Reviews of Itasca State Park (Tourist Attraction)

Stacie Eckerdt

This park is a must visit! The headwaters of the Mississippi River is an extremely important ecological habitat. The park provides an abundance of education about the area, its inhabitants and history. If you are at all interested in preserving a priceless fresh water source, or why it should be preserved, you will find what you need to know here. Lots of great hiking trails, some old growth trees that were spared during the clear-cut of Minnesota's ancient forests, camping, swimming... A perfect place to get back in touch with Nature, Mother Earth or if you prefer to call it God's Creation.

Terry Moore

Reasonable campground sites. Level, not too tightly packed, big enough for class A rigs. Excellent food at the lodge. Plenty of hiking and canoeing opportunities. Nice information displays at the Mississippi Headwaters visitors center. Maps could use some more detail and information about trails and attractions.

Beverly Greenwald

This is Minnesota's Resort: I love it!

Alexander Risse

Great park! I've been camping here most summers for over 20 years.

P Roder

Went for a weekend camping trip. Was fun and cheap! Great hiking.

Becca Halverson

My daughter and I spent some time at the Visit Center today. It is such a lovely building with many interesting learning experiences. There were beautiful seating areas in the glorious sunshine

BIll Lloyd

Just an absolutely stunning jewel of a park. Where else are you going to see the headwaters of the Mississippi?

Mike Nordness

I found a nice trail near the south entrance.

Mark Robinson

Absolutely beautiful State Park. Definitely recommend going here with friends or family or even on that special occasion with a date. You can take a picnic just make sure you take your trash with you. Plenty of parking and definitely recommend anytime of the day make sure your camera is fully charged.

Johnny Limpet

It is a very pretty place! I was drizzling when I was there, but I enjoyed it even so. The visitor's center has quite a few interactive exhibits. There's not really any strenuous hiking where I was, just easy trails.

Carol Nelson

Loved the park campground. Had an amazing tent overnight with my 2 granddaughters as well as climbing the fire tower!

Michael Devereaux

Beautiful state park. We didn't have nearly enough time but will be coming back. There's so much more to do than wade through the Mississippi headwaters! I can honestly say that between the park's attractions and the visitor center ISP is better than some national parks I've been to.

Markki LeBlanc

Great views and great place to camp, bike, or even walk trails.

Tom Lord

I go there in the spring, summer and fall to see the forest change with the seasons . I really like this place. Especially on my motorcycle.

Gary Larson

Beautiful park with lots of miles of trails. Great hike in camping sites. Just remember to bring plenty of the strongest mosquito repellent you can find if going in the summer. They are so thick that you will have a cloud of them around you at all times. Along with the deer flies and black flies. I highly recommend mosquito beeter for the camp site.

Jodi Portz

Loved it!! Love mother nature and what she has to offer!

Ashley F.

There is so much to do here and it is absolutely gorgeous! It is now our favorite State Park and we will be back again!

Christine Johnson

Quintessential camping. Just perfect. One of our favorite MN State Parks.

justin lightfoot

My top 5 favorite state parks to visit!

Michaela Bendimez

It is well taken care off and once you get off the beaten path there are so many trails to hike

Kevin Kuether

Beautiful clean lakes but a few too many mosquitos. If you go off the beaten path ticks abound. That said the view from the fire watch tower is one of the best I have seen anywhere.

mike Struck

Amazing. And the headwaters were very fun.

Iryna Lindhag

Beautiful well kept park. Campgrounds are large and sites are spacious

def rabbit

Wonderful wilderness, fire tower to climb, miles of bike paths, great park for the family. Calm and peaceful from the city life. Snapping turtles, red squirrel, bluejay, swan, and bald eagle. Love Itasca State Park.

Erin Nicole

Such a beautiful place to visit. So many historical sites to stop and see. Great for a family day or weekend!

Zdenko Grajcar

Beautiful State Park with very nice RV camp area.

B H

Always love going there. Friendly people and great views and trails .

Ron H

This Park is the best in Minnesota,you have to visit soon.

Andy Goedland

Itasca is a must for my family and I every time we are near. Awesome day today weather wise and the bugs were not bad either

Tony Frizzell

Beautiful area with lots of things to do

Cathy Kendall

Fun place to ride bike, hike trails, and eat at the historic lodge.

Perry Forbord

Outstanding. Head of the Mississippi and everything you want to do. Canoe, bike, camp, eat. Been there many times

Dennis Tjaden

This is a highlight of Minnesota. A jewel of a place and everyone should visit.

