At Long Lake Park, fishing, diving and a walking trail through a large forest area come together. In Clearwater County, discovering these specific natural attractions leads onward to trails of different scales and a layered local history.
Water and Trails
Long Lake Park offers rainbow trout fishing and opportunities for diving. There is also a 1-mile walking trail through a 53-acre forest area. This brings water-based activities together with a path through the woods—different ways to enjoy one place. If you include the park in your travel plans, you can decide whether fishing, diving or a walk better suits your interests.
At Itasca State Park, trail descriptions range from a single loop to the scale of an entire trail network. An 8.5-mile paved trail starts at the Jacob V. Brower Visitor Center. At the headwaters of the Mississippi, there is a 0.5-mile accessible loop. The North Country Trail is part of the park’s 49-mile trail network. These figures refer to different types of routes: a paved trail, a loop and a trail network. This makes it easier to distinguish the shorter loop from the scale of the entire network.
The Mississippi River State Water Trail and the Great River Road also begin at Itasca State Park; the Mississippi River begins there too. These are three different geographical references: the river’s source, a water route and a road route. Keeping the names distinct when planning helps avoid confusing the river with the water trail named after it. Itasca State Park and Long Lake Park are five miles apart—a specific point of reference if you’re considering both destinations.
Birdlife and Protected Shorelines
A total of 111 bird species have been documented at Iron Springs Bog Scientific and Natural Area, including nesting Gray Jays. The number of species conveys the breadth of the recorded birdlife, while Gray Jays provide a distinctive point of reference. Bird enthusiasts can focus both on the diversity and on a specifically named species.
Itasca Wilderness Sanctuary Scientific and Natural Area offers a different natural feature. There, approximately two miles of undeveloped shoreline on Lake Itasca are protected. In contrast to the focus on bird species, the emphasis here is on a shoreline landscape. The two areas therefore offer different highlights: one for its documented bird species, the other for its protected, undeveloped shoreline.
Buildings and Places of Remembrance
The Clearwater County Historical Society Museum is located in the former Shevlin School, a two-story brick building dating from 1911. Its former use, building material and year of construction give the building a tangible local history. The Historical Society’s History Center also includes a small historic village with a log cabin, a depot, a log schoolhouse, a gas station and several other buildings. The different building types make the village a distinctive way to explore the region’s past.
The Clearwater County Museum has more than 15,000 historical photographs from the county. The Clearwater County Historical Society offers free research assistance year-round. Alongside the buildings, photographic collections and research assistance provide different starting points for people interested in history.
In Popple Township, Gran Church was completed in 1897. A plaque installed in 1973 identified it as the first church built in Clearwater County. In 1988, Gran Church was added to the National Register of Historic Places. These dates mark different milestones: the building’s completion, a later recognition on a plaque and its addition to the register.
Discover more destinations: Shevlin, Roseau, Polk County, Kanabec County, Freeborn County, Otter Tail County, Martin County, Koochiching.
For the broader travel overview: Minnesota.
