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With the June flooding of the Central Mississippi this year, searching out a more peaceful region of the mighty river seemed appropriate. The source of the Mississippi is found in Lake Itasca in Central Minnesota.
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Source of the Mississippi River in Lake Itasca, MN
photo from "www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/gmu/mississippi/index.htm"

There are two things every elementary student in Minnesota knows by heart: their state is the land of 10,000 lakes and Lake Itasca is the birthplace of the mighty Mississippi River.

Naturally, the park bearing that name attracts tourists who come to enjoy her natural attractions— and often to camp. With more than 32,000 acres within its boundaries, scores of lakes, and more than 50 miles of hiking trails, Lake Itasca pleases all visitors with ease.

All that and more waits under majestic northern red-pine forests. There is nothing more tranquil than boating on a Minnesota lake at sunset. The long, narrow arms of Itasca offer miles of canoeing opportunities.

You can paddle from the North Arm boat ramp a thousand yards farther north and come to a small creek flowing gently out of the lake. Pass through the boulders across this flow and keep heading downstream. Well over thousand miles later, you’ll be paddling in the Gulf of Mexico! Launch from that same boat ramp and head in the opposite direction and you’ll reach the end of East Arm, where the grandness of Douglas Lodge looms overhead. Step ashore and you are in the heart of the most developed part of this large park. From here you can take several main trails to lakes and points south or you can hop in a car (or on a bike) and enjoy 10 miles of pure northern Minnesota near-wilderness as you wind along the perimeter of the Itasca Wilderness Sanctuary Scientific and Natural Area.

I point out these fabulous natural and cultural amenities early on for a reason: I don’t find Lake Itasca to be the greatest place to tent camp! I should explain that as a student at the University of Minnesota’s College of Forestry back in the late 1960s, I spent five weeks at Lake Itasca during a field semester. We saw the campgrounds every day during that late summer session. They were always full, and the tents were all concentrated into two rather confined areas in this expansive park. I’ve camped there a few times since my college days, and when I went back there again to inspect the grounds for this chapter, I found that, compared to other sites, even those in other state parks, the campgrounds at Itasca are still pretty average.

Activities: fishing, swimming, canoe and boat rentals, and biking.
Dialogue by Tom Watson

Trail Guide

Activity Type: Campgrounds
Nearby City: Park Rapids, MN
Campsites: 237 campsites at 2 campgrounds, 99 electric, 11 cart-in
Season: Year-round
Local Contacts: Itasca State Park
Local Maps: Itasca State Park Campground Topo Map

Sources; Trails.com, Google, Mapquest