Top 10 highlights at Itasca State Park in May & June

Itasca State Park – Minnesota's oldest state park – was established on April 20, 1891 to preserve the old growth pine trees that were in danger of being logged.

More than half a million people visit Itasca State Park every year to see the giant pines and wade across the headwaters of the Mississippi River State Water Trail.

Park Rapids is the undisputed "Gateway to Itasca State Park" and the south entrance is a 22-mile drive from Park Rapids north on Hwy. 71.

Check out these highlights during May and June at Itasca State Park.

• Songbirds are returning. There are 20 species of warblers who pass through the park, some staying for the summer. One of the most colorful is the yellow-rumped warbler. Listen for the ovenbird with its call that sounds like “teacher teacher.” Song and swamp sparrows are also back, along with dark-eyed juncos, scarlet tanagers and indigo buntings. 
• The best times for birding are just before sunrise until 11 a.m. and in the early evening when birds feed before roosting for the night. Right after sunset, visitors may hear the great blue heron croaking and ducks coming in to rest for the evening. 
• Ducks and geese may already be nesting, and soon young ducklings and goslings will be out on the water. 
• The Mississippi headwaters area is a favorite spot for watching waterfowl. On cold mornings, insects are more active, hovering over the water’s surface. Watch for birds that are “hawking,” flying with their mouths open to catch insects. 
• Another bird that can be found in the headwaters area is the northern parula. 
  “It sounds like the cartoon character Elmer Fudd,” Cox said. “That one sits on the top of spruce trees and is a beautiful blue, green and yellow with hints of red in its feathers. You have to use binoculars to see him, but you can hear him from quite a distance.”
  

  

  Adobe Stock

• Pine forests, like the Schoolcraft Trail, are especially good for bird watching. The Dr. Roberts Trail has a bog, pine and oak trees and a lake. That variety of forest types appeals to different species of birds looking for nesting habitat. 
  

  

  Adobe Stock

  “One of my favorites is the winter wren,” Cox said. “They love that swampy area down by the Old Timer’s Cabin. It is a tiny brown bird with a tail that sticks up straight. Its call is like the flute call of the god Pan, very melodic.”
• Walleye fishing is especially popular in May through the first week of June, mainly on Lake Itasca. Elk Lake along Wilderness Drive is a premier muskie lake. Fishing licenses are available in the park. 
  Any Minnesota resident can fish any lake entirely in a state park without a fishing license. Go to the DNR website for more information. At Itasca State Park, that includes Lake Ozawindib, Elk Lake, Mary Lake and Lake Itasca.

Contributed/Minnesota DNR

• Spring wildflowers abound in May and June. May is when the large-flowered trillium blooms. These large white flowers are visible on the main park drive from Preacher’s Grove to Peace Pipe Vista and up to the campground office. The Brower Trail is the best spot for viewing. 
  

  

  Shannon Geisen/Enterprise

• Biking on the bike trail or along Wilderness Drive is another way to see both wild flowers and birds. 
  “It’s a nice way to cover more ground while enjoying the beauty of the park,” Cox said.