Oh the Mississppi's mighty but it starts in Minnesota
At a place that you can walk across with five steps down...
- Indigo Girls
Everything has to start somewhere. And North America's longest river, all 2552 miles of it largest river system, starts where the water tumbles out of Lake Itasca over a few small boulders in north central Minnesota. Follow me over the little cloud to talk Minne-SOH-tan and practice your loon calls.
With this year's unprecedented flooding throughout the Mississippi River flowage, it's hard to relate that power and destruction with the gentle cascade that, yes, you actually can walk over - without even getting your feet wet!
The headwaters of the Mississippi River, Lake Itasca, became the primary feature and namesake for Minnesota's first state park (and the second state park in the nation), designated on April 20, 1891. Lake Itasca is one of seven national natural landmarks in Minnesota.
Currently encompassing almost 33,000 acres, the landscape of Itasca State Park and environs were formed by repeated glaciation events - anywhere from 200 to 600 feet of glacial drift overlay the Precambrian bedrock. Red and white pine forested moraines are interspersed with hundreds of small lakes and wetlands, also known as "knob and kettle" terrain. (For you adorable geeks, details on the geology can be found here.)
Background
The human record within the park boundaries goes back a full 8,000 years. Evidence of a bison kill site, including spear tips and ancient bison bones, has been found on the southern tip of one of the lakes three "arms." More permanent settlements occurred during the Woodland period, and burial mounds from this era can be found within the park. Anishinaabeg (specifically Ojibwe) lived in the region at the time of European contact.
Then, in 1832, Henry Rowe Schoolcraft, explorer, geographer and ethnographer, was led to Lake Itasca by his Anishinaabe guide Ozawindib.
You might think that "Itasca" is an Indian word, much like Minnesota... but you'd be wrong. Schoolcraft apparently made up a lot of words we hear in the upper Midwest - words like Algoma, Alpena, and Tuscola. Itasca actually comes from the Latin words for "truth" and "head" - verITAS CAput.
As you might expect, there was a dispute over whether or not Lake Itasca actually was the headwaters for the great river since Nicollet Creek flowed into the lake. Jacob V. Brower, historian and surveyor, went to check it out in 1888. After several months, Brower determined that since Nicollet Creek was intermittent rather than perennial, it should not be considered the source. During his time in the area, Brower became alarmed by the rate of logging in the area, and set out to protect some of the massive old growth pine forests surrounding the lake. It is due to his tireless efforts that Itasca State Park exists today. Brower served as Itasca's first park superintendent, and was devoted to it until his death in 1905.
Visiting the Park
Those stands of virgin red and white pine are still there, including what used to be Minnesota's tallest tree. I say "used to be" not because another tree grew faster and eclipsed it, but because the top of the former record-holding red pine was broken off in a storm. Poor tree...
While it's been many years since I've been to Itasca, the memories are vivid. Tent camping Memorial Day weekend in northern Minnesota? Right. My water bottle froze. The weather was less than spectacular. But the scenery? The scenery was magnificent. Unfortunately, due to chaos reigning in my life these days, I can't find my photo album from this trip. You'll have to enjoy the images I found on the 'net instead. (Actually, you're lucky. These are far prettier than anything I took...)
So what can you do there besides hike, canoe, watch wildlife, feed the mosquitoes, bike, take tour boat rides, get ticks*, fish, enjoy campfires by your tent or camper (more than 200 sites), or stay in one of the many cabins or the comfortable lodge?
Hmm... what more do you need?
The park (pdf map) includes approximately 50 miles of hiking trails, generally easy to moderately strenuous. One of the great assets of the park is the Wilderness Drive -- an 11 mile loop road, much of it one-way, that you can drive or bike easily. Pack your lunch, take your time and make all the stops along the way.
Or hike the trail back to Hernando DeSoto Lake, the place some thought was the true source via Nicollet Creek.
Or take a two hour tour on the Chester Charles II... I promise you won't end up like the folks on the S.S. Minnow.
Or enjoy one of the many historical resources, including the best rustic log structures in the state, and many improvements by the CCC.
Or pick something else....
If you enjoy fishing, what could be better than dropping your line from the bank a half mile back from the road at a small lake, and catching your walleye dinner? We did that on my last trip. It was delicious. The bonus was watching the beaver pair cruising around the lake in the late afternoon sun, bringing in the occasional branch.
And what would a birdbrain64 diary be without a birder's checklist?
I am a native Minnesotan. And to me, Itasca State Park is quintessential Minnesota. Lakes, trees, and good people abound. Someday I hope you too can walk across the point where the Great River starts, and leave the park where the Great River Road begins. It's quite a journey to the Gulf. The river goes through many changes along the way, growing from its tributaries, enduring channels and dams. We think we can tame it. We can't, and people throughout the middle and southern sections of the country are paying a steep price as a result. But in Itasca, the river sets its own pace, its own course. Maybe a trip to Itasca State Park can help you do the same.
*Seriously folks, always check yourself thoroughly for ticks.
photo credits (all used via Creative Commons license):
Common Loon: Mike Baird
Headwaters: Mark Evans
Source sign: Bill McChesney
Lake, Wilderness Drive, and Showy Lady's Slipper: CJFranklin
This has been the third in an ongoing series on our nation's state park systems, organized by the
Park Avenue group.
Previous diaries in the Our State Parks series are:
We are looking for contributors to this series. If you can help us profile a favorite state park near you, please send a message to Phoenix Rising.