Welcome back! I’ve been wanting to go to this park forever! Itasca State Park is home to the Mississippi Headwaters and from here it goes all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. I’ve always been curious about it because for a short time, due to geography of the area, the river flows North before it goes South.
Itasca State Park Information
Itasca State Park is located in Park Rapids, MN. Being established in 1891, it is the oldest state park in Minnesota. This park is large, consisting of 32000 acres and over 100 lakes.
Activities
If you’re looking to hike, there are 49 miles to explore, with 1.5 miles being accessible and 3.25 miles being self-guided. While you’re out, keep an eye out for birds and other wildlife! You have the chance to see loons, grebes, cormorants, herons, ducks, owls, hummingbirds, woodpeckers, chickadees, nuthatches, kinglets, vireos, tanagers, finches, and warblers. Deer, chipmunks, squirrels, beaver, porcupine, black bears, and wolves too.
Got your bike with you? There is 16 mile to ride. Some of it is paved and the rest is shared with cars. There are bike rentals available during the summer at the Lake Itasca boat access.
If you want to fish, there are fishing piers on Lake Itasca and Ozawindib Lake. Both of which are said to be accessible. Those lakes, as well as Mary Lake have boat access. You just need to follow the speed limits. You can rent pontoons, canoes, kayaks, stand up paddle boards at the Lake Itasca boat access. There is a swimming beach there, so if you’re looking to beat the heat jump in!
If you’re visiting in the winter, you can snowshoe anywhere in the park except groomed trails, cross-country ski/skate on 13 miles of groomed trails, and snowmobile on the 31 miles of trails that start here. There’s even a warming house with bathroom. There are equipment rentals available at the Forest Inn on weekends and the Jacob V Brower Visitor Center on weekdays.
Camping
Want to camp here? There are so many options, including: 223 Drive-in, 160 Electric, 11 Cart-In, 4 ADA accessible sites, 11 Backpacking, Group Camp and Group Center options, as well as cabins, suites, and rooms. It’s kind of crazy, I’ve never seen so many choices.
Other offerings
Itasca State Park also offers a ranger station; visitor center; picnic area and shelter; playground; volleyball rentals; interpretive exhibit; naturalist programs; historic site; tours; gift shops; firewood and ice sales; and two restaurants. They also have the track chairs we have talked about previously. I spoke with someone who rented one and she kindly answered all my questions. I’ll share it below.
All of this info came from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources website, so credit where credit is due. Click here to view the original source.
Accessibility of Itasca State Park
Parking
In the area I went, there is a large paved lot with marked spot. There is plenty of handicapped accessible parking.
Bathrooms
There are modern flush toilets in the Jacob V Brower Visitor Center and the Mary Gibbs Mississippi Headwaters Center.
Getting to the trail
The trail I did started right off the parking lot. There are signs and maps showing you the way.
Trail Information
The Mississippi Headwaters Loop is 0.4 miles in length and has 9 feet of elevation. It starts right off the parking lot at the Mary Gibbs Mississippi Headwaters Center and goes to the viewpoint of the Mississippi Headwaters. (We should keep a tally of how many time I say Mississippi Headwaters XD). I forgot to start my tracker, so I don’t have my specific information.
The trail is relatively flat as there is only 9 feet of elevation. It has paved, gravel, and boardwalk portions, so if you and/or your devices are good on those terrains, you’ll be good. Also, track chairs. I did see benches and places to rest along the way.
This is a busy place. That being said, there were a lot of people to move around. The trail is wide enough to handle the traffic, though. I didn’t have to try all that hard to get where I wanted to go. Also, the trail is partially shaded. When I was there it was a bright and sunshiny day, so things got a little toasty. However, closer to the river, things cooled down a bit.
My rating
This trail would fall into the easy category of my rating scale. Like I said, the trail is short and sweet with little change in elevation. The trail is wide enough for navigating and there are places to rest along the way.
Other experiences at Itasca State Park
Itasca Thing 1
I spoke to a very kind woman who was utilizing one of the track chairs available while on the trail. I told her about my story and what I’m doing here at Adventures of Seleana and she was kind enough to answer all my questions. She explained how they worked, the ease of use, and where to get them, etc. They are a useful tool that can be used in a couple of different ways based on personal needs. Shout out to M! Thank you for talking with me and I hope you find the site useful for activity ideas with your grandkids.
Itasca Thing 2
ALSO, I ended up with a flat tire here on the second day I came to the park. It was a very frustrating situation, as it was HOT, but I had plenty of kind people trying to help. My tire was seized on (if you also drive old cars, you know…). It took two jacks to get the car up (like I said, she’s old) and I spent hours trying to get it off to no avail. Roadside Assistance had no help for me on the three occasions I contacted them because it was not only Sunday, but Fathers Day. I was also in the middle of nowhere…
However, a kind man named Kenny (I call him Kenny with the red truck and big hammer) came to help and after nearly a whole can of WD-40 and banging on it off and on for an hour it popped off. I was also able to get an appointment at Walmart for a new tire, so I didn’t have to drive 160 miles on a spare. So, I did eventually make it home…five hours after my desired arrival. I was so grateful to see my shower and the rest waited until the next day.
Final Thoughts on Itasca State Park
You can get the stamp for La Salle SRA and Itasca State Park in the Jacob V Brower Visitor Center. There isn’t one at La Salle at the time of my visit. I did reach out via email to the state parks people and got one sent to me, so that is an option if you don’t go to both. Fun fact: going back to get my stamp was when I got the flat…
Have you been to Itasca State Park? Want to go? Comment below.
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Be safe out there! REMEMBER YOUR MAPS AND PASSPORT STAMPS!! Seeyalaterbye <3
Also, if you feel called to help a sista out with her travels, check this out!
English 
I see the bear