lake itasca

Its amazing that you can actually walk over Mississippi river !!! Lifetime experience for me and my family. Its just a very fun plays to be and experience it first hand. Origin of a mighty river that flows for thousands of miles.We went to side paths and dis some minor hiking, it was fun. Loved the whole experience. I'd visit this place again. Do take some bug/ mosquito repellent with you.

We had such a lovely time at Douglas Lodge Lake Itasca. The staff was very accommodating and the rooms were just lovely. My boys are 10 and 6 and they loved the vintage furniture, my oldest even commented on the way the Douglas Lodge smelled...there is a restaurant in the bottom level. It is like you're staying in a large home really, and that's how the staff made us feel. We would have breakfast and dinner there and watch the hummingbirds right outside the large dining room windows. In the AM the hummingbirds would wiz in and out of the beautiful pine trees outside of our bedroom windows. We hiked, biked, played in the headwaters, took a wildflower hike with park staff, and went swimming in Lake Itasca. We will be back again!

TAKE MOSQUITO SPRAY!!!Fee: $5 per car, put sticker on windshieldThis is probably one of the best known attractions in NW Minnesota. It's worth a drive there if you have the time. We drove from Iowa to stay at a lakeside cabin about 30 miles away from Itasca, and thought we'd check it out at the urging of a friend. This place is large for a state park! There are several lakes in the park. Mary Lake is especially beautiful if you arrive early enough and avoid the crowds. It's a great place to take pictures. Lake Itasca itself has several beautiful viewing angles. The park visitor's center is one of the better ones I have seen. You can obtain maps of the park and information on highlights to not miss. The Mississippi Head Waters is a short drive from the visitor's center. After you park your car, you take a short hike (about 10 minutes) to reach the Head Waters. Don't miss the ice cream place close to where you park, if you are in need of cold refreshment. There are large rocks laid across the start of the river, on which visitors can "walk across the Mississippi". There's also a 20 minute one-way drive which takes you around the park. Overall, worth checking out if you have a couple of hours.

This area of Minnesota is a hike to get to but so worth the time and travel!Lake Itasca is my favorite state park in Minnesota. You will be amazed standing in the shallow head waters while little fish swim around your feet. Hard to believe it when you think about the roar of the mighty Mississippi at the other end where it pours into the gulf. Visit if you can, you will not be disappointed. Pristine bike trails, beach, restrooms. Great cabins, Douglas Lodge. Canoe rental. Two gift shops with nice souvenirs.Check it out, history here abounds!

It was thrilling to see the actual source of a mighty river. Made the mandatory crossing on foot...yes, now I can proudly say that I crossed the Mississippi on foot...Beautiful lake, well maintained walks and woods. The sacred spots had a sense of sanctity that was very moving.

A good all around family fun place to explore and learn about the history of the Mississippi! This is the 2nd year in a row visiting this campground, plenty to do for the first time and good enough to do twice and still see something new. The kids loved playing at the headwaters, climbing the fire tower and seeing the early settlers sites. The bike trails are under construction this year however still lots of activities to do in the park.

Beautiful park, excellent facilities!!! Very nice paths to walk to where the mighty Mississippi starts it's journey to the Gulf!!! We also did the 10 mile, one way nature drive which was beautiful & climbed to the top of a 100 foot fire tower, which had amazing views!!!! The campground was very nice & quiet. We were lucky enough to hear wolfs howling in the early morning!!!! Make sure you bring bug spray, the skeeters are plentiful!!!!

Lake Itasca State Park is incredible. I'm not even an "outdoorsy" person and I loved it. It is a gorgeous, large park with plenty of space to explore. Seeing the headwaters of the Mississippi is a thrill, and watching people slip and slide across it is comical. While there, the water was unusually high and swift so I was unable to fully walk across it, but I would do it again another visit. We did the boat tour of the lake, walked the trails, ate delicious meals in the Douglas Lodge restaurant and slept in a Douglas cabin that was very clean and peaceful. I will definitely return to this park again. Come prepared with bug spray for ticks and mosquitoes.

Wonderful facilities and beautiful location. This would be a great place to spend more time. Our visit was brief but we did take advantage of the bike rentals and terrific riding path. Early September weather was terrific and not crowded.

Good place to visit. I camped at the Itasca State Park. The headwaters of the Mississippi is here. A person can swim, boat (probably small boats), and fish here.

Really nice and not crowded. You can take a tour across it with the boat, but we opted for a walk instead. I hear the tour is quite good, and I wish he had done it.The place is really beautiful and reenergizing.

Pristine lake where you can watch the Loons and Eagles. There is a tour boat that conducts great tours of the lake and the guides are great about pointing out wild life and other interesting things.

We really like to go here; we even took our friends from Denmark to see this. This is a very beautiful lake. At times during active tourist season it is very busy, but early or late season visitors will find it more peaceful.

The area is so beautiful. The visitor's center was closed, but thankfully, there was abundant covered outdoor plaques for reading any and all Mississippi River information, right where it all starts. The information told so much about The River, it's abundance, wildlife, culture. The park is open until pretty late. We took the short walk on a nice level, wide trail under tall foliage to the highlight...the start of the Mississippi River. Here it's a creek, you may walk across it, or on a log, or on the rocks. It may be one of the most photographed spots. There were many people, but just share the space and know it may be difficult to get pictures without extra people. Watch the slippery rocks. My husband fell in. He's fine and I retrieved my keys. Supposedly, it's good luck to fall in. Hmm. We would love to return and spend more time in the large, plentiful Itasca State Park.

I was here as a kid and still remember it from 35 years ago! what a great place for everyone! We didnt stay long this trip...but did have the chance to cross the MISSISSIPPI and visit the Information Center! the numerous activiites that are available throughout the park are too numerous to mention! Bike rentals caught my eye! We even saw a riverboat guiding tour! Very relaxing a great time! Had lunch at the snack area! It was quick and light but very reasonably priced!