The dramatic Split Rock Lighthouse on Lake Superior is celebrating its centennial this year, and the state park is now a little bigger.
The new 19-acre parcel brings the park to just-over 2,000 acres. The Minnesota DNR says it's been trying to acquire the land for 25 years. The Parks and Trails Council of Minnesota helped bring about the sale, which cost a little more than a million dollars.
The land is on both sides of Highway 61, adjacent to a historic wayside rest, and offers great views of the lighthouse and Lake Superior.
Funding is from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund -- the lottery money.
Split Rock was the sixth most-visited state park in 2010, with more than 324,000 visitors.