Perhaps Duluth’s most famous rock is Elephant Rock in Lincoln Park. It looks a bit like a giant, half-buried elephant, hence the name.
Quite a bit less known is Split Rock in West Duluth. Tucked away in the woods by the railroad tracks, just north of Columbia Street, this boulder gets its name for the gouge that runs through the middle of it, which is wide enough for people of average-size waist to pass through.
Sunshine Rock is one mile outside Duluth on Stebner Road in Hermantown.
Are there other rocks in the Duluth area famous enough to have names?
4 thoughts on “Duluth Rocks: Famous boulders and outcroppings across the city”
This one is in Proctor on St. Louis River Road just west of Lavaque Road. Not sure if it has a name or not. I’d guess it’s at least 10 or 12 feet tall.
There are many named climbing boulders and outcrops scattered throughout town. The most famous is Whoopee Wall (aka Maxim’s Wall), at the intersection of West First Street and Piedmont Avenue in the West End.
I just scored, after years of casual searching, a copy of Superior Climbs, that covers all the Duluth climbing nubs that David mentions. Nice descriptions of Duluth rocks (although many are a little/lot more covered in greenery from the years that have passed since the book was updated).
Apparently this group of rock outcroppings, about 500 feet northwest of 69th Avenue West and Main Street near the former DWP railyard, was also referred to as “Split Rock.” So West Duluth has two Split Rocks, less than two miles apart.
Thanks to Gerald Liston for the info and photo. And thanks to Ozzy for ruling.