Itasca State Park

Pros: Beautiful lake. Mississippi River. Water Recreation. Camping. Historical sites. Hiking/Biking trails.
Cons: Short visitation season, unless you like cold weather.

Lake Itasca is a beautiful, shimmering, tree-lined lake tucked away in far northern Minnesota. The surrounding area is heavily wooded and only lightly populated. Here, the lake waters trickle across a rocky shoreline, and mark the beginning of the ...

Pros: History, Beauty, Adventure, Family Fun
Cons: Hard to get to, Finding Lodging Nearby

The Mississippi River begins its 2,552 mile journey to the Gulf of Mexico from its headwaters in beautiful Itasca State Park. From its ankle-deep source, the mighty Mississippi River winds its way through Minnesota - from the northern wilderness through...

Pros: Numerous sights, good hiking, old growth forest
Cons: Insects

Itasca was Minnesota's first state park, founded in 1891, and is still one of the most important. ...

Pros: Wonderful beauty, Lakes abound, Nature alive, Loons and other wildlife.
Cons: Bring mosquito spray, or you will get eaten alive.

Having just gotten back from a Minnesota 2 and a half week vacation,
I can tell you that I now know some of the beauty and sounds of the North
Woods.

On one of our days spent way up there, which is a far piece away from
...

Pros: Forests, lakes, visitor center. Big pines!
Cons: You will have plenty of company on summer and fall weekends.

Itasca State Park is Minnesota's oldest, and second largest (St. Croix is just slightly larger). Also, it boasts by far the most amenities of any Minnesota State Park, including higher cost lodging, restaurants, as well as 2 large visitor centers and ...

Pros: wilderness, pure untouched nature, while yet being easily accessible.
Cons: none, really none that I can think of

Well, I am not going to go on about its size.... and all that but more or less note a few things why I go back to Itasca once or twice a year. Pick your fancy: Hiking, Biking, Kayak/Canoeing, ... My wife and I have explored many of its lakes and the ...

Pros: Nature At Its Best
Cons: State Bird (Mosquito) A Little Loud At Night

Itasca State Park, located in northwestern Minnesota, is a great place to visit. Because it contains the headwaters of the Mississippi (which one can wade through or walk on with varying ease, depending on the season), its non-indigenous discoverer...

Pros: Great Scenery, History, Trails and Facilities.
Cons: Bugs, Crowds (In the main area), and unpredictable weather.

I have stayed in the modern campgrounds at Itasca only once, and they were still very rustic. Since I have camped there the facilities have been revamped, though.

I have hiked a couple of the parks trails, and it really is a neat experience. There is not another soul around. I love hiking, and this park is plenty big. I will probably never get to hike all of its trails. The trails are well maintained, concidering how many trails there actualy are.

The main area around Lake Itasca and the Hedwaters is very crowded, but you must walk accross the headwater at least once. Wilderness Drive is a very scenic drive that takes you past the larges White Pine, the largest Red Pine, and other attractions. It also leads to a couple of trailheads.

To get the whole experience, you should hike some of the backcountry trails. It is such a great feeling when you are on those trails. There are remote campsites available (for up to 6 people), but you must reserve them. There are usualy some available.

I would reccommend this park to anyone.
J.G.