The Kabetogama Lake Visitor Center is about 35 miles south of our campsite. We booked a National Park Guided Boat Tour to the Ellsworth Rock Garden which is on the other side of Kabetogama Lake.
We checked in for our boat tour at the Visitor Center.
The tour was sold out with 29 passengers on this two-and-a-half-hour trip.
We had a 30-minute boat ride across Kabetogama Lake to The Ellsworth Rock Gardens. We saw several nesting bald eagles along the way.
Jack Ellsworth, a contractor from Chicago, and his wife purchased this 54-acre island property in 1944. They spent their summers here every year until 1965. Jack began his project of creating terraces and gardens for the next 21 years. He always said he needed to keep busy.
This old picture is how the garden looked in 1965. He created 62 garden terraces with over 13,000 flowers.
After he completed the rock garden in 1961, he started sculpting over 200 rock art pieces.
A Whale Sculpture
The Arrowhead Sculpture sits at the top of the hill and is one of the largest rock sculptures.
Jack Ellsworth's health declined and after 1965 he never returned to his beloved gardens. The garden fell into disrepair. Some structures were removed. It is now owned and maintained by the National Park Service.
We returned to the boat and cruised the scenic shoreline of Kabetogama Lake.
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