Mississippi Headwaters Trail

The Mississippi Headwaters Trail leads to the single most historically significant natural feature in Minnesota: the outlet of Lake Itasca where the Mississippi River begins its 2,340-mile journey to the Gulf of Mexico. Henry Rowe Schoolcraft identified this as the river's source in 1832, guided by Ojibwe leader Ozawindib, and the site has been a pilgrimage destination since Minnesota achieved statehood. The trail loops from the Mary Gibbs Mississippi Headwaters Center to the lake outlet and back through old-growth red and white pine forest, passing a visitor complex that includes a monument marking the headwaters at 1,475 feet above sea level. The Mississippi at its source is barely a creek, perhaps 20 feet wide and ankle-deep in summer, flowing clear over smooth red granite pebbles. Visitors wade across or hop across on stepping stones, the mandatory rite of passage that allows claiming to have walked across the Mississippi. The old-growth pines surrounding the headwaters include trees more than 200 years old, their massive trunks dwarfing the visitors below. An audio tour available from the visitor center provides the Ojibwe name for the lake, Omashkooze-zaaga'iganing, and the cultural significance of the area to the people who have lived here for thousands of years before European exploration.