Quentin Rouhoff

Mississippi Headwaters is only the start. Climb the fire tower, stop in to one of the museums and hike for beautiful ladyslippers and majestic pines! This place needs to be on your Minnesota bucket list!

Kaaren Mikus

I wanted a mother/daughter day with my girl. We had a great time picking which spots to go to, and then checking them off on the map. Can't wait to go again.

Jerry Thurston

Beautiful Park. Must see the headwaters and the old growth forests.

Apoorva M N

Headwater monument was a little overrated, but was extremely fun to cross over. There's a lot of activities Itasca state park offers visitors, such as biking, tandem biking, canoeing, kayaking, museum visit and daily events centered around Flora and fauna during summers. It's fun to visit with friends and family.

Mary Sorvig

Fun day with grandkids. Would have appreciated less expensive place to eat... Douglas Lodge was nice but very pricey when I had 4 kids with me. Next time I will picnic.

Jacqui C

Itasca Sports was warm, homey, and overall amazing. We rented a pontoon which was very reasonably priced, worked wonderful. The employee who helped us out and then back to dock was amazing! Lake was beautiful, warm and clean! Huge! Didn't know it was so big! Glad we rented a boat to check it out

Heather Barron

Such a beautiful park with well maintained natural hiking trails, we go every year to spend time enjoying the outdoors at it's finest. If you haven't been to Itasca State Park you truly must go. All activities are truly amazing including hiking, biking, canoeing, swimming...they even have rentals so you don't have to haul your own gear. It's worth the drive to spend a day or two getting back to nature.

Kirsten Klimek

It was so beautiful here. Stayed at the campground. It was so peaceful and that was surprising for the size. The sites had nice spacing. The staff at the gift shops and visitor center were all very nice. The trails for hiking were beautiful and we'll maintained. The rental place for kayaks, bikes and boats was very convenient. Can hardly wait to come back again.

lagazda1373

Amazing sites and history, loads of things to do for all ages!

Chuck Botz

Wonderful! We will be going back! The whole family loved it.

Katie Gullickson

There are a lot of things to do at this park! We spent the majority of the day there and didn't see everything. The webcam at the headwaters was really neat. We were able to tell our family in California to watch it and they were able to see us. The picnic area near the Indian Mounds was one of our favorite spots.

Connie Hedlund Schroeder

The headwaters of the mighty Mississippi begin in Itasca State Park. You can actually walk across the Mississippi, it is about 2 feet deep and about 10 feet across. They have other areas to explore also. Plan on spending 2 or more hours there depending on what you want to explore.

Jess Kaufman

We did the big biking loop... They say it's 17 miles but, my GPS tracker stated 15.86. hilly but, there are some long hills to cruise downhill which, is really nice.

Carrie Schmitz

Awesome hiking, biking & walking trails. Beautiful family camping spot. Staff is readily available but not hovering over your site. Water & beach & walking in the Mississippi is great!

Brianna Rud

I love this place. Friendly staff. Beautiful camp grounds.

Oosu Yune

Had a great time with the family. We missed the fire tower exit. It came up so fast we drove right by it! Great scenery.

Ares Chan

This is such a wonderful place to visit for fresh air. My wife and I will come over again.

Anthony Moreno

Majestic, clean air, fresh water, nice place to visit with the family. It's beautiful.

Carol Frey

Douglas Lodge is a lovely place to stay. The mosquito are having a ball eating me alive.

Wes D

My favorite park! I grew up spending summer weekends here and the beauty of the park never fails to put me at awe.

Kara Capelli

Family park with absolutely everything to do.

Todd Lemke

Great place to get out into nature.

Henry Truong

I recommend climbing the Fire watch tower. Great view!

Kay Olson

Absolutely beautiful. Take your time and enjoy the trails.

Syed Sajjad Husain

We camped in the bear paw campground on Friday night, saw a turtle laying eggs. Next day we went to lake Itasca. There we rented kayaks, canoes and then a motor boat for an hour each. The rates are awesome and ee had a lot of fun. The we hiked to a tower which is like 9 storeys tall. Its so windy on top and the view is awesomeee. And then we went to the birthplace of Mississippi River. Very nice park overall.

Carl S

Great state park! Quiet and not bordered by a very busy road like other MN state parks so calling is quiet. Bugs were really bad in July, but the headwaters is nice, a really short hike and easy to get to. All around a fun trip!

