LivingWith/VolcanicPast/Places/volcanic_past_minnesota.html | accessdate = 2007-01-06 ] The feature is a shallow headland, with Lake Superior to the southwest, southeast, and northeast. Its high point is over 300 feet (approximately 100 meters) above the level of the lake; the lakeside cliffs stand up to several hundred feet (60 meters) above water level. [cite web | title = Topographical map | publisher = USGS via terraserver.microsoft.com | url = http://www.terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?T=2&S=12&Z=15&X=793&Y=6552&W=1&qs=%7cSilver+Bay%7cMN%7c | accessdate = 2007-01-06 ] cite web
last = Tracy
first = Ben
authorlink =
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title = Finding Minnesota: Palisade Head
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publisher = WCCO-TV
date = 2006-09-25
url = http://wcco.com/findingminnesota/local_story_266094030.html
format =
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accessdate = 2007-02-28]

Flora and Fauna

The headland is covered by a mixed forest of white spruce, mountain ash, aspen, paper birch, and oak.cite web
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title = Palisade Head, Minnesota
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publisher = Native Tree Society
date = 2005-09-23
url = http://www.nativetreesociety.org/special/palisade_head.htm
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accessdate = 2007-02-28 ] cite web
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title = Fall Color Reports – Palisade Head
work =
publisher = Minnesota DNR
date = 2006-10-18
url = http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/fall_colors/index.html?region=ne
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2007-02-28] Raptors can often be seen soaring over the cliffs. Peregrine falcons nest on Palisdades Head [cite web |title = Tettegouche | work = State Parks | publisher = Minnesota DNR | date = 2008 | url = http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/tettegouche/index.html | accessdate = 2008-04-12 ] , Bald Eagles nest in the area, and thousands of hawks of several species can be seen migrating along the shoreline in the fall.cite web
last =
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authorlink =
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title = Tettegouche Park Info
work =
publisher = Minnesota DNR
date =
url = http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/tettegouche/narrative.html
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accessdate = 2007-02-28] cite web
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title = North Shore birds
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publisher = Minnesota DNR
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url = http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/northshore_birds.html
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accessdate = 2007-02-28]

Human uses

Palisade Head is undeveloped; there are no improvements except for an access road, antenna tower, short-term parking, and a few low rock walls near the edge of the cliffs. On clear days there are views of the Sawtooth Mountains to the northeast, Split Rock Lighthouse to the southwest, the Bayfield Peninsula and Apostle Islands of Wisconsin across the lake to the south, and the ship traffic on Lake Superior. It is a regional center for rock climbing with many routes up the lakeshore cliffs. [cite web | title = Rockclimbing database - Palisade Head | publisher = rockclimbing.com | url = http://www.rockclimbing.com/routes/North_America/United_States/Minnesota/North_East/Palisade_Head/ | accessdate = 2007-01-06 ] These cliffs were used for more sinister, albeit fictional purposes in The Good Son, partially filmed on location at Palisade Head. [cite web | title = Filming Locations for "The Good Son" | publisher = IMDB | url = http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107034/locations | accessdate = 2007-01-06 ]

References

External links

* [http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/tettegouche/index.html Tettegouche State Park website]
* [http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/maps/state_parks/spk00269.pdf Tettegouche Map and Info]