The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is part of a vast area called the Canadian Shield. The shield offers scenic vistas of sheer rock cliffs, dramatic waterfalls, glimpses of the dancing northern lights, and some of the oldest exposed rock formations in the world. It is a wonderful area in which to enjoy and explore all the natural wonders of the northwoods.
As recently as ten to twelve thousand years ago, this area was covered by glaciers. The glaciers stripped away all traces of top soil and soft rock deposits and left behind a
breathtaking, barren rock land. Melting glaciers, underwater aquifers, and precipitation filled the lowland areas forming the over 200 lakes contained within the Boundary Waters.
Iron ore, granite, greenstone, slate, graywacke, and pure quartz deposits are just a few of the many rocks and minerals native to the area. Whether you are a weekend or educated geologist, the spectacular sights and formations of these fascinating geological formations are sure to please.
The Knife Lake area — northeast of Ely on the Canadian border — was at one time an underseas volcanic center that erupted and covered the sea floor with pillow basalt. Knife Lake received its name from the Native Americans who once traveled the waterways; a nearby slate deposit provided the knife and arrow tips of these long-ago inhabitants. After the glaciers subsided, the pillow basalt deposits were metamorphosed into what is fondly called Ely greenstone — common to the area.
Knife Lake is just one of the many fascinating areas to visit for natural wonders in the Boundary Waters. Plunging from heights of over a hundred feet into the cool lake depths, sheer rock cliffs of greenstone and granite form breathtaking natural artwork around Agnes Lake in Canada, Ottertrack Lake, and the Basswood River.
Ancient fault lines also account for some of the straight, deep lakes with sheer rock cliffs running through Canada's Man Chain (That Man, No Man, This Man, and Other Man Lakes), and the Kawishiwi Lake area.
Deposits of jasper line the creek just off of Vera Lake. The Ensign Lake area shorelines show the well-weathered pink granite batholith that extends northward from the Virginia, Minnesota, area. The Vermilion Batholith, an intrusive rock formation, can be viewed on Kekekabic, Snowbank, Lac La Croix, and Crooked Lakes. Evidence of volcanic "bombs" (chunks of rock blown out of a volcano) can be seen on Kekekabic.
Thanks to Canadian Border Outfitters for adding their love and knowledge to our information on Boundary Waters.
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