Lake Bemidji State Park
Encyclopedia
Lake Bemidji State Park is a state park
of Minnesota
, USA, on the north shore of 6765 acres (27.4 km²) Lake Bemidji
. The northern half of the park preserves a spruce-tamarack bog
. A district of National Park Service Rustic
structures built by the Civilian Conservation Corps
and National Youth Administration
in the 1930s is on the National Register of Historic Places
. The park is located 5 miles (8 km) north of the city of Bemidji
.
in Minnesota. As the ice melted 10,000 years ago, soil, gravel, and rock were deposited creating the park's rolling topography. Many swamps and bogs were formed when chunks of ice separated from the receding glacier and left depressions which filled with water.Lake Bemidji
was created by two huge blocks of ice being left behind by the retreating glacier.
The present landscape is not fixed. The land continues to change slowly due to the erosion by wind and water, shoreline wave action, and other acts of mother nature.
In the late 1800s, European immigrants migrated to this region to harvest the White and Norway pine trees. During the peak of logging, the lumber mill on the south shore of Lake Bemidji was the center of logging in the nation. When the government purchased the land, a few areas within the park boundaries were in a virgin state, preserving the towering forests. In 1923, the Minnesota State Legislature set aside 421 acres (1.7 km²), establishing Lake Bemidji State Park.
Today, the park has grown to over 1600 acres (6.5 km²) to serve 150,000 plus visitors a year.
s, herons, gulls, even osprey
can be seen by the lakeshore. A hike on one of the park trails can yield a glimpse of a doe with her fawn, a porcupine
having lunch halfway up a jackpine, or even an occasional black bear
. Eastern chipmunks and red squirrels also adapt to the park's recreational areas.
In the wetland areas of the park, waterfowl, beaver
, muskrat
, and mink
can be found. In the evening, the park is filled with sounds of gray treefrogs, spring peepers, and chorus and wood frogs. The woodland sound of a barred owl
, the flute-like song of the veery
, and the hammering of a sapsucker
all add to the wilderness experience.
In all, nearly 50 species of mammals and almost 200 different kinds of birds can be seen throughout the year in Lake Bemidji State Park. Contact the park naturalist for current information on where and when to observe the variety of wildlife.
Camping
The park has 95 drive-in sites, including 43 electric sites, 4 pull-through sites, and 4 handicapped accessible sites. In winter, only one site is available to drive-in. This is a non-electric site. Other sites are available on a walk-in basis after deep snow cover.
Two group camp sites are available. Bass Creek is a tent-only group camp that can accommodate up to 30 people. Water is available in the near-by parking area. The North Group Camp site accommodates up to 50 people and has three spaces for small trailers or pick-up campers. The group camps are available in winter but access is on foot. For group camp reservations, contact the state park reservation service at 1-866-85PARKS or online at www.stayatmnparks.com.
Trails
In the summer, there are 2 miles (3.2 km) of handicapped accessible trails, including the boardwalk and Rocky Point trail; 15 miles (24.1 km) of easy to moderate hiking trails that take you through areas of maturing pine, aspen and hardwoods; 6 miles (9.7 km) of paved bike trails which connect with the Paul Bunyan state trail; 5 Miles of mountain bike trails; and a 1/4 mile Bogwalk which is accessible by a 1 miles (1.6 km) hike.
In the winter, there are 11 miles (17.7 km) of groomed cross country ski trails, 3 miles (4.8 km) of snowmobile
trails that connect with an extensive trail system beyond the park, and you can showshoe anywhere in the park except the groomed trails. Showshoes can be rented at the park office.
Recreational Facilities
In the summer, park visitors can use the lakefront picnic and beach area which has picnic tables, an enclosed shelter with a fireplace, a volleybal court, a shower, restrooms, and pedestal grills. The shelter building and the sanitation building in the park were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps
and the National Youth Administration
, and are of rustic style log construction. These buildings are now listed on the National Register of Historic Places
. The Shelter can be reserved by calling the park office.
There is a boat landing located next to the picnic area for those that wish to go fishing or boating. Canoes and fishing boats are available for rent from May 10 through October 13. There is also a handicapped accessible fishing pier.
In the winter, snowshoes are available for rent at the park office. Or, visitors can park in the picnic area parking lot, bring their own ice fishing
equipment, and walk onto the lake to go fishing. There is a warming house located in the Trail Center, in the park's Visitor Center
Naturalist and Interpretive Programs
Throughout the year, the Visitor Center is a place where information about the park's trails, animals, geology, and other interesting features can be found through exhibits, films or slide programs. A complete list of programs and special programs or organized groups is available upon request.
Naturalist programs are offered Wednesday through Sunday from mid-June through Labor Day. Fall, winter and spring programs are generally offered on weekends. The Interpretive Center is open for schools, scouts and other community organizations upon request. Programs focus on the lake and wetland environments found in the park.
