Jay Cooke State Park
780 Highway 210, Carlton, MN 55718
About Jay Cooke State Park
Jay Cooke State Park protects the St. Louis River gorge in Thomson Township, Carlton County, where the river drops through a spectacular set of rapids over tilted slate and greywacke bedrock. It is the closest major state park to Duluth and one of the most heavily used in northeastern Minnesota.
The signature feature is the swinging bridge, a suspension footbridge across the rapids below the Thomson dam. It has been destroyed and rebuilt more than once, most recently after the June 2012 flood tore it out, which is the local reminder that this river gets a vote.
Beyond the bridge, the park carries a large network of hiking, mountain biking, and groomed cross-country ski trails, a campground, and a visitor center. The Willard Munger State Trail passes through on its way between Carlton and Duluth, and the southern reach of the Superior Hiking Trail runs through the park, which puts Esko and Cloquet among the closest residential communities to the trail's southern end.
The river here is fast, cold, and genuinely dangerous. Stay off the rock edges during spring melt and high water. A Minnesota state park vehicle permit is required.
Good to know: swinging bridge over the St. Louis River, river gorge and rapids, hiking trails, mountain biking, cross-country skiing, camping, Willard Munger State Trail access, Superior Hiking Trail access, visitor center.
Neighborhoods it serves
The school district people move for, on an old farm settlement 20 minutes from Duluth.
CloquetThe mill town that burned down in 1918 and rebuilt itself, twenty minutes from Duluth.
CarltonThe county seat at the gates of Jay Cooke, where the Munger Trail meets the gorge.
ProctorThe railroad town on the hill: small district, small prices, and the Munger Trail out the back.
Fond du LacThe oldest community in Duluth, 14 miles from downtown, at the bottom of the lake.
Gary-New DuluthTwo company-era river towns that people now treat as one, and the service center for the far west end.
Where these facts come from
- Minnesota DNR, Jay Cooke State Park accessed 2026-08-13
Last reviewed 2026-08-13 by Guide editorial.