Best of Itasca

by Deane Johnson

Overview

Get the comprehensive guide that helps you learn about and explore Minnesota’s Itasca State Park.

It’s easy to see why Itasca State Park is Minnesota’s most popular park. Most famously known for the Mississippi River Headwaters, Itasca State Park offers 50 miles of hiking trails, 16 miles of bike routes, 28 miles of skiing trails, 32 miles of snowmobiling trails, 100 lakes, and dozens of beautiful historic buildings to explore—all within 32,836 acres of pine and hardwood forests that are up to 300 years old! With so much to see and do, it’s hard to know where to begin. Expert author Deane Johnson is here to help with The Best of Itasca, your comprehensive guide to this beloved state park.

Whether you’re visiting for a day, staying for a week or simply want a keepsake, you’ll find everything you need in the pages of this book.

Features:

• Detailed guide to hiking, biking, camping, lodging, and skiing
• Fascinating stories from Itasca’s colorful past
• Tips on finding the park’s hidden gems throughout the seasons
• Natural history of the land, dating back to prehistory
• Nearby attractions, such as the La Salle Lake State Recreation Area

Improve your life; connect with nature at Itasca State Park.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781591934301
Publisher:	Adventure Publications, Incorporated
Publication date:	05/07/2014
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	1,044,967
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Deane Johnson has been an active photographer since acquiring his first Canon FTb in 1976. He grew up in Grand Forks, ND, and has lived and traveled throughout northern Minnesota. Drawn to the lakes and woods of Park Rapids, MN, in 1980, he has lived there since then. A retired family physician, he was a founding member of the Jackpine Writers’ Bloc, plays clarinet and saxophone, and was a co-owner of Beagle Books of Park Rapids with his wife, Jill. He was the photographer for Jill’s book, “Little Minnesota: 100 Towns Around 100.”

Read an Excerpt

ITASCA HISTORY

A More Thorough Look at Itasca
On February 12, 1889, Brower was commissioned by the Minnesota Historical Society to do a detailed survey of the water and land of the entire Lake Itasca watershed. His work, which set the stage for the establishment of the park, was poorly financed and he was forced to pay most of the costs out of his own pocket. He enlisted a number of assistants to map the hydrology and land in great detail; his crew included several Park Rapids residents and settlers already at Lake Itasca. They began their survey a month later and continued until October.

Headwaters are Hard to Define
What constitutes a river’s source? Is it the first drops of water from a spring, the trickle of a stream, or must it be a lake? Could Hernando DeSoto Lake or Whipple Lake, connected to the Headwaters via underground flowage, be considered the source? Can Nicollet Lake, Elk Lake or Mary Lake, all of which feed Lake Itasca, be singled out? Brower noted that various rivers of the world have all had varying criteria applied to determine their sources, and that there was no single, widely accepted definition. So he concluded, “in the absence of any fundamental term upon which to proceed, a reliable rule of no uncertainty, the rule dictated by nature, in ascertaining where the waters were gathered which form the remotest source of the Mississippi, was adopted . . .” In other words, you choose what best fits your concept of “source,” and go with it.

Debunking Glazier
Brower’s detailed map and studies of the water flow and patterns around Lake Itasca and Elk Lake determined that Lake Itasca was the best choice as the true source, due to the flow from multiple streams, including Nicollet Creek, which provided the most water, as well as other inlets, including Chambers Creek from Elk Lake, and Mary Creek, Boutwell Creek and French Creek. Brower, eager to refute Glazier’s claims that Elk Lake was the source, documented that the drought of 1889 reduced Chambers Creek to a depth of one inch with “imperceptible flow” by September. He reported that Peter Turnbull in 1883–1884 “walked up the bed of the creek without wetting the soles of his shoes.” Yet there was always a current into the Mississippi River from Lake Itasca, greatly exceeding the flow from all the feeder streams combined, suggesting that underground sources provide the lake with much of its water. Modern hydrologic studies have proven that he was right and, in fact, show that over half of Lake Itasca’s water is spring-fed.

Itasca Becomes an Official State Park
During his detailed survey, Brower recognized what a natural treasure he was exploring and began his efforts to establish a state park to protect the timber, wildlife and other natural resources in the area. On March 2, 1891, General John Sanborn from Ramsey County introduced Brower’s bill, S.F. 461, to establish the park. A similar request to the federal government was denied, as lands in the area had already been sold. As the timber industry was the major economic engine in the state, and many in the legislature and higher levels of state government were closely connected with it, Brower’s efforts to deny loggers access to such a significant area was met with strident opposition. The bill passed the Senate only after vigorous lobbying, and even then only by a single vote. And it passed only after acceptance of an amendment to pay the park commissioner for just 60 days with no mention of future payment, a measure that opponents of the idea laughingly assumed would ultimately kill it. The bill was rushed through the House at the end of the session and, after the House sponsor threatened to recall it over a political slight, more delicate negotiation produced a quick signature by Governor Merriam. At that moment, “there was not a single acre of park land nor a cent of money in its fund.” Anticipating the struggle ahead, Jacob V. Brower accepted the job of Commissioner of Itasca State Park, a “park on paper.”

