Big Timbers sits at the heart of things do to do for nature lovers. We are centrally located between Bemidji, Park Rapids, and Bagley.
Distance to Bemidji ~ 30 miles
Distance to Park Rapids ~ 27 miles
Distance to Bagley ~ 25 miles
We are located less than one mile from the North Entrance to Itasca State Park. Just over 1 mile you will find the famous Headwaters to the Mississippi.
Itasca State Park Activities
Mississippi Headwaters
At Itasca State Park, the mighty Mississippi River begins its slow and steady stream toward the Gulf of Mexico. Established in 1891 to preserve remnant stands of virgin pine and to protect the basin around the Mississippi's source, Itasca is Minnesota's oldest state park. With annual visits totaling nearly half a million each year, it is also one of the busiest. In 1832, Anishinabe guide Ozawindib, led explorer Henry Rowe Schoolcraft to the source of the Mississippi River at pristine, blue Lake Itasca. Today, visitors from around the world enjoy walking across the world's third longest river by stepping from rock to rock to reach the opposite shore. Alternatives include walking across a log bridge or wading through the shallow water.
Headwaters Monument
Many visitors have had their picture taken beside the iconic Mississippi headwaters monument, a tall tree stump painted brown with carved, yellow lettering that says, "Here 1475 feet above the ocean, the mighty Mississippi begins to flow on its winding way 2552 miles to the Gulf of Mexico." Near the monument are log benches, where you can sit and take in the view of Lake Itasca and the surrounding majestic pine trees.
Swimming Beach
A popular place to enjoy a cool, refreshing dip in the lake on a hot day. The swimming beach at Lake Itasca is sandy and scenic, with a playground, picnic shelter and volleyball net near by.
Boat Dock and Access
Visit the boat dock near the beach on Lake Itasca and enjoy some time on the water! Here you can launch your boat for some great fishing or head out for a scenic tour of the lake in a canoe. Experience the tranquility, calmness and serenity of being on the water.
Rentals
Stop by lakeside concessionaire Itasca Sports to rent boats, motors, canoes, pontoons, paddleboats and kayaks. A variety of bicycles are also available, including tandem and electric bikes. If you're going fishing, you can get your license, bait and tackle here, too.
Bike Trail
A 16-mile paved trail winds through Itasca State Park. Approximately six miles of this trail is an off-road, paved trail that extends from Douglas Lodge to the Headwaters area. From the Headwaters area, you may continue on the one-way Wilderness Drive Loop that is shared with automobiles. Take a break at one of the trailside benches and enjoy the diverse forest community of trees, plants, and animals.
Wilderness Drive
The Wilderness Drive Loop offers a scenic tour of Itasca State Park. Along the route, you'll be able to admire the tall north woods trees that tower over the road, forming a grand and beautiful canopy above. Keep an eye out for deer, squirrels, and other forest creatures scampering around in the underbrush.
Brower Trail
Revel in some peace and quiet on Brower Trail. Nestled alongside the east arm of Lake Itasca, extending from the fishing pier below Douglas Lodge to Bear Paw Campground, you will enjoy many beautiful views of the lake and thick pine forests along with sounds of chirping birds high up in the trees or scurrying rabbits and chipmunks on the forest floor.
Preachers Grove
Inland from the lake sits Preachers Grove. Not much light hits the forest floor during the day, but at sunrise and sunset, the sun peers through the trunks of the towering red pines, casting long shadows of the tall trees beside the lake.
Tour Boat
Climb aboard the 141-passenger Chester Charles II Excursion Boat for a cruise around Lake Itasca. The narrated tour follows the same route taken by Ozawindib in 1832 when he guided Henry Rowe Schoolcraft to the Headwaters of the Mississippi River.
Douglas Lodge
This picturesque, two-story log building is Historic Douglas Lodge, a charming place to stay with a full-service restaurant on the first floor. Built in 1905, it is located on the south shore of Lake Itasca, with parking in front and easy access to trails.
Brower Visitor Center Exhibits
In spring 2002, Itasca State Park got a new landmark—the 13,000-square-foot Jacob V. Brower Visitor Center, where you can gather and discover all there is to see and do in the park before you begin your adventure outdoors. Displays and exhibits feature a bald eagle in flight, a stuffed black bear, a tent, a mannequin of a forester and much, much more.
Mary Gibbs Center
The Mary Gibbs Mississippi Headwaters Center, which opened in 2005, is named for a woman who risked her life to protect and save Itasca State Park's magnificent pine forest from loggers. The Center offers outdoor exhibits, a gift shop and a café. The sidewalk from the parking lot leads past two flagpoles and a large metal globe en route to the Headwaters of the Mississippi River. Along the accessible trail to the Headwaters, grasses and wildflowers grow on either side of the walkway and pine trees are visible in the distance.