| AREA
ONE All Day Tour |
|
AREA
TWO 3 to 4 Hour Tour |
| Itasca
State Park · Lake Itasca · Upper & Lower Rice Lake · White Earth State
Forest |
|
Paul Bunyan State Forest · Lake Plantagenet · Mississippi Headwaters
State Forest |
| Area one may be the most diverse tour.
Along the way, you'll find
aspen, basswood, birch, maple, oak and tamarack. (Tamarack is a conifer that looks like an
evergreen and turns yellow in fall as it sheds its needles.) Traditionally, the
intersection of Highways 7 and 200, in the town of Roy Lake, is very colorful in early
October. Renowned as the source of the Mississippi River, Lake Itasca in Itasca State
Park features an Interpretative Center. There's the Norway Pine Grove and trails
that follow the shore of the lake. The Park also offers camping, canoeing,
picnicking, photography, sight-seeing and swimming. Indian burial grounds, a buffalo
pasture and various historical markers are scattered throughout the Park, including the
Douglas Lodge and Brower Inn. (A Park sticker will be required.) |
|
The terrain south of Bemidji in Area 2 is dotted with forests and chains
of smaller lakes, the most renowned of which is Lake Plantagenet. National
Geographic called Lake Plantagenet "one of the most beautiful lakes in the world for
its size." That beauty is enhanced in the autumn.
This route will take you
through colorful and stately stands of aspen, birch, maple and oak. The southern and
western parts are lined with an abundance of steep hills and lakes.
You can also access Itasca State Park from this Tour.
|
| AREA
THREE 3 to 4 Hour Tour |
|
AREA
FOUR 1 1/2 TO 2 Hour
Tour |
| Lake Andrusia · Cass Lake · Kabekona Lake · Leech Lake Area |
|
Lake Bemidji · Turtle Lake · Turtle River |
| Area 3 skirts some of the premier lakes and recreation areas in northern
Minnesota. Along the western and southern boundaries, you'll encounter steep hills
accompanying the plentitude of lakes. Autumnal colors vary with the abundance of
aspen, birch, maple and oak along the route. For historical interest, stop and visit the
old Indian cemetery and the old mission site on Lake Andrusia. |
|
Maples and aspens line the Area 4 route. One of the best areas for
color viewing is along the Buena Vista Road. There are walkable trails through
stands of hardwoods. It's also possible to see deer, bear or beaver along the
trails. A mile south of Turtle River is on Highway 71, where one can locate the old
"Leech Lake-Red Lake Trail." The Trail is worn to over a foot deep by
early travelers and explorers. Other sites include the Fur Trading Post, memorial of
Count Beltrami, Buena Vista Ski Lodge and beautiful Lake Julia. Here you'll find the
Continental Divide, where water
flows north to Hudson Bay and south to the Gulf of Mexico. Visitors can enjoy the
fall colors via historic covered wagon tours, offering breathtaking vistas of the area. |
| AREA
FIVE 2 to 4 Hour Tour |
|
|
Lady
Slipper Scenic Byway
Cass Lake · Chippewa National Forest · Blackduck State Forest |
|
|
| The Area 5 route will take you through a variety of aspen, oak, pine and
tamarack. One particularly beautiful stretch of road is overhung with colorful
sugar maples in the fall. Picnic on Benjamin Lake or hike through the hardwoods to a
remote site on North Twin. Wander the beautiful Blackduck and Chippewa Forests, and
enjoy the autumn spectacle of thousands of acres of lakes and pines. Stop in at the
National Forest Headquarters in Cass Lake for more information and tour suggestions in the
Chippewa Forest. |
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