Interpretive programs in the summer include, morning hikes, boat tours of Lake Bemidji, evening films, and campfire talks. Winter programs include snowshoeing, candlelight skiing, and animal tracking. The Visitor Center is open daily and sometimes serves as a gathering place for interpretive programs where visitors share expereiences by the warmth of the woodstove.
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
of Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, USA, on the north shore of 6765 acres (27.4 km²) Lake Bemidji
Lake Bemidji
Lake Bemidji is a small glacially-formed lake, approximately 11 mi² in area, in northern Minnesota in the United States. Located less than 50 mi downstream from the source of the Mississippi River, it both receives and is drained by the Mississippi.-Geography:The lake is located in southern...
. The northern half of the park preserves a spruce-tamarack bog
Bog
A bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens....
. A district of National Park Service Rustic
National Park Service Rustic
National Park Service rustic, also colloquially known as Parkitecture, is a style of architecture that arose in the United States National Park System to create buildings that harmonized with their natural environment. Since its founding, the National Park Service consistently has sought to provide...
structures built by the Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
and National Youth Administration
National Youth Administration
The National Youth Administration was a New Deal agency in the United States that focused on providing work and education for Americans between the ages of 16 and 24. It operated from 1935 to 1939 as part of the Works Progress Administration . Following the passage of the Reorganization Act of...
in the 1930s is on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. The park is located 5 miles (8 km) north of the city of Bemidji
Bemidji, Minnesota
Bemidji is a city in Beltrami County, Minnesota, United States. Its population was at 13,431 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Beltrami County. Bemidji is the most major city in North Central Minnesota and the largest commercial center between Grand Forks, North Dakota and Duluth,...
.
Geology and landscape
The landscape in the park is the last stage of the glacierGlacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
in Minnesota. As the ice melted 10,000 years ago, soil, gravel, and rock were deposited creating the park's rolling topography. Many swamps and bogs were formed when chunks of ice separated from the receding glacier and left depressions which filled with water.Lake Bemidji
Lake Bemidji
Lake Bemidji is a small glacially-formed lake, approximately 11 mi² in area, in northern Minnesota in the United States. Located less than 50 mi downstream from the source of the Mississippi River, it both receives and is drained by the Mississippi.-Geography:The lake is located in southern...
was created by two huge blocks of ice being left behind by the retreating glacier.
The present landscape is not fixed. The land continues to change slowly due to the erosion by wind and water, shoreline wave action, and other acts of mother nature.
History
For hundreds of years, ancestors to the Dakota Indians fished and hunted around Lake Bemidj. Around 1750 the Anishinabe settled. The Anishinabe called the lake “Bemiji-gau-maug” meaning “cutting sideways through” or diagonally. This was a reference to the path of the Mississippi River through the lake. Later Europeans, unable to pronounce the Anishinabe name, simply referred to it as “Bemidji.”In the late 1800s, European immigrants migrated to this region to harvest the White and Norway pine trees. During the peak of logging, the lumber mill on the south shore of Lake Bemidji was the center of logging in the nation. When the government purchased the land, a few areas within the park boundaries were in a virgin state, preserving the towering forests. In 1923, the Minnesota State Legislature set aside 421 acres (1.7 km²), establishing Lake Bemidji State Park.
Today, the park has grown to over 1600 acres (6.5 km²) to serve 150,000 plus visitors a year.
Wildlife
The vegetation in the park supports many wildlife species. Birding is popular. Campers may hear the sounds of red-eyed and warbling vireos, rose-breasted grosbeaks, and many other song birds. Loons, eagleEagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
s, herons, gulls, even osprey
Osprey
The Osprey , sometimes known as the sea hawk or fish eagle, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and across the wings...
can be seen by the lakeshore. A hike on one of the park trails can yield a glimpse of a doe with her fawn, a porcupine
Porcupine
Porcupines are rodents with a coat of sharp spines, or quills, that defend or camouflage them from predators. They are indigenous to the Americas, southern Asia, and Africa. Porcupines are the third largest of the rodents, behind the capybara and the beaver. Most porcupines are about long, with...
having lunch halfway up a jackpine, or even an occasional black bear
American black bear
The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
. Eastern chipmunks and red squirrels also adapt to the park's recreational areas.
In the wetland areas of the park, waterfowl, beaver
Beaver
The beaver is a primarily nocturnal, large, semi-aquatic rodent. Castor includes two extant species, North American Beaver and Eurasian Beaver . Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges . They are the second-largest rodent in the world...
, muskrat
Muskrat
The muskrat , the only species in genus Ondatra, is a medium-sized semi-aquatic rodent native to North America, and introduced in parts of Europe, Asia, and South America. The muskrat is found in wetlands and is a very successful animal over a wide range of climates and habitats...
, and mink
Mink
There are two living species referred to as "mink": the European Mink and the American Mink. The extinct Sea Mink is related to the American Mink, but was much larger. All three species are dark-colored, semi-aquatic, carnivorous mammals of the family Mustelidae, which also includes the weasels and...
can be found. In the evening, the park is filled with sounds of gray treefrogs, spring peepers, and chorus and wood frogs. The woodland sound of a barred owl
Barred Owl
The Barred Owl is a large typical owl. It goes by many other names, including eight hooter, rain owl, wood owl, and striped owl, but is probably best known as the hoot owl.-Description:...
