Canoeing Twenty-five percent of all the waters in Minnesota are located in the famed Bemidji area. Each waterway brings a distinctive personality to the area, with parks that educate and entertain. Waterfowl Bemidji area lakes provide habitat for a variety of wildlife such as beavers, trumpeter swans, mallard, blue herons, wood ducks, Canadian geese and the state bird - the loon. Muskrat, turtles and even eagles can be viewed from our waterways. Mississippi River Headwaters See where the world's third longest river begins its run to the Gulf of Mexico.
Visitors are welcome to cross the Headwaters by the footbridge or wading across stepping stones.
You can visit a Norway Pine grove, the ancient Indian burial mounds, the buffalo pasture or follow a trail that leads you through forests and along the shore of Lake Itasca, or to picnic grounds. There's a staffed Interpretive Center offering educational activities. Boats, fishing gear and other rentals are all available. Douglas Lodge is open for dining. There are several ways to experience and explore the beginnings of the Mississippi River.