The Sawtooth Mountains are a range of hills or small mountains on the North Shore of

Lake Superior Lake Superior in central North America is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface areaThe Caspian Sea is the largest lake, but is saline, not freshwater. and the third-largest by volume, holding 10% of the world's surface fresh wa ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over t ...

, extending about from

Carlton Peak Carlton Peak is a summit in the Sawtooth Mountains in southern Tofte Township, Cook County, in northeastern Minnesota in the United States. In 1848, Reuben B. Carlton of Fond du Lac, Minnesota, ascended the peak with Col. Charles Whittlesey, wh ...

near Tofte on the west, to Grand Marais on the east.Upham, pp. 3, 147.

Description

The Sawtooth Mountains are part of the North Shore Highlands, an area of rugged topography along the North Shore of Lake Superior in central North America. The Sawtooths rise from the lake at angles between 8 and 20 degrees and drop off steeply on their north sides. Ojankagas, Plate 12 They received their name as a result of their relatively uniform size, angles, and regularity of spacing; seen from

to the east, "the visible crest line thus presents a remarkable profile, resembling the teeth of an immense saw." From the west, rising from the

Temperance River The Temperance River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed May 7, 2012 river in northern Minnesota. It drains into Lake Superior along its north shore just south of Tofte ...

, major prominences are

above

Temperance River State Park Temperance River State Park is a state park of Minnesota, USA, located between the communities of Schroeder and Tofte on Highway 61 on the North Shore of Lake Superior. It has campsites, picnic areas, and hiking trails on both sides of the ...

, Leveaux Mountain and a knob immediately across the Onion River, Moose Mountain, the Eagle Mountain at Lutsen, peaks along a ridge above

Cascade River State Park Cascade River State Park is a state park near the northeastern tip of Minnesota, USA. The park is in a rocky and rugged location where the Cascade River descends to meet Lake Superior. It has many different types of wildlife including various ...

, Murphy Mountain, and Sawtooth Bluff above Grand Marais.

Tourism

In addition to the uplands, the Sawtooths are home to many rivers, waterfalls, and parks. Wildlife is abundant and includes eagles, hawks, deer, moose, and many small mammals. Some of the notable sites include: *

Judge C.R. Magney State Park Judge C. R. Magney State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of Minnesota, on the North Shore of Lake Superior. It was named for Clarence R. Magney, a former mayor of Duluth and justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court, who was instrumental i ...

Superior Hiking Trail The Superior Hiking Trail, also known as the SHT, is a long hiking trail in northeastern Minnesota that follows the rocky ridges overlooking Lake Superior for most of its length. The trail travels through forests of birch, aspen, pine, fir, and ...

Superior National Forest Superior National Forest, part of the United States National Forest system, is located in the Arrowhead Region of the state of Minnesota between the Canada–United States border and the north shore of Lake Superior. The area is part of the grea ...

Lutsen Mountains Lutsen Mountains is a ski area in the north central United States; an Alpine skiing area located on the North Shore region of Cook County in northeastern Minnesota. It is home to 95 runs across 4 mountains, with a maximum vertical drop of 825 fe ...

Ski Resort is located in the Sawtooths, just northwest of the town of Lutsen; the area includes Moose Mountain, one of the higher peaks of the range, and Eagle Mountain (to be distinguished from the other Eagle Mountain in Cook County, the highest peak in the state, and located well inland from the lakeshore).

Notes

Sources

* * Upham, Warren (2001) ''Minnesota Place Names, A Geographical Encyclopedia'', Third Edition; MHS Press; .

External links

* {{Coord, 47, 40, N, 90, 42, W, display=title Mountain ranges of Minnesota Landforms of Cook County, Minnesota Grand Marais, Minnesota