Headwaters of the Mississippi – Lake Itasca MN [July 5 – 7, 2016]

The sign says it all

The Mighty (streamy) Mississippi

 

If you are following from South to North, the Mississippi gets smaller and smaller as it meanders through Minnesota.  Eventually, you reach its headwaters at Lake Itasca.  At this point, it is a large stream.  At the headwaters, there are stones for visitors to use to “walk across the Mississippi” and a sign for visitors to take their picture beside.  Mostly the visitors play in the shallow water.

Approaching the mouth of the Mississippi by kayak from Lake Itasca

At the mouth

Kayaking down the Mississippi

We approached the headwaters by kayak.  We paddled across part of Lake Itasca, and beached our kayaks along the far bank of the Mississippi from the parking lot, walked across the Mississippi, and then joined the other visitors in line to take our pictures by the sign.  Rather fun actually.

Russ walking across the Mississippi

Dana doing the same

Lake Itasca is a beautiful lake.  It is shaped like an inverted Y, with long skinny arms of water.  It looks much like Upstate New York, Vermont or Maine.  Rocky outcroppings.  Dark pine forests, punctuated with graceful, white birch trees.  We kayaked along the perimeter of the North Arm (the stem of the inverted Y) and enjoyed the peaceful lake.  We followed loons as they dove and fished.   Later we swam in the lake.  The beach area is very shallow, so the water was warmer than we expected it to be.

Lovely Lake Itasca

There are three land transportation systems at Lake Itasca: paved roads for motorized vehicles, paved roads for bicycles and hikers, and unpaved roads for hikers.  Once parked or camped, virtually everyone gets around by bicycle.  Most camping unit in the campground had bicycles parked beside it.  The pop-up across from us had 6!  The rangers lead bicycle tours of the park.  The park is quite large, so there is a fair amount of traffic on the vehicle roads, too

Minnesotans “go to the lake” each summer, and we can see why.  This lake is lovely, relaxing and cool.  What a fortunate state to have 10,000 of them.

Tiki loves Lake Itasca, too