We hiked Itasca State Park on July 15^th, 2023. 

Being established in 1891, Itasca State Park is the oldest state park in Minnesota. The park encompasses 32,690 acres making it the second largest state park in Minnesota. I had to crop the summer map down to show the trails we hiked.

Our adventure began on the Ozawindib Trail near Douglas Lodge.

The tall trees towered above us. Mother Earth’s colors were so vivid.

There are more than 100 lakes at Itasca State Park. The first lake we encountered was Mary Lake. Mary Lake offered stunning views.

We continued hiking on Ozawindib Trail. 

We diverted from the Ozawindib Trail to hike the Crossover Trail which led us to Deer Park Trail.

Myrtle Lake began to appear through the trees. 

This next lake I am not too sure of the name. It is one of the following three lakes; Deer Park Lake, Fallstad Lake or Coffee Break Lake. Either way, it sure was gorgeous.

We decided to sidetrack from Deer Park Trail when we saw the sign for Aiton Heights Trail. A fire tower? Oh yes, we had to climb it!

Allen Lake and Kasey Lake were along the Aiton Heights Trail as we made our way to the tower.

The fire tower is 135 steps to the top and 100 feet tall. The views from the top of the tower were AMAZING!

Now that our adrenaline was pumping, we began our hike back on Deer Park Trail towards Douglas Lodge.

Our hiking adventure was 4.8 miles.

Our next adventure at Itasca State Park was a boat ride on Lake Itasca. I was very excited for our boat tour. Lake Itasca Tours did a wonderful job explaining the landscape, wildlife, and early explorers.

Lake Itasca Tours brought us close to the Mississippi River Headwaters before heading back.

Our final adventure at Itasca State Park was at the Mississippi River Headwaters. It’s interesting what excites me as I get older. I felt like a little kid on Christmas morning. I almost ran down the trail as we made our way towards the beginning of the Mississippi River. 

We made it! Seeing the headwaters of the Mighty Mississippi River was an amazing experience. Of course, we had to cross over this mighty river’s beginnings. 

The trail back to the Mississippi River Headwaters Center offered many views of the small yet magnificent river.

Another bucket list adventure crossed off the list!