Palisade Head

Palisade Head. . Rising from the waves of Lake Superior, this cliff face serves as an awesome reminder of Minnesota's geological past. Eruptions of molten lava over a billion years ago, followed by eons of weathering and glacier scouring, created the spectacular North Shore landmark so much admired and photographed., Palisade Head, and Shovel Point to the northeast, sometimes called the Little Palisade are rills of igneous rhyolite overlaying softer basalt and undercut by the eroding waves of North America's largest lake. Well known by the early lake travelers and surveyors, Palisade Head became a major scenic attraction when the North Shore highway, completed in 1924, brought tourists and campers in large numbers. Today the cliff's flat face is a challenge for rock climbers, and from its top visitors have a breathtaking view of the jagged Sawtooth Range. On a clear day the Apostle Islands, 30 miles distant, can sometimes be seen.