As locals know, for many years the landmark used to find this site was the Hovland Fire Lookout Tower*, an 80′ ladder tower erected in 1931 and removed in summer of 2017. While the fire tower is gone, the old-growth northern hardwood forest thankfully persists.
Visit the SNA—or look at a topographic map—and it’s immediately clear why this site was chosen for a fire tower. From a high plateau, the land falls away steeply on both sides, dropping more than 400 feet in elevation within the boundaries of the SNA. One can look north toward Moosehorn Lake or southeast toward Lake Superior over a densely forested landscape.
MN Scientific and Natural Areas (SNA) protect the last remaining habitat for Minnesota’s rarest plants and animals. Recreation is limited to protect this habitat and natural diversity.
