Itasca State Park

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Established in 1891, Itasca is Minnesota's oldest state park. Today, the park totals more than 32,000 acres and includes more than 100 lakes. Walk across the mighty Mississippi as it starts its winding journey 2,552 miles to the Gulf of Mexico. Stand under towering pines at Preacher's Grove. Visit the Itasca Indian Cemetery or Wegmann's Cabin, landmarks of centuries gone by. Camp under the stars, or stay the night at the historic Douglas Lodge or cabins. Explore Wilderness Drive past the 2,000-acre Wilderness Sanctuary, one of Minnesota's seven National Natural Landmarks.

Tell me more about this park's wildlife, history, geology and landscape.

Visitor Alert!

Bridge Construction:

The Mississippi River Bridge within Itasca State Park (along Main Park Drive) is under construction. Park traffic is not expected to be impacted by this work.

Still Open:

The Jacob V. Brower Visitor Center is open year-round, and the Itasca Suites (aka 4-Season, 6-plex) are available to rent year-round.

Opening for the season:

Douglas Lodge Restaurant and cabins May 25 at 5:00 pm; Forest Inn Gift Shop, Mary Gibbs Cafe May 26th, and Mary Gibbs Mississippi Headwaters Gift Shop May 25th.

Park Notes

Gift Cards:

Purchase a Minnesota State Parks Gift Card.

Firewood Restrictions Information:

Minnesota has enacted legislation that restricts firewood being brought to or used on DNR lands. Learn more and review vendor lists.

Virtual Tour:

Stand at the Headwaters of the Mississippi River, go inside Douglas Lodge, and get a birds-eye-view from an observation tower.
Panoramic tour | Accessible tour

Download the Itasca State Park guide and map

Mary Gibbs Mississippi Headwaters Center:

Visit the Mary Gibbs Mississippi Headwaters Center. Outdoor interpretive displays on the plaza are available for viewing year-round. Be sure to take the short walk to the Headwaters of the Mississippi River, which offers visitors a glimpse of this historic location.

Jacob V. Brower Visitor Center and Gift Shop:

The building is open year-round, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.

Internet Access:

Wireless internet access is now available at certain locations around Itasca State Park! Please note that signal strength may vary.
Access is available at the Jacob V. Brower Visitor Center, Douglas Lodge, Pine Ridge Campground, Bear Paw campground, and all Itasca Suites.

GeoCaching:

Itasca State Park is not a demonstration park for the Wildlife Safari. You will need to bring your own GPS unit when searching for our critter card. The closest demonstration park with GPS units to check out is Lake Bemidji State Park. Enjoy your search for the critter cards!

Birders:

Bird Checklist at Itasca State Park.

Park Highlights

Camping	Fishing
Hiking	Historic Site
Unique Ecosystem	Jacob V. Brower Visitor Center

Events

Find more State Park events on the DNR Events Calendar!