*****

Big White Pine Trail and Big Red Pine/Bison Kill Site Trail

As you travel around to the south side of Wilderness Drive, be sure to stop and enjoy these two spots. Each is a short and easy walk that highlights the natural and human history of Itasca, including the Bison Kill Site, which dates back to 8,000 years ago.

Distance/Time: White Pine: 250 feet one-way, Red Pine: 800 feet one-way; 15–30 minutes round-trip for each trail
Difficulty: Easy
Special Attractions: Examples of very old, large pines
Hazards: None
Winter: If you arrive here on skis or snowshoes, you could break trail to either site
Facilities: A small parking area on Wilderness Drive is available at both trails, with a vault toilet at the Big Red Pine trailhead
Trailheads: Big White Pine is 5.2 miles from the Mary Gibbs Headwaters Center; Big Red Pine is a mile farther
GPS at Big Red Pine Trailhead: N 47 11.632' W 095 13.901'; Big White Pine Trailhead: N 47 11.809' W 095 14.907'

Trail Guide
These two short trails on the southern stretch of Wilderness Drive lead to sites that are emblematic of the history of Itasca State Park. The white pine on the first trail, “Itasca’s Largest White Pine Tree,” represents one of the largest old-growth pines in the park; it likely took root over 300 years ago after a period of wildfires. Located on land that was purchased by the state early in the park’s history, it was part of the 44 percent of the park area that escaped logging. Large groves of white pines were established after crown fires (fires that leap from treetop to treetop) had cleared the area, although individual trees are scattered through the forest, mixed in with stands of other species. White pine has gray, ridged bark, soft needles in clusters of five, and can live up to 450 years. Surrounded by a railing and viewing platform, the tree is a favorite photo opportunity as it towers over hardwoods and nearby pines.

MINNESOTA’S RECORD RED PINE AND AN ANCIENT BISON KILL SITE. Wilderness Drive winds around big red pines on its way to the next trail. Although the sign still proclaims it as “Minnesota’s Record Red Pine,” a storm in 2007 left the top of the tree bare and broken. It lives on, serving as a reminder that even the largest trees are vulnerable to the same forces of wind and fire that helped them take root. The red, or “Norway,” pine has longer needles than the white pine, and its needles come in bundles of two. Norway pines can reach a height of 120'. The oldest in Minnesota is over 400 years old. The trail begins in a parking area near Nicollet Creek, the largest of the five streams that feed Lake Itasca. Proclaimed by Joseph Nicollet as the “Infant Mississippi” in 1836, the stream is fed by springs in the highlands along Nicollet Trail. It was here in 1937 that workers rebuilding this portion of Wilderness Drive found remnants of primitive bison, along with spear points and tools from the Archaic period, an archaeological designation dating back several thousand years. Detailed excavations in the 1960s showed that early hunters drove buffalo into the mire and then killed and processed the animals, which were much larger than today’s plains bison.

BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR INDIAN PIPE: A PLANT THAT LACKS CHLOROPHYLL. The trail to the big red pine is 800', a popular, easy hike by the wetlands of Nicollet Creek. Keep an eye out for wildflowers and other unusual plants. On the day I hiked here there was a small group of Indian pipe tucked next to a log. This white, waxy plant lives in partnership with a fungus and lacks chlorophyll, so it has no green color and feeds on decaying materials in the soil.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Best of Itasca!

• Headwaters of the Mississippi
• Jacob V. Brower Visitor Center
• Douglas Lodge
• Forest Inn
• Aiton Heights Fire Tower
• Picnic Grounds and Swimming Beach
• Wilderness Drive
• Boat Landing
• Hiking

Overview Map

A Guide to Itasca

• Planning Your Trip
• Lodging and Camping Options
• Activities at the Park
• Water Sports
• Winter Sports in Itasca
• Visiting Itasca with Children—and Pets!
• La Salle Lake State Recreation Area (SRA) and Scientific Natural Area (SNA)

Trail Map

Hiking in Itasca

Cross-country Skiing in Itasca

A Guided Driving Tour of Itasca

Backcountry Camping at Itasca

Natural History

Itasca History

Modern History

Recommended Reading and Resources

References

Photo Credits

About the Author