Winter Adventures at Itasca State Park
Winters in Minnesota can be long, but that doesn’t mean we need to stay cooped up. In fact, I’ve come to love braving the outdoors in winter. The snow helps dampen the sound, the crowds are nearly non-existant and if you go far enough north, it can feel like you stepped right through the cupboard into Narnia.
Related Article: Winter Survival Guide: 10 Tips from a Minne-SNOW-tan
My in-laws live near Itasca State Park, so during a recent visit, we decided to take an afternoon and see what it looks like covered in snow.
We had a bit of a rough start and got stuck in the ditch! Luckily, my Father-in-law also has a big truck and some ties to pull us out. It was a good reminder that just because you have a truck, it doesn’t mean you and your vehicle are indestructible. Be wary of parking on side roads in rural towns, it can be difficult to know where the road ends and a 5ft snowdrift begins!
Itasca State Park is located in Park Rapids, MN and is the oldest state park in Minnesota! It’s about a 4hr drive from the Twin Cities and absolutely worth a visit!
There are year-round campsites and hiking/ski trails to enjoy, so you can stay for the afternoon or stay for an entire week.
The highlight of Itasca State Park is the Mississippi Headwaters, where the Mississippi river begins out of Lake Itasca and flows all the way to the Gulf of Mexico.
From there, you can follow the river through the beautiful pine forests that make up the park.
We walked for about an hour down to a frozen section of the lake until we started to run out of light had to make our way back.
We had an amazing time exploring Itasca State Park, especially in the winter! I hope this post inspires you to grab your coat, throw on some snow boots, and do a little winter exploring yourself!
XOXO,
Karen
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