Sec 29 Located approximately 6.5 miles NE of Little Marais on State Hwy 61. The North Shore Volcanic Group erupted here during the mid-continent rift of North America about 1.1 billion years ago, and their lavas were never deformed or metamorphosed. The beach today is unique, composed of well-rounded boulders, cobbles, and pebbles of a wide variety of rock types, some of which originated in Canada and were brought down by the Pleistocene ice sheet. On the point at the east end of the site, wave action on the tilted lavas has produced excellent exposures of the surface and internal features of each lava flow.
Flows range from less than a meter to a few tens of meters thick.
The range of eruptive styles and clear exposure of flow mechanisms make Sugarloaf Point geologically unique. An interpretive center and kiosk are scheduled to be added in the future. All rights reserved.