Introduce your family to the fun of camping and canoeing at the headwaters of the Mighty Mississippi in Minnesota's Itasca State Park. Spend adventurous days stepping across the headwaters of the Mississippi and canoeing on Lake Itasca. Take a refreshing swim or attend a ranger-led interpretive program. Hike through the pines or climb the 100-foot fire tower. Enjoy games and fun throughout the day, and wind down in the evening with s'mores around the campfire and night hikes under the stars. Itasca State Park is a kid-friendly vacation spot. If you are looking for a family-friendly vacation for younger kids this is a great choice.
Sample Itinerary
Please note: While the itinerary presented is an accurate depiction of what your trip will be like, it is only an example. Our trips are real adventures in the outdoors--not pre-packaged tours that happen on a schedule.
DAY 1: Your trip starts in the early afternoon at the Elk Lake campsite in Itasca State Park. Your family will learn how to set up camp, go over safety issues, and begin to explore the park. After dinner you'll get to know your trip mates better and make s'mores around the campfire.
DAY 2: After breakfast, drive down to the outlet of Lake Itasca and step across the headwaters of the Mighty Mississippi. After lunch, learn about canoeing and go for a paddle on Elk Lake. Swim before dinner, then attend an entertaining State Park interpretive program on the early explorers.
DAY 3: Day three is filled with options. Choose a day-long canoe trip from Elk Lake to Lake Itasca. Or tour historic Douglas Lodge, visit the 100-foot tall fire tower, spend some time fishing, or take a hike through the pines. There are structured activities for the children throughout the day and evening.
DAY 4: Spend the morning relaxing and doing your favorite activities. Take one last paddle, hike, or swim. After lunch, pack up for the trip home. Your trip officially ends around lunchtime. Those using WI's van transportation can expect to return to Minneapolis in the evening.
Travel, Terrain, Etc...
TERRAIN/ROUTE CHOICES: Minnesota's Itasca State Park is located in a classic Northwoods environment. Enjoy mature forests of old growth pine and birch surrounding clear, pristine lakes. Itasca State Park offers a wide range of daily activity options. Hiking trails vary from very easy to moderately difficult.
TYPE OF TRAVEL/DISTANCE: An average day's activities consist of hiking, canoeing and exploring the immediate area. You will travel in 24-foot cedar strip canoes, which hold 6-10 paddlers. They are fast and stable boats, designed specifically for big water, and they have enough space for young children to play in the center. Canoe outings are typically 1-3 hours long. To protect the environment, WI uses Leave No Trace camping techniques.
WEATHER: Temperatures in the summer months range from 40 F to 95 F. Rainfall can vary and you should expect the possibility of rain.
LODGING/BATHROOM FACILITIES: This is a camping trip. At night you will sleep in a comfortable Eureka Timberline tent. Typically, there are 3 people per 4 person tent (although other arrangements can be made). We recommend that you bring your own personal sleeping bag and "camprest" foam core inflatable mattress (a limited number of sleeping bags and mattresses are available as loaners for individuals who need them). Bathroom facilities consist of an outhouse or a foldable commode chair set up in a privacy tent. We make every effort to ensure privacy and cleanliness.
GROUP SIZE: The group size ranges from 20 to 30 participants, plus 3 or more Wilderness Inquiry staff. Each group consists of people of various ages, backgrounds and abilities, including people with disabilities. Itasca is a kid-friendly vacation that lends itself to quality family outdoor adventures--it is kid-friendly camping at its best.. If you are looking for a family-friendly vacation this is a great choice.
CAMP CHORES: Our trips are cooperative in nature. WI staff will assist you in whatever areas you need, however most people pitch in where they can. Part of the adventure involves learning about daily camp activities.
EQUIPMENT AND CLOTHING: If you are new to outdoor activities, you need not spend a lot of money on gear. Wilderness Inquiry will provide all necessary canoeing and camping equipment. All you need to provide is your personal gear, such as clothing and a sleeping bag. A detailed equipment list will be sent to you upon confirmation of your participation. If you need to borrow personal gear, that can usually be arranged.
LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY: No previous experience is needed to complete this trip. This trip is open to families with kids of all ages; however it is recommended for kids age 3 and older.
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Wilderness Inquiry is proud to serve Caribou Coffee on all our trips. Great food, great coffee, and great company are just some of the ingredients that make Wilderness Inquiry trips special.
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Henry Schoolcraft, the first European to recognize Lake Itasca as the head of the Mississippi, named the lake on his 1832 voyage of exploration. He combined two Latin words, verITAS 'truth' and CAput 'head', to form Itasca.
Itasca State Park is located on the western edge of the boreal forest. Within its 32,000 acres lie the headwaters for the 2,552 mile long Mississippi River.
Like the rest of northern Minnesota, Itasca's present form is a result of being buried for thousands of years under glacial ice. Unlike northeastern Minnesota, which was covered in ice until about 10,000 years ago, Itasca lay under the Wadena Lobe in the last ice age. The Wadena Lobe retreated from the Itasca area about 20,000 years ago, giving it a longer human history and an independent natural and geographical history.
Itasca's topography is more subtle than that found to the east or south. In those areas, glaciers gouged out the massive basins that give form to the Great Lakes, and left records of its melting in the high bluffs along the Mississippi. The lakes and rivers of Itasca State Park were formed by leftover ice masses left behind after the glaciers retreated, buried under glacial debris. As the climate changed and temperatures increased, the ice melted, leaving behind a watery chain. Many of these lakes and chains slowly dried up over the years, leaving swampy areas scattered throughout the park.
The land itself is a glacial moraine left during the last ice age. A moraine is a mound of sand, gravel and other debris left behind as a glacier melts and recedes. Itasca also has many mounds or 'knobs,' deposits of silt left by melting glaciers or by streams flowing under the glacier while it was still active.
Several habitats are found within this section of the boreal forest, including bogs, grasslands, hardwood stands, coniferous forest and a mixed forest. Maples, firs, pines, aspen and birch are the predominate trees within the park. Wildlife includes: beaver, woodchucks, snowshoe hares, red, gray and fox squirrels, chipmunks, pocket gopher, raccoon, black bear, coyote, red and gray fox, porcupine, bobcat, deer and moose.
If you are interested in a family vacation that offers kid-friendly camping this is one of the best vacations that you could do This kid-friendly vacation is an active family vacations that will give you a lifetime of memories.
For more information, visit these links:
Minnesota DNR - Official Itasca State Park Page
Bemidji Visitors and Convention Bureau Homepage
Mississippi Headwaters Board - About the River
Learn about the benefits of taking your children camping.
Check out the Explore Minnesota website for links to Wilderness Inquiry
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