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The region of the Superior National Forest has a fascinating geology. Some of the oldest rock on the surface of the earth is exposed here. Granites of the Laurentian shield form parts of the middle of the Forest, basalts and rhyolites laid down 1.1 billion years ago form the Sawtooth Mountains and shore of Lake Superior. Add in 2 billion year old iron ore, fossil cyanobacteria mounds called stromatolites, and breccias formed from a cataclysmic meteor strike in Sudbury Ontario, and you have a great place to go rock hunting.

Several trails listed below visit key geologic features. We do ask that people do not break rocks or deface rock walls. Please practice Leave No Trace geology.

Geocaching & Letterboxing

Geocaching is an adventure game using an electronic device called a global positioning system (GPS) that can determine your approximate location on the planet. The basic idea is that individuals and organizations set up caches (a marked book or container with a log book) and share the locations of those caches on the internet. GPS users can then use the location coordinates to find the caches. When placing a cache, follow the rules listed on the registration form.

Only virtual caches are allowed in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The rules also state the geocaches will last no longer than a year. If visitors are looking for other opportunities to use GPS skills, the Forest is looking for volunteers to GPS trails, portages, and campsites. Contact one of the Districts for more information.

The Superior National Forest recognizes geocaching as a legitimate outdoor recreation activity and is asking you to help us maintain the quality of our natural resources.

Virtual caches in the BWCAW and in the rest of the Forest need not be registered. All other physical caches outside the wilderness must be registered. Geocaching is discouraged in Wilderness because of direction of the Wilderness Act, Forest Service Policy and "Leave No Trace" concepts.

Rocks and Minerals

Rockhounding is amateur geology - looking for interesting rocks and formations that illustrate part of the long history of our planet. The exposed bedrock of the Superior lets a rockhound see parts of history that are buried deep beneath the surface on much of the rest of the planet. Please look, but don't break apart rocks or rock formations during your explorations.

Miscellaneous

Berry Picking

Whether the berries you pick go right into your mouth, or you're the sort that picks quarts and quarts of berries to freeze or dry, berry picking can be a fun, and somewhat addictive, hobby. All it really takes is a bucket and a sharp eye.

This is a an excellent place to find berries. The favorites are probably blueberries and raspberries, but don't neglect thimbleberries, dewberries, juneberries, cranberries, and of course strawberries. Many of these species thrive in open post-fire and post-harvest environments, but before your search, check with a field guide to see where to best seek your berries. You can ask local people as well, but you'll find that good berry picking spots are as closely guarded as good fishing holes.

Do exercise some simple precautions however.

Make sure you know what you are picking. People have been known to make 'blueberry' pie from blue fruits that aren't blueberries. There are many fruit bearing plants out there, and some of the fruits are not good to eat.
Don't pick on the sides of roads. Many of these berry species like roadsides, but roads are often sprayed with herbicides to control invasive species, and also accumulate toxins from vehicles or salt from winter road melting.
Stay aware of wildlife. If you ever have read 'Blueberries for Sal' as a child or to a child, you know that bears like berries. Usually bears are very aware of their environment, so it is less likely that you'll surprise a bear than that a bear will surprise you. Either way, you don't want to get into a discussion with a bear over whose berry patch it is, so keep your eyes open and avoid confrontations. If you're lucky, you may get a chance to see all the other wildlife that enjoys berries such as foxes, birds of many types, mice, and almost anything that can get to the berries.
Don't be greedy. Plants need the seeds to multiply, bears and other animals need the berries to live. People don't need berries to survive, so don't strip an area of all berries. Leave some for the plants and animals.

Stargazing

There are many opportunities for stargazing within or around the Superior National Forest. As an attestation to the stargazing throughout the Forest, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) was designated a dark sky sanctuary in September 2020 by DarkSky International. Dark skies seen from the Superior National Forest result from this large protected wilderness area, and stargazing is one way to appreciate the dark skies and stars while having minimal impact on the land. See Leave No Trace for more information.

Learn About the Dark Sky