How many times have you walked along a cobbled beach or a rocky ledge along the North Shore and wondered, “What’s this rock? Where did it come from? Why is it here?” Well, lace up some sturdy footwear and head into the field to be immersed in the fascinating geology of the central part of Minnesota's North Shore with UMD emeritus geology professor Jim Miller. This is a second in the “What's This Rock?” series, but does not need to be taken sequentially. Like the other WTR courses, this course will focus on “reading” rocks exposed along the central shoreline that tell part of the billion-year-old geological story of the Lake Superior area—a tale of fire and ice.

After an introductory presentation on Friday night, the class will carpool to Tettegouche State Park on Saturday morning and visit classic North Shore exposures on the way back to Grand Marais. The field trip will include stops at Sugarloaf Interpretive Center, Tettegouche State Park, Caribou River, and Temperance River State Park. On Sunday morning, the class will hike up the Cascade River and visit some classic roadcuts that tell more of the volcanic and glacial story of the North Shore. We will end the morning, rock-hounding on the cobbled Lake Superior shoreline in Grand Marais. After this excursion, you’ll never see the North Shore the same way again, too!

Students ages 12 and up are welcome to participate with an adult; a 25% tuition discount applies; call to register.

Note: Field stops on Saturday and Sunday will visit roadcuts along Highway 61 as well as rock exposures along or near the shore. Most stops will involve short walks (less than a quarter mile) along roads or hiking trails with slight to moderate inclines and several stops will require walking along cobbled beaches or uneven rock surfaces. As such, participants with mobility issues or a poor sense of balance are discouraged from participating.

Required Tools

• Sturdy footwear
• Rain gear
• Hat
• Water bottle
• Lunch for Saturday

Optional Tools

• Camera
• For safety reasons, rock hammers are not allowed
• All participants will be given a high-visibility orange vest to wear during field stops