Lutsen SNA

720 Acres Located N and E of Lutsen Mountain Ski Resort. From County Rd. 5/Ski Hill Road, 0.5 to 1.0 mile S of the lodge, follow ski or snowmobile trails NE into the SNA. Or with permission of the Resort, walk E behind the lodge to the SNA. Cook County Twp 60N Rng 03W Sec 21 Type: Coniferous Forest ECS Subsection: North Shore Highlands

Description:

The scenic Lutsen SNA is one of the largest known acreages of essentially undisturbed upland old-growth hardwood forest in the North Shore landscape area. Sweeping panoramic views of ridges, slopes, cliffs, and valleys dip to 600 feet below. Eagle Mountain and Raven Ridge, major ridges of the Sawtooth Mountains, rise over a thousand feet above Lake Superior, which lies about two miles to the southeast. The northern hardwood forest, dominated by sugar maples, blends into northern hardwood-conifer forest. Many individual trees are from 145 to 300 years old. Large diameter trees show old-growth forms, and large logs and snags that have fallen provide food and habitat for many small animals, fungi, lichens, insects, and new forest growth. Smaller areas of aspen-birch forest also occur here. Wildflowers blooming here in the spring include Dutchman's breeches, white baneberry, Carolina spring beauty, and moschatel, the only member of its family occurring in North America and uncommon over most of its range. The Trust for Public Lands, a non-profit conservation organization, assisted in the acquisition of some of the property.

Plant List