Onion River
Minnesota
Find: Calcite, possibly thomsonite, possible Lake Superior Agates, amygdaloidal basalt, and others in the Lake.
GPS: 47.6093, -90.76955
Nearest city: Duluth, MN
Recommended Vehicle: Any
Season: Accessible year round, Winter is likely to have significant snow, ice, and frigid temperatures.
Summary:
If heading between Duluth and the Canadian Border, you’ll eventually pass the Ray Berglund State Wayside. Many don’t see the small footpath alongside the overpass that allows you to venture under the bridge and out to the shore of Lake Superior.
You can get here with any vehicle and there’s restrooms here as well as a scenic overlook, if I recall. When I was here, the river was very low allowing you to walk a little ways inland.
3 Helpful Tools
Chest Waders
Chest waders are great to stay dry if you want to get in the lake.
Agate Scoop
An agate scoop is helpful to pick things up faster and farther away from you.
Classifier
A classifier is fun to sit with if you’re a fan of small agates and stones. One with a larger, 1-inch mesh would be what I’d pick.
Examples of the calcite down here. It was very brittle.
Some friends I'd later meet down by the water.
A geode in matrix. It was about the size of a quarter but looks oddly large in this photo.