Meeting the Mississippi Headwaters
Hard to believe a stream you can walk across could become a mighty river!
We spent four nights camping at Itasca State Park in Northern Minnesota last August.
After New York’s Niagara Falls State Park was established in 1885, prominent Minnesotans felt a similar park should surround the Mississippi River’s source…and a bill before legislature passed by one vote!
Established in 1891, Itasca State Park is home to Lake Itasca and headwaters of the Mississippi River.
The 32,000-acre park in Northern Minnesota is popular for camping, boating, fishing, biking, and hiking trails.
But the main attraction is the stream where the Mississippi River begins. The top of the photo is Lake Itasca, which is spring-fed.
And the headwaters are so shallow you can walk across on the rocks or in the water.
Hard to believe this small, narrow stream ends up being 2 miles wide 2,552 miles from here in the Gulf of Mexico!
It takes a drop of water 90 days to make that journey to the Gulf. The stream first heads north to Bemidji, before heading south through the state.
Not only is it 694 miles long in Minnesota, but it the 4th largest river in the world, draining water from 31 states and 2 Canadian Provinces.
Like many parks of this vintage, many of the buildings were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. This building was built by the VCC, Veterans Civilian Corps, in 1940.
The 200 men of the VCC were older than the men in the CCC and were veterans of World War I.
The Forest Inn used to be a hub for guests coming to the park. Today, the split stone and log constructed inn houses a large gift shop and meeting room where visitors marvel at the soaring ceilings and beautiful construction details.
The Old Timers Cabin was first structure built in the park by the CCC in 1934. Check out those huge logs!
Fun Fact: To qualify for the CCC, you had to be an unmarried, unemployed man between 18-24 whose family was on relief.
The CCC was also responsible for reforesting parts of the park.
Wise words…
One afternoon we took a tour on the Charles Chester II.
Another fun fact: The boat is not surrounded by weeds…80% of Lake Itasca’s 18 mile shoreline is covered with wild rice. Minnesota has more than any other state in the nation.
The nearly 2-hour tour took us to the headwaters and back.
Izzy was not a fan of the tour.
The University of Minnesota Biological Station inside the park was established in 1909 and is focused on researching and teaching about ecosystems. The station includes 64 buildings.
One morning it was so foggy…but was apparently good fishing weather. They caught crappies, northern pike, and bass.
There were bear warnings everywhere in the campground. The only wildlife we saw was this porcupine crossing the road.
And then it was time to pack up. The campgrounds were nice with over 200 sites. We definitely want to come back…and next time, we’ll bring our bikes!
Beautiful photos of Minnesota. I did not know that it was Niagara Falls which had inspired Minnesotans to create Itasca State Park.
Wow, very cool! Thanks for this, Deb!