• • • •C • • Naturalist programs •V Department of Natural Resources © 12/2007 by State of , snowmobile trails. or hike on groomed ski or note that you may not snowshoe streams and wetlands. Please Caution is needed near lakes, for exploration by snowshoe. The majority of the park is open INFORMATION SNOWSHOE snowshoe hare. might catch a glimpse of winter wildlife viewing. You W Access the Bog SPECIAL FEATURE •G • FEATURES WINTER FACILITIES AND STATE PARK LAKE BEMIDJI sporting and map stores. r available for purchase from the DNR gift shop, Public Recreation Information Maps (PRIM) are facilities. state and county lands with their recreational The DNR has mapped the state showing federal, egional offices, Minnesota state parks and major L Snowshoe rental State Trail Snowmobile trail Nature trails Rustic winter camping alk by ski or shoeshoe for OOKING FOR MORE INFORMATION isitor center/trail center r r Check it out - you'll be glad you did. oss-country ski trails oup areas ? BEMIDJI 6 miles

WINTER TRAILS

Ski trail distances in kilometers. (ungroomed) Skiing Cross-country Snowmobile trail distances in miles. (winter snowmobiling) P (groomed) Skiing Cross-country Snowmobiling aul Bunyan State Trail Tw One-way ski trail most difficult more difficult easy o-way ski trail DNR Regional Headquarters FA 20 CILITIES Great River Road (except on designated trails) Public Use Prohibited Private Property Picnic Shelter Pa Scenic Overlook Amphitheater Interpretive/Trail Center Campground Information/Office

r

ungroomed king ski trails Pa rk Entrance 0.5 k 0.5 k 0.5 k 0.1. 2 1 414

0.3 k 1400 0.3 k 2.3.4.5 NORTH 0.3 k 3 1400 6 0.5 k 0.2 k 2.1 k 0.2 k 0.4 k 0.2 k 6 Kilometers 0.2 k 0.5 mi 1400 0.5 k 1400 0.2 k 3 0.3 k 0.8 k 0.6 k 5 6

1350 Lavinia Road Lavinia 0.5k 57 0.7 k 0.6 k ungroomed boardwalk 7 ungroomed bogwalk 1.0 mi 8 0.5 k

1350 4 5

0.4 k

Snowmobile trail distances shown in miles Ski trail distances shown in kilometers 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 TRAIL NAMES ...... P Bog Walk Old Logging Trail Pinewood Fish Hawk Balsam Homestead Rocky Point 19 aul Bunyan State Trail 0.8 k

1350

0.2 mi.

Big Bass Road NE Road Bass Big 1400 1350 20 8 1.0 k 0.4 mi. Paul Bunyan 0.4 mi. .

. 1400 0.3 mi.

