Itasca State Park

Itasca State Park in North Central Minnesota ended up on our list of places to visit because it is the Headwaters of the Mississippi River. We had full hookups and a wooded and gravel site.

The hikes in the park are a lot of fun. We did the Aiton Heights Fire Tower Hike which is a 1 mile round trip hike from the trailhead. There is also a 100 foot tall firetower climb up the fire tower which gives amazing views of the park. We also did the Mississippi Headwaters Hike. This is a super easy .5 mile loop to the headwaters. Lots of people were wading in the ankle to knee deep water of the headwaters with fantastic views across Lake Itasca.

We also did the 10 mile Wilderness Drive. This is a one way drive with plenty of opportunities to pull over and search for wildlife along the lakes and marshes.

Don't miss stopping in at the visitors center to learn about the Mighty Mississippi and the amazing explorers who searched for the headwaters.