Doug Johnson

The headwaters of the mighty Mississippi is always a great place to visit.

Cameron Fenner

Best place to visit just for a day but to see the full beauty of this park you need to stay a couple days in the camp ground and he Mississippi Headwaters is a must!

Ryan Taylor

We love Itasca. The park is fantastic, my family goes every year. Our only complaint is that at the headwaters there is a visitors center. The center has a tourist shop(which has nice stuff)... and a little food service area. This has really declined in quality over the years. From made fresh to if it isnt in the cooler, they are out...and if its in the cooler, it's not very good in my opinion. Skip eating here and head to somewhere else whether in park or not... unless you just need a quick slice of pizza and a drink.

Carol Massa

It’s just a great experience to cross the Mighty Mississippi where it begins. I was there as a kid, took my kids there, and returned now as a senior citizen. It was a lovely two days, with perfect weather. We stayed in one of the cabins, which was nice. Very clean and comfortable.

Paтrιcιa Borgнι

One of the most beautiful park i already visited. We stayed in the four season suites and i recommend that suite for every family

Stephanie Rabe

Beautiful state park with tons of activities for visitors of all ages.

Wayne Stebe

I just wouldn't camp their too cramped.

Nick Mehring

Bring something containing DEET for maximum enjoyment.

Robert Johnson

So much to see so much to do love it

Steven Roman

Great place to see the beginning of the Mississippi River. As well as part of the burial ways of my culture, Aniehinabe people at our burial mounds

Arne Rantanen

Nice open but semi-secluded campsites. Clean bathrooms. Nice playgrounds for the kids. Beach is nice, although a little Rocky at the beginning. Lots of bike trails. Lots of stuff to see. We've been here 7 times now and find something new each time.

David Anderson

It is a nice place there is a good trail system here and lots of hiking. The trails here are hilly and can be a challenge. The lake was beautiful and the park as a whole is really nice. Seriously go here in the fall and look at all the amazing colors, take a long walk in the woods, get kinda lost out there it is a big woods with lots to see.

Gannon Suedel

Beautiful place to visit in the fall when leaves are turning

Rose Bittner

Nice park, but the main attraction is the Mississippi River headwaters. Do not visit this park without insect repellent, water shoes, and a towel. The gift shop at the headwaters opens later than the visitor center. So if you plan on an early arrival the gift shop and information center at the headwaters may not be open. They honor our veterans with free admission to the park.

Chris Haines

One of the most impressive state parks I've ever been to... bring some serious deet

Kathleen Coudle-King

Rain cannot diminish the beauty of this state park. Swaying red pines, birch groves, and a beautiful lake will wrap around you. An otter crossed the road as we searched for our cabin. Feel the tension in your shoulders release as you breathe in deeply.

Linda Elliott

Beautiful park.. beautiful weather! Great campground.

Heather Bates

Such a large beautiful park. The trails are awesome and scenic. You can rent pontoons, canoes, kayaks, paddle boards, bikes, etc in the park.

Mike Mason

Beautiful wilderness. Love the massive trees

Teddy Salmen

It’s a great place to stop if you’re going through the northern Minnesota area. Fun for the kids they can walk across the Mississippi River for the first time. So there’s no reason not to stop

Terry Hagen

Great place to stay. Campground is lovely. Big trees, clean restrooms. Nice bike paths.

Diane Brown

Beautiful scenery, where the Mississippi River begins. You can walk across the great Mississippi River at Lake Itasca State park in northern Minnesota.

Nick Reynolds

Some of the purest lands available. Get out of the car, hike the trails and you'll see as much or as little as you desire. Deer, moose, porcupine, beavers.

Carol Cline

The fire ranger tower was fascinating! The headwaters for the Mississippi River was a bit too touristy. Parents were allowing their young children to stand/play on the rocks with no concern that anyone else would want to walk across the rocks or pose for a pic without having a child in the way. I also wonder if the river mouth had been moved and designed as a tourism site. Old maps show the river mouth a bit farther west. On the drive around the whole lake, there were hardly any spots you could actually see the lake. That was disappointing. The trees, though, were beautiful!

Carla L Boyd

It is a special place in this world. A place to treasure, enjoy, and leave no trace of your visit so the next person and feel the beauty of the earth and sky.

Kia Helget

Always a fun time here with family camping. Even with a full rain day, we still had fun.

Jim Fitzgerald

Loved it. Headwaters of the Mississippi. Worth the trip.

