The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has acquired 19 acres of land adjoining Split Rock Lighthouse State Park, with which it will expand the popular North Shore of Lake Superior attraction.
The DNR closed the deal in late December on the piece of land it hand pursued for some 25 years. According to the agency, funding for the acquisition was provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources and capital bonding.
The addition of the property will bring the size of Split Rock Lighthouse State Park to 2,089 acres. The new land sits approximately 150 feet above Lake Superior along both sides of Highway 61 and is adjacent to a historic wayside rest. It offers views of Split Rock Lighthouse and Lake Superior. The Gitchi-Gami State Trail also crosses the property.
The acquisition came at the close of the park’s centennial year. Split Rock Lighthouse State Park was the sixth most visited in 2010, with more than 324,000 total visitors and nearly 10,000 overnight guests.