Reservation River Pulloff
Minnesota
Find: Lake Superior Agates, porphyry, amygdaloidal basalt, hematite jasper, Mary Ellen jasper (stromatolite jasper)
GPS: 47.87482, -89.87060
Nearest city: Thunder Bay, ON
Recommended Vehicle: Any
Season: Accessible year round, Winter is likely to have significant snow, ice, and frigid temperatures.
Summary:
This is the furthest North spot I was able to venture into Lake Superior in Minnesota. This one is further off the beaten path and is about a half hour North of Grand Marais.
I ended up finding a sizable seam agate here that was unlike anything else I’d found up here before. Red hematite jasper was also around in the area, and I came across some decent sized chunks. Porphyry was colorful here too, with different varieties of composition and color.
Please be respectful of where you explore here - reservation land begins just North of this highway pulloff.
Video
Check out the video to best see what can be found when exploring this spot.
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.
The beach, facing South.
I came across multiple varieties of porphyry in this spot.
I got a smooth and calm day here.
Oolitic hematite jasper - this is one of the bigger blocks of it I've found up here.
I believe this is a stromatolite jasper known locally as "Mary Ellen Jasper"
Another variety of porphyry.
A rock that confuses the boundary between Lake Superior agates and granite.
