A Recent Blizzard Destroyed A Famously Iconic Sea Stack On Minnesota's North Shore
By Betsy Rathburn|Published December 07, 2019
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Betsy Rathburn
Author
Betsy is a Minneapolis-based writer who's lived in Minnesota for 20 years. If you know of any amazing Minnesota restaurants, nature areas, or other attractions, feel free to let her know about them at brathburn@onlyinyourstate.com or on Twitter @betsyrathburn.
Minnesota’s North Shore is absolutely gorgeous! Lake Superior itself is gorgeous no matter where you look, and each of the many state parks along its edges offer a special natural beauty that you just can’t find in other places in the state. But sometimes, Lake Superior can be a destructive force as well. This past week, a strong winter storm destroyed an iconic sea stack in Tettegouche State Park. Here’s everything you need to know about the stack:
Tettegouche State Park is a beautiful, 9,000-acre stretch along Minnesota’s North Shore. The park is home to many gorgeous sights, including the High Falls of the Baptism River, Shovel Point, Palisade Head, and more. Each of these landmarks is stunning. But none was as unique as the sea stack that stood in the park until late November 2019.
The Tettegouche sea stack was once a naturally formed arch. It was created over thousands of years by the pounding waves of Lake Superior. And just as the lake formed the arch, it also destroyed it. In the summer of 2010, the arch collapsed into the lake. It left behind a narrow column of rock topped with a single tree.
For another decade, that tree-topped sea stack remained a popular Tettegouche State Park destination. Its unusual appearance made it a gorgeous photo op, and it had a unique look in every season. It may have been most beautiful in winter, when the sea stack was covered in a thick coat of ice and snow. Surrounded by Lake Superior on all sides, it was nothing short of spectacular.
Though it was beautiful in winter, it was the force of winter that ultimately destroyed the beloved sea stack. In late November 2019, a powerful winter storm struck the North Shore. While it dumped nearly two feet of snow over North Shore communities, it also worked Lake Superior into a violent flurry of waves. They pounded the sea stack with such force that it eventually toppled.
The beautiful sea stack is gone forever. Luckily, there are enough photos that this popular spot will be remembered by those who got to see it. For everyone else, the sea stack was only a small piece of what makes Tettegouche State Park – and the North Shore in general – so beautiful. There are hundreds of other amazing natural formations, waterfalls, and other landmarks to explore. Be sure to make time to see them before they are gone!
Did you get to see the Tettegouche sea stack before it collapsed? What are your other favorite places along the North Shore? Let us know in the comments below! Also be sure to look back at some of Minnesota’s most famous past blizzards on our list of Minnesota winter storms that will go down in history.
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