EXPLORE Outdoors

With stunning scenery, beautiful lakes, and a wide variety of wildlife, the Bemidji area is the ideal place to explore the great outdoors. With an exceptional amount of activities to offer, the Bemidji area can satisfy that urge to get more in touch with nature.

Fishing

With some of the deepest, clearest lakes in the state, the Northwoods of Minnesota is the best place for anglers on the water or the ice. Great reproduction rates, state fishery stocking efforts, and sensible catch limits make our lakes exciting to fish. Lake Bemidji and surrounding lakes are best known for walleye, bass, perch, northern pike, muskie, crappie, and bluegill. There are designated trout lakes and streams as well as bass and muskiemanaged lakes for the serious or casual fisherman. Just 16 miles east of Bemidji you’ll find nine picturesque lakes connected through the Cass Lake chain. There are several public piers in the Bemidji Lakes Area, including a new, wheelchair-accessible kids’ fishing pier for fun family outings.

Hunting

With the turn of the leaves in the fall, the limitless hunting opportunities take center stage. The forests, lakes and area farmlands provide habitat for deer, partridge, ruffed and sharptail grouse, black bear, duck and geese. The result is hunters taking home plenty of game, memories, and stories. Sportsmen can find some of the best hunting for trophy whitetail deer and black bear. Personal guides are available but should be contacted in advance.

Bemidji Trap & Skeet Club, established in 1928, offers a modern clubhouse, five lighted trap fields, wobble trap and opens for the season in May. The clubhouse is open to the public, offering open, registered shoots and youth shooting opportunities throughout the season. Please visit trap-skeet.com for additional details and updates.

Skiing

Buena Vista Ski Area is located 12 miles north of Bemidji on the Continental Divide. Winter enthusiasts will find a haven for snowboarding, downhill and cross-country skiing, with downhill runs for beginners and experts, a terrain park, snow tubing, and 25 kilometers of cross-country trails.

Curling

Bemidji claims to be the The Curling Capital of the USA. The Bemidji Curling Club has had at least one representative on the U.S. Olympic Team since 2002, and the 2006 men’s U.S. Olympic curling team captured the bronze medal in Torino, Italy. The Bemidji Curling club has six sheets of ice and hosts multiple bonspiels throughout the season. Men, women, and children can all compete.

Enjoying The Trails

The North Country Snowmobile Club of Bemidji maintains and grooms almost 400 miles of trails. All trails connect to other club trails in the area and destinations are endless using Bemidji as the hub for your trip. Our trails provide various types of riding through woods, open country, and swampy brushy areas. Many of the trails are very scenic and lead you throughout the homeland area of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox. Ride to Itasca State Park where the Mississippi River begins and enjoy the sites of the forested areas as you ride through the scenic woods. If you prefer long distance riding, take the Paul Bunyan Trail and ride across Minnesota and leave your vehicle parked. The awesome groomed trails provide endless opportunities. For more information on snowmobiling, visit ncsclub.org.

Biking

Bemidji, known as a bike friendly community, offers a variety of scenic biking trails from easy family pedaling to the more challenging trails. The lengths of trails vary anywhere from 4 to 35 paved miles. Each summer, Bike Bemidji celebrates with a family friendly bike ride around beautiful Lake Bemidji at the Loop the Lake Festival, which offers food, music, and activities at rest stations along the way. See map on page 34 for bike path information

Water Sports

Long sunny days of summer shine for water sports. Visitors can boat, pontoon, sail, canoe, jet ski, kayak, wind surf, swim or water ski. Lake Bemidji itself has six public boat accesses and four public swimming beaches, as well as several rental options. Beaches are located at Cameron Park, Diamond Point Park, South Shore Park and Lake Bemidji State Park. The best swimming is generally from late June to mid August, and the average high lake temperature is 73 degrees.

Golfing

Golfers find some of the state’s most beautiful courses among towering pines and sparkling lakes. Many even catch a glimpse of a deer or two strolling across the fairway. Golfers of every skill level will enjoy playing at any of the six area courses, which offer challenging championship tournament level play and fun parthree short courses.

Bird Watching

The Bemidji Lakes Area offers plenty of opportunities for both the veteran and the newly intrigued bird enthusiast. The area contains vast woodlands and waterways that are part of the Mississippi and Red River flyways, home to more than 240 migratory and resident bird species. Several species of gulls, waterfowl, herons, grebes and osprey may be seen, including the daily sightings of the majestic bald eagle and our state bird, the loon.

Chippewa National Forest

In 1908, the 1.6 million-acre Chippewa National Forest was the first national forest established east of the Mississippi River. More than 1,300 lakes, 925 miles of streams, and 400,000 acres of wetlands can be found within the forest. It is also one of the largest breeding areas for bald eagles and, as a habitat for whitetail deer, ruffed grouse, and waterfowl, is a great hunting destination. With 298 miles of non-motorized trails and 315 miles of motorized trails, visitors have ample opportunities to hike, bike, hunt, snowmobile, or ski. Learn more at www.fs.usda.gov/chippewa

Itasca State Park

Established in 1891 to conserve its giant pines from logging, Itasca State Park is Minnesota’s oldest state park. The park includes 32,000 acres with more than 100 lakes and 6,000 acres of oldgrowth forest. Itasca State Park offers a variety of camping and lodging opportunities. This unsullied setting attracts half a million visitors annually, many of whom delight in walking across the headwaters of the Mississippi River.

Bemidji City Parks

The city of Bemidji is home to sixteen family friendly parks where you will find playgrounds, pavilions, a 22,000-square-foot skateboard park, an outdoor hockey rink, trails, a disc golf course, basketball courts, picnic areas, boat ramps, and beautiful beaches.

Lake Bemidji State Park

Located on the north shore of Lake Bemidji, this state park offers lake country recreation as well as the sights and sounds of the northern forest. Its 1,688 acres have something for everyone in every season: swimming, hiking, biking, pontoon boat tours, crosscountry skiing, snowmobiling, ice fishing, and abundant birding opportunities.

Big Bog

Big Bog State Recreation Area has been called Minnesota’s last true wilderness. This unique land feature contains the largest peat bog in the lower 48 states, and the largest, best-developed water track in the United States. One mile of elevated, wheelchairaccessible boardwalk allows visitors a close look at rare orchids and pitcher plants. The Big Bog also has an updated campground with a sandy beach, trails, picnic grounds, and winterized camper cabins.

The Lost 40

Located in the Chippewa National Forest northeast of Blackduck, The Lost 40 is 144 acres of virgin red and white pines that escaped logging thanks to a mapping error. A one-mile, self-guided trail winds its way through these majestic trees. Two or three people can hold hands to surround the enormous trunk of one of these 350-year-old pines.

Lady Slipper Scenic Byway

Pine and aspen are interspersed with lakes and rivers on the Lady Slipper Scenic Byway through the Chippewa National Forest. Enjoy biking on the new Migizi Trail or walk along one of Cass Lake’s sandy beaches. While you enjoy natural attractions and bountiful wildlife, you may want to explore Knutson Dam or the Rabideau Civilian Conservation Corps Camp.

The Great River Road

The Great River Road Scenic Byway is a collection of roads that follow the course of the Mississippi River. It begins at the Mississippi River Headwaters in Itasca State Park, just 30 miles south of Bemidji, and extends to the Gulf of Mexico. Three of Minnesota’s largest lakes are located along the Minnesota stretch of the Great River Road: Cass, Leech, and Winnibigoshish.