Where The MISSISSIPPI River Begins - Camping at ITASCA State Park Minnesota | Wilderness Drive

Itasca State Park is a beautiful park of 32,690 acres in northern Minnesota. Established in 1891, Itasca State Park is Minnesota’s oldest state park and was created to protect the forests and waters surrounding the headwaters of the Mississippi River. The park contains over one hundred lakes, as well as large tracts of remaining old-growth red and white pine forests. Itasca State Park is the official starting point of the Great River Road National Scenic Byway. Over 500,000 people visit Itasca State Park each year. The headwaters of the mighty Mississippi River can be found at Itasca State Park. The Mississippi River begins it journey to the Gulf of Mexico from Lake Itasca. The Mississippi River first winds its way through Minnesota, before traveling 2552 miles to the Gulf of Mexico. The headwaters of the Mississippi River looks much the same today, as it did back in 1832 when Henry Rowe Schoolcraft was led to the source by Ojibwe guide Ozawindib. Visitors to Itasca State Park can enjoy wading across the shallow 18-inch-deep river or take their picture next to the iconic headwaters post, which dates to the 1930s. The Wilderness Drive at Itasca State Park is a ten-mile-long one-way road that twists and turns through the park. Along the Wilderness Drive you will find numerous hiking trails, lakes, and large stands of old growth forest. You can climb the 100-foot-tall Aiton Heights fire tower that was built in the 1930s. Itasca State Park has two different campgrounds with a total of 223 sites. We camped at Bear Paw Campground and enjoyed our visit. In 2025 a campsite with electricity was $35 per night. An annual permit for Minnesota State Parks is $35 and provides unlimited visits to all state parks for a full year. Below are the chapters for this video: 0:00 Intro to Itasca State Park 1:10 Headwaters of the Mississippi River 8:07 Picnic Area and Lakeside Museum 10:20 Jacob Brower Visitor Center 11:44 Bear Paw Campground 12:11 Wegman Cabin 13:07 Back at the Headwaters of the Mississippi River 13:48 The Wilderness Drive 16:46 White Pine Trail 20:30 The Wilderness Drive 22:33 Ancient Bison Trail 26:33 The Wilderness Drive 28:06 Aiton Heights Fire Tower 30:55 The Wilderness Drive 31:50 Douglas Lodge 33:23 Preachers Grove #itasca #mississippiriver #minnesota Music by Epidemic Sound: https://www.epidemicsound.com/ Please be sure to like, comment and subscribe to our channel at:    / @blendedtravels