05/26/12	Itasca State Park	CCC Buildings Walk and Talk
05/26/12	Itasca State Park	5 Facts in 5 Minutes: Beavers
05/26/12	Itasca State Park	CCC Old Timers Cabin, Open Tour
05/26/12	Itasca State Park	5 Facts in 5 Minutes: Conifers
05/26/12	Itasca State Park	Jr. Naturalist: Tree I.D. Relay
05/26/12	Itasca State Park	Fisher, Mink and More! Campfire
05/27/12	Itasca State Park	5 Facts in 5 Minutes: Black Bears
05/27/12	Itasca State Park	Jr. Naturalist: Pond Study
05/27/12	Itasca State Park	Itasca's Music Under the Pines: Jim and Molly Bauer
05/31/12	Itasca State Park	5 Facts in 5 Minutes: Frogs and Toads
05/31/12	Itasca State Park	Mississippi Headwaters Walk
06/01/12	Itasca State Park	Wildflowers by Wheels, Bike Tour
06/01/12	Itasca State Park	Jr. Naturalist: X Marks the Spot!
06/02/12	Itasca State Park	Junior Park Naturalist: Totally into Turtles!
06/02/12	Itasca State Park	Take a Stroll through Itasca's History
06/02/12	Itasca State Park	Minnesota Bird Migration: Catch the Wave! Birds of the Itasca Landscape
06/06/12	Itasca State Park	Circle Time Under the Pines: P is for Pond
06/09/12	Itasca State Park	Itasca's 5th Annual Picnic in the Park
06/09/12	Itasca State Park	Itasca's Music Under the Pines: Park Rapids Community Band
06/10/12	Itasca State Park	5 Facts in 5 Minutes: Conifers of Itasca
06/10/12	Itasca State Park	Junior Park Naturalist: Beavers
06/10/12	Itasca State Park	Itasca's Music Under the Pines: Chasing Clarence
06/12/12	Itasca State Park	Pack-a-Snack Story Hike: "Birds in Our Backyard"
06/12/12	Itasca State Park	Archery in the Park
06/13/12	Itasca State Park	Circle Time Under the Pines: B is for Beavers
06/13/12	Itasca State Park	5 Facts in 5 Minutes: Owls
06/13/12	Itasca State Park	Basic Nature Photography Tips and Tricks with Bruce Flaig
06/13/12	Itasca State Park	CCC Buildings Walk and Talk
06/13/12	Itasca State Park	CCC Old Timers Cabin, Open Tour
06/13/12	Itasca State Park	Digital Bridge to Nature, Teachers Photography Workshop at Itasca State Park
06/14/12	Itasca State Park	Mississippi Headwaters Walk
06/16/12	Itasca State Park	Canoe the Mississippi River Water Trail: Coffee Pot Landing through Stumphges Rapids
06/16/12	Itasca State Park	Little Minnesota: 100 Towns Around 100
06/19/12	Itasca State Park	Pack-a-Snack Story Hike: "Marsh Morning"
06/20/12	Itasca State Park	Circle Time Under the Pines: S is for Spiders
06/21/12	Itasca State Park	Mississippi Headwaters Walk
06/21/12	Itasca State Park	Outdoor Kids
06/24/12	Itasca State Park	Outdoor Kids
06/24/12	Itasca State Park	Itasca's Music Under the Pines: Alabaster Falls
06/26/12	Itasca State Park	Pack-a-Snack Story Hike: "Big Belching Bog"
06/27/12	Itasca State Park	Circle Time Under the Pines: C is for Camping
06/27/12	Itasca State Park	Nature Rocks! Outdoor Adventure for Teens- "GPS Challenge"
06/28/12	Itasca State Park	Mississippi Headwaters Walk
06/28/12	Itasca State Park	Outdoor Kids
07/01/12	Itasca State Park	Outdoor Kids
07/03/12	Itasca State Park	Pack-a-Snack Story Hike: "Are You a Butterfly?"
07/05/12	Itasca State Park	Mississippi Headwaters Walk
07/05/12	Itasca State Park	Outdoor Kids
07/07/12	Itasca State Park	Canoe the Mississippi River Water Trail: Iron Bridge to Lake Irving
07/08/12	Itasca State Park	Outdoor Kids
07/10/12	Itasca State Park	Pack-a-Snack Story Hike: "The Cutest Critter"
07/11/12	Itasca State Park	Circle Time Under the Pines: L is for Loons
07/11/12	Itasca State Park	Drawn to the Outdoors: "Nature Cartooning for Kids"
07/12/12	Itasca State Park	Wet and Wild Mississippi River Day!
07/14/12	Itasca State Park	Annual Butterfly Walk
07/14/12 - 07/15/12	Itasca State Park	I Can Camp!
07/14/12	Itasca State Park	Itasca's Music Under the Pines: Jim and Molly Bauer
07/15/12	Itasca State Park	Outdoor Kids
07/17/12	Itasca State Park	Pack-a-Snack Story Hike: "Whose Tracks are These?"
07/18/12	Itasca State Park	Circle Time Under the Pines: B is for Bears
07/18/12	Itasca State Park	Nature Rocks! Outdoor Adventure for Teens- "Win It in a Minute"

Hours

Best time to contact the park:

Daily, 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Contact

36750 Main Park Drive
Park Rapids, MN 56470

tel: 218-699-7251

fax: 218-699-7210

email: itasca.statepark@state.mn.us

Getting There

South entrance to the park is 23 miles north of Park Rapids on U.S. Highway 71. From Bemidji, the east entrance is 30 miles south on U.S. Hwy 71 and 1/10 mile north on State Hwy 200. The north entrance is 21 miles south of Bagley on State Hwy 92/State Hwy 200.