State Trail 1400 19 57 T all Pines Road as trails and roads other than those shown. manager if youwith the park plan to use facilities such of the D.N.R.,that are not under the jurisdiction check Because lands exist of this park within the boundaries 57 TURTLE RIVER 4 miles STATE FOREST B 8 UENA VISTA LANDSCAPE: Lake Bemidji State Park contains a chipmunks and red squirrels, always seeking attention 90 88 Homestead Trail NORTH 95 93 92 variety of plant and animal communities. Located in from campers and picnickers, adapt all too well to Aspen Lane 91 the north-central portion of the pine-moraine region the park’s recreational areas. 96 94 of Minnesota, the park is a mixture of many plant 89 87 LAKE BEMIDJI communities from maturing pines to young aspen. The park is fortunate in having fine examples of an LAKE BEMIDJI 75e 78e 86 STATE PARK Settlers found communities of aspen-birch, tamarack- interesting northern Minnesota plant community— STATE PARK 80e 82 the conifer bog. Living exclusively in these areas are 84 spruce, river-bottom oaks, basswood, and hard maple CAMPGROUND some of Minnesota’s most unusual plant and animal 76e 77e 85 Duluth represented in the landscape. 79e species. The Bog Trail boardwalk leads a quarter mile 74e 72e 70e 81e 83 • Drinking Water Today, natural changes are still occurring within the into one of these areas so that visitors can observe 68e park. The park is managed to provide visitors with pitcher plants, insect-eating sundews, orchids, and e Electrical Sites 73e 66e vacation activities like camping, fishing, and boating other plants without disturbing the bog. 71e 69e 67e NORTH 52e 54e Birch Lane within the natural setting of the pre-settlement land- Toilets 55e 57e59e Minneapolis/ Adjacent to the Fish Hawk Trail a short boardwalk 65e St. Paul • scape. Still continuing are the processes and 62e plant/animal interactions which have been a part of leads visitors to a floating overlook of Sundew Pond. Restrooms/Showers 64e 51e the area for thousands of years. 53e 56e In the wetland areas of the park, nesting waterfowl Trailer Sanitation Station 61e 63e can be found as well as beaver, muskrat, and mink. 58e 60e 46e RECREATION: Lake Bemidji State Park is far from 50e 48e 44e 43e being just a summertime vacation land. Winter in the In the evening, the park is alive with the sounds of Group Camp gray treefrogs, spring peepers, and chorus and wood north country has become an enjoyable season for Underlined site numbers 49e Pine Lane frogs. The woodland sound of a , the flute- Dining Hall 47e 45e young and old. The miles of groomed trails within are RESERVABLE 42e like song of the veery, and the hammering of a sap- LAKE BEMIDJI the park provide both advanced and beginning skiers Parking 31 36e 41e 40 32 33 38e with exciting, yet peaceful, cross-country skiing ex- sucker all add to the twilight wilderness experience. 30 periences. Snowshoers, hikers, birders, and winter Restrooms 27 34 39 STATE PARK In all, nearly 50 species of mammals and almost 200 35 anglers also find park resources the ingredients for different kinds of birds can be seen throughout the 24 FOR MORE INFORMATION Office a pleasurable day. The park is the trailhead for the year in Lake Bemidji State Park. Contact the park entranceto 29 23 . 2 28 Lake Bemidji State Park naturalist for current information on where and when Visitor/Trail Center 26 3401 State Park Road N.E. GEOLOGY: The present landscape in the park is the to observe the variety of wildlife. 3 Oak Lane Amphitheater 4 25 Bemidji, MN 56601 result of the last stage of glaciation in Minnesota. Soil, HISTORY: For generations, Dakota Indians fished 1 5 22 gravel, and rock material carried by the glacier as it and hunted around Lake Bemidji until the westward- (218) 308-2300 Picnic Area 6 21 moved south was eventually deposited as the ice moving Anishinabe reached the area, about 1750. The ♦ 20 receded 10,000 years ago. Anishinabe were able to drive the Dakota into the Picnic Shelter 8 Great Plains away from their ancestral lakes and 10 Department of Natural Resources The park’s rolling topography was created by the 7 19 18 hunting grounds. Handicapped Accessible Information Center uneven deposition of this glacial till. Meltwater, 9 11 500 Lafayette Road running off the surface of the glacier, also played a The Anishinabe called the lake Bemidjigumaug, mean- 17 16 role in constructing the present shape of the land. ing “cross water.” Early voyageurs translated it to 12 St. Paul, MN 55155-4040 15 Glacial meltwaters deposited outwash in some areas 13 French as Lac Travers. Later Europeans unable to 14 of the park similar to the way a river deposits soil at (651) 296-6157 (Metro Area) pronounce the Anishinabe name simply referred to Bass Creek Trail its mouth in the form of a delta. The campground it as “Bemidji.” 1-888-646-6367 (MN Toll Free) area is overlying a flat outwash plain. TDD (Telecommunications A priority of settlers in the area was the harvesting Many of the swamps and bogs in the park were of prime white and red pine. Several mills on the Device for Deaf) formed when chunks of ice separated from the reced- south shore of Lake Bemidji were the center of the to beach (651) 296-5484 (Metro Area) ing glacier and left depressions which later filled with last big logging surge in Minnesota. The foundation 1-800-657-3929 (MN Toll Free) water. Lake Bemidji itself is the result of two huge of one mill is still visible near Nymore Beach. Logging blocks of ice being left behind by the retreating glacier. artifacts have been found in the lake by divers. conducted just about every day. Winter months offer visitors a chance to try snowshoeing, candlelight This information is available in DNR Web Site: http://www.dnr.state.mn.usIs our present landscape now fixed? Definitely not! The land within the present park boundaries was skiing, or to learn about winter wildlife, animal track- alternative format upon request. State Parks Page: www.mnstateparks.info Since the last major alteration in the glacial period, the involved in the logging era. Vast areas were extensively ing or life under the ice. A variety of programs are land continues to change slowly. The changes result logged. Fortunately, a few areas within the park bound- offered from Labor Day to Memorial Day. “Equal opportunity to participate in and benefit from programs from the erosive forces of wind and water, shoreline aries were still in a virgin state when the land was LAKE BEMIDJI STATE PARK is located 1.7 miles of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is available wave action, and other earth-moving processes. purchased by the government, thus preserving a rem- to all individuals regardless of race, color, creed or religion, national off County Road 21, five miles north of Bemidji, During the winter a modern trail center is open daily nant of towering forests so common in years past. and sometimes serves as a gathering place for inter- origin, sex, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, Minnesota. Entrance to the park is from Beltrami WILDLIFE: The diversity of vegetation in the park sexual orientation, age or disability. Discrimination inquires should pretive programs where visitors share experiences County State Aid Highway 20. Highway map supports many wildlife species. Birding is excellent. In 1923, the Minnesota state legislature set aside 421 be sent to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, 500 by the warmth of the woodstove. Throughout the Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN 55155-4031; or the Equal Opportunity index: F-7. Campers may awake to cheery sounds of red-eyed acres, establishing Lake Bemidji State Park. Today, year the Visitor Center is a place where information Office, Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. 20240.” and warbling vireos, rose-breasted grosbeaks, and the park has grown to over 1,600 acres to serve 150,000 In the pine-moraine setting on the north shore of many other forest songsters. Loons, black terns, gulls, about the park’s trails, animals, geology or other plus visitors a year. Minnesota 6,765-acre Lake Bemidji, this state park affords visitors even osprey can be seen while spending a quiet interesting features can be found through exhibits, an enjoyable combination of Minnesota lake country morning or evening on the lakeshore. A quiet hike INTERPRETIVE PROGRAMS: Throughout the year films or slide programs. A complete listing of pro- recreation and the natural experiences of the northern on one of the park trails can yield a glimpse of a doe park visitors have the opportunity to participate in grams and special programs for organized groups is forest. The short hike to the bluff at Rocky Point high a variety of activities. From Memorial Day to Labor available on request. with her fawn, a porcupine having lunch halfway up DEPARTMENT OF above the blue waters, under a canopy of pine, birch, a jack pine, or even an occasional black bear. Eastern Day activities such as morning hikes, boat tours of ♦ © 12/2007 by State of Minnesota, and maple, is both memorable and inspirational. Lake Bemidji, or evening films and campfire talks are Department of Natural Resources DNR Maps