The amazing rock formations, and roaring rapids, of Jay Cooke State Park

By John Lauritsen

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    CARLTON COUNTY, Minnesota (WCCO) — Jay Cooke State Park in Carlton County, Minnesota, is turning 110 years old this year.

The park is known for its roaring rapids, which only get louder during the spring melt.

“You can go on any trail for a whole day. You can waste your time here and have an awesome time,” Carson Johnson, a visitor, said.

It’s nature in full force, and people aren’t the only ones drawn to this place.

“I saw a big black bear 20 feet away from me, just crossing the trail. It was cool,” Johnson said.

Kristine Hiller, the park naturalist, said glaciers helped form the tilted rock formations in northern Minnesota.

But her park doesn’t have a Minnesota name. Jay Cooke was a Philadelphia banker who helped fund the Union during the Civil War. He eventually lost his investments in our state and went bankrupt.

But his love for nature got the attention of his political friends, so they named a state park after him.

“He thought this was a great state. He was an outdoors person himself. I imagine he went fishing on the St. Louis at some point in time,” Hiller said.

The park also got a boost from the Civilian Conservation Corps. They had a camp there in the 1930s and built most of the structures at Jay Cooke, including the famous swinging bridge.

“The first swinging bridge was that rope and log bridge,” Hiller said. “There was a sign on it that told people no more than five people on it at a time.”

The bridge has been replaced here and there over the years for safety reasons. The last time came in 2012, when the St. Louis River unleashed devastating flooding. Heavy rains caused the river to rise 30 feet, and it overtook both the bridge and its columns.

About a year later, the iconic landmark returned, with some slight adjustments.

When they built the new bridge this time around, they built it 7.5 feet higher than the original bridge.

“You can feel it rocking. And today is windy, so you feel the wind and you are walking on it. It makes you a little nervous, but you’ll be OK. I trust it,” said Pa Moua, a visitor.

Once you get across, there’s no shortage of sites to see. Soon, spring wildflowers will bloom, the park will green up and Jay Cooke will do for visitors what it’s done for the past 110 years: Leave them with a newfound love for the outdoors.

“This is a playground for everybody to come visit and enjoy the variety of resources we have in this state. So that’s what I hope they get out of it,” Hiller said.

Jay Cooke State Park is nearly 9,000 acres and it’s among the top five most visited parks in the state.

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