Mississippi River Headwaters

My family and I visited in the beginning of August. There were a decent amount of people. Definitely worth seeing. The views are beautiful and the walking paths are well maintained and clear. If you have never been, or even if you have been, go check it out! It’s a lot of fun for everyone. Plus you can tell people you walked across the Mississippi River!

I’ve visited the head waters many times in the summer months but never in the winter. I’ve always wanted to visit the head waters via snowmobile. Well, this past weekend we finally made it happen! The weather was warm and the trials were pretty beat up. The asphalt was snowing through in the park a little bit. Listen to the video for the relaxing sound of the headwaters. It would be nice to have a trail to the fire tower. We could have climbed two towers that day if there was. No ticket or check in requires. The trail leads you right into the back side of the park and right to the head waters. Can’t drive up to the head waters. Have to walk about 100 yards.

I cannot recommend Itasca State Park enough. Come and stay for a week...it is our home away from home. We make the 380 km drive down from our home in Canada, every chance we get.

Imagine standing at the very beginning of the mighty Mississippi River. At Itasca State Park, you can do just that! Walk across the crystal-clear headwaters as the river embarks on its epic 2,552-mile journey to the Gulf of Mexico. Surrounded by ancient pine forests and pristine wilderness, this iconic park is a haven for nature lovers and adventure seekers alike. Immerse yourself in the heart of America and create unforgettable memories in this legendary landscape.

Great place to visit for people of all ages. Being from New Orleans, where the Mississippi River is about a mile wide,I really wanted to see where it began. Of course I walked across the water!

It is pretty cool to be able to walk across the Mississippi at the beginning of it especially knowing how big it gets at the end! Kids love the opportunity to cross on rocks and be able to play in the river. The walkway to it is nice and broad and there didn't seem to be any bugs. The visitors center has lots of information about the river, nice bathrooms, a cafe with ice cream for hot days, and a large gift store.

We had no idea what to expect here, or if we’d even be able to fit our motorhome into the parking lot. Fortunately, they had plenty of parking and have motorhome parking as well which was super helpful. Our bus is 44’ long and we tow the van behind so in total we needed around 67’ of parking which was not an issue. We also didn’t do any research before arriving so had no idea if we would be getting in the water or not, in fact we told the kids not to get in the water, but after walking the short walk down the trail there was no keeping anyone out of the water. We went in June and there were a good amount of other people there, but it didn’t feel crowded. We enjoyed all the signage and of course splashing in the water was a ton of fun!! The gift shop was well stocked and had plenty of good souvenirs for the whole family. There are also a lot of educational signage that we really enjoyed. We highly recommend stopping here on any road trip going near.

It's been 50 plus years since I visited the headwaters. It is still as beautiful as I remember. It is a must-see for everyone. From a stream, of just a few feet across, becomes the mighty Mississippi river. It's definitely worth the visit.