Randy Johnson

A wonderful place to visit and educational.

Sara Mills

Great way to spend a day or a weekend. Plenty to do, from bike and boat rentals, to camping, hiking trails for all levels of comfort, picnic and swimming areas, and of course, the headwaters of the Mississippi River. Be sure to check out some of the other historical sites as well, such as the lookout tower or the old cabins, the Indian Mounds, or Preachers Cove and the Pioneer Cemetery It can get really busy on the weekends though, so beware of that.

David Hanson

One of the top state parks in Minnesota. A must visit for anyone who loves the outdoors. Go cross the rocks!

Donald Spatz

Great bicycle paths. Nice lake. Chance to walk across the headwaters of the Mississippi.

Mitzi Hager

Coburns like Itasca tours is a great way to spend the day.

Vince Zamora

Great scenery including the headwaters of the Mississippi River - clean and many amenities including bikes, kayaks, boat tours and historical information.

flyinhigh 808

Beautiful park!!!! Everytime I go there it's so relaxing. Camping was awesome too. Go there either in late spring and early fall. Avoid the weekends and summer months. It can be hot to camp there. And the weekends can be crowded at times. Definitely recommended

Kara Carlson

Beautiful state park with over 100 lakes! We rented bikes and rode the trail with our two kids. They loved it! Bring the mosquito repellent!

Laurie Holmes

Beautiful clean and outstanding state park! So many things to do. Even had church on Sundays for both Christian Catholic folks AND Christian General on Sunday. Except for a quick run to the grocery store & Good Life Cafe in Park Rapids, we never had to leave park grounds. Terrific family vacation!

Kate TreeBeard

Headwaters of the Mississippi! The visitor centre had some fun (small) interactive exhibits but we still had fun. Offers really nice chill walks

Lee D

One of the best State Parks in Minnesota. The headwaters are great. It's nice when there is not anyone there, but just as enjoyable when there are other families around having fun. A lot of main hiking trails and trails for more experienced hikers. So many historical places in the area to check out while in Itasca as well. It's a fun place to get away and just forget about the daily grind.

terry brown

Nice area well maintained scenic, wade across Mississippi River

Marcus Schuff

Wonderful experience that all should experience at least once. The park is stunningly beautiful, and the wonderful sounds of wildlife fill the air. The Mississippi River Headwaters is a must, after all, Itasca means, "True Head" referring to the Mississippi River. The campgrounds are great, with all necessary amenities, and are close to the attractions. The best way to explore the park is by bicycle. Stop by Itasca Sports, near the Pine Ridge and Bear Paw campgrounds, to rent a bike if you didn't bring yours. You can also rent a kayak or a pontoon boat.

Elijah Peterson

Good outdoor fun for the whole family. Walk across the head waters of the Mississippi or bike around the park. Want more adventure head off on a side trail on a hike.

northland living

Absolutely wonderful place! So much to see! Go there all the time. I'm a regular!

Curt Eide

Beautiful state park that we visit every year for decades.

Steven Biorn

Memories that will last a lifetime. We spent two full days here and still couldn’t get enough. We hope to be back again soon.

Chadwick Spence

If you're in Minnesota, then you MUST VISIT here. I'm from the South & have ALWAYS seen the Big Part of the Mighty Mississippi River and this REALLY puts into perspective on How the Mighty Mississippi River gets it's Start. The Gift Shop is Just AMAZING! I would LOVE to Visit this place Evey Season if I could.

Rita Lohse

Had nice narrated boat ride, saw eagles flying, loons in water, very relaxing

Nathan Sandberg

Excellent views and you definitely deserve to see one of Minnesota's best lakes.

Amanda Bisted

Scenery was gourgeus, and the boat cruise was fantastic. Seeing the headwaters again is always a treat.

Mary D

Beautiful scenery, great lakes, plenty to do and see and the staff manage the park very well.

