Carlton Peak | Elevation 1,526 ft

With summer vacation nearly over for the kids, and the warm, sunny days coming to an end, we decided to take an impromptu trip up the North Shore of Lake Superior. We packed up our bikes and supplies and headed to Lutsen for three nights.   We hoped to relax and see some of Minnesota’s State Parks.  We were very fortunate to enjoy fabulous weather and see amazing sights along the way.

DAY 1 – Although hiking to the top of Carlton Peak was not on our bucket list, we had a last-minute game plan change that allowed us to take in the rugged scenery and amazing view at the top of the peak.

We took a lot of iPhone photos on day one, including the selfies above.  Day 2 of our journey will be coming soon with better photos and amazing scenery.

Here’s a bit more about Carlton Peak in the meantime.

Carlton Peak – As part of the Sawtooth Range, it offers supreme views of the lake and the surrounding area. A nice short day hike suitable for any season. The peak is located in Temperance River State Park, and the Superior National Forest.

The rock of Carlton Peak was formed deep under the earth’s crust. Molten rock cooled slowly, forming large green and pink crystals of anorthosite, an aluminum oxide mineral. About a billion years ago, this large block of anorthosite was rafted up on the magma that was forming the North Shore’s cliffs and rocks. Glaciers eventually eroded away much of the surrounding volcanic rock, but they couldn’t scrape away the hard anorthosite that formed Carlton Peak.