Another warm early summer weekend in central Minnesota. The summer weather was finally starting to take hold and we were looking forward to getting out and exploring more new places. We had not had the kayaks out since last fall and we were looking forward to getting back on the water. Being in the state of 10+ thousand lakes we had a few to choose from. We knew that we didn’t want to go too far and the rivers were just too full and moving too fast for a river float. We also knew that it would be nice to find a small lake that was
and we were in luck because there was one very close to Heidi’s house. Heidi knew of Lake Sagatagan but had never been on the lake.
Lake Sagatagan is located on the Saint John's University campus in Collegeville Minnesota.The lake was originally called Lake Saint Louis after King Louis (Ludwig) of Bavaria, an early benefactor of the Benedictines. The name was later changed to Sagatagan, an Ojibwe word meaning punk or fungus outgrowth on trees used for tinder, from its reference in an 1896 poem by Alexius Hoffman, Lake Sagatagan is a pothole lake without any inputs or outputs. Lake Ignatius is hydrologically part of Lake Sagatagan with a channel connecting the two.Sagatagan is a relatively small lake that takes up 176 acres and has 6 miles of shoreline. The lake is also pretty shallow with a max depth of only 42 feet. It is motorless and has no boat launch. It can only be accessed at designated locations that are not easily accessible. There is parking for the lake down the road from the university off of county road 159 (St. John’s Road). The lake is mainly used for swimming, kayaking, canoeing, stand up paddle boarding and fishing. The lake has a variety of fish species including crappie, northern pike, bluegill, largemouth bass and others. Although the lake is motorless, an electric trolling motor can be used. The university has a beach that guests can use for a small fee. They also have canoe, kayak and paddle board rental available. There are many trails around the area but one will lead you to the Stella Maris Chapel on the opposite side of the lake.
Stella Maris Chapel is located on the far side of Lake Sagatagan and is only accessible by trail or by water and stands proudly across from St. John’s University. Stella Maris (meaning “Star of the Sea”) was built in 1872. The original chapel was a small gothic red brick structure 16' by 12' with a white spire. Unfortunately in April of 1903 the chapel was struck by lightning and burned to the ground. In 1915 the larger and more ornate chapel that is there today was built by the young monks of the university. It took the monks just over a year to complete the chapel. The materials for the chapel were brought over the ice in the winter or by horse drawn carts in the summer. The chapel went through renovations in 1943, 1989, and most recently in 2007.
On our trip to Lake Sagatagan we dropped off our kayaks at the lake access and parked in the parking lot just down the road. The lake access is a steep gravel hill leading down to the lake. We did see others accessing the lake at the south west end of the lake and parking on the side of the road but decided that using the proper access was probably best. The lake was calm with little wind. We set off for the northeast side of the lake. We wanted to explore and see the different areas of the lake. We skirted the shore at the north end of the lake and could see signs of the trail that followed the shoreline. As we paddled we would see fish pop up to the surface most likely looking for bugs to eat. We had most of the lake to ourselves and we took our time exploring the shoreline on the east side of the lake. There was a beaver dam in one area that we explored and Heidi was lucky enough to spot the beaver as it splashed back into the lake.
As we explored the east side of the lake the Chapel came into view and I was surprised at the size of the structure. The building with its rich red color with gray accents was set in a location where it seems to be looking over you as you pass. The chapel was originally built on an island but as the water went down the building site was turned into a peninsula. I was able to get in behind the chapel in the shallow water to explore the area where the beaver had disappeared into the water. We stopped and chatted with a couple of women who were enjoying the sunny day on the dock in front of the chapel. I think we will hike out there sometime and take a closer look at the chapel and the area around it.
After exploring the area around the chapel we headed south along the shore until we came to a channel that was mostly choked off by a floating bog. There was room to get around the bog and explore the channel that goes into Lake Ignatius. Lake Ignatius is part of Lake Sagatagan and is connected via the channel. The channel was narrow with a bunch of logs and other obstacles to paddle around or slide over. We took our time trying to find the best route that would not damage the kayaks. About halfway down the channel there was a large beaver dam built on the shoreline. The channel opens up to Lake Ignatius with an impressive view of Lake Ignatius. Lake Ignatius is small and feels very secluded. We stopped and took a couple of pictures and took in the view. The paddle into Lake Ignatius wasn’t too challenging but it did make it feel like an adventure. We had been on the water for about an hour and we decided we should head back into the main lake and toward the lake access.
As we paddle back to the access we spotted a pair of loons and were able to snap a couple of pictures. The lake was starting to get busier and it was time for us to be on our way. I went to get the truck and Heidi stayed with the kayaks. The hill at the access made the process of loading everything a bit harder than usual but we quickly had everything loaded and were on our way. The day's experiences were worth the work of unloading and loading at the steep lake access. Lake Sagatagan is an incredible place that is peaceful as well as interesting at the same time. The ability to be on the lake without other distractions made the experience even more enjoyable. If you are looking for a place to get out on the water and see wildlife and great scenery, Lake Sagatagan is a great place to spend a day. We will definitely be back and are open to any suggestions you may have for other lakes or trails to explore.
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