Mary Kuehn

I know. I know. Three stars for a great park. But let me explain. My sister and I stayed at this park so we could bike around it. Our first disappointment was to find out that there actually is no “outdoor heated pool” at Bert’s cabins which is prominently displayed on their website. We could live with this although this was the main reason we booked this $200/night cabin. The bike trail on the east side is a great trail. We stopped at all the things to see there on day 1. We stopped at Douglas Lodge for lunch twice and both times the service and food was amazing. I would highly recommend stopping there. Day 2 we took the bike route around Wilderness Drive. This is not for the beginner bicyclist or kids, just a fair warning. This was more like rolling hill day at my spin class. This was tough and my sister and I are avid bikers. The cabin we stayed at was great. It was clean, it had everything you need. The beds were SUPER comfortable. We had trouble getting internet the entire stay even though everything we read said there was WiFi available. We just finally gave up thinking it was our service provider. On the way home I went to the park website and there was an alert that there would be no WiFi available at Bert’s Cabins for the remainder of 2019. So for $200/night we had no pool or WiFi, both of which are listed on their website and all their handouts. I feel that if you advertise amenities they should be available. The alert about the WiFi not being available was not there when we booked the cabin or on the day we left for the cabin. Otherwise the park is great!! Just lost 2 stars for lack of advertised amenities.

Gordon Hawkins

Had a great time, took our 7 year old grandson. We live by the Mississippi river in Illinois.

Art Olstead

Certainly the finest park in Minnesota and on par with the best national parks on the USA. A must see. The bike trails are paved and offer lots of variety.

Jeff Sibley

What a great experience, we saw lots of eagles and loons! Captain and First Mate did a great job on narration and finding the wildlife none of us saw... Great value and highly recommended! Well worth the price and great way to see Lake Itasca while learning history.

Robert Anderson

It was so cool to see the beginning of the Mississippi

David Victorious

Very beautiful, also very popular on Labor Day weekend

Sylvia Radford

Great state park. Has a lodge, a museum, camping, hiking for a range of abilities. Plus it's beautiful and includes the headwaters of the Mississippi.

Crystal Kirby

Beautiful state park. Great for taking long walks on well maintained paths. Dog friendly. Lots of nice benches for people who need breaks or want to look at the scenery.

Colin O'Connor

A beautiful state park that everyone should visit.

Anne G

Very busy park, but you have to go see the start of the Mississippi River at least once! Lots of Lady Slipper flowers on the trails

Kenny mascott

Great bike trails and pretty cheap rentals. Definitely coming back sometime.

Syphanh Khao-on

Nice place for vacation. Club house cabin was worth the stay. Wish we could stay a little longer and a nice weather. But overall we made it fun

Crystal Allen

Beautiful old growth forest. The lake is gorgeous and you can rent kayaks, canoes and other fun lake items. There is an Inn and hostel within the park.

Keith Ramberg

First time back in 20 years very nice

Chad Rexin

Great MN state park. Fun visitor center and lots of trails and bike trails to go on. Plus where else do you get a chance to walk across the Mississippi River?

Jason Espeseth

Absolutely love this park. Walk across the rocks at the start of the Mississippi River or just enjoy the beautiful environment around the area. This is one of the best parks in Minnesota.

Jon Strand

Our guests from out of state were very impressed with the park, commenting on how clean and well maintained it was.

Dan A

Lots of trails. Boat rentals. Good fishing. Nice state park with usual amenities. Large campsites but some are very uneven.

Kellen Noga

Douglas lodge great food/ love those wild rice stuffed meatballs

Betty LeBaube

Lots of trails. Beautiful park

Marlene Glessing

A wonderful state park with beautiful scenery and lots of things to do and see. Excellent hiking trails.

T. S.

Pretty close to paradise... Campsites range from small/secluded to open pull-thrus, something for everyone. Not too buggy. Very quiet during the week, buzzing on the weekend. Good swimming. Fantastic biking. Great playgrounds. Everything meticulously maintained, superclean facilities. Great scenery. Great Karma.

Connie Sherseth

Always, always love to come visit! The best!

J Wytaske

Itasca is absolutely beautiful. It's a great place for the whole family, your friends, just you. I've lived all over minnesota but my favorite place stays Itasca state park.

Jamison Davis

Super cool to put your feet in the headwaters of the Mississippi River:)

Auyon Islam

Lovely scenery. Mostly well maintained. Kayaking was wonderful. Check out Headwaters if possible

Monica Knack

I love, love, love Itasca! It's a great park with lots to do and see. Hiking, swimming, biking, boating, shopping and dining. Highly recommended!

Twyla Sietsema

My 4th or 5th trip will come again, great place full of history, you can go hiking, biking, swimming, picnics, nature programs, all around great place.

Beth Mainville

It was a nice day for a motorcycle ride and to make a Minnesota iconic stop. With Charles Michaud III. Nice ride on one of the loops was beautiful and peaceful.

Betty Beerens

Beautiful and quiet. Very green, great nature