Judge C. R. Magney State Park

How to Get There

From Duluth, MN (125 mi): Take MN-61 E (North Shore Scenic Drive) northeast from Duluth approximately 125 miles, passing through Grand Marais and continuing 15 miles further to the Judge C. R. Magney State Park entrance on the right.

Overview

Judge C. R. Magney State Park is a state park in Minnesota, on the North Shore of Lake Superior. It was named for Clarence R. Magney, a former mayor of Duluth and justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court, who was instrumental in getting 11 state parks and scenic waysides established along the North Shore. The park is best known for the Devil's Kettle, an unusual waterfall and rock formation in which half of the Brule River disappears into a pothole.

Things to Do

Visit the Famous Devil's Kettle Waterfall

Judge C. R. Magney State Park is one of Minnesota's most intriguing natural destinations, located along the North Shore of Lake Superior near the Canadian border. The park is best known for Devil's Kettle, a unique waterfall where the Brule River splits into two channels. One branch continues downstream while the other disappears into a deep pothole carved into the rock, creating one of the state's most fascinating geological features.

Explore the Brule River Gorge

The Brule River flows through a rugged basalt gorge, creating waterfalls, rapids, and scenic overlooks throughout the park. Visitors can enjoy dramatic river views and learn about the powerful natural forces that shaped this striking landscape over thousands of years.

Experience the North Shore Wilderness

The park protects more than 4,500 acres of northern forest featuring spruce, pine, birch, and aspen woodlands. Visitors can immerse themselves in the beauty of Minnesota's North Woods while enjoying peaceful surroundings and exceptional outdoor recreation opportunities.

Observe Wildlife and Seasonal Beauty

Judge C. R. Magney State Park provides habitat for black bears, moose, white-tailed deer, foxes, bald eagles, and numerous migratory bird species. Spring wildflowers, brilliant fall colors, and snowy winter landscapes make the park attractive throughout the year.

Enjoy Hiking and Outdoor Recreation

The park offers hiking, camping, birdwatching, fishing, snowshoeing, photography, and nature study. Its location along Minnesota's North Shore makes it a popular stop for visitors exploring nearby attractions such as Grand Marais, Grand Portage, and the Boundary Waters region.

Top Trails

Devil's Kettle Trail

Length: Approximately 1.8 miles round trip
Elevation Gain: Moderate
Difficulty: Moderate

This is the park's signature hike and leads to Upper Falls and the famous Devil's Kettle. The trail follows the Brule River through scenic forest and includes stairways and overlooks that provide excellent views of the river gorge and waterfall system.

Brule River Trail

Length: Approximately 8 miles round trip
Elevation Gain: Moderate
Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous

For hikers seeking a longer adventure, this trail continues beyond Devil's Kettle and follows the Brule River deeper into the park. The route passes waterfalls, rapids, forested valleys, and remote wilderness scenery.

Superior Hiking Trail Connections

Length: Variable distances available
Elevation Gain: Moderate to Strenuous
Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous

Segments of the Superior Hiking Trail pass through the park, providing opportunities for extended day hikes and backpacking excursions. These routes offer scenic overlooks, forest ridges, and access to additional North Shore landscapes.

Riverside Nature Walks

Length: Variable short walks
Elevation Gain: Minimal to Moderate
Difficulty: Easy

Short paths near the visitor areas provide opportunities to observe native plants, wildlife, and sections of the Brule River while learning about the park's geology and ecology.

Sources: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources official Judge C. R. Magney State Park information, including details on Devil's Kettle, the Brule River, hiking trails, camping, wildlife viewing, and recreational opportunities. https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/park.html?id=spk00234
Additional information verified through Minnesota DNR visitor resources and Superior Hiking Trail Association information covering the Devil's Kettle Trail, Brule River Trail, North Shore geology, and outdoor recreation opportunities throughout the park.

Geography

Judge C. R. Magney State Park is located on Minnesota State Highway 61, 25 miles (40 km) from the Canada–United States border. The last 8 miles (13 km) of the Brule River flow through the park, dropping 800 feet (240 m) and producing several waterfalls and cascades. A tributary of the Brule, Gauthier Creek, flows in from the west. Mons Creek, an intermittent stream on the park's northeast border, drains a small marsh. This stretch of the Brule River has three named waterfalls. 1 mile (1.6 km) from the lakeshore, Lower Falls drops 7 feet (2.1 m) over two steps just before the mouth of Gauthier Creek. A short distance upstream are Upper Falls, dropping 25 feet (7.6 m), and Devil's Kettle Falls. From the Devil's Kettle to Upper Falls the river flows through a .25-mile (0.40 km) rocky gorge, as does the last .5 miles (0.80 km) of Gauthier Creek. Developed areas and trail access are confined to the lower third of the park. The northern section is rugged and difficult to access, with open ridges stepping away from the river valley. These extremes produce an elevation change of about 1,000 feet (300 m) in the park. The state park is entirely within Grand Portage State Forest, although most of the land directly adjacent to the park is privately owned inholdings.

Devil's Kettle

The park is best known for "The Devil's Kettle", an unusual waterfall located on the Brule River 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from its mouth. The river splits in two to flow around a mass of rhyolite rock. The eastern flow goes over a two-step, 50-foot (15 m) waterfall and continues downstream. The western flow surges into a pothole, falling at least 10 feet (3.0 m), from where it was popularly understood to "disappear underground." Visitors have reportedly dropped sticks, ping pong balls, and GPS trackers into the Devil's Kettle without seeing them resurface downstream. These stories led to speculation that the channel had a separate outlet into Lake Superior, or more implausibly plunged deep underground or connected to another watershed entirely.

Experiments conducted in late fall 2016 and announced by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in February 2017 strongly indicated that the disappearing water simply flows back into the Brule River shortly below the falls.

Flora and fauna

With an elevation change of 1,000 feet (300 m), Judge C. R. Magney State Park supports a wide variety of flora and fauna. Overall the park contains Laurentian Mixed Forest comprising both conifers and broadleafs. Large northern white cedars are abundant along the river. Inland are many dense stands of white spruce.

Large mammals found in the park, particularly in the remote northern section, are white-tailed deer, moose, black bears, red foxes, and timber wolves. Smaller mammals include groundhogs, red squirrels, eastern chipmunks, martens, and snowshoe hares. Broad-winged hawks, barred owls, and great horned owls are prevalent, while many other raptor species pass through the park during their migration. Several species of warblers nest in the park. The Brule River and its tributary Gauthier Creek have spawning runs of rainbow trout in spring and salmon in the fall.

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Judge C. R. Magney State Park", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0