, the flute-like song of the veery
Veery
The Veery, Catharus fuscescens, is a small thrush species. It is occasionally called Willow Thrush or Wilson's Thrush. It is a member of a close-knit group of migrant Catharus species, which also includes the cryptotaxa Grey-cheeked Thrush and Bicknell's Thrush The Veery, Catharus fuscescens, is a...
, and the hammering of a sapsucker
Sapsucker
The Sapsuckers form the genus Sphyrapicus within the woodpecker family Picidae. All are found in North America.As their name implies, sapsuckers feed primarily on the sap of trees, moving among different tree and shrub species on a seasonal basis...
all add to the wilderness experience.
In all, nearly 50 species of mammals and almost 200 different kinds of birds can be seen throughout the year in Lake Bemidji State Park. Contact the park naturalist for current information on where and when to observe the variety of wildlife.
Recreation
Lake Bemidji State Park offers recreational activities year round. Activities include camping, hiking, biking, cross country skiing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, picnicing, swimming, volleyball, fishing, boating and interpretive programs.Camping
The park has 95 drive-in sites, including 43 electric sites, 4 pull-through sites, and 4 handicapped accessible sites. In winter, only one site is available to drive-in. This is a non-electric site. Other sites are available on a walk-in basis after deep snow cover.
Two group camp sites are available. Bass Creek is a tent-only group camp that can accommodate up to 30 people. Water is available in the near-by parking area. The North Group Camp site accommodates up to 50 people and has three spaces for small trailers or pick-up campers. The group camps are available in winter but access is on foot. For group camp reservations, contact the state park reservation service at 1-866-85PARKS or online at www.stayatmnparks.com.
Trails
In the summer, there are 2 miles (3.2 km) of handicapped accessible trails, including the boardwalk and Rocky Point trail; 15 miles (24.1 km) of easy to moderate hiking trails that take you through areas of maturing pine, aspen and hardwoods; 6 miles (9.7 km) of paved bike trails which connect with the Paul Bunyan state trail; 5 Miles of mountain bike trails; and a 1/4 mile Bogwalk which is accessible by a 1 miles (1.6 km) hike.
In the winter, there are 11 miles (17.7 km) of groomed cross country ski trails, 3 miles (4.8 km) of snowmobile
Snowmobile
A snowmobile, also known in some places as a snowmachine, or sled,is a land vehicle for winter travel on snow. Designed to be operated on snow and ice, they require no road or trail. Design variations enable some machines to operate in deep snow or forests; most are used on open terrain, including...
trails that connect with an extensive trail system beyond the park, and you can showshoe anywhere in the park except the groomed trails. Showshoes can be rented at the park office.
Recreational Facilities
In the summer, park visitors can use the lakefront picnic and beach area which has picnic tables, an enclosed shelter with a fireplace, a volleybal court, a shower, restrooms, and pedestal grills. The shelter building and the sanitation building in the park were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
and the National Youth Administration
National Youth Administration
The National Youth Administration was a New Deal agency in the United States that focused on providing work and education for Americans between the ages of 16 and 24. It operated from 1935 to 1939 as part of the Works Progress Administration . Following the passage of the Reorganization Act of...
, and are of rustic style log construction. These buildings are now listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. The Shelter can be reserved by calling the park office.
There is a boat landing located next to the picnic area for those that wish to go fishing or boating. Canoes and fishing boats are available for rent from May 10 through October 13. There is also a handicapped accessible fishing pier.
In the winter, snowshoes are available for rent at the park office. Or, visitors can park in the picnic area parking lot, bring their own ice fishing
Ice fishing
Ice fishing is the practice of catching fish with lines and fish hooks or spears through an opening in the ice on a frozen body of water. Ice anglers may sit on the stool in the open on a frozen lake, or in a heated cabin on the ice, some with bunks and amenities.-Locations:It is a popular pastime...
equipment, and walk onto the lake to go fishing. There is a warming house located in the Trail Center, in the park's Visitor Center
Naturalist and Interpretive Programs
Throughout the year, the Visitor Center is a place where information about the park's trails, animals, geology, and other interesting features can be found through exhibits, films or slide programs. A complete list of programs and special programs or organized groups is available upon request.
Naturalist programs are offered Wednesday through Sunday from mid-June through Labor Day. Fall, winter and spring programs are generally offered on weekends. The Interpretive Center is open for schools, scouts and other community organizations upon request. Programs focus on the lake and wetland environments found in the park.
Interpretive programs in the summer include, morning hikes, boat tours of Lake Bemidji, evening films, and campfire talks. Winter programs include snowshoeing, candlelight skiing, and animal tracking. The Visitor Center is open daily and sometimes serves as a gathering place for interpretive programs where visitors share expereiences by the warmth of the woodstove.