Descriptive general text for point of interest goes here.By Jim Umhoefer
Trails Reporter
Clearwater, Hubbard, and Becker counties. 20 miles north of Park Rapids on Highway 71.
Highway map index: F-9.
What would Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn think if they could see the birthplace of the mighty Mississippi? Like Mark Twain's characters, the Mississippi River in Itasca State Park is forever youthful.
The unsullied setting of the river's birth attracts over a half million visitors each year. The 32,000-acre park, Minnesota's second largest (behind St. Croix State Park), is the state's most developed park yet also one of its most pristine. The bulk of the development (cabins, campgrounds, gift shops, Douglas Lodge, interpretive center, food service, etc.) is concentrated along the eastern arm of Lake Itasca. The rest of the park is a spacious mix of virgin timber, secluded lakes, second-growth forest, and a 2,000-acre wilderness area.
You can reach the headwaters of the Mississippi by driving around the north end of Lake Itasca and following the signs. It's a short walk from the large parking lot, crossing over the young river on the way. At the lake's outlet, a marker notes the great river's first "steps" on its 2,552-mile-long journey to the Gulf of Mexico. It takes 60 days for the waters spilling out of Lake Itasca to reach their destination.
